Balian, driving the fire truck...

Balian ran to the life-sized fire truck, as soon as he saw it, and wasted no time climbing in, putting on a hat and pulling levers and gears. There were all sorts of vehicles for the kids to climb into and play in: fire truck, ambulance, speed boat, airplane, and even a submarine!

Daddy and B at the train table...

There was a huge train table for the kiddos to play trains at together. Balian had a blast playing with the other kids, and learning how to be a big boy and share, and take turns.

The Pit Crew Stop!

'This car needs to get ready to race, mommy!'

One of B's favorite spots, was the garage/pit crew area, where the kids could work on fixing up a car. The hood was lifted, and they could check the oil, give it more oil, anti-freeze, change the tires, and they could even slide under the car and wear coveralls!

Turning the wheel at the water table...

Awesome way to splash and play...

There was a large indoor water table, where the kids could play with all sorts of toys in the water. There were aprons that simply slipped over their heads and fit over their clothing, to keep them dry. There were wheels to turn, gears to play with and lots of toys like ducks, shapes and small containers. There was an area specifically for babies (who can sit up) with high chairs that reached an elevated water play station... so cute to watch the little ones splash their hands in that water and play with the large baby toys!

Balian, crawling through the ship...

Captain B, manning the submarine.

There was a big ocean themed room filled with a big ship to clib on, crawl through and steer. There was also a big submarine that the kids could go into, sit and watch a video, push buttons, pull levers, etc. This was where all of the kids were- it was a popular spot! There was even a huge octopuss bean bag toss game, and tunnels to crawl through! This was a cool room!

More gears to turn...

Pit stop at the bank...

Giving driving the tractor a whirl...

Giving daddy a check-up in the big ambulance...

We eventually made our way through the farm area, where there was a huge apple picking game, a cow to be milked, corn to be harvested, etc. There was also an exercise area ready for free-play, tumble mats, hula-hoops, and more! We finally found ourselves at the corner cafe, where there was a huge kitchen with a large stove, a brick oven, a deli counter and resaturant seating. Hubby and I got to relax in the cafe while Balian prepared us a pizza lunch!

B, busy in the kitchen...

We made our way back through the farm area to play a bit more, and B really wanted to try to milk that cow!

Playing with the rings...

Finally- milking the cow!

Back to the fire truck for another ride...

...and back to the bank, to make a birthday deposit!

Of course, I have more pictures for another day. There are so many areas that I haven't even gotten to show you, yet, but I'm on a time crunch today, so I'll share part two of our trip next week!

Want to Go?

We had a great time at Discovery Place Kids, and B is already begging to go back! I was excited to see that they offer birthday party packages- as my wheels are already turning for next year! Tickets are just $8.00 a person, so the prices are completely resonable... you can stay and play all day! Trust me, the kids will want to! We were there for about four hours, and Balian didn't want to leave! This is a wonderful, hands on center for the kids to experience all sorts of fun things, and let their imaginations run wild in a controlled atmosphere! If you live in NC, or you'll be passing through, don't miss out on the chance to take the kids to Discovery Place Kids! They'll love it, and so will you!

For more info on Discovery Place Kids, head to their website!