Port Discovery Children’s Museum is a great place to go no matter what time of year. However, while the kids are on break for the holiday’s it will be essential to have a few fun things lined up to keep the little’s busy. I hope this guide helps your family plan out some family fun and make memorable experiences at Port Discovery Children’s Museum. Don’t forget to comment on the article to enter the giveaway!
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES AT PORT DISCOVERY
Don’t let winter weather keep you locked indoors, come play and adventure all winter long at Port Discovery! December is packed full of exclusive and gotta-be-there events! Check out these family-fun happening all month long that will warm your hearts for years to come:
- Gingerbrick Decorating- Saturday, December 1 & Saturday, December 8- Make memories you’ll cherish for years as you decorate gingerbricks using icing, gumdrops and more that will become a giant, life-sized Gingerbread House. Join us and McCormick chefs to design, decorate and construct your very own Gingerbrick house that will be on display inside the Museum throughout the month of December!
- Dollar (or Less) Day – Sunday, December 9
- Birthday Extravaganza Weekend (celebrating our 20th year of play) – Saturday, December 15 & Sunday, December 16 – All day long on Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16 as we celebrate Port Discovery’s 20th Birthday! Join in on birthday-themed editions of your favorite drop-in programs like Circle Time and Pop-Up Art! Decorate DIY party hats, take part in our selfie and photobooth – plus help us paint and decorate life-size birthday cakes!
- Winter Break Fun – December 22 – January 1- Enjoy hands-on learning and fun during Winter Break at Port Discovery! Each day of winter break is filled with plenty to do, see and learn – including special performances from Eric Energy, the Kindersinger, Wildlife Adventures, and more! Plus, help us celebrate Port Discovery’s 20th birthday with fun birthday-themed activities, including cake painting in our BGE Studio Workshop, birthday-themed art projects and performances, and more! Check out our Winter Break Fun schedule of activities on our website for details on activities taking place each day!
- Noontime New Year – December 31, 2018 Out with the old, in with the new! Celebrate the wonderful memories, fun and adventures of 2018 – and the magical new things to come in 2019 – at the best New Year’s celebration for kids in Baltimore! Revelers small and tall are invited to join in festive celebrations to ring in 2019 at noon on Monday, December 31.
Learn more about these events by reading Port Discovery Museum’s Top 5 Must-Do Article.
WHAT’S NEW AT PORT DISCOVERY
- Member Benefits during construction
- 5 Ways to Play Before Construction Begins
- Good- Bye to KidWorks & Celebrate 20th Birthday– Tuesday January 1, 2019 there will be a celebration like no other! Join Port Discovery as they bid farewell to the beloved three-story climber, KidWorks! One lucky slider will get to be the last kid ever to slide down KidWorks! Plus, we’ll send the messiest, heaviest, goofiest objects down the slide afterward. It will be a day to remember!
- Farewell to KidWorks
Don’t miss out on visiting while the rotating exhibit hall is featuring The Adventures of MR. POTATO HEAD® exhibit. This interactive exhibit highlights the much-loved and silly companion leading the way to amazing adventures in four pretend environments – – a jungle, an archaeological dig site, the ocean and outer space – all designed to help children develop a spirit of adventure as they learn. This exhibit is available now through January 1, 2019.
TIPS
Avoid Crowds- Port Discovery Museum has dedicated Mondays for families. There are little to no field trips planned on this day to allow time for families to enjoy the museum without worrying about a huge crowd.
Exploring it all- The museum itself is huge. It almost seems like there isn’t enough time in the day to see and do all that’s offered. I highly recommend considering a membership pass so that you come back and enjoy the museum on at your leisure. Being a member also gives you the chance to attend special events. A membership pass pays for itself in just three visits and makes a great present, giving the gift of memories last longer think toys!!! Membership Link
To stroll or not to stroll that is the question- Port Discovery is handicap and stroller accessible. The hallways are spacious and there is an elevator to transport you to each floor. There are plenty of spots to park your wheels.
One silly tip– Be sure to secure all loss items before you play in the giant play area. We (cough cough my husband) almost lost our car keys once. I’m sure the kids wouldn’t have been upset about getting stuck at the museum. There are also lockers by the entrance if you need a place secure items or store your jackets or other personal items. Lockers are $1 for small lockers and $2 for large lockers.
Safety First– I love that the museum has a strict security procedure. Before leaving the security officer will check each child’s bracelet to ensure it matches the code on the adult they are exiting the museum with.
Parking preference– Park in the lot next to the museum and ask for parking validation before you leave the museum to save $5 ($15 to park all day). Parking discount available to patrons, be sure to only park with-in one hour of opening and leave within one hour after closing.
Dining options– Bringing a lunch is a great way to save time and money. There is seating area with tables near the front of the museum where you can eat lunch. Just remember food and drinks are prohibited from the exhibit areas. There are also quite a lot of food options if you wish to dine out. It seemed that a lot of the restaurants to the right were bars with food choices. However, if you walk back to the left towards the harbor there are a lot more family friendly options. I recommend Blaze Pizza where you design your own pie and have it baked fresh in brick fired oven. Keep in mind, many of the restaurants offer a discount if you show your museum bracelet! Also, the harbor is only a short three block walk from the museum if you wanted to check out the sites and restaurants in that area.
INFORMATION
December Hours
Tuesdays – Fridays: 10 AM – 4PM
Saturdays: 10AM – 5PM
Sundays: Noon – 5PM
Location
Port Discovery Children’s Museum
35 Market Pl. Baltimore, MD
Website
GIVEAWAY
Win a family of four admission to the Port Discovery Children’s Museum! The winner will be randomly drawn on Thursday November 29, 2018 at 12:00 PM.
Contest Rules:
- Like and share the post to spread the word.
- Comment your secrets to beating winter boredom.
- Must be a Playful Parent fan to win.
- This contest is not affiliated with social media outlets.
***Thank you Port Discovery Children’s Museum for donating tickets The Playful Parent. The Playful Parent is a 501c3 and doe not accept payment to promote businesses. All information and review are based on a unbiased opinion to advocate learning through play and promote family bonding.***