The FIG adventure

*I am going to preface this post with this info: I already bought a membership, so I will be dragging my children to the museum from time to time (or making the new babysitter do it). So the following rant is exempt from you giving me shit about future posts about my children's' adventures there.

This weekend the highly anticipated Lightcatcher Museum opened. Bellingham has been without a children's museum for nearly a year now awaiting the building of the new one. We've been visiting the museums in Skagit county and Everett and the excitement for what Bellingham was going to come up with was palpable.

Phhhsss (sound of air rushing out of our balloon). The FIG (Family Interactive Gallery) is just about that. A taupe-colored walled, dimly lit, area for quiet, uninteresting play. No photos are allowed inside of the FIG because it's an actual art gallery (my children's response to some of the art: "What's this?" "Why did they do that?" "How come that is there?") I also had to glug down my fresh mocha because I couldn't be allowed that while my children ran around exploring (which ended up not being a concern, because I had get down and really play with the kids to keep them entertained, rather than sitting back and visiting with another parent while our children explored freely). 2 or 3 of the interactive displays were woods/camping themed (hello, we live in the northwest. I take my kids camping all the time.) some foam blocks and noodles (again, we have that at home to play with) The light walls were cool. There was no art activities for the children to take part in, nor was I certain that there was even an art room.

I took the kids through the rest of the art gallery (you could not call this place a museum) and they seemed to enjoy that at least as much as the part that was actually meant for them to enjoy. But I'll admit that most art leaves me scratching my head (like the film that showed another film being played on someones front tooth as the screen). The photos that would let them call this building a "museum" were some old logging photos (about 6 in all) that were displayed in a narrow catwalk so you had to view them from an angle.

So I guess we will have to resign ourselves to continuing our journeys south for child-friendly entertainment (that isn't McDonald's or the Mall).

My kids awaiting arrest.
Jumping was their only physical outlet here.

Skipping down the sidewalk.

Yes, my children stopped (twice) to "pee" on stuff on the sidewalk. Classy.

The only place I was "allowed" to take a photo.

Jumping makes things better. Would you look at those long legs on my girl?!