Museums have an important role in the development of a child's education as a place of fun and active learning. There are a number of great museums all over the city that are specifically geared towards kids. Some of the top kid-centric museums are The New Children’s Museum downtown, The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum in Escondido, The San Diego Air and Space Museum, The Ruben H. Fleet Science Center, The San Diego Natural History Museum, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, and The San Diego Botanical Garden in Encinitas.

If you haven’t brought your kids to the New Children’s Museum then don’t wait another minute, this is one of the most dynamic museums for kids to engage with art in a tactile manner with multiple studios where they can reflect on what they learn and create art in the museum. In February you can see their uber popular Trash exhibition that will definitely change the ways your kids see trash, they will be brining the recyclable tote to the grocery store after this experience. Another great museum just for kids is the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum that moved into a sparkling new location in Escondido. Kids can experience a world of wonders with hands-on activities for the entire family including a tree-house, imagination playground and a creative toddler area for the little ones. If your kids are into climbing around outside then don’t miss the awesome tree house at the San Diego Botanical Garden that has a whole outdoor area called the Hamilton Children’s Garden where kids can explore nature and pot a plant on special occasions during the month. This is a perfect museum for a beautiful day when the kids are feeling restless and want to run around outdoors. Also in North County is The Museum of Making Music which just went through some renovations making the exhibits fresh and engaging. After learning about the history of music with audio and video clips, listening to the sounds made by almost every instrument imaginable, visitors can then jam out in the interactive studio.

At the San Diego Air and Space Museum kids can feel like a space traveler in their new exhibit Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists that opens February 4. Designed like a space mission Visitors are briefed, issued a Black Holes Explorer ID Card, and then sent on a journey to the edge of these strange phenomena to discover how the latest research is turning science fiction into fact, challenging our notions of space and time in the process. Another exciting exhibition that even adults will enjoy is Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition opening February 10 at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Upon entering this highly anticipated exhibit, visitors will receive a replica boarding pass granting them permission to board the Titanic, and from there the journey begins. The galleries focus on the legendary Titanic’s compelling human stories as best told through authentic artifacts recovered from the ocean floor and extensive room re-creations.

Hopefully this February you will take advantage of the many wonderful museums San Diego has to offer. For additional information about Museum Month visit www.sandiegomuseumcouncil.org/museum_month.