Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

DC Readers: Baltimore’s Port Discovery Invites You to Celebrate Chinese New Year (w. giveaway)

By

Congratulations to Jessica who will be joining Port Discovery for their Chinese New Year celebration this weekend!

If you are looking for a fun way to blow off some steam during the cold of winter or to escape the heat of summer, Port Discovery Children’s Museum in Baltimore offers interactive exhibits and programs for kids ages 2-10.  


We recently won tickets from Kim (I’m Not the Nanny and My Cup of Creativi-Tea) for the Port Discovery Noontime New Year’s Bash and had a great time. The teacher in me can easily see how Port Discover won the 2010 Nickelodeon Parent’s Connect Parent’s Picks Award for Best Museum and Kids’ Party Place.  With three floors of permanent exhibits, visiting exhibits, and special events, it’s a great day trip that infuses plenty of learning.  
Check out the Explorama: Down at the Farm,  Royal Farms Convenience Store with a gas pump, Wonders of Water room that supplies waterproof aprons, the Studio Workshop that combines scientific discovery with art, Bob the Builder area which is perfect for ages 3 and up, the easy to miss Egyptian themed Adventure Expeditions where ages 7 and up can pretend to be archaeologists trying to find a pharaoh’s tomb, and MIss Perception’s Mystery House featuring a giant dark and scary drain maze that is best for ages 6+.  
I also like that if you need a quiet space, The Oasis provides a place to read, complete a puzzle, or join weekday storytimes at 11:30 am.  If your child craves more activity, you can’t miss The Soccer Field located right inside the turnstile!
Port Discovery is conveniently located near the Inner Harbor which can be a good place for dinner if everyone isn’t too exhausted from climbing through Kid Works that spans the middle part of the museum and goes through the entire three stories of the building.

 
In two weeks Port Discovery will open Celebrating Who I Am as a visiting exhibit.  VSA arts and CVS Caremark All Kids Can asked students, ages 5 through 15, to consider what makes them unique and to share with us their interests, talents, and dreams through art. In the process, children were able to enjoy new experiences and discover themselves as artists. This collection of artwork gives us a glimpse into young artists’ lives from all 50 states and the District of Columbia—favorite animals, toys, and pastimes, career aspirations, and how they view themselves. Through their visual stories, we are reminded of the richness of the arts and that all kids can and want to create.
Port Discovery will also be hosting a Chinese New Year Celebration on January 29 in anticipation of The Year of the Rabbit beginning on February 3.   Families of all cultural backgrounds are invited to learn, experience and appreciate the Chinese traditions surrounding the New Year celebration from 10-4 pm. Event highlights include food tasting/chopstick training with P.F. Chang’s, storytelling by Linda Fang, Chinese lion dance by Tai Yim, a year of the rabbit petting zoo, and more!  Here’s the schedule:
  • Rabbit Shrinky Dinks: 10:30 am – 4 pm
  • Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific Affairs: 10:30 am – 4 pm
  • Baltimore Xiamen Sister City Activity Table: 10:30 am – 4 pm
  • Pets of Wheels with Jamison the Rabbit: 11 am – 1 pm
  • WildLife Adventures – Year of the Rabbit Petting Zoo: 11 am – 2 pm
  • Tai Yim Chinese Lion Dance: 1 pm; 1:30 pm
  • Chinese folktales with storyteller, Linda Fang: 2 pm; 2:30 pm

Activities are included in the cost of museum admission ($12.95 for ages 2 and up, 2 and under free).  Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.

Port Discovery has generously offered Tech Savvy Mama readers the opportunity to win 4 tickets to attend the Chinese New Year Celebration on January 29.  See below for giveaway details!
Before you go, here are some tips about visiting Port Discovery with your family:

  • Familiarize yourself with Port Discovery by taking a look at the Virtual Tour and museum map prior to your visit.
  • Convenient parking in adjacent garages costs around $13 on the weekends.  Be forewarned that none of them tell you the cost of parking until you are ready to exit but the convenience is worthwhile!
  • You can purchase tickets online but will need to visit the window to get numbered wristbands for everyone in your party.  While this can take extra time especially if you are visiting during special events, it is to ensure safety of your children.  Upon exiting Port Discovery, your wristband numbers will be checked along with your children’s to make sure they match.  I prefer the added security even it means a little extra wait time to get my wristband upon entry!
  • Stash stuff in the lockers right inside the entrance but bring quarters.  
  • Bring lunch which can be eaten at the tables near the lockers. Conveniently located kid-friendly fare includes the McDonald’s just outside the museum’s doors and the Panera that’s a block away as you head towards the Inner Harbor.
  • Having a second adult is extremely helpful.  With kids 2 1/2 years apart, it was nice to be able to split up so Little Miss Techie could do the creative stuff to her heart’s content while Captain Computer fixed meals in the Tiny Diner and played in the Royal Farms convenience store.  Come to think of it, we didn’t see each other all day until it was time to leave!
  • Keep an eye on your kids while they are climbing through Kid Works, or better yet, get in there with them!  Depending on the age of your child, there is a chance they could feel stuck like poor Captain Computer did when trying to get down the rock climbing wall!  I love that Port Discovery staff is located throughout the Kid Works to assist kids just in case!
  • If you’ve enjoyed your visit, you can apply your cost of admission towards a membership for future visits.
GIVEAWAY: Enter to win a set of 4 tickets for your family ($52 value) by visiting the Port Discovery website and share what part of the museum that you think your kids would like the most.
For extra entries, do the above and any of the following then come back and leave a comment:
  • Like Port Discovery on Facebook
  • Follow Port Discovery on Twitter
  • Subscribe to my site via feed, Networked Blogs, or email
  • Like Tech Savvy Mama on Facebook
  • Tweet this daily and leave a link to your Tweet in each comment: @TechSavvyMama & @PortDiscovery are giving away 4 tickets 4 your family to join the Chinese New Year’s Celebration on 1/29! Enter here: http://nblo.gs/dal2T
Port Discovery provided tickets for this giveaway and for our family to visit the museum again in exchange for this post.  No additional compensation was received.  Images courtesy of Port Discovery.

Thanks for reading Tech Savvy Mama through your feed!

Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aimee @ Smiling Mama says

    We took Lucas to Port Discovery about 2 years ago and he LOVED it. We’d love to go back. His favorite part last time was the water room. Now, I think he’d enjoy the KidWorks or Diner the best.