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Te Manawa Museum

One day last week I picked G2 up after School and decided to give both him and G4 a treat. Now if you haven’t been to the Te Manawa Museum in Palmerston North, New Zealand…you MUST go! Especially if you have young children. The museum is filled with interactive displays and it is so much fun watching the children explore and learn while playing.

All the ground floor is free entry so that is also a bonus to visit there. The first area you go to is the interactive house. It has a kitchen, lounge, bedroom/reading/dressing up area, and outdoor area consisting of a clothes line and a tree hut!

But the most favourite area is the scariest. If you walk into the wardrobe and through the hanging clothes a door magically opens at the back….and you enter into a dark secret passage. The door quickly closes behind you and you are left to explore/find your way out, using all the senses minus sight! And believe me it’s a bit creepy. You hear mice scuttling and things are hanging from the ceiling…and you even have to climb a bit! If you are very brave you can feel your way to the very end and find yourself up in the tree hut. If you get a bit worried you can find the escape door and end up in the bedroom and take a rest on one of the beds…or maybe read a book…or try out the dress up clothes.

In one of the rooms you learn how to do some plumbing. If you join the pipes correctly the water will start to run through the pipes. You can also fill up a bath with water and then pull the plug…learning not to waste water!

But my favourite part is the the outdoor area where the children can construct a big wall with the soft bricks that are provided. Talk about great entertainment for boys! They love it….even if we go there every holidays…they still love it.

There are the usual museum features as well and we did explore some of those areas but the real treat is all the interactive components of the place. Have a look at the photos and see what you think…

These are not really part of the interactive area of the museum, but the boys love climbing on them. Great for photos too I think :-)
These are not really part of the interactive area of the museum, but the boys love climbing on them. Great for photos too I think 🙂
Te Manawa - Jayden on W
Te Manawa – G2 on W
Te manawa - Christian in a
Te manawa – G4 on n
A mat and block in the entrance area. These are changed to different things regularly
A mat and block in the entrance area. These are changed to different things regularly
Here the boys are about to pull the wall apart so they can build it again
Here the boys are about to pull the wall apart so they can build it again
The block are loaded onto the ramp and then wound up to the top level
The block are loaded onto the ramp and then wound up to the top level
Or...the blocks can be loaded onto a pully and manouvered up and around to the wall area
Or…the blocks can be loaded onto a pully and manouvered up and around to the wall area
Christian building the wall ever so carefully. You don't want bricks falling down on you!
G4 building the wall ever so carefully. You don’t want bricks falling down on you!
Both boys hard at work!
Both boys hard at work!
Nearly finished Christian!
Nearly finished G4!
Jayden says 'would you like soup or a coffee Nana Pam'? I answer 'both please'
G2 says ‘would you like soup or a coffee Nana Pam’? I answer ‘both please’
He then brings me the cash register to pay for them!
He then brings me the cash register to pay for them!
Christian looking down at me from the tree house
G4 looking down at me from the tree house
You can enter through the tube that comes from the secret passageway, or by the stairs :-)
You can enter through the tube that comes from the secret passageway, or by the stairs 🙂
What do you find at different layers of the ground....look and see...I see bones
What do you find at different layers of the ground….look and see…I see bones
These bricks aren't heavy Nan Pam!
These bricks aren’t heavy Nan Pam!
Reaching up to the top of the wall :-)
Reaching up to the top of the wall 🙂
Boys LOVE using these things...just like big men!
Boys LOVE using these things…just like big men!
It's the last block in the wall! Yay...done :-)
It’s the last block in the wall! Yay…done 🙂
We fill the bath and then empty it...looking at how much water we use at the different levels!
We fill the bath and then empty it…looking at how much water we use at the different levels!
tic tac toe with pillows on the floor! What a cool idea :-)
tic tac toe with pillows on the floor! What a cool idea 🙂
you throw the balls up on the top of the cloud, pull the wire and the balls fall from the cloud like rain! How great is that?
you throw the balls up on the top of the cloud, pull the wire and the balls fall from the cloud like rain! How great is that?
learning about pipes!
learning about pipes!
I LOOOVVVEE this cute little caravan!
I LOOOVVVEE this cute little caravan!
Yes it's an old tractor!
Yes it’s an old tractor!
The Maori history part of the museum :-)
The Maori history part of the museum 🙂
Through the wardrobe and what do you find??????
Through the wardrobe and what do you find??????

2 Replies to “Te Manawa Museum”

  1. Hey there, thanks for the great blog! We are glad you had such a wonderful time that you feel you want to spread the word – awesome stuff!
    Remember to hop on the website (www.temanawa.co.nz)
    or Facebook to stay up to date with whats happening at Te Manawa!

    Nicola Hemphill
    Marketing Assistant, Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and History

  2. I’m suprised you found my blog Nicola 🙂 Thank you for your kind coment. And yes…I will look up the Te Manawa website and see ‘the happenings’ at Te Manawa. I’m down in Palmerston North frequently as I have three grandchildren there 🙂

Read my blog? Let me know what you are thinking :-)