Published: August 08, 2008 12:50 pm            

DADDY'S GIRL: Play time plentiful at Rochester museum

ROCHESTER — For all the talking toys and life-size play areas that are made for small children, there’s still nothing that captivates them quite like burps and farts.

During our recent to the Strong National Museum of Play, it was a keyboard equipped to make various human sounds that particularly captured Penny’s attention. She got to hug Clifford the Big Red Dog, tickle Elmo and send her first Slinky down the stairs, but it was the flatulent instrument that left her banging her hands on the keys like a young Ray Charles.

Not that the museum is all about flatulence, by any stretch of the imagination. There are dozens of displays to let your child see, smell and touch while learning about the history and methods of play.

The museum has everything from a pint-sized supermarket — complete with a play checkout stand — to tunnels to crawl through and several rides (Penny loved the train and merry-go-round).

Many of the activities are aimed at slightly older children — perhaps ages 3 and older — but there is a play area specifically for the youngest youngins and a reading area where you can find a book suitable for any child. There’s also a complete mock-up of the “Sesame Street” curbside set, complete with strategically placed cameras so children can see themselves on the nearby TV set, as though they were on the show.

The high point of the museum is its interactivity. Penny was able to bang on drums and tubes, but there are plenty of hands-on exhibits to keep a child of any age entertained, including a hand puppet area, mind-bending games and themed areas such as “Father Bear’s Workshop” in the recently installed Berenstain Bears exhibit.

Children could keep busy for hours on end in this museum, but there’s more than enough to keep adults engaged, too. The National Toy Hall of Fame occupies the first part of the second floor and features several of your favorites, including Legos, Barbie and Atari (a hook-up they had that allowed people to play old Atari games nearly sucked me away from my family for the duration of our visit). There’s also a large display area featuring the history of toys, including a doll area, tiny cars and modern electronics (surprisingly, I could not spot any Transformers).

The main point of the place, though, is to entertain the children. In that regard, the Strong Museum is a real gas.



NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE TOY

Nominations will be accepted through Sept. 5 for toys to be considered for inclusion in the class of 2008 for the National Toy Hall of Fame.

The hall, headquartered at the Strong National Museum of Play, recognizes toys that fall into the following criteria: icon status, longevity, discovery and innovation. Any toy can be nominated, with a committee reviewing those nominations and casting votes based on that review. Past inductees include Candy Land, Frisbee and Etch a Sketch.

Inductees will be announced Nov. 6. Visit museumofplay.org for more information and to submit a nomination.

        

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