The Children’s Museum of the East End was started 20 years ago by eight local moms who were concerned about the limited educational resources for children in the community. After operating for many years as a “museum without walls,” they opened the Museum’s permanent home in Bridgehampton in 2005. While many friends and members have been with the Museum since the beginning, it always warms our hearts to witness families visiting for the first time. Mommy blogger and photographer Adriana Pallaci brought her 11-year-old daughters, Lauren & Lola and her 3-year-old daughter, Sophia to CMEE earlier this month.
On her blog @longislandshortcake, Adriana shared their experience –
“If it were up to me, I’d spend my weekends reading, watching junk TV, and baking. Maybe I’d listen to music that didn’t feature Laurie Berkner – even though that song about dinosaurs marching is pretty catchy – and I’d sip coffee while overlooking my peaceful yard, like someone from a commercial. In my overactive imagination, that’s how things would play out. In reality, I’m scrambling to run errands for things my kids suddenly remember that they need for Monday, and trying to entertain my toddler, Sophia, and her short attention span. I’m not complaining. These kids are the cause of some of the greatest moments of my life, but sometimes I need an assist.
“We made the trip out to Bridgehampton to visit the Children’s Museum of the East End. The walk to the building is so cute with its wooden pathway and swinging door, and right at the end of it is the entrance to a toddler-utopian-society. Walking in, there is a cute bunny by the entrance, the restrooms, a few chairs made out of recycled wrappers (so impressive!) and the front desk. Before I get too far in, I’d like to give the people of The Children’s Museum of the East End a high-five for keeping a Keurig at the front desk. As soon as my toddler screeched some indecipherable words about slides, I knew I’d need coffee. One little dollar gives you a cup of the good stuff. Just past the front desk is an area with slides are ecstatic children. It’s like a room full of soda that’s been shaken. Those kids are loving life. Run, laughing, defying gravity – those kids are having a blast. Having a hard time figure out what kind of fun they’re having? Think about what you feel like when you get to Bed Bath & Beyond with multiple coupons. Yeah. That kind of joy.
“After that room, we enter a sweet little mock community, complete with a fire station, library, ice cream shop and pirate ship. You know, just your friendly, neighborhood pirate ship. It’s seriously so cute! Every area has something to encourage your little one to interact and engage. For instance, the fire department has a fire truck that the kids can climb inside, and uniforms so that they can suit up. Sophia (3) most enjoyed playing in the grocery store area and weighing endless quantities of plastic fruit. In that same area, my older girls found their “spot.” I think it’s so funny that these two older girls who fight over airspace at home decided to come together in the middle of a children’s museum to construct a house. I’m not complaining – I’m just amused. It was really cute to see them kindly include any little kids in their jumbo-lego building project. It was also fun to watch them casually undo any work that little kids contributed to their structure. The point is that this children’s museum has something for every age.”
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To read/see more of Adriana’s work, visit @longislandshortcake across all social media platforms.