Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum

Another great morning trip is the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum. We like going here when the weather is bad or we need somewhere that is stroller friendly and free.

This museum is actually really neat and surprisingly well though out for being free. Sam loves looking at all of the animals and since they are all inanimate, he can get pretty close to them.

They have a ton of animals there including 2 giraffes, a huge elephant, zebras, lions, bears, fish, a hippo... ok, pretty much any animal you would want to see. 

They also have a play place area that Sam really enjoys. It includes a slide and a tunnel. The opposite wall has a magnetic puzzle for older children.

I like that many of the animals are positioned in a "true to life" way. They depict many of the animals as if they were in the wild.

This museum would be great for an educational trip, but it's also great just for a fun morning.

They also offer free live animal shows which could be a bunch of fun. We've never been to one of those so I can't comment on what they are like, but I bet they are great.

This free museum is definitely worth a trip. http://mlbean.byu.edu/ 

BYU Museum of Paleontology

It's been so long since I've posted and a lot of that has to do with my new little bundle of joy. I have been adjusting to life with 2 kids and our adventures have had to adjust to that as well. Much to my delight (and Sam's as well) we have continued having fun and making great memories with a newborn in tow.

One place we went was the BYU Museum of Paleontology. This little museum is perfect for a quick morning out of the house and made even better with friends.

The museum is free, though they do accept donations in a little box when you walk in. Sam and Charlie like to play in the windowsill.

This is no front desk or reception area, so you can just walk in and begin to explore.

Many of the exhibits are off-limits to little hands, but a few are hands-on. 

Through the window in the back, you can sometimes see various BYU students working on recovering real dinosaur bones in the Paleontology Lab.

This museum would be great for homeschooling or as an educational day about dinosaurs. It doesn't have a ton of fun things for the little ones, but Sam enjoys running around and looking at all of the dinosaurs. 

Check out their website for more info: http://geology.byu.edu/museum/