Kids Love Sleepovers -- How About At A Museum??
With the movie "Night at the Museum" starring Ben Stiller drawing hoards of children to the movie theaters, it just may be time think about an outing to one of the many educational and fun places across the country — without the live dinosaur skeletons.
Many museums even offer sleepover programs. Here's a sample from TODAY Travel Editor Peter Greenberg on overnighter opportunities at museums, zoos and other cool places across the country:
Explora Museum — Albuquerque, N.M.
One of the most hands-on museums in the country, the Explora Museum offers more than 250 interactive science, technology and arts exhibits for all ages. The overnight programs are similarly hands-on and groups will have it to themselves during the “Camp-Ins.” Activities such as the high-wire bike and robotics lab are hot. Kids at the robotics lab can design, build, program and play with their very own robot. These Camp-Ins are so popular that the museum does adult versions, which are also well-attended.
Kidspace Museum — Pasadena, Calif.
Kids attending the "Overnight Nature Retreat" are said to have so much fun at Kidspace they don't realize they are learning. During the nature program they can hold a giant millipede, tarantula, hissing cockroach or walking sticks. Other attractions are the World Famous Spider Show where they learn about a variety of spiders and butterfly discovery program where kids are taught about the life cycle of a butterfly and participate in related role-playing activities. There is also the big bug off where kids can perform the "honey bee waggle" as they learn about the various dances bees use to communicate.
