Like most moms I know, I consider our area's children's museums a staple in my rotating repertoire of awesome rainy-day activities. So when I received the assignment to visit a few museums outside this realm – places that aren't just for kids – I wondered how my children were going to respond.
My 5-year-old son, Nathan, and 3-year-old daughter, Caitlyn, ventured off the beaten path with me to visit four King County museums in one week, and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Given the right mix of interactive activities and parental encouragement, my kids were getting their dose of history and having fun, too.
This week: Rosalie Whyel Doll Art Museum
Caitlyn and I paid a visit to the Rosalie Whyel Doll Art Museum on a weekday afternoon. This incredible display of over 1,200 dolls, from the personal collection of Bellevue resident Rosalie Whyel, is a sight to behold. The permanent gallery displays dolls, teddy bears and miniatures from 1680 to the present day.
We took the self-guided tour to see the dolls. Three short videos at the beginning of the tour give an introduction to the museum and talk about the engineering of dolls, but Caitlyn wanted to start looking. We made our way through the displays, me in awe at the creators' artistry and Caitlyn asking if they were princesses. Caitlyn was especially fond of the modern doll room, where she recognized the Barbies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Mickey Mouse and Disney princesses. Adults will reminisce about their childhood here too, as the collectibles span the 20th century. We had a good laugh when we discovered that one of the Barbies had on the very same dress Caitlyn just inherited from my old trunk of Barbie clothes.
If you take your kids to the museum, don't miss the drawer spaces with handles underneath the display cases. Each houses more dolls, which are thankfully enclosed in Plexiglas so parents don't have to worry about damage.
In addition to the exhibits, the museum has a quaint little English garden and a store, with dolls that range from very expensive to affordable. Keep this in mind for young kids who might need something to hold onto after not being able to touch all those precious dolls in their cases.
Next week: The Wing Luke Asian Museum
Taryn Zier is a freelance writer based in Lake Forest Park and mother of two avid museum-goers, ages 3 and 5.
