With a toddler in tow on our recent family vacation to San Diego, we knew we’d have to find some fun and engaging activities for two-and-a-half-year-old June. Midweek, we made our way to San Diego’s New Children’s Museum, located right in downtown San Diego in a multi-level, modern building chock-full of imaginative play spaces designed by local artists. It opened in 2008, but the “New” in the name signifies “a focus on commissioning contemporary artists to design immersive art installations for children to explore.” The organization’s stated mission is to “stimulate imagination, creativity and critical thinking in children and families through inventive and engaging experiences with contemporary art.” We adults certainly found ourselves pulled in to exploring and creating as we followed June around the museum.

After parking in the very convenient attached underground garage, we followed a trail of bubbles floating through the air to the front entrance of the museum, captivated by the soaring space, exposed beams and natural light streaming in from abundant windows and skylights. First we veered off to the outside courtyard, offering a view of the city skyline and towering palms,   to mold artist’s clay at the Clay Studio, and then we wandered over to let June slather paint on a 1950s Dodge truck with the “color of the day”: yellow. After a quick clean-up, we wandered in and out of several spaces, some specifically designed to be calming and soothing, like the Tikitiko sensory space, dotted with soft textile sculptures. Others begged children to climb and explore, such as the “whammock” and the Wobbleland food sculptures,  featuring a watermelon sailboat, celery stalk tunnel and a rocking wedge of cantaloupe.

Vibrant colors and varied textures and shapes delighted the senses and begged engagement. Adults had as much fun as the little ones playing with enormous foam blocks that reminded me of my childhood Tinkertoys, and scattered over several levels were “art studios” stocked with various art supplies inviting participants to draw, paint, cut and fold as their muses led them.

I particularly appreciated that there was space and opportunity to play and move — such as the enormous slide that spanned two floors and the Wonder Sound, a labyrinth of nooks, crannies, treehouses, and    rope webs and nets. Children could cycle through quiet, creative play and rambunctious rambling as their mood and bodies moved them. We found June was not quite big enough for some of the spaces, but there were plenty that suited her well, and she loved our time there.

I would certainly recommend a visit to the New Children’s Museum on a visit to San Diego, especially if you have a group that spans several ages. There is something here to engage everyone, and facilities include Bean Sprouts Café, serving nutritious, kid-friendly food; large, clean restrooms; and nursing nooks for moms and babies. The museum seeks to be a welcoming space for all and offers services for the mobility-impaired as well as sensory-friendly spaces and experiences. Open every day of the week except Tuesdays, it also offers camps and classes if you’re in the area for an extended stay. It lies just a short walk from the Convention Center Station and the MTS Trolley Green Line and is served by several bus routes. Check online for ticket discounts and to purchase admission in advance.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor