Ah, rainy weekends in winter. Or, more aptly, (and much, much worse) arrrggghhhhhhh, rainy weekends in winter!
Pre-kids, we loved these days… Books, food, TV marathons, movies, wine. Heaven. Ah, rainy weekends in winter.
Now, arrrggghhhhhhh rainy weekends in winter begin like any other day, but quickly deteriorate as cabin fever sets in mid-morning. I mean, there’s only so many times one can watch Cars. Alright, I lie. Cars can be watched infinitely, as proven by my children, but while I enjoy slobbing around in my PJs as much as the next sloth, slobbing around in your PJs with kids is just not the same. It’s just not real slobbing. They are small and needy people, who require blankets, and toys, and food and drinks, and someone to press “play”, and while they have the slobbing down pat, there’s no time for slobbing for mums and dads; you’re just a waiter… in your pyjamas. And pretty soon the place looks like the set of a Tarantino flick after someone has let loose with an AK47, or whatever, except without the blood. Sometimes there’s tomato sauce, though. And snot. There’s usually snot. And an empty wine bottle from last night.
I mean things are usually messy round here, but rainy days in winter are a really special kind of messy. You know when you watch on the news and there’s a car that’s lost control and crashed into someone’s house, and there’s a bunch of rubble and debris, and the family inside are in their pyjamas showing the reporter how the light fitting is dangling dangerously from the ceiling, and the bookcase is knocked over and there are books and CDs strewn about, and the glassware is smashed all over the floor, and the lounge cushions are ripped open, and there are a couple of kids huddled under their doonas on the other lounge, looking sheepish, and there’s an empty wine bottle on the coffee table, and the bonnet of a car is inside the room? Well, THAT. Except without the car.
Which took us to the Australian Museum a couple of weekends ago, because… CULTURE. When there’s a metaphoric car smashed into your lounge room, culture is what you need.
And you need to get out of your pyjamas to go there. Bonus.
But seriously, I enjoy museums. They’re great places for kids of all ages. And grown-ups. I just love ’em.
We’re spoilt here in Sydney with the choice of museums and galleries. The Powerhouse, the Maritime, and the Australian Museums: love them all, and so do the kids. Trains, boats, and dead stuff are cool. The Art Gallery of NSW (I wrote about it in my post Explorers in the Gallery) is a great (and free) place to take kids. There are tonnes of other smaller spots, like Hyde Park Barracks, on our to-do list, too.
The Australian Museum is currently hosting the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, which is another reason to go soon. They also have kids’ activities in the holidays, and pre-schoolers activities outside of the holidays, during the week.
Mmmm, wildlife. And a couple of tigers, too.
Highlights of our day out:
The train ride in to town is always entertaining:
Hands-on stuff from the sea:
Taxidermied seals chasing taxidermied penguins. It’s ok, he doesn’t catch him. We’ve seen Happy Feet. A lot.
In fact, taxidermied EVERYTHING is a highlight.
“Mummy, is that dead?”
“Yes it is. It used to be alive, but it died, and then they stuffed it to preserve it.”
“Daddy, is that dead, too?”
“Yes, everything’s dead.”
A random kid came up to me, pointing to a Sumatran tiger.
“That’s dead,” she said, “and stuffed with cotton wool like my teddy!”
See! Dead stuff is interesting. Live animals at the zoo? Pfffftt. You can see stuff that’s alive anytime! Dead stuff, on the other hand…
Dinosaur Skeletons:
Be a palaeontologist for five minutes (I’m talking my kids’ attention span – there’s no time limit):
Skeleton gallery:
The human skeleton riding the horse skeleton is a long-term favourite: a humorous blend of the hilarious and the macabre. And the living room setting, with dog, cat, rat and bird is similarly funny, in an unsettling kind of way.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a rainy winter’s day out without a walk through town in the rain, WITHOUT an umbrella. Look, it was a drizzly day, but, as Murphy would have it, every time we take an umbrella, we carry it around all day. Thanks again, Mr Murphy. Very funny.
But we made light of it, in our matching jackets. Twins. Dressed the same. Who am I????
OK, cue the crazy faces!
A top day out was had by all. This is not a sponsored post – I just really love the museum!
Have you visited one lately? What’s your favourite museum or gallery?
This week I’m linking up for the first time with Jess at Essentially Jess for #IBOT – I Blog on Tuesday. Thanks, Jess.
Stay tuned, as Raising Explorers goes INTERNATIONAL – blogging on the road for the next three weeks as we travel Malaysia. Two Kids, Two Backpacks and a Dash of Adventure.
Raising Explorers 
I’m looking forward to Missy being old enough to appreciate going to the museum. We took her to Questacon in Canberra when she was 18mo, which she liked a little. When she’s 3ish, we’ll be hitting up every museum in Sydney and the zoo, the aquarium etc. Can’t wait!
Oh yeah, there’s just so many places. My kids love the aquarium too. Questacon is amazing!!! I reckon once they hit three and a half or so, all those places become so much more fun. We still have a rush thing going – Phoebs in particular likes to keep us moving – but the hands-on stuff is awesome.
Yep 🙂 definitely can’t wait. Missy turns 2 tomorrow so we’re a while off yet. I don’t want to wish her life away.
Oh happy belated birthday to little missy! You’re right, time does go by so quickly.
Thank you :)1
We took the kids to the War Memorial when we were in Canberra earlier this year. It’s lovely when they have the hands on sections. Makes it so much more fun.
Oh, good to know the War Memorial is good for kids, also. We loved Questacon. And the National Museum down there was interesting too. Too true the hands-on stuff is the best!
The National Museum has been saving my sanity for 14 years! And not much has changed there in that time, but the kids don’t know that 🙂
Absolutely! They always manage to find something they haven’t seen before, even if it never changes. Personally, I’ll never tire of the human skeleton riding a horse skeleton. I just can’t look away!
I haven’t been to the museum in Perth for ages, now my son is three and dinosaur obsessed, we will have to check it out. Great reminder!!!!!
Hello from #teamIBOT
Oh yeah, he will love it. At kindy the kids were reading a story about kids going to a museum. We have been to so many, but when the teacher asked them what museum they had been to, of course the reply was “the dinosaur museum!” Nothing beats dinosaurs!
Looks like a lot of FUN I have not been in such a long while, my only problem, my boy on the spectrum has a fear of bones at the moment, hopefully one day…..
Well, there are plenty of museums without bones for when you come to the big smoke! Hope you get to visit soon (or not – your place looks too beautiful to leave).
I am taking my daughter to see Taylor Swift in dec, she will enjoy the museum for sure, lovely post thanks
Oh, I know what you mean! Last Saturday was so miserable and wet!
We love the Australian Museum and the Powerhouse.
But yes, the train ride in is almost just as fun (if not more so) than the museum visit!
Yep, I reckon we could just ride round on the train all day. I saw your lil cherubs on the train (on FB?) the other day. Cuties were just about bursting with excitement!
I love the Australian Museum – I haven’t been there for years so I would love to go back there again with the kids. Thanks for the timely reminder!
Sure is a great day out! Sorry for the tardy reply!! 🙂
Thank goodness for stuffed dead things on a rainy day in Sydney 🙂
Dead stuff, stuffed, is the best!
Oh I love this post! Mostly because the description of your lounge room (complete with empty wine bottle) could be my lounge room on any given day, and I love that I’m not alone in that!
Thanks Jess. My favourite part is the car crash that is my house, also. Haha!
Hee hee great post, best idea to take kids to museum on crappy day – I even get a kick out of seeing all the stuffed animals 🙂
Funny, just visited a museum in Malaysia, and the stuffed things were a bit worse for wear… Fur rubbing off in parts, poor little critters. Haha. Yeah, I’m partial to dead, stuffed things too.
mmm that rainy weekend, and those rainy days last week my daughter was with her nan … and I got to pretend I was a teenager again … but it’s back to slavery this week – ‘mum will you get the remote for me’ (aah).
Oh, life as a teenager! I want to slob about. Oh well, when we get back, I’ll need to give the kids some Nan time for sure! Great idea, thanks 😉
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