As soon as I got over the fact actual Weebles – you know, the roly-poly toy that wobbles but doesn't fall down – were not a part of the new exhibit at the Betty Brinn Children's Museum, "Weebles Coast To Coast," I really enjoyed the time I spent there with my kids.
I admit it, I thought there would be retro and new school Weebles included in the exhibit, and I would be able to, once and for all, make them wobble AND fall down. However, the exhibit is sponsored by Hasbro (the makers of Weebles) and is "touched with the humor, music and 'don't fall down spirit' of Weebles."
However, despite the lack of rounded-bottomed weebly toys, the exhibit really is cool. It has more than 70 hands-on exhibits that highlight the nation's beautiful geography and favorite pastimes. For example, our favorite parts were the climb-inside Luray Cavern representing the one in Virginia; and the tribute to Louisiana's Preservation Hall station as well as the chance to "kayak" in Idaho.
There's also a mini climbing wall in tribute to Mount Ranier in Washington and a chance to "snorkel" in Hawaii.
Like every exhibit I have ever been to at Betty Brinn, this one's a winner. It's cute, smart, interactive and really engages the kids. It runs through Sept. 16.
Check it out but remember: the plastic egg-shaped toys are in your memories, maybe in your parents' attics, maybe in your kids toy collections as new school versions, but not in this exhibit. (OK, clearly I'm still a little sad about this).
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.