| For most a trip to the aquarium might connotate memories of your rigid second grade teacher, your bologne sandwich that got smashed in your brown lunch bag, or in my husband's case, the smell of his bus buddy's regurgitated lunch on his lap. Once thought of as a dark and musty smelling place, an aqaurium is not always the first place an adult wants to visit, but in the new milenium it should be high on your list; now that we're all adults we can choose our exploration buddies, safeguard our lunches and no more Miss Nelson (if only she could stay missing forever). The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a state of the art facility with a contemporary and open design. Full of discoveries for the whole family (and I do mean ALL ages) we at SFPP are impressed at the scope of activities for children. Should I take my baby? It's tough to know where to take your baby and what to expose him/her to...in this family we tend to try things out and if it's not working we just leave. (most of the time it works out well) It's kind of like when you have a new baby and you try to go shopping alone, sometimes you just have to ditch your cart! It is our philosophy that children should be allowed to explore the world with guidance. CC is 9 months old and LOVED the aqarium. He toured along with us in his kelty kids pack. This facility is stroller friendly, it has wide aisles and stroller designated parking for smaller spaces but we find it's easier to keep CC happy in the pack where he can see above most people and he typically just takes a nap in it when he's ready. When out of the pack he loves to trace his hand on the glass to follow the fish and laugh with the speedy penguins. I am confidant that he will continue to enjoy and his enthusiasm will build each year that we visit.
A SPACE FOR BABY - Splash Zone Coral Babies (0-1) This area is gated and carpeted, a safe place for babies to get out of the stroller and relax on their backs or crawl around and explore things at their own level. Waterbed Play Area (0-3) Few people have a waterbed anymore but here at the aquarium babies can discover all the wonder of this retro furniture concept and experience the feeling of a wave without having to get wet! Touch Pool - (Enchanted Kelp Forest) At 40 feet long this exhibit gives participants of any age the rare opportunity to sea and touch the creatures of the ocean. Bonus points for the nearby anti-bacterial cleansers.
Another great baby friendly feature is changing stations in both male/female bathrooms for diaper duty. Breastfeeding and Bottlefeeding parents are still in need of a quiet space for mealtimes so you'll have to get creative, snag a quiet moment when it presents itself! If it's warm enough there's a beautiful outdoor area where you multi-task and watch the sea otters
Kelp Forest Diver
Sandy Shore & Aviary
Secret Lives of Seahorses
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