A visit to the Montshire

I'm going to skip the goals post for this week since it is already Thursday (yikes! how did that happen?) and instead tell you about our family field trip on Monday! We took a trip over to VT to the Montshire Museum of Science, just like we did last year to celebrate the end of school. I apologize in advance for the number of pictures on this post, but I thought it would be fun for you to get a peek at our day, and in this case it is easier to do that with pictures than with words!

Using magnets to move shapes around in water

Learning about viscosity

A painted turtle

Observing dry ice changing from a solid to a gas

Sam especially liked the chaotic wrench.

These foam balls and air tubes are a big hit with our kids!

Fun with gears

The spinning table

Josiah played in "Andy's Place" for a little while (a special section for kids 5 and under). Here he was looking through a periscope.

Playing with balls

My two builders . . . :)

The kids love to sit and watch this ball-roller-contraption. It can keep them entertained for a LONG time!

Eating a picnic lunch in the pavilion

Although you can't really tell in this picture, the stone ball they are sitting on is engraved to look like the world.

Now Julia is on top of the world! :)

Playing with wind socks

Heading up the stairs to the bridge to go back inside after lunch

Checking out the bees . . .

I don't remember what this is called, but you spin the handle and balls roll through the maze, creating all kinds of noise. One of Sam's favorite exhibits! :)

What a cute little puppy! :)

Looking down from a balcony at Jim and Sam studying the leaf cutter ants.

View of the museum grounds and Connecticut River from the tower.

The bubbles were one of my favorite exhibits when I was a kid. My kiddos enjoy them, too!

Around 3:30 or so, the younger kids and I headed outside to explore the water exhibits. I changed them into swimming clothes and then they got busy splashing! Sam and Jim stayed inside for close to another hour, eventually joining us outside, but I didn't end up getting any pictures of Sam in the water.

Julia rescued this cute little caterpillar from the water.

Fun with fountains

Happy girl!

As you can tell, we all had a wonderful time! We hope to make the museum visit an annual event. It's such a great place for kids to explore science at their own level. Next year we will hopefully go earlier in the day so we have more time there and can walk some of the hiking trails, too. There is so much to see and do, it's hard to fit it all in. :)