Poetry in Motion...Lots of Motion

I think Children's Museums, Wonder Places and the like are just about the most fun ever. When I grow up, I want to either own one, run one or maybe just hang out in one. I took this video at the Gilbert Children's Museum in Salem, Oregon, which we had never had the chance to visit before. (And never would have, if Amy had not arranged the outing.) It has been stuck in my camera since our summer vacation and today was the day that I decided to get it uploaded or die trying.

Gilbert House more than lived up to my expectations. There were creative play opportunities, cultural learning opportunities, and science opportunities galore. Will's favorite exhibit was "A Child's Trip to China." Besides practicing writing Chinese characters and cuddling giant stuffed pandas, he, Katie and John dressed up in traditional costume and made up a tea ceremony.


Katie thought that was pretty great until she saw the next room. Every single thing about this room was custom-made for my expressive little free spirit. (The video starts off a little slow; please give her 10 or 15 seconds to find her groove.)

This is video I shot of her playing in the exhibit called Recollections. I know we must have spent more than an hour in there. She absolutely loved it and went back for more after lunch. (We had a picnic lunch at their ginormous outdoor playground--where I first started to obsess about making raspberry jam after eating The Best PB&J of my LIFE, courtesy of Amy.) You can read more about the Recollections exhibit at the Gilbert House website. Or, here, I'll copy & paste it:

Recollections is a colorful, dazzling projection that allows visitors to create vivid, full-size, time-delayed images of themselves. Combining computer technology, a color camera, a large screen projector, and a special retro-reflective screen, artist/software designer Ed Tannenbaum has created an environment that allows the user to explore time and motion in beautiful colors. Over 256 colors can be displayed on the screen at one time as visitors move and become part of a work of art.

So here's my new plan. Until further notice, I want to go to the Gilbert House every time we're in Oregon. I may never make it to The Enchanted Forest, but I'm okay with that.