The Children's Creative Learning Center, in the Ikutopia Shoku Hana Park (close to Big Swan Stadium), is a beautiful new facility full of things to do and see with kids. It's also free!
The first floor has an arts and crafts studio where you can draw, paint, and make all kinds of projects with the supplies and tools that the Center provides. The second and third floors have books, toys, and several large play areas designated for various ages. The big slide and the climbing wall (the wall is only available at specific hours) are especially popular. The top floor has a large room with kid-size tables and chairs for lunch/snack time, and also outside spaces for enjoying nice weather.
The animal center, right next to the Learning Center, is also a lot of fun. Kids can pet and (at certain times of the day) feed sheep, goats, and alpacas, as well as see dogs, cats, rabbits, and capybaras.
On the other side of the Learning Center is the food and flower center, which has some interesting exhibits about our food and where it comes from. Kids are mostly interested in the balanced meal "game", in which you grab a tray and put some items from shelves full of realistic plastic food on it. When the tray is placed in front of the screen, it analyzes your selection and gives feedback about your choices (in Japanese).
Ikutopia Shoku Hana Park also has a farmer's market, a garden supplies store, and very nice buffet restaurant, called Kira Kira Restaurant. Parking by the Learning Center is free for the first 30 minutes, but if you park on the other side of Ikutopia (a very short walk to the Learning Center), by the market and restaurant, you can get 90 minutes for free.
Ikutopia Shoku Hana map: http://www.ikutopia.com/access/
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Friday, September 18, 2015
Niigata City Science Museum
The Niigata City Science Museum is another of our favorite places to visit, especially on those rainy Niigata days. Some of the exhibits show their age a bit, but it's still a great place for hands-on learning, as everything is designed to be touched, pushed, and manipulated by curious kids.
When the museum has special exhibits, such as a giant cardboard maze or an interactive computer art show, it can be very crowded, but on normal days it is mostly quiet. In addition to areas focused on dinosaurs, space, physics, and robotics, there is a planetarium that features various movies.
Entrance to the museum is only a few hundred yen, but a parent can enter for free with their small child if they show their Child Health Handbook (Boshi Techo). The planetarium and the special exhibits cost extra, so check on what is currently showing before you go in. Parking is free and readily available on several sides of the museum.
If the weather is decent, kids can explore the outside area of the museum, which is full of decommissioned vehicles such as an airplane, a helicopter, and two trains. One of our favorite areas of the museum is on the second floor, where you can find a wonderful collection of wooden puzzles, games, and toys. The staff are very friendly and happy to explain and demonstrate everything.
There is a restaurant on the top floor of the museum, but it doesn't look very impressive. Instead, I recommend walking to the nearby Saffron bakery, where you can buy delicious sandwiches and breads. The museum has several large areas set aside for eating and resting, so you can bring your lunch and eat it there.
Niigata City Science Museum map: http://www.sciencemuseum.jp/niigata/6-1.php
When the museum has special exhibits, such as a giant cardboard maze or an interactive computer art show, it can be very crowded, but on normal days it is mostly quiet. In addition to areas focused on dinosaurs, space, physics, and robotics, there is a planetarium that features various movies.
Entrance to the museum is only a few hundred yen, but a parent can enter for free with their small child if they show their Child Health Handbook (Boshi Techo). The planetarium and the special exhibits cost extra, so check on what is currently showing before you go in. Parking is free and readily available on several sides of the museum.
If the weather is decent, kids can explore the outside area of the museum, which is full of decommissioned vehicles such as an airplane, a helicopter, and two trains. One of our favorite areas of the museum is on the second floor, where you can find a wonderful collection of wooden puzzles, games, and toys. The staff are very friendly and happy to explain and demonstrate everything.
There is a restaurant on the top floor of the museum, but it doesn't look very impressive. Instead, I recommend walking to the nearby Saffron bakery, where you can buy delicious sandwiches and breads. The museum has several large areas set aside for eating and resting, so you can bring your lunch and eat it there.
Niigata City Science Museum map: http://www.sciencemuseum.jp/niigata/6-1.php
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Marinepia Nihonkai
Marinepia Nihonkai is the name of Niigata City's aquarium. It's not as big or flashy as some of the other aquariums in Japan (Okinawa's Churaumi Aquarium is amazing!), but Marinepia is still a lot of fun for kids, especially on a rainy day (Niigata has a lot of those).
Their website has a good amount of information in English, as well as a number of other languages, and there are multilingual maps and guides available at the entrance. In addition to the varieties of fish, seals, and penguins, there is a dolphin show several times a day, as well as an area for children to touch starfish, sea cucumbers, and hermit crabs.
The annual passport prices are very reasonable, especially for children, and passport-holders can get a 10% discount at the aquarium restaurant on the top floor. If you'd prefer some non-Japanese food, Havan Dining, an excellent Indian vegetarian buffet, is right across the street.
Their website has a good amount of information in English, as well as a number of other languages, and there are multilingual maps and guides available at the entrance. In addition to the varieties of fish, seals, and penguins, there is a dolphin show several times a day, as well as an area for children to touch starfish, sea cucumbers, and hermit crabs.
The annual passport prices are very reasonable, especially for children, and passport-holders can get a 10% discount at the aquarium restaurant on the top floor. If you'd prefer some non-Japanese food, Havan Dining, an excellent Indian vegetarian buffet, is right across the street.
Welcome to Kids in Niigata!
Hello! My name is Martin, and I'm an English teacher living in Niigata City, in Niigata Prefecture. I've lived in Japan for about 10 years. My wife and I are always looking for fun things to see and do with our very energetic 4 year old son.
Niigata is a great place to live, and it has many events, parks, museums, and restaurants that are perfect for families. However, there is very little information about them available in English, so I decided to make this blog! I'll be writing about our favorite spots, and including pictures, maps, and links to websites, so please check them out. Of course, please let me know about any places in Niigata that you've enjoyed with your family, so I can add them to the list!
Niigata is a great place to live, and it has many events, parks, museums, and restaurants that are perfect for families. However, there is very little information about them available in English, so I decided to make this blog! I'll be writing about our favorite spots, and including pictures, maps, and links to websites, so please check them out. Of course, please let me know about any places in Niigata that you've enjoyed with your family, so I can add them to the list!
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