Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Balboa Park

I always feel nostalgic when I visit Balboa Park. The 163 freeway narrows into two lanes as you approach the park. It is lined with tall, aging trees, which provide instant shaded beauty. I know they have stories to tell. Oh, what they have seen over the decades!

I vividly remember as a child eagerly anticipating this trip that I now take with my own children. I was and still am in awe of the magnificent Cabrillo Bridge, which creates a sense of architectural welcome. One moment you are driving on a 4 lane concrete slab encompassed by strip malls and the next moment you feel transported back in history.



Our objective for the day was to explore the Museum of Man. Luke chose to do his 1st grade book project on Ancient Egyptian pyramids. The topic for his book had to be factual and something they wanted to learn more about. I read to him some options listed on the assignment page: frogs, trains, snowboarding, etc.

He didn’t seem too thrilled with the suggestions. I was ready to throw some of my “mom” ideas out, but then he paused and excitedly proclaimed: pyramids! I love that kid. I am so proud of him for navigating his own curiosity. Ownership is such a critical component of the learning process (that’s the teacher in me-sorry!).

We did our research online and he created his book full of facts and detailed illustrations. However, I wanted to take the learning to a deeper level. That’s how we ended up at the Museum of Man. They have an amazing Ancient Egypt exhibit, including a section just for kids to explore hands-on.



After visiting the museum, we meandered through the park. Our “nature boys” loved the botanical gardens. Here they are examining the lily pads and koi fish.



Chasing Monarch butterflies was a blast.



Climbing the giant tree roots was a first.



Family photos were taken, but definitely not one of their favorites.



Who says that family days have to be perfect? They just have to be fun. That’s how memories are made.

2 comments:

Leah said...

awesome! that looks like so much fun.

Leah said...
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