Kids Day Out in Rockford

Over the Holiday Break my family and I were able to all get together, which is always an impressive feat given that there are six siblings total in addition to partners , kids and my parents. It can be a lot to coordinate. I am so grateful we continue to find ways to make it happen so we can spend quality time together. During the break, my parents planned a day out for the kids in nearby Rockford, IL which was the perfect outing for the group. We visited both the Burpee Museum of Natural History and right next door, the Discovery Center Museum with a break for lunch in between.

Burpee Museum of Natural History

At first glance one might be concerned whether a history museum can maintain the attention of littles (all of ours were five and under). The existence of changing tables in the mens and women’s bathrooms was the first clue that they are happy to cater to families of young children and they did not disappoint. The kids certainly enjoyed exploring, seeing the animals and as it was not crowded, running from place to place. If you have any dinosaur lovers in your group they will be especially interested.

Immersive Exhibit

Towards the entrance of the museum is my personal favorite exhibit. According to their website they have created a “realistic, two-story tall, prehistoric carboniferous coal forest” to explore. It’s an immersive space that truly gives you the experience of walking the earth at the time of the dinosaurs, complete with life sized sights and sounds. It’s not too hard to imagine how small and vulnerable we are compared to those jurassic titans.

Dinosaurs

No natural history museum would be complete without some examples of the giant dinosaurs themselves and Burpee had many. Many more than I would have expected from a smaller sized museum. This includes Jane the juvenile T–rex , Homer the teenage triceratops and the wooly mammoth at the entrance. Plus many other dinosaur facts and artifacts.

Modern Animals

In their Windows to Wilderness exhibit are a considerable amount of live and taxidermy animals with a focus on local animals. As a turtle lover myself I was particularly impressed by all the different ones the museum had especially, as you can hear in the clip, when I found one that looks just like my pet turtle Shelly! The museum has mostly reptiles and amphibians which are all in aquariums set perfectly to children’s eye level. Most of the examples of fuzzier animals are taxidermy ones.

Children’s Learning Lab

The Children’s Learning Lab. also on the top floor, is an ideal way to end your visit to the museum. It’s the most interactive section with its dinosaur toys, bone digging box, and dress up costumes. The kids enjoyed running and climbing around this section for some good old fashion playtime. On the date of our visit they also had a woman helping kids draw dinosaurs, she was very sweet and the kids enjoyed a quick coloring session.

Lunchtime; it’s not Just for Kids

The kids shouldn’t have all the fun so my parents picked out an excellent restaurant and brewery in Prairie Street Brewing Co. They were packed in their main restaurant so we had to go downstairs to their smaller , more casual dining and bar area. This actually worked out great as we sat right in where their pinball machines and few other various arcade games were which was perfect for the kids to keep entertained while waiting for our food. Plus, they’re still at that age where they can just play pretend, so they didn’t even need a quarter. The restaurant bathrooms also had changing tables in mens and female bathrooms which was again appreciated. The guys all tried a flight of their beers and the girls went for their wine and cocktails. I went for their Nashville hot chicken sandwich and the dry rub was divine. Pretty sure my brother-in-law was kicking himself for not ordering one himself after he had a taste.

Discovery Center Museum

While the Natural History Museum was a lovely low key way to spend the morning, the Discovery Center Museum was a high energy activity zone. A great way for the kids to explore and get out their energy, but definitely not for the faint of heart or the sensory sensitive. There are a lot of kids and a lot of noise, but also a lot of fun. There is a quiet/nursing room in the upstairs if anyone needs a break. They also have family bathrooms upstairs with a child sized and adult size toilet in the same stall. They have a ton of exhibits so I will just review our favorites. We also visited in winter so I don’t have anything to share about their outdoor discovery park section.

Wild Weather

Wild Weather is right at the entrance of the museum and really starts out your visit with a bang given it hosts a real live tornado. It is a smaller version of the one I love at the Science and Industry Museum in Chicago but has the distinct advantage that you are able to move and touch it. This interactive experience is what can be expected through the discovery museum.

Air and Flight

The air and flight exhibit demonstrates all matter of ways to get things in the air, and inevitably come back down. And what is more fun then popping things up into the sky just to watch them come crashing down? The kids are sure to test each item out repeatedly, making their own hypothesis as to how to make things go faster, higher or farther into the sky.

Agriculture

In true midwestern style, the agriculture section demonstrates all aspects of the modern farm. It’s some excellent play pretend in that the kids can drive the tractor, gather the eggs from the chickens, milk the cows or process the corn. More than that, it’s an important reminder on how our food gets to our tables.

Bubble Play

What kids doesn’t love to play with bubbles?! The Center’s Bubble Play sections takes this love to a whole other level with exciting ways to make bubbles big and small. Even the Dads had to get in on the fun. The kids particularly enjoyed the steam bubble machine.

Tot Spot

Given we had kids all five and under at our visit, the interactive play areas of the tot spot were just their size. Kids could use their imagination in the grocery store, the bank, the baby hospital and the house. They also had a large water play tables area, just prepare for clothes to get a bit wet. Behind the water play area is a section made especially for 18 months and younger with toys and Mats to crawl on.

Though we sometimes have precious little shared family time, it was certainly well spent on our kids day out in Rockford. The charming Burpee Natural History Museum and the lively Discovery Center Museum, kept everyone entertained. Plus we had a delicious lunch together in between stops. You can book tickets ahead if you want to plan your own visit or like us, purchase at walk in. We were also able to get seating at the restaurant by just walking in, though we had to sit downstairs so if you know your timing, you may want to go for a reservation. Either way you plan it the kids and kids at heart will sure to be satisfied.