San Diego's New Kids Museum

The New Children’s Museum, which opened in downtown San Diego on May 4, 2008, was designed by architect Rob Wellington Quigley. It is a place for children and families, a place to experience exciting art exhibitions, hands-on studio projects, performances, birthday parties, in-depth classes, camps and educational programs. Across the street there is a beautiful park, where children can enjoy the outdoors - running, climbing, family picnics and a view of San Diego’s trains and trolleys as they go by.

The Museum features innovative, provocative artworks that kids can touch, climb or move. Families can think, play and create together, through hands-on art making, artistic performance opportunities and educational opportunities. There is something for all ages from toddlers to teens, while some areas are age specific. To enjoy the Museum on less crowded times, plan on going on either a Monday Morning, Thursday afternoon or Saturday morning as these have been designated as Vons Family Fun Time and tend to be less crowded. The second Sunday of each month is Free, sponsored by Target, but this tends to attract a larger crowd however between 2pm and 4pm it is less crowded.

The Main Level is the Museum’s largest open space, with ceilings 50 feet high. In the museum there are Studios with trained artists to help and encourage children with their own projects. The Paint & Clay Studio caters to children 3 years and older who use donated recycled canvas and paper bags to create colorful patterns; there is a Toddler space which includes a 33-foot-high Trojan horse, where story-time is held, in the horse.

The Design Studio, for kids from 5 years, uses colorful tape and cardboard tubes to create designs of their own such as colorful Totem Poles painted with their choice of animals. Different artists are featured at the museum and visitors can attend workshops, with the current artist, as they watch them create a new piece, which is then suspended in the atrium for all the enjoy.

Among the other studios one allow kids to create their own audio and video soundtracks while another allows them to make bubbles and test the different shapes as they float in the air. The Teen studio, for kids 11 years and above, is in it's own area of the museum. Students from the University of California San Diego and artists support this studio by specific programs which include photography and college-based projects.

The Arts Education Center offers ongoing weekly classes for families, after-school programs and parenting seminars. Summer Camps and Workshops, for grades 1 thru 6 are offered, featuring - drawing, painting, puppetry, film making and exploring sound - where the kids work directly with the artist, in small groups and create their own work.

During spring vacation and summertime, children have lots of time with nothing to do. To keep them, not only busy but entertained as well, parents should consider taking the children to a "kids Museun", where the emphasis is on what will appeal to children. Museum's for children not only entertain, but they also educate the children with programs based on - what the different ages are inrerested in.

The new Kids Museum in San Diego is located at 200 West Island Ave, which can be reached by connecting with the 5-Freeway, and following the downtown exit.