Bakken Museum (Electricity and Magnetism)

Last weekend we went to the Bakken Museum in Minneapolis near Lake Calhoun. Unfortunately, there was a special family day there for Medtronic so it was very busy but we still had a nice time. A lot of the displays involved reading/looking but there were several hands-on activities that my 3rd grader, John, enjoyed. My 2 year old seemed to have fun also but I would not have gone there specifically for her. The highlight of the trip was the mind control game where you have to relax your brain to get the ball to move down the tube to the other player's side. Poor John could not relax enough to beat me (and I was trying to let him win) which was frustrating for him but then another child took my spot and it was a little more evenly matched. John also enjoyed anything that allowed him to generate a spark. Audrey (2) liked the display for comparing heart beat rates for various animals which to her was like a puzzle. We would have spent more time there but it was just too crowded and I always felt like we had to give someone else a turn. We will probably try again in the summer and see their gardens and maybe bike around Lake Calhoun.