The WonderWing at Monmouth Museum

On a day when the weather just isn’t cooperating and the kids are tired of being cooped up in the house, one of our favorite places to visit is the WonderWing inside of the Monmouth Museum. The Monmouth Museum has two different areas meant for children: the Becker Children’s Wing for kids ages 6 – 12 years and the WonderWing which is great for ages 6 and under. On a recent visit, I brought my little ones to play at the WonderWing and they had a blast.

 

Some little pirates climbing into the ship at the WonderWing.

Some of the things we loved about the WonderWing:

• It is filled with areas encouraging imaginative play. From a puppet theater and dress-up clothes, to puzzles built into the walls, and an entire section devoted to coloring and crafts, there are plenty of ways for your child to be a creative thinker.
• There are lots of places to get their energy out! A climbable rope ladder leads the way into a huge wooden pirate ship which has secret staircases and slides, tunnels, and walkways – all great ways to tire out your energetic toddler!
• Behind and underneath the wooden pirate ship, there is a secret area filled with fish tanks and glow-in-the-dark pirate treasure displays. My kids love to spend time down there just watching the fish and pretending to be undersea explorers.

Because my kids are too young, we have never visited the Becker Children’s Wing area of the museum. It houses an evolving kid-friendly exhibit and would be perfect for school-aged kids. The current exhibition is called “Ancients to Astronauts: How We Communicate” and is on display until August 2016. The museum also contains galleries that show art in all mediums as well as exhibitions featuring cultural history and science.

Playing in the real raft at the WonderWing. Don’t forget your life jacket!

Some things we learned while at the WonderWing in the Monmouth Museum:

• The hours vary weekly due to visiting school trips and birthday parties. Make sure to call in advance or check their Facebook page to find out the operating hours for the day.
• The museum holds fun children’s activities like preschool storytimes, special arts and crafts, and school-aged math programs. These are all free with paid admission, but you need to check their Facebook page before visiting to find out what’s scheduled for the day.
• No food or beverages are allowed in the museum itself and there is nothing inside for sale to eat. However, there is a picnic table outside the museum if you want to pack your own lunch to enjoy on a nice day. The town center of Lincroft is also less than a mile down the road and contains different eating options.
• Have your children wear sneakers! There are plenty of places for them to climb, crawl, and slide but proper footwear is definitely a must.

The Monmouth Museum is located at 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738 on the Brookdale Community College campus in Monmouth County. The museum is closed on Monday and visiting hours vary. Admission is $7 per person and children under 2 years are free. Brookdale students and staff are free with valid ID. For more information, visit the Monmouth Museum website.