Children's Museum Holiday Stories

A couple of years ago we brought our 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter to The Chidlren's Museum of Indianapolis a few days after Christmas. They both slid down the slide together and did not want to stop. We had an adult at both top and bottom and they kept sliding and then running to the elevator to get in line again.. and again!! They laughed so hard and raced each other until we were tuckered out. They still think that is the best part of the museum at Christmas and wish that it was there year around! I can't wait to surprise them by taking them to ride the slide and see Santa!

Name: Sandra Costley

Hello! Our first visit to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis was in the spring of 2011. We had recently made a big move from a small town in Northern Michigan to the big city of Indianapolis. It was a HUGE change for my four children Alexis, 15, Lachlan, 12, Savannah, 10, and Lela, 4! Living in a small town far away from any major city made it hard for us as parents to come up with things to do that offered diversity and culture to our children's lives. We introduced geocaching and our family outings were never the same. Since moving to the big city and finding the Children's Museum all of the kids have found their "favorite" areas at the museum and our family trips there always start out with a compromise on the first place we go visit. Usually Lel,a our 4 year old, wins on that one :) The excitement of seeing Dora and Diego wins out every time as the first exhibit. We are very excited to visit this Christmas, so many exciting things to see and explore! With the age variations we have in our family it has always been a struggle to find something to do that makes everyone happy, the Children's Museum gives us the opportunity as a family to discover something new about each other every time we visit. Seeing the kids excited about their siblings excitement teaches them to be patient and "in the moment" wanting to smile and explore with each other until it's their turn to visit the place they most want to be in the museum! We LOVE the Children's Museum and this scavenger hunt would be an amazing experience for all of us! Thanks!

Name: Julie Sharp

The excitement. The fun. The pure joy. All of these reasons I loved going to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis as a child. However, I have learned that trips to the museum as an adult have been much more fulfilling. Why, you may ask. Ella. My daughter will be 2 years old this November and because of her I am finally living life. Every trip to the museum, which is more than I can count in her two years of life, has been a new adventure. We raced down the Yule slide last year together and she giggled at the indoor snowball fight. The Children's Museum is where she first sat on Santa's lap and we are planning to make the trip again this year. The museum has hightened her curiosity and filled her with inquiry and excitement. On a recent trip to the museum we visited the Frogs. As we waited in line to get in she saw the sign. "Ribbit, ribbit" she said. As we went from case to case, nose pressed against the glass, we challenged ourselves to find the frogs so cleverly camouflaged in their surroundings. The best part though, that I had my camera ready for, was when Ella found the dress up clothes to metamorphisize into a frog herself. I almost cried as I laughed watching her in an oversized frog jacket and frog feet hopping from lily-pad carpet to lily-pad carpet shouting out "Ribbit!" in her adorable almost 2 year old voice. The Children's Museum is one of the greatest places on Earth. Membership has been one of the best gifts for our family as you can learn something new in each visit. Watching Ella learn and grow has been truly magic.

Name: Caitlin Skinner

Our family has been to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis many times over the past years. We love the Carousel, scienceworks, visiting Egypt, and especially the Barbie exhibit. While we always have a great time, we have not yet made a visit during the Christmas season. So we are very excited this year with our plans to explore the museum over the holidays. Some of the things we are most looking forward to are taking our first Yule slide, seeing Santa, and exploring the Snow Castle. The visit would be that much more exciting if we were able to participate in the Scavenger Hunt. We love a good game!

Name: Martha Povinelli

This year’s Christmas is going to be a brand new tradition for my children and me. Our family has recently gone through a divorce and the children and I are starting our new beginning. I have purchased a new home this year, the children have moved to a new city and my oldest has started kindergarten at a new school. I want to start new traditions with my children in our new home and start new traditions for our family. I want the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to be a new tradition that the kids and I participate in every year for the holidays.

Name: Kimberly Leal

We have two children ages 10 and 5, both of them are boys. Our house comes alive during the holiday season with decorations and smiles. We bake cookies and get together with family. Grandad and Grandma are coming in from Kansas. We love to go to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis and do the Yule Slide over and over!! Our older boy does not get to come much with him being in school and activities and this is one time of the year that we are sure to take him/them as a family. Smiles come out and love for each other. They love snow and cold weather and hot chocolate. The Yule slide is like sledding but in the warmth of being indoors!!

Name: Erica Halstead

My son was a little over one when we experienced The Children's Museum of Indianapolis for the first time during the holidays. I remember walking in and seeing the expression on his face as he saw all the decorations and especially the slide. I will replay the excitement and anticipation on his face for that moment in my head for the rest of my life. We were hooked. We got a membership that day and have been regulars at museum events across the board. He is big enough this year to be able to ride on the yule slide and he knows it. We were going to eat lunch with the witches and I told him how the museum will transform for Christmas and there will be a big slide, trees with decorations and lots of lights. He is so excited about it that we have been back since and he asked if we would slide now. The museum is amazing for families and we are giving a membership to my husband's sister, brother in law and two sons for Christmas. Can't wait to go ice fishing with my son, and have him make me some fresh baked pies in the little sized ovens. He felt so accomplished last year when he was able to be a big boy and serve mom and dad something he "made". Sincerely, Excited

Name: Jillian Burton

We are members of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and spent our son's first birthday there with a big celebration. He was born in February 2010, so he was a bit too young in December 2010 to do all of the exciting things during Christmas. Both my husband and myself cannot wait for him to meet Santa, and of course to slide down the Yule slide. His favorite thing to do anytime we are at the museum is to look at the trains, dinosaurs, and his absolute favorite thing is riding the Carousel. Christmas at the museum is filled with lights and love. It is truly a magical place to be, and a place where my toddler can be silly, along with the other kids in the family. We cannot wait to relive the magic of the Children's museum at Christmas, as seen through the eyes of our little boy.

Name: Kelly Earls

This year will be the first year that my daughter Kaylee will get to experience The Children's Museum of Indianapolis at Christmas. She is almost 18 months old and last year was too small to enjoy it. We are looking forward to making this an annual family tradition as I was never able to experience things like this as a child. My parents both worked full time to make ends meet for me and my family and now I am able to do this for my daughter adn can't wait to make the tradition!! We are looking forward to seeing the excitement on her face this year as she enjoys the slide for the first time! And also hope she is not scared of Santa :)

Name: Sara Smith

We can't make it through the holidays without our tradition of visiting The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. For the past three years we have gone to Jolly Days and visitied the Yule Slide. We even bring our cousins who visit us from Texas. The cousins love to race each other down the slide. Another favorite of ours is the indoor snow ball fight and ice fishing. Our Christmas would not be the same without Jolly Days.

Name: Erin Forbush

We have a temporarily blended family. Dad, Mom, 21 year old son, 17 year old daughter, two great nephews (ages 8 and 4) and a great neice (age 2). We will be making the 2 hour drive to Indianapolis to visit the young one's Mother and will be visiting The Children's Museum of Indianapolis as the highlight of our holiday trip. We look forward to starting a new tradition for our newly blended family and can't wait to see the sparkle in their eyes as they take in the sights and sounds of Christmas decorations at the Museum and laughter in their voices when they see Santa slide down the Yule Slide. We are hoping to make memories for the little ones that will be cherished for a lifetime and to bring the sparkle back to the Holidays for all of us.

Name: Sheila Rethlake

We love visiting the Children's Museum of Indianapolis during the holidays. The Yule Slide is a huge race for our family. We love the decorations and the holiday feel!

Name: Amanda McGinnis

This will be our first holiday at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. In 2011 we bought our first family membership and we are so glad we did. There is so much to do for every age. Each time we have visited this year, we see something new. The staff is WONDERFUL, always friendly, helpful, eager to remind you of something you might have forgotten was there. The museum is ALWAYS up to date with what is popular and 'the in thing'. We had the privilage of being in the closing parade at the end of one of our visits, and it was soooo much fun watching the smiles on our kids faces as they carried flags and waved at all the other guests. I think our kids favorite area is the Science area. Once we get in that area we know we will be there for hours. They get to 'act out' different activities and learn at the same time. We have a 9 year old boy and a 4 year old girl and the look on their face when we tell them we are driving to Indy to go to their favorite place=PRICELESS. They know exactly where we are going. We think the INDIANAPOLIS CHILDRENS MUSEUM IS AWESOME!!!!!!!

Name: MONICA LYKINS

Around the holidays is one of the first times I felt ready to venture out again with our expanded family. My young son had been bursting to visit The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. After having a little sister that summer, we had spent many months adjusting to becoming a family of four. I clearly remember his joyful face when I rode down the jolly slide with his little sister on my lap and Jack beside me holding my hand. I think we realized then: we have this museum +2 kids thing figured out!

Name: Brooke Hooper

For the last eight years, our 6 children, ages 6 - 21, have been blessed with a very special Christmas gift from their Grandma Starks. They were given a family +2 membership to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. The first year she gave them the gift, we started an annual tradition of visiting Santa, getting picture ornaments, going down the Yule slide then going out to eat with Grandma the weekend after Thanksgiving. Our kids would actually spend the night with Grandma after Thanksgiving dinner & decorate her home for Christmas and bake cookies. This left mom & dad with some seriously needed wrapping time! Usually on Sunday, I would pick everyone up and we'd spend the day at the museum. (Yes, she was an awesome Grandmother!) Last year, we repeated this annual tradition. Unfortunately, It was the last time our children saw Grandma alive. The next Sunday, she was rushed to the hospital with sepsis. She passed away that evening. Writing this letter brings tears to my eyes. What a legacy my mother in-law has left for our children. She taught them through her actions how important family and tradition are. The Indianapolis Children's Museum has a role in that story. We have already agreed that we are all going to the Children's Museum to visit Santa again this year. I'm sure there will be a few tears during our visit, but I'm just as sure that there will be a lot of happy memories, smiles and laughs. For that, we are eternally grateful.

Name: Diana Starks

My husband is in the navy and he will be coming home for the week of Christmas to spend it with his wife and twin 2 year old boys in Lafayette, Indiana. As you may know living in Indiana in the winter is boring. That is the main reason to get a membership to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis to get us out of extreme heat and cold and to rid our cabin fever!

Name: Amber McCann

I am super excited for the holidays at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis this year as my daughter is almost 3 and is really getting into the holiday spirit. She keeps talking about decorating our house and seeing all the decorations at the Children’s Museum. Last year was my first time seeing Santa’s Arrival. I was there with my daughter and we had a blast – I have to admit I even teared up when the whole crowd was singing Christmas songs before Santa’s Big Arrival. My daughter joined right in and made for such a memorable experience. This year I plan to come with my daughter, in addition to my mother and step-dad to join in the memories. We always make memories and experience something new when we visit the Children’s Museum and I am sure this year will be no different.

Name: Kelly Scholtes

My husband and I are first time parents. We have a 17 month old named Braylon. We are anxious to show him the world. What better place to do that than the Largest Children's Museum, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis! This is the first year we've started going to the museum, and we knew right away we needed to be members! Just seeing our son's eyes light up with excitement and wonderment is one of the best things a parent can witness. We can spend ALL day there and just watch him learn and interact with other children. We really enjoyed Halloween there and we are anxiously awaiting Jolly Days so we can experience it together for the first time. I've always had traditions growing up, and I'm looking forward to starting a few of our own! Our son LOVES slides and we can't wait to race down the Yule Slide!

Name: Christina Cassidy

This will be our family's first holiday season at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. We couldn't be more excited! Our son, Vincent, is 2 years old and he is at a fun age for the holidays now. We enjoy visits to the museum several times per month. We relocated to Indy this year and the museum has been a comforting haven that made us realize we made the right decision.
This is truly the best children's museum in the world! We look forward to the holidays and many more days visiting.

Name: Rebecca Maldonado

It all started on a cold winter day in November of 2011. I was sitting around with my three little elf's getting ready to write Santa a Christmas list. All of a sudden, out of the blue, my four year old (Alden the third elf) goes "Santa is not real". This broke my heart to hear this. My other two elves (Ashlynn, and Adrian) said "yeah mom he is not". What got me the most is my elves are the ages of 8, 6, and 4. They are too little to not believe in Santa Claus. So I went to their father and I was asking him how can we change there minds. We came up with the conclusion to make this Christmas a Christmas they would not forget and to try to do as many activities as we can to have our elves start believing again. First activity on the list is to travel to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, ride down the Yule Slide, see Santa, learn, and explore about Christmas. I'm hoping with all the activities we have planned and the excitement we will bring our little elves they will start believing again. I need your help please. This story has been written by a mother concerned that the spirit and the beliefs are disapearing in her house and she does not want this to happen.

Name: Candace Gervais