Parents of preschoolers have a valuable resource in KidZone. The creative hands-on museum and activity center is the perfect place to play indoors with toddlers and young children who can climb, crawl, create messy art, discover science, explore history and learn to love literature, all in a safe and supervised environment with parents nearby. The museum also offers classes, summer camps, and programs for kids and families.

Why do parents like it?

“Opportunities for creative expression as well as burning energy,” said Allison Pedley of Truckee.

She and her 4-year-old daughter Jenna Elliott have been coming to KidZone for almost two years. Lake Tahoe visitors also enjoy stopping by. Adeline Chaney (age 3) and mom Kim Chaney, a fifth-grade teacher from Alameda, CA, were glad to discover KidZone.

“It’s a fun place to visit when we come for vacations,” said Chaney.

KidZone is located in a large white dome next to Truckee High School. One half of the building is designed for energetic and creative play; the other half is a museum with changing exhibits. A cushiony rubber mat covers the floor throughout the building and shoes are allowed. In the play room, a low train table with wooden trains invites small hands and minds to take travel adventures. A gigantic jungle gym in the center of the room encourages climbing, crawling, swinging and sliding. Smaller slides and large plastic animals tempt younger children to climb and play safely. Babies have their own separate zone, a padded area in the corner, with soft foam cushions and blocks for crawling and bouncing with parents.

Two smaller rooms house a creative center and classroom where kids can explore art at any time. Small classes with trained teachers meet one or two days a week for six weeks, some with parents and some without. In Messy Art Explorations kids develop creativity through collage, printmaking, watercolors, chalk, silky crayons and fingerpainting. Wonder Science presents activities with bubbles, gooey stuff, flying things, magnets, water and ice, color and light, spinning tops and bugs.

Books open a world of wonder in the class Soaring Imaginations where hands-on activities compliment stories read by the teacher to reinforce comprehension and subject matter. Club Amiguitos offers art, science, reading and music activities in Spanish and English. This program is taught by state licensed preschool teachers and a KidZone early childhood educator, it is also sponsored by Nevada County School Readiness.

On the museum side there are lots of opportunities for imaginary play and discovery. Through May, the Sierra Settlers exhibit allows children to explore the lives of all those who lived in and around the Sierras in the mid 1800s. Kids can dress up in period clothing, explore a settler’s cabin, climb on a covered wagon, crawl into a mine, pan for gold and play fish in a real running stream.

On the museum side, there are lots of opportunities for imaginary play and discovery. Through May 2008, Space Zone is a terrific place for young astronauts to let their imaginations soar. Exhibits include a walk in space capsule, a simulated control center, a space station with sleeping quarters, kitchen and research area, and a cozy call-in space where kids view stars and constellations. This exhibit has handicap access.

Most of the creativity for concepts and construction of KidZone exhibits comes from volunteer parents who take up to a year in research and planning. Local businesses and tradespeople contribute materials and expertise to this not-for-profit organization. Sections of some exhibits are shared between other children’s museums in nearby areas, including a portion of the Space exhibit on loan from Habitot Children’s Museum in Berkeley, CA.

Summer camps in July and August include Space Camp led by Paul Gutman, director of Science for the Schools and a Watershed Science Camp that includes outdoor adventures along Sierra trails and creative projects to teach stewardship of the environment. In a Poetry in Art – Egg Painting Workshop children will learn a bit about poetry, create their own poem and tell the story on their egg. Art Jam Camp is a multimedia experience where kids will explore the dynamic nature of art indoors and out. An environmental science camp for families at the UC Berkeley Sagehen Creek Field Station near Truckee offers parents and children a chance to spend two nights in a cabin or tent and enjoy beautiful summer weather in the Sierra. Activities include science for all ages and natural art projects. Learn more about it online here,

Daily entrance fees at KidZone for residents of Prosser and Nevada Counties are $5 for children and $3 for adults. Non residents are $7 for children and $3 for adults. The first Tuesday of each month is Dollar Day when all children are admitted for $1. Annual or weekly family memberships make coming and going easy and less expensive. Weekly memberships for a family of six are $20; annual parent/child memberships for two are $80; a yearly family membership for six is $100 and includes free admission to other children’s museums around the country. A list of more than 150 museums in 40 states and Canada is available at the museum.

KidZone is located at 11711 Donner Pass Road in Truckee. Winter hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Memorial Day. Summer hours through Labor Day are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., six days a week. The museum is closed on Mondays and during the month of August. For information call 530-587-5437 or visit www.kidzonemuseum.org.

All photos by Marnie McArthur, tahoe.com