Oh, To Be a Kid Again!

“Explore! Investigate! Express!”

It’s the mantra of Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena, California that not only resonates in every exhibit, program and activity it offers but which prompts a collective sigh amongst the adults who are there with their offspring. Even its kaleidoscope entry tunnel and chiming symphonics hint that one is entering a realm unlike any other.

Why didn’t all of this fun exist back when we were still kids, we have to ask ourselves.

The reason, of course, is that it took inventive minds like Executive Director Stephen H. Baumann to put the whole concept together. More than two million visitors have made Kidspace a family-friendly experience since its debut in 1979 and the numbers keep growing.

Baumann enthusiastically cites that the open-space design, interactive exhibits and natural lighting are a welcome change from most children’s museums. “That the physical layout itself is fashioned after the varying elevations and personality of the Arroyo,” he explains, “gives children more of an awareness of the region they live in.” In addition, the hands-on workshops are a complement to what they are learning in classrooms, at home and in neighborhood childcare centers.

Kidspace,” says Baumann, “is all about kids exploring their environment through art, through science and through the humanities.” He also emphasizes that it’s not a place where parents simply drop children off. “Moms, dads, nannies and grandparents come here with them and can spend an entire day together learning about new things. Sixty-eight percent of our membership,” he reveals with pride, “have been here over three times.” Even 35 percent of the walk-in visitors, he adds, have experienced Kidspace before and are returning to repeat the fun.

As we wend our way through the museum’s gardens, waterways and nature trails, I catch sight of an elderly man and his granddaughter trying to guess what sort of “mystery creature” is making a rattling ruckus from within a sealed and suspended box. In a conspiratorial whisper so as not to be overheard by a most transfixed little girl, Baumann tells me that the ingredients and sound effects are changed on a regular basis, encouraging the museum’s visitors to really put on their thinking caps and try to identify if the contents are woods, metals, plastics and so forth.

Want to rediscover your Inner Kid? There’s no better way than through the eyes of your little ones as they climb raindrops and wisteria, look at the world from a bug’s eye view, create mini-earthquakes, and learn how to unearth treasures just like a real paleontologist. Ever wonder what the underside of a tree looks like? Baumann points out an upside down tree sculpture that teaches kids about roots.

On next to the strata cliff climb where young adventurers can experience what’s it like to climb a mountain. “You’ll notice it’s more sideways than vertical,” Baumann says, reinforcing the message that proper safety and supervision is a crucial component in keeping Kidspace a fun haven for the inquisitive.

Budding naturalists will find much to excite them at the Boone Foundation Nature Exchange, a light and airy room that allows kids to bring in rocks, plants and other objects they find around their neighborhood. “We have experts on hand who will show them how to research what their ‘find’ is and then come back and give a little talk about it. This results in a point system where they can trade in their points for some of the cool stuff we’ve got in our collector bins.”

Although most of the Kidspace aficionados are between the ages of 2 and 9, Baumann shares that the facility’s early childhood learning center has a number of activities and toys specifically geared to toddlers and their parents or caregivers. In addition, Kirby’s Kiddy Corner outside is a designated play space for the really young set that introduces them to fundamentals of color recognition, motor skills, problem solving, and keeping their balance.

The wail of a small siren interrupts our conversation. “That would be the Boo-Boo Buggy,’ Baumann informs me. We step over to a big red tent that houses one of the facility’s most popular attractions – a festive first aid emergency vehicle which is part of the museum’s curriculum for teaching health and safety. During its recent Heart Health Week program, kids and parents were not only treated to a visit by members of the Harlem Globetrotters but learned about the importance of keeping one’s heart healthy and strong through exercise and a nutritious diet.

Speaking of food, museum visitors won’t run out of steam if they build a snack break into their day. None other than Wolfgang Puck holds the catering contract for the onsite Nestle Café. (One can’t help but wonder, of course, if the introduction of fine eats at a tender age is a strategy to eventually lure them to Spago once they’re old enough to drive themselves downtown.) “We even have a mini ‘Iron Chef’ competition,” Baumann tells me. “Whether it’s ‘Burrito Challenge’ or ‘Best Chocolate Milk’, the results are judged by actual Puck chefs.”

The true value of Kidspace, of course, can’t be measured by its landscape or the content of any of its physical buildings. It’s in the smiles and the joy and the bonding that occurs when we spend time in the company of our next generation. “As busy as everything is these days,” says Baumann, “it’s nice to have a safe, fun, and positive place where we can encourage children to just be themselves and to open their eyes to opportunities and possibilities.”

The museum’s plans for expansion – which will include a traveling exhibition gallery, a theater, and art and music studios – will allow even more children and their families to participate in a remarkable voyage of discovery.

Do Baumann’s own offspring think their dad has a pretty cool job? “They’re grown up now,” he replies with a laugh, “but I know for certain I wouldn’t want to be working anywhere else!”

For more information on Kidspace, visit their website at www.kidspacemuseum.org.

(Pictured: Aron Guevara, Courtney Veyrasset and Varsha Dadachanji at Bugsy's Diner)