Explore and More

We happened across, what I think, is a best kept secret. It's a place called Explore and More in Gettysburg, PA. Before you gasp, for those of you who live near me, it's only 1 1/2 hours away - just long enough for the kids to watch a movie in full on the DVD player. We came across it on a weekend away last summer. It's a lovely little rowhouse that two former preschool teachers transformed into a children's place. It's inexpensive and rarely crowded. Sometimes they are busy with field trips or birthday parties. But if you always call ahead and check on the day you want to go and if none of the above are happening, you practically have the place to yourself! So this past weekend when we had our nieces, we headed to Gettysburg with all five children. Except for two other children, it was just us. The place is small enough that they can roam from 1st floor to 2nd floor and back, doing science experiements, creating in the art room, constructing in the building room, being inside a bubble (always a favorite), searching for fossils...there is even a housekeeping area set up just like in Abraham Lincoln's time. There is no fear of losing them or having to follow them every second because of the size and layout of the place. After 3 hours, they were moaning they still hadn't done everything and needed to stay longer - but alas, it was closing time. They also have a wonderful big backyard with a big sandbox and other activities. As you can see, even Brett got a little "kid" time! We love it and the kids do too! http://www.exploreandmore.com/ .