Some photos by our friend Trina are on my personal Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zeitgeistmama/ including photographic evidence of world's fastest diaper change before getting run over by the parade...

Posted by: Jennifer | July 01, 2008 9:07 PM

I love Animal Baby for my toddler. He just turned three and we're also excited for the next in the series. He checks the mail every day.

Posted by: RookieMom Heather | June 18, 2008 10:12 PM

I saw a really cool idea today on the CBS Early Show for a mother's day gift. It was from a website www.photofiddle.com. They turn your pics into art. I ordered a family photo and made it into an oil on a stretched canvas. I can't wait to see her face when she opens this one.

Posted by: Tim | May 03, 2008 11:25 PM

They look just like their grandfather!

Posted by: Paul | May 01, 2008 6:54 AM

Rich,

Thank you for thoughtfully looking out for the little guy.

Our Children's Museum has an annual budget of under $500,000 and although successful on several IMLS grants it would be so nice to see smaller museums represented on panels and in the grant review process.

Posted by: Steve | March 25, 2008 1:13 PM

My experience with the cafe has usually been negative.

First, the lines are way too long and the service is poor. There should be more people working behind the counter. Perhaps if there were a number of pre-prepared foods that are a "grab and go" option with a dedicated line, that might work.

Second, there really aren't many food choices. Also, there could be more allergy friendly foods like wheat-free and dairy-free choices (such as popsicles, apple sauce, wheat-free breads, wheat-free chips / cookies, fruits bowls, veggie stix, etc.) Many of the items they sell out of quickly which just makes the choices more limited.

Third, there are not many good options for where to eat. The room in the back never seems quite clean enough and it doesn't have a good atmosphere. Perhaps if there was some music, or the windows were open to let in some air, or if it was kept cleaner I would feel more comfortable eating there. Also, the tables outside are always packed with bees, not sure what you can do about that though.

Just a few of my thoughts for constructive criticism.

Thanks so much for the opportunity!

Posted by: Karen | March 17, 2008 12:45 PM

I too like the food at the badm and look forward to it. I agree the experience is not so great. It is unfortunate the café staff cannot be as pleasant as the rest of your staff. We visited the museum on Tuesday the 11th of March. We entered the cafe at about 1 pm. The kids wanted to continue playing so we checked the time of closing, which is 2 pm. We let our kids go out to the play ground for another 40 minutes. Upon returning to the café, 1:45 pm, we were told that all the hot food was not available because the hot food shut down at 1:30. We were told that at 1:30 they shut down the hot food in order to clean the kitchen. We wondered why this information was not posted. We convinced the cashier to make our kids hot dogs, which she did. We settled for a salad and one sandwich left. We have been members for several years and enjoy the badm very much. Please confirm for me that indeed your hot food stops a half hour before the posted closing time. Thank you.

Posted by: Ruth | March 15, 2008 12:43 AM

Thanks for the opportunity to comment Rich!

I noticed today that all of the utensils & plates etc were disposable. I know that might be hard to change in such a small kitchen, but if it was possible, using non-disposable items would be a little more environmentally friendly :)

Posted by: | March 14, 2008 5:47 PM

the staff there could be a little friendlier. they seem to make me feel guilty everytime i order a latte (because it takes too long?)

and because indoor seating is so limited, maybe badm could invest in a 'tent' - a type you'd see at outdoor events. it'd be nice to shield our kids from the elements so tantrums arent fueled by more than being hungry vs. COLD and hungry.

Posted by: Julie | March 14, 2008 4:21 AM

We are family members and come regularly to the Discovery Museum. We enjoy lunch at Discovery Museum (whole grain breads, sandwiches and soup.) While choices are limited (i.e. mainly soup and sandwiches) the food is healthy, reasonably priced and tasty.

Some things we’d like to see to make the Café more family friendly:

1) A better system for ordering. Lines can get very long at lunchtime and after ordering food takes a while to prepare and be at the counter for pick up. With a toddler in tow, waiting around first for food, finding a seat, and then waiting (sometimes for quite a while) for food to ready for “pick up” can be a long process. First off, it gets really crowded up by the counter at lunchtime. Secondly, the current system is not as family friendly as it could be and requires a lot of logistics negotiation from harried parents. It’s not easy to negotiate a toddler, an infant, find a seat for our family and then run back for the food (particularly when it just me or my husband trying to fly solo wit the kids) and bring trays back to the table. You also can’t just wait at the counter for food --i.e. it gets quite crowded and I haven’t found a good way to hold all those little hands and carry a tray with food. Add in the lack of indoor seating, and you have to negotiate all this and get outside to a seat. Anyway, you get the picture. I realize staff at the café is small, but it would be great if families could order, get a number and the food could come out to us.

2) More indoor seating: I echo what others have said here.

3) Regular cleaning of the indoor seating area: Right now area appears to be self serve, which is fine but tables are often really greasy and dirty after use. The trash piles up in the indoor seating area and we have seen it overflow on a couple of occasions, and so had to leave our trash at the table. (Again, it’s not a lazy mom thing, but with kids, trays, trash and one parent, it does not make it easy to negotiate all this logistically.

4) More expansive menu: This is more of a “wish list” item, because we do like the food and are happy with it. But it if the Café ever expands, it would be nice to have other food options : --i.e. hot food, sides, cooked veggies, etc.

Posted by: Rachel | March 13, 2008 6:01 PM

Thank you for the suggestions. Keep them coming!

Posted by: Jaisette | March 13, 2008 5:36 PM

1. It is often a struggle to find a high chair in both the indoor and outdoor areas. With the number of infants and toddlers at BADM, there definitely seems to be a shortage of high chairs.

2. I think the menu is great and a good value (I actually look forward to my lunches there!), but I would change the system for delivery of cooked foods. Taking the number, then waiting (sometimes quite a while) and periodically checking back at the counter is kind of a pain because you can't hear your number called if you are in the dining area. And there is no way to know upon returning whether your number has been called already or whether your food isn't ready yet. Maybe a pick up window in the hallway to the dining area? A PA system would be annoying for announcing the numbers, but at least one would know when their food was ready to be picked up. Or if there was a system where the kitchen's copy of the order number was hung up in plain sight once the food is ready, then you could check back in without having to bother the cashier.

Posted by: Lisa | March 13, 2008 4:24 PM

It would be great if the kitchen had access (perhaps via a counter window?) to the seating area in back, so that when you are one parent visiting with your kids, they can be seated and visible when you pick up the food. It's hard to have them wait upfront, then juggle your food & kids while you find seating in the back.

Also, to create an expanded register area - either 2 registers, or an express line for people to quickly purchase the self-serve items.

Posted by: Tina | March 13, 2008 3:37 PM

1) Definitely need larger and cleaner indoor seating area.

2) For kid foods, offer a kids meal in a bag or box, at a set price, and the box would contain a drink, snack and choice of hot dog or pizza, or chicken dinos (like Childrens Discovery Museum in San Jose and many other museums do).

3) Please bring back the mediterranean hummus plate!

Posted by: Elaine | March 11, 2008 3:57 PM

We buy from Willowmania a company that sells willow but they only sell in bulk. I recommend asking a nursery or your garden center and Home Depot.

Posted by: Jaisette | March 10, 2008 11:22 AM

The Willow Maze is indeed one of our very favorites! One thing I've always wondered is -- where do you get the willow branches? Do you grow them somewhere? We've done a little stick play at home -- made a fort from old ivy branches, that sort of thing -- but I'd love to do more of that in a sustainable way (i.e. not tearing down entire trees in the neighborhood!).

Posted by: Graham Charles | March 09, 2008 8:44 PM

I actually went to summer camp in the woods, slept in a cabin and even learned to shoot arrows! Definitely formative experiences... Four Winds * Westward Ho is the camp, in the San Juan Islands in Washington State, for those parents looking for a month-long sleep away camp for 8+ year olds...best summers of my life!!

Posted by: Jennifer Caleshu | March 05, 2008 9:56 PM

Charles, thanks for this input. We use trucks to support kids' role-playing, just as we use trains in Bay Hall. We've never had any injuries with them, though we do need to monitor it closely when older kids start drag-racing down the GGB.I agree that they're a rare instance of toys on-site. I'll discuss alternatives with our exhibits-staff.

Posted by: Rich Winefield | March 04, 2008 1:12 PM

I think this is really fantastic advice. I'm especially interested in your advice to "Try to let your child play without any toys around" -- which is exactly why I bring my daughter to BADM. The few "toys" you have around like brooms, buckets, and sifters are very generic and don't stifle creativity or group play.

A notable exception, though, are the trucks. I've never understood how those trucks fit into the BADM philosophy which you've expressed so well here. They lend themselves to individual play, hoarding, and competition -- not group play and imagination. They're also a little scary when they're hurled down the Golden Gate Bridge ramp, and frequently require negative parental intervention. Why not replace them with something more "generic," like 5 gallon buckets (maybe even with wheels, if you want to get creative!), that can still be filled from the gravel pit?

Thanks again for your thoughtful museum and insights.

Posted by: Graham Charles | February 23, 2008 2:11 PM