December 31st, 2016 was an exciting day at the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum. The organization held a special New Year’s Eve party at noon for all the families in attendance, complete with a balloon drop and an apple juice toast.
While waiting for the balloon drop, children created wearable paper crowns to commemorate the New Year, and explored the various engaging exhibits in the museum. With an outdoor play area and three separate levels, the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum has a lot to offer to engage children of various ages. Young kids can learn the importance of strong building construction in the earthquake block simulator, don a costume and create a play on the second floor stage, or engage in a myriad of other delights that range from creating in a kitchen to diagnosing in the doctor’s office.
It is also home to The Thinkery, a preschool run by Karen Ames. One mother, brought her child up from Arroyo Grande to enjoy the festivities, and spoke of how she gladly makes the drive each day to bring her daughter to the Thinkery; where they both value the creative playtime widely recognized as essential to young minds.
Ten minutes before noon, a crowd of children gathered on the first floor to wait for the balloons to drop. After a couple of group-initiated false countdowns, the time was finally upon us and the last ten seconds of 11 AM were echoed throughout the building- and then it was noon! As balloons and confetti blanketed the crowd, cries of delight and laughter could be heard as kids rose up their hands to snag a balloon for themselves. After five minutes, the crowd dispersed and returned to the various interactive play stations set up around the museum, smiles wide on their faces, balloons in their hands, and confetti on their shoes.
Story and Photos by Kirstin Steer, Special to SLO City News / Coast News
