American Indian Museum

While we were in Washington, I offered to take the boys to one of the many Smithsonian Museums and Galleries.  There are actually 19 Museums and Galleries, and a zoo.

We had already visited the Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center.

This time, I figured that they would pick the other Air and Space Museum, or the Museum of Natural History where the dinosaurs are on display.

But they surprised me, and picked the American Indian Museum instead.

The building itself is kind of cool to look at, no?

I think our favorite area in this museum was the imagiNATIONS Activity Center. In this area, a Native American took us inside a really big teepee that had buffalo skin rugs and read us some picture books.

The story time was kind of great, actually, because I had just been explaining to Connor that he was part Seneca when he noticed that our family didn't look anything like the Native Americans working there and in the photos on display.  Then, the first book that was read to us was about this exact same thing.  About how being Indian isn't about what you look like on the outside.



Then, another Native American showed us tons of great handmade percussion instruments, including one made from a turtle shell, and let the boys use them. There was an iPad that went along with each instrument, and each one had a different drum rhythm video. That way, you could try to use each instrument to replicate a different drumming pattern. I'm not going to lie, either. They were hard, syncopated rhythms. It was challenging, and Connor worked at each one until he got it. He was so pleased with himself when he did, too.



We did walk around some of the other areas of the museum.  The kids really liked looking at the different swords and guns and headresses and arrowheads.  But I know for sure that this one area was their favorite, because it was designed for kids and had a ton of hands-on activities.



We'll just have to go back to Washington, D.C. again to see some of the other Smithsonian Museums.  After we visit the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum, I want to check out the Hirshhorn (Art) Museum and the Postal Museum.  Did you know that my Grandma Fay worked for the U.S. Post Office for as much of her life as I can remember?  Plus, I think that stamps are really interesting to look at.  There are so many different collections...

And, even though it isn't part of the Smithsonian Institute, Connor really wants to go to the International Spy Museum.

Yeah, we'll just have to go back to D.C. again.