January of each year is when Phil and I come up with a list of places to visit or things to do, when we do not otherwise have plans. This can be especially important in the winter months to escape the unavoidable “cabin fever” when outside temperatures are below freezing! Stepping Stones Museum for Children had been on our list last year, and we finally made a visit one cold Saturday in December.
Stepping Stones is located in Norwalk, Connecticut, which is a nice car or train ride without being too long. This museum is geared towards toddlers and preschool aged boys and girls. When reviewing the website, I had looked at the event calendar and noticed that every second Saturday of each month they offer a program called My Ability. As described online, “My Ability is a sensory-friendly workshop designed to be a safe and welcoming experience for visitors with special needs and their caregivers.” How perfect, I thought! This special program is one hour (11am to 12pm) and you can come and go as you please.
The day we visited was actually Accessibility Day, which meant we received free admission. We immediately found the room where My Ability was taking place. It was definitely a breath of fresh air from the typical children’s museum experience, which can be crowded and overwhelming for kiddies like Dubbers. The lights were dimmed, there were no loud noises, and it was not crowded. There were about six thoughtful activities set-up around a nice sized room which offered sensory, fine and gross-motor play.
Dubbers did not hesitate and went right in, took off his shoes and began to explore. He visited and played at each station, some on his own and some with other kids. Dubbers’ favorite activity was the water beads table, but he also took time at the end to sit with Phil and listen to one of his favorite books he had spotted in the reading corner. Overall, this experience was a very nice and appreciated effort from Stepping Stones and made for a great introduction to the rest of the museum. The space is large and offers many attractions similar to those you would expect to find at a children’s museum. Besides My Ability, the other highlight during our visit was a spacious room at the end of the building with a large movie screen that featured cartoon music videos on repeat. This was very cute and held Dubbers’ attention for quite some time!
In the end we had a great visit to Stepping Stones and were fortunate to have also taken advantage of the My Ability program. I have a feeling this additional feature will become increasingly popular for families with special needs children. I know we will definitely go again!
Stepping Stones Museum for Children is located at:
Mathews Park
303 West Avenue
Norwalk,Connecticut 06850
203 899 0606
