Imagine Nation is currently an Out and About Mom sponsor. No additional compensation was received for this post and all opinions are 100% the blogger’s own.
Hi everyone! We have a really special post today. It’s a post that’s been a long time coming. For many years we have hoped that one day this blog could include the perspectives of parents of children with special needs. In fact, readers have asked for it on many occasions! And we have been trying so hard to fulfill that request! The trouble has been, we are all about authenticity at Out and About Mom, and it was important to us that we find a parent contributor with real life experience in this area. It felt disingenuous for those of us without that experience to try to point out things here and there that may or may not actually be helpful to the parents living this with their children every day.
From time to time we have had readers reach out to us and offer to share their life experiences with their children with special needs. But unfortunately, for one reason or another, those collaborations never came to fruition.
That is, until we got a note from Jessica.
Jessica is a CT mom raising three boys, all with special needs, and she is so passionate about sharing her experiences with other parents to help them better navigate successful outings. She’s got lots of tricks and tips and advice on activities and places that work…and those that don’t. (You can read more about Jessica in a minute!)
And today, we are so fortunate to have her here on the blog guest posting about her family’s experience at a recent Sensory Saturday event at Imagine Nation Museum, a monthly event that takes place on the second Saturday of each month where the museum opens early at 9am and makes thoughtful adjustments to the environment to better accommodate children with special or sensory processing needs.
We hope this post will be a beacon to all our fellow CT parents navigating the diverse challenges of parenthood, whatever those may be. Because we ALL deserve the opportunity to have more fun (and less stress!) with our kids.
Thank you, Jessica, for stepping up and helping us to spread this message. We hope this will be the first of many helpful and inspiring posts!
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Hi, I’m Jessica, and I am so excited to be contributing to Out and About Mom. I have used this blog many times in researching activities for my three children, and have found so much useful information here.
Finding activities for my family isn’t always easy. All of my children have autism to some degree. That’s why I’ve become a contributor here – to help other families like mine find activities that fit their children’s particular needs, because you never know when a meltdown might occur or a noise will be too loud.
My kids are ten, six, and three, so the visits can be seen from different age-related perspectives. Special needs run the gamut, and autism is a broad spectrum in itself, so I can only truly comment on my own experiences with my three guys: we’ll call them Thomas, Sonic, and Junior. But I think they are varied enough that we can cover a lot of bases.
Thomas was classed PDD-NOS when autism still had labels. He is the kindest, most loving person and always has a positive attitude. He doesn’t do elevators, and he’s sensitive to noise. He can get overwhelmed easily and there is usually one round of tears while we’re out somewhere new.
Sonic is funny, bright, and sharp-witted. He loves to have a good time. But he always wants to be first, and he hates to lose, so he usually has a meltdown and then turns sour for the rest of the trip. He has trouble with impulse control, but he can be very focused when he wants to be. He demands perfection of himself, even though no one expects perfection from a six year old.
Junior loves vehicles and animals. He isn’t interested in participating in group activities and would much prefer just wandering. He has some words, mainly labeling. He doesn’t really speak though, and all his needs are communicated nonverbally.
So, you can see we have a lot on our hands when we undertake a family outing, which makes it all the more important to find activities that either cater to us directly with sensory-friendly events, as well as community events and destinations for the general population that will work for us. We have failed many times, and I intend to be honest and straightforward about the things that work and the things that don’t.
I hope this will help many families like mine. Happy Outings!”
As a mom of three boys, finding an activity that will appeal to all of them isn’t easy. Add in that they all are on the autism spectrum, and it makes that task especially daunting. Thankfully, some venues recognize this unique challenge, and offer events that cater to families like mine.
Today, we visited Imagine Nation’s Sensory Saturday event. The museum opens early every second Saturday of the month so that children with different sensory needs can enjoy the exhibits without the commotion of a large crowd.
Out and About Mom has been to Imagine Nation a few times before, and you can read all about it in more depth *here and *here. My focus will be on the sensory friendly event specifically, but I will also be the first to reveal some exciting new exhibits that were recently added to the museum!
The museum normally opens at 9:30am, but the doors were open at 9am for the Sensory Saturday event. The staff was friendly and welcoming, quick to greet us and explain that we had the run of the place, and what accommodations they made. Some of the lights remained off and there was no music or distracting sound. The interactive robot, Baxter, which usually is on and greets guests on the second floor, was off this morning. The staff explained that on previous Sensory Saturdays, Baxter frightened more kids than he entertained, so he stays off until 10:00am now.
The museum remained quiet for the full hour, but more and more general public families began to arrive by the end of the hour. While the doors technically open to the public at 9:30, people really didn’t start arriving until 10:00 and it got loud and crowded rather quickly, so that is something to keep in mind. Definitely plan to arrive right at 9:00 so you get the full Sensory Saturday time if you think you might have to make a quick exit as the crowds arrive. Sensory Saturday guests are welcome to stay after 9:30 at no charge though, so if your family is able to hang out for longer, you are welcome to.
The event itself was modestly attended, so not only was it quiet, but the kids were able to experience all of the exhibits on their own time. The hour was more than enough for them to see everything and then some.
The staff brings out something special to play with for that first hour. It changes monthly, and this time it was a bin of floam. The older kids weren’t really interested, but Junior got his hands on it for a while, along with another girl around his age. This is an excellent choice by the staff, as so many kiddos crave tactile activities.
There are three levels to the museum, and the stairwells have two sets of banisters – adult and kid heights.
If you need an elevator, there is one in the front lobby to take you to the second and third floors. While the elevator is centrally located on those levels, you will have to exit the museum and go through the food court area to access the elevator from the first floor. That could be challenging for some, especially if you’re wrangling multiple kiddos, so just be prepared for it.
On the other hand, it is a see-through elevator, so kids can see how the elevator works and where they are going, which is excellent for a child like Thomas, who is petrified of enclosed spaces.
There are also family restrooms on the first and second levels, which is helpful because it is private and not noisy like public restrooms can be.
Every area was available to the children to explore. The blue room was still all cleaned up, with the blocks stacked against the wall, so my kids just peeked in and moved on, since they didn’t see anything to play with.
The outdoor play area was closed until 11:30, so we didn’t get a chance to explore that area either.
While the kids did explore the third level pretend play theater, it didn’t hold their interest, so most of their play was focused on the second and first floors. There is so much to see and do, but the favorites were the dance floor, the animated sandbox, the water play tables, and the animals.
While we were there, we got to check out some of the NEW EXHIBITS, which have not been featured on Out and About Mom before.
Here’s a look at the NEW Post Office Pretend Play Area!
This new play area is located on the second floor next to the blue block room and between the art studio and giant operation game. There is a section where you can write and mail a letter of your own, but you can also pretend to be a postal worker and file mail into PO Boxes, dress up just like a mail delivery person, and even load and drive a mail truck. My ten year old Thomas didn’t really glance twice at it, and my three year old Junior was afraid to “drive” the truck, but six year old Sonic was all in, and he explored the whole area.
While my kids didn’t show a lot of interest, another family’s children definitely did, and I think it was an adorable addition to the museum and one that would appeal to the majority of children.
We also discovered the Create-A-Fish activity!
Alert: The full body bubble maker is no more! I, for one, am grateful. It took a gentle hand to work properly, and was a source of frustration for my boys. However, it has been replaced by something WAY cooler: Create Your Own Fish! It’s by the same company that made the big hit attractions – the interactive dance floor and the interactive sand table. You create your own underwater creature, and it appears on a big screen showing an underwater scene, and, let me tell you, the kids were SO excited to see their creation swimming up on that screen. It will stay there until there is too much new data, so depending on how busy it is that day, your creation could be swimming around for a good long while!
There are two waterproof tablets where you can choose an underwater creature to draw on, color, and decorate.
When you’re done, give it a name and submit your creation. Then, your image travels through a tube and onto a big screen, and your fish will swim around with the others.
The kids loved seeing their creations come to life, and they each made several fish and turtles. This new exhibit was a big highlight of our visit. The bubble machine wasn’t missed at all! A staff member told me there was more to come in the water area, so I’m excited to see what they will add to the experience.
At the end of the day, I asked my kids what they enjoyed most. Junior doesn’t speak, but it was obvious to me that he loved the sandbox and the Farm to Table area. Thomas loved the water area best and spent most of his time there, and Sonic was a big fan of the new Create A Fish exhibit. All in all, we had a lovely time and Imagine Nation has made the list of places that are easy for all my boys to enjoy. I hope it is just as enjoyable for your family!
Imagine Nation Museum, A Museum Early Learning Center
1 Pleasant Street, Bristol, Connecticut
Phone: (860) 314-1400
Email: info@imaginenation.org
You can also find them on Facebook and YouTube.
Hours (2020):
Sensory Saturday takes place from 9am-10am, every second Saturday of the month.
Regular museum hours are Wednesday-Saturday: 9:30am-5pm
Sunday: 11am-5pm (Closed on Sundays starting in April). Please see their website for details on seasonal hours and closings.
Pricing (2020):
There is no cost for families attending the Sensory Saturday event (it’s FREE!), and families are welcome to stay past 10:00 am at no charge if their children are still enjoying the museum.
Regular admission is $10.00 per person ages 1+.
Details:
Stroller Friendly: YES
Coffee Mug Friendly: NO (with the exception of the lobby cafe; food and drinks are not allowed inside the museum exhibit area)
Restroom: YES
Baby Changing Station: YES
Parking: YES
Food for Sale: YES. See the cafe menu here.
Outside Food Allowed: YES
Cash Required: NO
Dress Code: Dress for play! The museum is highly interactive and there are a couple of exhibits where kids could potentially get wet or messy.
Age Recommendation: We think this museum is especially great for toddlers through age 8 (and their grownups will find it entertaining as well!).
Evening/Weekend Hours: YES
Birthday Party Venue: YES. More info here.
Discounts: Family Membership starts at $100. Imagine Nation is also an ACM reciprocal program participant. You can also check your local library for discounted admission passes, though some special events are not included.
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