Local Day Trip or Staycation Idea for Every Age!

Sunday was Family Fun Day in our home. We ventured to Delaware Children’s Museum, just a quick trip down 202 to 95 and we were there! The DCM is located on the Wilmington Riverfront. It’s an amazing nook where people live, work, play and stay!

We spent 3-hours enjoying the museum. My 8 and 6.5 year old daughters felt just as entertained as the 2.5 and 4.5 year old kiddos did. There’s truly plenty for every age there! It was quite impressive.

The museum is set up sort of like a tv studio set would be. You can walk down the center aisle and look into each exhibit room easily. It’s a very comforting feeling knowing I can bring my 4 children on my own and not run the risk of losing anybody. The first thing we did when we arrived was take a quick stroll to check it out. We were all IN LOVE with the Tree Pavilion. We even took some photos hanging out in the massive 350 year-old Sycamore tree that measures 7.5 feet wide and tall and 21 feet long. It’s right from the Alapacos Woods in Wilmington, DE! Breathtaking and amazing. We all really appreciated it. We then went to the art room where they painted, did some tactile tangrams, and built whatever they wanted out of wood pieces and glue. The art pieces stayed in that room to dry and we grabbed them on the way out.

My younger two children stayed at the water exhibit for at least an hour and a half, I am not exaggerating. Apparently all I need to do is fill the kitchen sink for them to play in and they’ll be entertained for HOURS. The girls also enjoyed the giant Stratosphere in the center lobby when you walk in. It’s a 30-foot climbing structure that they tackled several times. When we drove home I did my typical “What was your happiest and saddest/maddest part of today?” question. Here were there answers, thought this would be a fun glimpse into their experience for our readers:

8-year old: Playing basketball (happiest) and not getting to eat real food in the Bank on It restaurant (saddest)

6.5-year old: Playing with all of the body and exercise stuff at The Power of Me exhibit (happiest) and not getting to play mini golf today (saddest)

4.5-year old: All of it! (happiest) and having to leave (saddest)

2.5-year old: Playing with the water (happiest) and getting all wet (maddest)

There’s a River Rink for ice skating that is sponsored by Horizon Services. Sadly, today, Tuesday, February 28th, but the Constitution Yards Beer Garden is still there! And for a little while you can enjoy a beer and fire pit, giant Jenga games, and other relaxed family (or just adult) enjoyment.

In just a few weeks, you can catch a Blue Rocks baseball game at Frawley Statium. There’s also a summer concert series at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park and Dravo Plaza. My children can’t wait for us to return when it’s warmer out so we can take a River Taxi on the Christina River! We’ll also take advantage of the warm weather and visit the Riverwalk Mini Golf course that is located just behind the Delaware Children’s Museum and looks out on the scenic stroll you can take along the river.

After our trip to DCM, we grabbed some lunch at a restaurant in the same parking lot. My family voted on Iron Hill Brewery, but there were many choices of places to eat along The Riverfront.

There seems to be so much to do that my husband and I are now planning to stay overnight and take full advantage of the theater, restaurants and bars, museums and outdoor entertainment. The local Westin is one option to stay in, but within 10 minutes drive there are plenty of other lodging options as well. Regardless, I know we can enjoy a full 48-hours down at the Riverfront Wilmington! And maybe our best friends in New Jersey will take Amtrak right into the Riverfront station and meet us there… so fun!

If you are involved in a Scout troop, preschool or elementary school, or camp, it’s definitely worth checking out this location. I know that the DCM travels to locations with trained museum educators with a giant 19-foot inflatable glove that serves as a hands-on supplement to classroom learning. They also host field trips at the museum that help student delve deeper into STEAM related topics. It’s a fantastic museum in an even MORE fantastic location. Take advantage with your family, friends, significant other, and out of town guests! Enjoy all that Riverfront Wilmington has to offer.

Disclaimer: My family received complimentary passes to enjoy some of the entertainment that The Riverfront has to offer in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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