A Visit to Boonshoft

After being cooped up inside for days because of the heat, I decided we needed to go discover something new...anywhere "cool" ! So last week, we made the 50 minute drive up 75 to Boonshoft Museum of Discovery. Since we have a Cincinnati Zoo pass, we got in for half price. (If you have a Cincinnati Museum pass, you get in for free)

Lego was there that day with a very cool vehicle outside,

...and lots of cool displays indoors. They also had a large area full of Legos where kids could play and build.

We spent the majority of out time in the Mindbender Mansion. As you make your way through, trying to figure out the different mind bending activities, you fill out a card with the correct answers. Michael loved figuring this one out....ok...with a little bit of help from some helpful staff:) Michael had it nearly right on his own though...and he was pretty pleased!

Lauren took the assignment very seriously...and figured out many of the puzzles on her own.

And of course, was very pleased also!

At the end, after completing all the activities, you could get a certificate with your picture on it. Lauren gave Caleb the necessary passwords so he could get his own picture!

Lauren and Caleb doing a spelling game. The computer would give you a question, that you then had to answer by stepping on the correct letters. The lighted green spaces are "free" spaces to make it easier to get to the letters you need. Very fun...even for mom:0)

The kids had a LOT of fun with this conveyor activity. You were to fill in the spaces on the trays with certain shapes of meat, potatoes, corn and dessert. There were several speeds on the conveyor and as you filled them up, the conveyor was also dumping more "food" into a bin, so someone had to keep the bin cleaned out and the food handed back to the workers at the conveyor. It was a challenge to keep up and I'm pretty sure had this been a real factory, we would have gotten fired...lol We never made it past the "slow" speed...haha But then, I never saw anyone else there able to do it either:)

Boonshoft also has a small indoor zoo. (Did someone say indoor? A/C??? LOVED it...) This little otter was really friendly and would come right up to the glass to see the kids. Very cute!

Cute baby barn owl!

The kids enjoyed the little "town" area complete with a courtroom setting and or course...the jail! Guess these two were found guilty!!

Another REALLY fun area, was the pizza shop! The kids did not want to leave...they had so much fun making Mommy pizzas! Not sure how many I "ate"....WAY too much for sure !!! I especially love the "meatballs"...large brown pom poms!!

Lauren getting ready to create a yummy pizza!

She made a supreme!

Michael filling a delivery order:)

Caleb drove the delivery truck!

After spending most of the day at Boonshoft, we went on over to Xenia to visit my aunts. To my kids, they are "the aunties". They love visiting there because of all the spoiling, but also because they live out in the country. Very pretty farms and houses all around. This time, they got to watch a plane spraying crops at the farm behind my aunts' house.

An exciting event occurs every 30 minutes at "the aunties" house also:) My aunts have a cuckoo clock that the kids absolutely love!! The cuckoo comes out and then there is a music box tune and tiny dancers. I couldn't resist snapping a picture of Caleb's face.

And of course, the aunts are more than happy to make time "fly" so he can watch it several times.

Even if you are not lucky enough to stop by the "aunties" house for a yummy sloppy joe meal and watching the cuckoo clock, I'd still say that Boonshoft is worth the drive from Cincinnati. We will definitely be back. There are also many other very cool exhibits that I didn't have time to blog about! Go check it out!