Member Spotlight – November

Fall has finally arrived! With the change in seasons, The New Children’s Museum is proud to announce several changes that we are also debuting! Families can now register for our new Fall and Winter Camps. Our day camps combine hands-on arts activities with creative games and playtime in the Museum park and installations. You can drop in for just one day, or join us to think, play, and create all week. Our members will also be able to register for our Members Only Creativity Club on Sunday, November 19 to make their own handmade book for a special holiday gift. Additionally, we are featuring new fun Toddler Time activities every Friday morning, creative workshops in our Innovators Lab and an exciting update to our Community Gallery for Museum visitors!

While we are excited about our new Museum changes, we are even more excited to present Vivi, Brendan, Thai, and Xuan as our featured Member Spotlight this month!

Tell us a little about your wonderful family! 
Our family includes Vivi, Brendan, Thai (5 years old), and Xuan (7 months).  We are relatively new to San Diego, having moved from Tucson, AZ last year.  We love living in San Diego and exploring everything it has to offer!

Do you remember your first time visiting the Museum?
Definitely—it was shortly after we moved to San Diego, but before Xuan was born.  We were getting to know downtown SD one weekend and thought we would check out the Museum.  We ended up spending most of the day there, and still hadn’t experienced everything—which was perfect, because it gave us an excuse to come back the next weekend!

What is/are your favorite thing(s) to do at the Museum?
Since Vivi works on Sundays, Brendan usually takes the boys to the Museum early Sunday morning during Members-only time.  It’s not unusual to see other families we know, from school, work, etc, or that we recognize as fellow Museum regulars.  Thai’s favorite exhibits vary depending on how he is feeling on a given day; sometimes he goes straight for the more active spots, sometimes he likes doing art, and sometimes just reading.  Xuan just tries to keep up with Thai.  Thai also is a regular at Museum camps during his school breaks; we are constantly amazed at the activities and projects that the campers are working on, and the staff is always very friendly and engaged with the kids.  Vivi and Thai both went to the Eat Better Art class last Mother’s Day and had a great time together.

What’s the best/funniest memory you have at the Museum?
We were at Make/Shift and some of the ropes had been tied between the tops of two of the structures.  Thai and another boy (who we didn’t know) were trying to work out how to get a cloth basket onto the rope so that rope passed through the handles of the basket, making a mini zip line to move the basket between the structures.  They cooperated and eventually got it working!

Favorite spot for lunch in San Diego?
We can usually be found at one of the restaurants in Seaport Village on Sundays after visiting the Museum.

What is the craziest or the coolest thing you’ve created with us?
Thai has made a guitar at a camp, a balloon-powered car at a workshop, and countless clay items out on the patio.

Quick! What is the first word you think of when you hear New Children’s Museum?
Inspiring!

Favorite weekend activity (besides visiting us, of course.)
Trying something new in San Diego!