Anyone can go to a museum, but how many kids can claim they’ve been to a playseum? And what is a playseum, anyway? Whether you’re local or traveling and staying at one of the Bethesda hotels in Maryland, you can find out by taking your child to the Be With Me Playseum, located at 7000 Wisconsin Avenue. There, you will find a used children’s bookstore that features interactive exhibits to teache kids about life in a city. While there’s used books and arts and crafts for sell, there’s also free song and story times aimed at particular ages, daily art and science activities, as well as activities structured for kids to play and learn after school hours.
The idea for Be With Me Playseum began about four years ago, when a mother’s fourth child turned nine months old, and she made a decision to stop working and be at home full time. After the passing of her own mother and spending time with her children, she began to conceive of a place where children and parents could go together and be themselves. She wanted a place where parents and nannies and children could come, a place without memberships, a place inexpensive enough that parents who had more than two children might be able to afford it.
Three years later, in 2009, the Be With Me Playseum was fully up and running, offering a place to have unstructured playtime with parents. It’s also a place where parents can come together, especially those who have been sending a little too much solo time with the company of kids; in this setting, it’s possible to watch your child play and read and create, while enjoying a cup of coffee with fellow adults.
The Playseum offers activities for children nine months old to 14 years old. The cost is five dollars a person; however, if you bring a bag of 25 used books, it’s free for a parent and child. Parents who have been there recommend the pet room, where there are hamsters and rabbits, birds, frogs and fish. Next door to this room, girls will find a dress up room where, for example, they may paint their nails. Kids are also taught about finances in a grocery store where children can shop using miniature carts.
You’ll discover the Playseum open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. If you want a little time to spend with your kids in a place where you may relax as well, take a look into this child and parent friendly concept.
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