Butterfly jungle at the Natural History Museum
Articles in magazines presented it as a jungle adventure land. Mmmh, this is exaggerated. But kids certainly love the experience! You can obserbe a few frogs, chameleons, snakes. My 3 year old wasn’t impressed – she’s seen too many in zoos already. However, the lemon tree with real lemons was a surprise to her (what, they do not grow at Tesco’s?!).
You’ll find plenty of information along the way – all presented as games, puzzles, ropes to be pulled, happy colours, windows to be opened. 5+ are interested, younger ones love the flexibility of the suport and play happily with them. Parents will learn a thing of two along the way…
There is an outside playground where children can run, crawl, climb. Brilliant idea, parents can just sit down, relax, have an adult conversation for a while.
But it’s further on that the magic really begins - a tropical room with exotic vegetation and so many butterflies flying free. So many species, colours, patterns on the wings, ways to flap their wings… You will not know where to start looking and won’t stop taking pictures. Everyone, no matter their age, can resist this.
A table is covered with fruit and sugary water – the kids gaze in awe at the butterflies drinking there…
And maybe, maybe, a butterfly will land on you?
Only negative point? You’re going to hear about butterflies for a very long time…
Note to parents: fabulous. Little ones will react to it from 18 months. My advice? Forget bright clothes if you want a chance of a butterfly on your shoulder as red is a sign of danger to them. The shop proposes thematic books and toys, including a lot of 10 plastic butterflies for £8. one of the best things I have ever bought: my 3 year old recreated the visits countless times, spies on butterflies in the garden, draws the wings pattern sof her butterflies on paper… There is a buggy parkins at the entrance. Oh, the nearest toilets, however are in the museum.
Butterfly jungle
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London
SW75BD
Jusqu’a / Until September 27, 2009
10.00-17.00
£6/adulte £4/enfants-child, gratuit pour – 3 ans/ free for under 3s.
[...] course, the Natural History Museum also has a similar attraction -Butterfly explorers , open for the second year in a row. More central, exactly same principle. But it looks… temporary, the vegetation was planted only [...]