Come explore the Children's Museum of Phoenix.

If you live in or around the Phoenix,Arizona area and have small children I highly suggest heading to downtown Phoenix to spend a day at the Children's Museum of Phoenix for a day of fun and adventure. The museum is located inside of the historic Monroe School building found on the south east corner of 7th street and Van Buren, parking is free and found on property so there is no need to park in one of the downtown parking garages. I've always thought this school building was gorgeous so I am glad it wasn't torn down and instead turned into something new, so I think it adds to why I love visiting the museum so much. The museum is filled with three floors of fun for you and your children, their goal is to engage your child's imagination during their visit. Several of the locations allow the parents to interact with their children as well which is nice for parents who want a hands on experience with their kids at the museum.

I was recently invited to join the PLAYfluencer program at the museum, so over the course of the next several month's I will be sharing highlights of the different areas of the museum along with special events and activities they offer for your children. The museum is geared towards children ages 1-10 however I think that you could go a year or two past that as well with a few of their offered programs, any older than that and I don't think they would be able to do much, as most of the museum is geared more towards the younger children. There is a ton of museum to cover so for my first feature I am going to discuss just the first floor with you/entry area with you.

When you first walk through the museum doors you are greeting by the front desk area and the gift shop, taking a left takes you into the start of the museum. You are instantly greeted by a play area and a giant play structure that children (and adults) are allowed to explore, they even have a small gated off area located near the bottom designed for babies who aren't able to fully explore on their own yet. You can also find one of my favorite features of the museum when you first walk in which is a giant wall decorated with dozens of old CD's/DVD's which look quite pretty with the light reflecting off of them.

The whole play structure is quite imaginative, in one spot you'll feel like you are in the sea when you are near all the sea creature decorations, and in another spot you're in a winged bathtub! Where else are you able to hang out in a "flying" bathtub? The structure is also quite large it reaches all the way up to the top floor, so when you are at the top you can say hi to everyone on the way up. Around the base of the climbing structure you'll find several piles of building blocks ranging in size along with some other hands on activities.

For the parents who don't want to play on the structure there are several places to sit while keeping an eye on your children. This front entry area has a long hall way that offers lockers for your belongings, a restroom area and a eating area for kids visiting on school trips. You'll also find an elevator, a large stair case that takes you up to the next floor and a photobooth for anyone wanting to snap a few photos. (this costs extra, it is the type you typically find in the mall). The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 9am-4pm, Admission is $14.95 per person or you can purchase a membership and visit as often as you'd like for free. (They do offer senior discounts and babies 1 and under are free).

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Children's Museum of Phoenix for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others.My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.