Time to Imagine...

Yesterday we took the kids to a FABULOUS Children's Museum called "Imagine". We've been wanting to check it out for a while-so we finally decided that it was finally THE day! No more Cabin Fever for us.....

We stopped at the Alderwood Mall on our way, and had a refreshing and oh so yummy lunch at Panera, and then headed to the Disney Store with the kiddos! That couldn't have been cooler (well, it COULD-if it were CLOSER! :) but such is life in Ellensburg!) Emma was over the top excited and ran from shelf to shelf saying "Oh wow-Mom did you see this one?" Bryce was most interested in the display of Ariel toys....(hmmmm....half naked girls are his interest these days?????  :) In the end each of them picked out one new stuffed friend to sleep with tonight and we headed back to the car-onwards to the museum.
It was BY FAR, the best children's museum we have ever been to-hand's down! Even Mike was the first one to point that out (we really enjoy Downtown Seattle-but this was like a whole different ball game) This place was 3 stories tall with so much to explore. Both kids shot threw the door like lightning to begin their adventures!

Inside the museum there was: a "downtown" area with a Vet Clinic-where kids got to pretend to be the doctor and take care of various critters housed in a wall of hospital kennels (this was a favorite of my kids) and an Italian Restaurant, a GIGANTIC treehouse, an art studio, a plane-where you could pretend to be a pilot or stewardess with working intercoms and all, a firehouse-with a big firetruck shaped play structure, a Ferry boat shaped room-filled with water exploration, a bank-where the kids pretended to be tellers at the drive thru, make money rubbings, and play connect four with HUGE coins!

Then there was a theater-here the kids could pretend to be the ticket salesperson, or manage the lights and sound effects of the stage. If the kids were on the stage they could see themselves on a big T.V. monitor-it was too cool! There was a train room that felt as if you were in a giant rock tunnel playing with the ultimate train table ever-you could crawl under the rock train table or scale the rock walls as if you were climbing the mountain over the train tracks!

In the farm section the kids got to ride a tractor, a horse, collect eggs from the chicken coop, throw toys to the ducks, throw "grain" bean bags into a giant cylo, and best of all...MILK A COW! (which was absoultely hilarious to watch!)
Topping it off, there was a rooftop play area with the COOLEST dinosaur exhibit/excavation play area! There were various sand tools for digging up the "fossils" which were covered with small wood looking rubber bark chips (instead of sand), there was also an "Indiana Jones" type machine that the kids listen to dinosaur sounds as well as archaeologists on! In other areas of the rooftop there was: a giant instrument/musical spot, a life-size chess game-board with huge pawn pieces, a play jeep, and super fun slides & rock wall play structure. Despite the semi-dreary weather, the kids played and played up here-especially when a band of bagpipe playing men started a little concert in the music corner! What a cool treat!
It was a great way to let the kids burn some energy, explore, and for us to GET OUT OF TOWN! Highly recommended fun!!!  When all was said & done-the kids were completely knackered and in bed by 6:30pm!