Turning an art exhibit into a bouncy house
I am always on the lookout for activities that are both kid-friendly and mom-approved. I love to get out of the house with my boys, and to be honest I have to get out of the house as I go a little stir crazy if we stay inside for too long. But I want to do something that’s fun and enjoyable for all of us, not just the littlest members of our family. I also prefer if it the activity doesn’t cost a ton of money as it’s almost inevitable that we will not last long enough to be able to do or see everything (and do not want to feel pressured to get our money’s worth).
A few of our favorite things to do are the usual suspects: going to the zoo, visiting our local science center, taking walks, and checking out a playground or park, as well as the occasional trip to the library, swimming pool, farmers market, and a seasonally appropriate outdoor activity (state fair, apple orchard, pumpkin patch, Christmas tree farm, Easter egg hunt, etc.).
This past week though we did something a little out of the ordinary – I met my nanny and our boys at lunch to check out the Architect of Air’s Arboria Luminarium traveling exhibit, which cost us a reasonable $5 per person. I am not even sure how to describe this traveling exhibit and do it justice, so I’ll simply quote from its website …
“Architects of Air build ‘luminaria’ – monumental inflatable structures designed to generate a sense of wonder at the beauty of light and colour … Once inside [visitors] can wander freely or just lay back and enjoy the ambience of the structure. The first reaction is often one of delight at the unexpected beauty of the light. The radiance of the daylight transmitted by the coloured pvc of the luminarium is surprising in its luminosity and makes a direct impact on the senses. Through labyrinthine tunnels and cavernous domes, visitors move in a medium of saturated and subtle hues. Vivid reflections of liquid colour spill across the curved walls creating a world apart from the normal and everyday.”
I described it to my 3 year old son as “kind of like a big bouncy house with cool colors”, which in retrospect may not have been the best idea as he ran inside and immediately tried to bounce off the walls. Regardless we had a great time, and I’m so glad we took the time to check it out (even if my kids only lasted about 20 minutes). It was also refreshing to take my boys to an interesting, stimulating activity that is not specifically designed to entertain them. We had some good, albeit short, conversations about art and science that I am hoping we’ll continue over the next few weeks. Bonus – we captured some pretty awesome images!
A creepy but cool one by our nanny
I would highly recommend checking out the exhibit if it happens to come your way! What out of the box activities have you done with your kids? Does anyone else feel like they have to escape their house on Saturday morning or else they may go stir crazy?
Awesome photo courtesy of our awesome nanny
guest
I went to this last year over the holidays with a 3 year old who LOVED it. It isn’t really designed to be bouncy or for the walls to be slides, its more walk around and marvel at the cool shapes and colors. Our neighbor took their small child and loved it too. Its almost other worldy, a really cool experience and worth checking out.
blogger / apricot / 275 posts
@Katie – It definitely is not designed to be bouncy (I actually think it specifically says do not touch the walls of the structure)! My 3 year old just tried to turn it into a bouncy house ha :). We did have a great time walking through it though. And it was nice to do something that isn’t specifically geared to kids for a change.
guest
We were really and able to also make it to the exhibit when it was here in Austin. My twelve month old loved it and I thought it was such a cool thing to be able to participate in. I would love to see it come through town again.
blogger / clementine / 985 posts
That looks so fun!
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
This is so cool! Alas, no where near where we live!