Kids Explore Outdoors is divided into three parts, with age-appropriate structures and play areas for toddlers, preschoolers and older children. Very young children can climb, slide and crawl through toddler-sized equipment in their own play yard without having to dodge bigger kids. And their parents and caregivers will appreciate that the area is fenced, preventing easy getaways. Nearby, two metal sunflowers tower over a concrete drain. In the spring and summer, when the pipes are turned on, children will be able to cool themselves with water sprayed from the flowers' faces.
Rest rooms are accessible, too, outside in warmer months and in the museum's lobby year-round.
It's just fun. It's also safe, DeSena said. Designers covered the ground beneath the play structures with a rubberized surface called Vitroturf, which is fashioned from recycled tires. Plenty of handles and small steps make the structures easy for young children to navigate. The playground meets codes for wheelchair accessibility.