Visit to Stepping Stones Children’s Museum

posted by yazmin

Disclaimer: Stepping Stones provided me and my family with complimentary admission. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Andrew turned one this week and to kick off his birthday celebrations we decided to visit Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk, CT. Stepping Stones also celebrates its 15th Birthday this week. I’ve been to the museum once before so I already knew that they had a wonderful area for babies and toddlers. I thought it would be a perfect place to celebrate a one-year-old’s birthday.

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Tot Town

Our first stop in our birthday celebration was Tot Town for kids 3 and under. This area is separated into two sections including one for non-walkers. Chris took Andrew in the baby section while I explored the rest of the area with the girls.

Stepping Stones Museum

The baby section is shoe-free to ensure that little ones can crawl around free without the fear of extra dirt on the floor. There were foam mats, a mirror, and bars to pull up on. It’s a great spot for the littlest visitors to explore without the fear of being trampled by big kids.

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The rest of Tot Town features a school bus, fishing boat, blocks, music stage, and kitchen. Everything is in bright colors and inviting. There are different nooks for little ones to hang out and explore.

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One of my favorite features of Stepping Stones is the little costumes available for dress up. How can you resist a little fisherman?

Stepping  Stones Children's Museum

 Energy Lab

By far the most exciting part of the museum for my kids was the water area in the Energy Lab. When you first enter there are little smocks that the kids wear to keep their clothes dry. Again, these little outfits are adorable.

Energy Lab

There are several different water tables at kid-level. There are different buckets to fill and balls to play with. My girls literally squealed with excitement when they started playing in the water. Andrew even got in on a little of the fun.

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I realize I looked at this area through the eyes of a toddler. The water was fun to splash in and we enjoyed the basics of it. I know that there is a lot of educational value behind this area too. While we were there a group of older students were there on a field trip. They were observing the way the water flowed and how the equipment worked. They even showed me how to use some of the water features. The Energy Lab is great for all ages.

Build It!

Another one of the popular exhibits is known as Build It! Where kids enter a construction site and help build. They can pretend to build, paint, do plumbing, move stones — all like a real job site.

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Express Yourself

Express Yourself is the newest permanent exhibit at Stepping Stones Museum. It focuses on the social-emotional health of children. The exhibit helps to teach children to identify their own feelings. This exhibit gives children the opportunity to “express themselves” through art, video, music and dance. I found this area to be one that I could really engage with my kids.

My kids loved decorating faces, playing the drums together, even working together on a giant “light bright.” This was a nice quiet area where kids and parents could play and create together.

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Traveling Exhibits

Tot Town, Energy Lab and Build It! are mostly permanent exhibits at the museum, but there are also exhibits that are only there for a short time. While we were there we got to explore My Sky!, a traveling exhibit about the sun, moon and stars. This exhibit will be in the museum until Memorial Day.

The My Sky! exhibit featured a spinning moon, star constellations, and a camping setup to sit back and watch the stars. This was a quieter room. My kids felt comfortable roaming around and exploring.

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Recurring Programs

One of the unique things about Stepping Stones is that they offer recurring activities along with the exhibits. These are classes similar to things that I have paid for separate from any museum admission price. They offer yoga, storytime, music, Zumba, art and a lot more.

While we were there we got to see Zelda the Zany Owl. This activity is perfect for preschool-aged children. The children gather around a table and learn about numbers and letters in a fun way. The kids were really engaged with the instructor and her stuffed pet owl.

Zelda the Zany Owl

Cafe

Stepping Stones has their own cafeteria where you can purchase food or eat food from home. It’s nice that you can spend the whole day at the museum without having to leave for lunch.

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Stepping Stones Museum

Membership

A membership for a family of four to Stepping Stones pays for itself in three visits. The exhibits are great and I can see my kids playing there for hours, but one of my favorite features is the recurring events that are included in your entrance fee. For me, this makes the price of a membership completely worth it. Not only do you get to visit a fantastic museum but the price of the activities is included in your membership for all your children. If I didn’t live more than an hour away, I’d highly consider getting a membership for my family.

Now through May 22, 2015, Stepping Stones offers discounted admission Tuesday – Friday from 3 -5 pm. Also on the first Thursday of every month from 5-8 pm you can get into the museum for FREE.

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To celebrate Andrew’s birthday week I’m giving away FREE admission for four to Stepping Stones Museum. Good Luck!

CONTEST RULES:

  • Enter below using your Facebook login or email address for your chance to win four guest passes to Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk, CT.
  • One winner will be chosen at random on March 19, 2015 at 12 pm.
  • The winner will announced on March 19th on Facebook. The winner will also be notified through email. They will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address. If they do not respond in the designated time they forfeit their chance at the prize and a new winner will be chosen.

Admission for Four to Stepping Stones Museum

Posted in Connecticut Kids Museums, Date Nights, Family, Free Stuff, Travel. Tagged , , , , , , , , , .

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