American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York.
Ages and Grades: 7 (rising 2nd grader) and 4 (Pre-K)
A friend invited us to drive to AMNH on a day in August before school started. Her kids were homeschool high school, homeschool elementary, private school middle, and public school middle school students.
The problem with going to museums with friends is that the kids seem to have more fun just socializing with each other and they put the actual reason for being there second. They wouldn't care if they were sitting around in a field talking, they just want to talk and be with their friends. I find we learn a lot more when we go on educational trips alone, especially ones where you guide yourself along through the place. A docent-led tour is another matter.
The museum is dark and most of it is not the best for taking photographs. The kids moved so fast and it was kind of crowded this day. The place is so large it is hard to see everything and read every plaque in one visit. You also have to decide if you want to see a planetarium show on the same day (this time we did not).
I recall seeing everything having to do with dinosaurs, as that was the thing they were most interested in. We saw a big exhibit on oceans and ocean life.
We also paid extra to go a special exhibit with live exotic frogs such as tree frogs from the Amazon.
