One of the best parts of being a parent is rediscovering what makes museums and history so much fun. My son Jack and I make a pretty regular tour of the museums in Winnipeg. Saturday mornings we pack our lunch and head out on the road to our local historic sites.

Our trips started with walkthrough tours of the Manitoba Museum here in Winnipeg. Viewing their new digital exhibit about what Churchill Manitoba looked like millions of years ago was an instant highlight along with the dioramas of Buffalo, Elk, and Polar Bears. Throw in some fossilized million year old turtle poop and you have the makings of a good visit.

From there we moved out to the Western Canada Aviation Museum and the Winnipeg Railway Museum. Both locations don’t always have the best interpretation and story boards, but they do have fantastic restorations of aircraft, trains, and trucks that helped build Manitoba. Climbing on board with Jack reminds me of the sense of wonder that these great pieces of equipment would have caused when they loomed across the prairies carrying passengers and freight.

Now at the risk of sounding a little too much like a museum nerd, Jack really does have a great time and will often request which museums we visit now. Exploring museums from a child’s perspective is a great way to remind yourself how fun a museum can be.

It’s something that I wouldn’t have considered at all a few years ago. When I first went to the Aviation Museum before Jack was born I noticed they were advertising tours for preschool classes. At the time I was generally concerned that museums were being turned into glorified educational institutions that were ignoring anyone over the age of fourteen (something I am still concerned about, but perhaps more forgiving of). But having done the tours now I think it would be a great experience that more parents should explore with their kids.

I never would have thought museums would impact a two year old but they do and I can’t wait to explore even more museums in the years to come.