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Located on Congress Street in Boston, Massachusetts, the Boston Children’s Museum is only a 45 minute drive from Londonderry, New Hampshire. Driving, the museum is straight shot down I-93 South, and just minutes off the highway. The Museum is also accessible for those less willing to brave the Boston traffic. The T (or Boston’s train system) is another fun way to arrive at the museum. Young ones will love being able to say they rode on a train, and you’ll love being able to say they rode for free. Children 11 and under ride free with a paying adult. The Museum is just minutes walking distance from both South Station, via the Red Line and Commuter Rail, and Courthouse Station, from the Silver Line Waterfront. Bus and boat are also other fun options for the youngens. Regardless of how you arrive, activities and exhibits for children of all ages, even those only still young at heart, make the Museum well worth the trip.

While visiting the museum, the children will have plenty of activities to choose from. The Science Playground, on the first floor, offers three rooms. The first room is a favorite for all ages, Bubbles. The Investigate room offers an opportunity for children to use all their senses, and the Raceways room is perfect for testing the laws of motion using golf balls and tracks. The importance of the Science Playground is the reinforcement of the scientific inquiry skills, observing, measuring, comparing and more. Also on the first floor is the KidStage. The kid-sized performance space was created to help develop performing arts within children. It lets the kids experience what it’s like to be in the spotlight, or work behind the scenes. Museum staff and actors perform onstage and invite visitors to join. The KidStage is also were guest performer’s are featured. The Museum Shop, lunchroom and Au Bon Pain, and the Birthday Party Room are also located on the first floor.

Up one flight of stairs takes you to several more exhibit rooms. On the second floor of the Museum is the PlaySpace Room. Here, children ages 0 to 3, can explore the world with their caregivers. A tree house climber with bridges and a slide offer a safe environment for climbing. A see through painting wall and toy train landscape are also features in the PlaySpace Room. The Common offers light and shadow games, a giant maze and space to play games and gather with friends. The Common will also host live animal meet and greets and a variety of other events. The Arthur and Friends room brings the make-believe characters of the popular TV series to life. Located on the second floor is also The Gallery. The Gallery is hosting, until March 31, 2010, Another Side of In. This art exhibit involves sound, light and movement, and is a collaboration of Marjorie Minkin’s visual art and her son, Mike Gordon’s music. Johnny’s Workbench, also on the second floor, has been around since 1985. This exhibit allows children and families to work with hand tools. They are given the knowledge, tools and materials to create small woodworking projects.

The top floor of the museum offers exhibits from around the world. The Boston Black… A City Connects room highlights the diversity within the city of Boston. It shares the history of Black people in the city, and offers new ways for families with young children to talk about diversity and ethnicity. The Japanese House displays the true example of a traditional Japanese house. Reconstructed by Japanese carpenters, the house teaches visitors about Japanese family life, their customs, ceremonies and seasonal events. Received by the Museum as a gift from the City of Kyoto on the 20th anniversary of their Sister Cities Relationship, the house is a real 100 year old Japanese house.Very few are still in existence. Also on the third floor is the Global Gallery, a room dedicated to exhibits from around the world. Currently, until June 6, 2010, Curious George, Let’s Get Curious is displayed in the Global Room. The Curious George exhibit offers the chance for visitors to explore the world of George, and learn about math, science and engineering. Visitors can see many of the places George has visited in his books and TV show.

The Boston Children’s Museum has been offering learning opportunities for over ninety years. It is a nonprofit educational institution that has set the pace for several children’s exhibitions, curriculum, and educational programs. With restroom, nursing, diaper changing and eating accommodations, the Museum is an ideal place for a fun, educational day out with the family.

While admission does include everything, it is twelve dollars per adult and nine per child one and older. However, if you’re a card holder at the Leach Library in Londonderry, NH, you can visit for much less. The Leach Library, through a donation from the Leach Library Board of Trustees, offers a variety of Museum Passes to locations throughout the Southern New Hampshire area. By calling ahead to reserve your pass, a family of four can visit the Boston Children’s Museum for a mere two dollars per person. While some passes must to be returned the following day, these do not. There is no fee to use the passes, but donations are highly appreciated. Enjoy a discounted family fun day, courtesy of the Leach Library, at the Boston Children’s Museum, just minutes from home!

To learn more about the Museum, please visit their website. To discover what other passes are offered at the Leach Library, visit the Library website, or call at (603) 432-1132.

As always, comments are more than welcome. We love hearing your feedback!

Mass. governor moves to control small business health care costs

by Michael Levenson
Boston.com

Governor Deval Patrick said that, beginning today, the state insurance commissioner will require health insurance companies to provide advance notice of any rate increases for small businesses and will reject those that he believes are “unreasonable or excessive.”

Any increases that are “significantly higher” than the current level of medical inflation, 3.2 percent, will automatically be challenged by Insurance Commissioner Joseph G. Murphy, Patrick told a breakfast meeting of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

“This is aggressive,” the governor said, “but we have to give small businesses some economic breathing room until we can implement the kind of payment reform that will curtail costs across the health care system.”

The new rule received a mixed response from the gathering of business leaders at the Westin Copley Place.

During a question-and-answer session, Paul Guzzi, the chamber president, asked the governor “if this isn’t a bludgeon with potentially unintended consequences that can not only impact what many still consider to be a world-class health care system here, but can also impact one of the economic drivers of the Commonwealth.”

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