Exploration Place

The Family Fun Series is sponsored by
TJ Lawson with Insurance Solutions of South Central Kansas
As a local Independent Insurance Agent, TJ seeks to find the best deal for clients by providing great coverage at highly competitive rates specializing in auto, home, business, and life insurance. For more, you can also check out his Facebook or Instagram page

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With the ongoing family fun series, I decided it would be a fun time to take my daughter to Exploration Place. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s the Sedgwick County Science and Discovery Center. Their goal is to inspire a deeper interest in science through creative and fun experiences for people of all ages.

My daughter is not yet two but I still wanted to introduce her to the place I’ve taken many of her cousins to over the years. There are many traveling and permanent exhibits which can be viewed here.

I had big plans to walk around the entire museum but as many other parents with toddlers know, no plan is ever set in stone.

As we were walking around Exploration place, an area called Kansas Kids Connect caught her eye. I tried to walk her around to other exhibits but her desire to only hang out at this area brought on a crying fit that made me feel like the most embarrassed parent in the building. So, on behalf of my daughter, we only stopped by to review the Kansas Kids Connect area. GET EXCITED!!!

According to Exploration Place, the Kansas Kids Connect area is for young children. As EP puts it, “We’re planting the seeds of STEM in young children’s minds as they discover the world around them — from the country to city living. Plant a garden, fix a tractor, run through golden waves of wheat. Create your own town, go to a farmer’s market and more.”

It was a huge play area with all sorts of things to do. There was a big area filled with toy food where my daughter learned such words as carrots and bread.

She got to practice operating a stand so she could start a business working at the Farmers Markets around town.

There was a mock grain elevator complete with a slide that she was too scared to walk inside unless I was there next to her. I think my back gave out bending over to get inside there.

Her favorite part of the area was walking through wheat. There were big pool noodles hung up to mimic wheat. I contemplated hiding at the other end to scare her but knew that would be the last time she ever walked through wheat. So instead, I walked with her through the noodles like a good dad.

My favorite part was the Kansas Airways. You could place scarves inside the contraption and watch the wind tunnels blow the scarf from the entrance and spit it out the exit. My daughter thought it was really cool the first time but was more interested in the toy carrots immediately after.

There are so many other cool exhibits at Exploration Place. I try to stop by many of their traveling exhibits when they kick off. I have many memories with my nieces making paper airplanes, seeing the miniature set up of Kansas, feeling the turbulence of wind inside the tunnels and more. There are so many great options for people of all ages there.

Just be aware if you take a toddler that you’re going to get your fill of the Kids Connect Center like me.

Exploration Place is located at 300 N McLean Blvd, which is on the west side of the Arkansas River in the Delano neighborhood of Wichita. To learn more about EP, visit their webpage or Facebook page.

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Have something fun to do in Wichita that would be worth us coming out to write about? Let us know simply by e-mailing us with your information. We are always open to suggestions.