We always joke around that as we travel the world, we are basically on a tour of playgrounds and children’s museums. And, truth be told, the more museums we visited, the more they started to look and feel the same. That is, until we went to The DoSeum in San Antonio! Opened in 2015, the DoSeum simply raises the bar with its breadth of and focus on interactive, educational, and entertaining activities for kids of all ages. To start off, the facility itself is simply massive, with 9 fully-developed and distinct exhibits both inside and outdoors. We easily spent 4 hours with our 6-year-old and 3-year-old kids and didn’t even see all of the exhibits, so we went back a few days later (which we haven’t done on our travels before).
Little Town
One of the common disappointments we see at children’s museums is a focus on activities for kids 5 and up. However, at The DoSeum, the Little Town exhibit places its focus on kids 5 and under. Its open-ended theme allows young children to explore miniature versions of popular city features. They can “shop” at the supermarket, picking their own groceries and going through the check-out counter. They can pretend to be tour bus guides, construction workers, pilots, and food truck owners. There’s even a small park area for kids under 1, where they can crawl around and get plenty of sensory feedback. Our 3-year-old could have easily spent the whole day here, meticulously pretending to be an adult, all the while us adults sit there daydreaming of our time as children!
Spy Academy
Just across from the Little Town is the Spy Academy, an exhibit geared towards kids 5 and up. To begin, kids can disguise themselves as secret agents using trench coats, hats, and sunglasses. From there, they are challenged with multiple puzzles and activities that require their wit, logical and deductive reasoning, math and spatial skills to solve. They can learn Morse code, figure out cipher codes, and build their own measurement systems at the exhibits. And, they can even track and measure their progress as spies by creating their own badges and updating them as they complete activities throughout the exhibit.
Innovation Station
On the second floor lies the Innovation Station. It’s no secret that kids nowadays are expected to navigate and be proficient in technology, so this exhibit puts the power in their hands to do so. Literally. They can stand in front of a robot, make gestures with their bodies, and the robot will try to replicate them. They can learn about Augmented Reality by building a virtual scene on a tablet, then experiencing it through Virtual Reality goggles. They can learn how to make bridges, and use real woodworking and electrical engineering tools in a controlled environment. Simply said, the Innovation Station arms kids with the tools they need to create and build things using their imagination, and it was awesome seeing what they came up with!
The Big Outdoors
For those that need to get some energy out during the day, the Big Outdoors is there for them! A climbing structure will allow them to work on their gross motor skills. There’s a water pavilion that not only serves to add a refreshing sensation, especially during the summer months, but it allows children to interact with and learn about water-based physics in an active environment. There’s an area where kids can make bubbles using different tools and methods. There’s even a sand area, a small stream, butterfly garden, and eco pond. Like I mentioned before, The DoSeum is massive, and the outdoor areas are just as entertaining and educational as the indoor ones!
Wait, There’s More!
There were a few other exhibits that, even with visiting 2 days, we didn’t have a chance to explore. The Sensations Studio helps kids learn about the importance of light and sound in their lives. The Imagine It exhibit challenges kids to create visual and verbal content using 2D and 3D animation techniques and recording equipment. The Explore exhibit teaches kids all about the amazing world that we live in. There’s also a seasonal exhibit called Going Places, which has kids explore the power of benefits of various methods of transportation. And, if all of these activities build up your appetite, there’s a café operated by Bakery Lorraine, a local San Antonio family business.
To be honest, The DoSeum is basically the most comprehensive, engaging, and entertaining children’s museum that we’ve ever visited. I was constantly finding myself engrossed in the activities myself, and it was a joy to watch the kids enjoy themselves in the various exhibits. If you’re in the San Antonio area, I highly recommend putting The Doseum on your “must visit” list. You won’t regret it, and your kids will thank you for it (someday, maybe).
This post was produced in partnership with Visit San Antonio and Travel Mindset.
