Review + Tips: Clifford at Sloan Museum in Flint Through December 30

The post below is sponsored by Sloan Museum. All opinions expressed belong to me.

One thing I absolutely love is when books are brought to life. Anything that promotes a child’s desire to read is fantastic in my opinion. This is why I love that PBS has brought so many book characters to TV — anything to help connect the dots and make pages leap into the minds of children, right?

I recently visited the new Clifford exhibit at Sloan Museum in Flint with my 3-year-old, and we had a blast exploring and seeing our favorite Big Red Dog brought to life in an interactive manner.

I mean, how cute is this set-up? Definitely magical for any young child!

Many of you know how much I love Sloan Museum. It’s just a really great museum with a lot of neat history, and the children’s areas is one of my local favorites for little ones. It’s also very affordable, and I love that it has a dedicated lot so I don’t have to deal with parking fees.

For the Clifford exhibit specifically, learning opportunities abound with different areas promoting different things for kids — imaginative play, sensory experiences, and fun, too! The exhibit is geared toward crawlers through age 7.

Check out my slideshow of photos or my video from Facebook:

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Our visit started by being greeted with a nine-foot Clifford with a tail to slide down, just like Emily Elizabeth does on the PBS show.

From there, we visited Clifford’s big bowl of bones, that could be moved with a conveyor belt, a gardening area, Samuel’s Restaurant, a post office, a sand castle puzzle, and more. There even is a ferry — complete with life jackets and a steering wheel — headed to Birdwell Island.

As a parent, I really enjoyed spotting all the “Clifford’s Big Idea” signs, which all highlighted a lesson for children — from being kind and responsible, to believing in yourself.

I highly recommend checking out this exhibit and spending some time checking out the other treasures around Sloan Museum. It truly is a gem!

Tips for your visit:

• Plan to spend a few hours at the museum. We spent about 40 minutes playing in the Clifford exhibit and another 40 minutes in the adjoining area – Wisner’s Whizbang Emporium. My kids LOVE this area full of imaginative play, and I love that it is so clean and organized.

• Check out the rest of the museum to learn about the history of Flint. There are some really neat tidbits about Native Americans and the logging and auto industries. My little guy loves the interactive exhibit showing how fast assembly line workers needed to be, and is obsessed with this old fire truck from the 1800’s.
• Pack a lunch! The adorable retro Halfway Cafe is located inside the children’s play area, next to Clifford. Sloan does not sell food on site, so the cafe is the perfect spot to pack snacks and/or a lunch to eat. 
• There is a gift shop at the entrance/exit. There are lots of fun things there, but it’s easy enough to bypass if budget doesn’t allow for a trinket.
• If you’re a nursing mother, there is a private room next to the ladies restroom to quietly nurse. Love this touch! 
• Have so much fun!

Learn more about the exhibit and find fun printables HERE. Enjoy if you visit!

Exhibit Hours

Visitors can see Clifford Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Ticket Prices

Clifford is included in regular museum admission. Prices are $9 for adults, $8 for seniors {60+}, children ages 2-11 are $6 and ages 1 and under are free.

 

Have so much fun if you go!