In Fairness, Your Kids Would Enjoy at Museo Pambata

In my post last week I was concerned about the Huey war helicopter in the museum for kids where I brought my family. In fairness to the Museum, there was actually much more to it for your kids than the Huey. I would actually recommend that you bring your family there. Your kids would enjoy.

This was an example of the nipa hut constructed on top of tree stumps that our Mindanao tribesmen used to live in. Yeah, it was a nice experience for my kid to go up that hut, but the displays also taught a lesson about how this lifestyle caused forest degradation.

A section of the Museum displayed old musical instruments. See how the kids enjoyed trying them out. I myself enjoyed trying out the bamboo musical instruments that were constructed to play a perfect do-re-mi.

Yeah, I've always known that there was galleon trade between Manila and Acapulco during the middle ages. But in this visit with my kid, somehow it finally dawned on me how precious the spices were and how interconnected the world was even way before the age of internet! Eureka!

This tram operated in Manila during the early years of American occupation. This tram, plus the pictures of the city of Manila in the 1930s, somehow left me awe struck. There were actually city blocks already in Manila before the war? There were advertising billboards already? Gosh, I thought these things were invented only last year! No kidding, I actually felt that way.

This make-believe carenderia had make-believe food and spices but real casseroles, glasses, plates and racks. The stall itself could be as good as real. Before this shot was taken, my son played the role of the carinderia owner, took our orders, gave them and took our payments. Fun!

This was a make-believe firetruck. My kid and I did the make-believe helmets. We were about to wear the make-believe fire-proof coats, but decided against it after it occurred to me how many kids and pops would have worn those before us already. In fact, while this shot was taken, there was a group of around 20 teens who were noisily taking pictures, with some of those coats on, in front of the fire truck.

Now this was the real nipa hut, the one you would still see in the countryside; minus this old brick and mortar that Filipinos used to soften the bran to get the rice from the grain. They also used it to prepare other delicacies.

This was a make-believe bakery, with make-believe bread. My son and I liked bread a lot, so it was no surprise that this caught our attention.

This make-believe seafood stall gave us a taste of what it was like to be behind the shelf. The weighing scale was real, though inaccurate.

This one gave us a feel of what it was like to be behind the shelf of a fruit stand. Those make-believe fruits looked cool in this picture. You'd clearly see that they were made of plastic when you actually go there, but what the heck! It was fun. I think I enjoyed as much as my kid did.

So, you see? The Huey would be the least of your concerns when you go there. Besides, even the kids would still enjoy going up and down its stairs.


Going there had a price tag. It was P100 per head, whether child or adult. But you'd get far more than that in terms of educational value after you've gone to all its beautiful and informative displays.

There would be other surprises there for you. I would say that the most pleasant surprise (it would no longer be a surprise when you read on) would be the piece of rock from the moon.

Yeah, I actually said that there was a display there of a piece of rock from the moon. It was one of the pieces brought to the earth by Neil Armstrong. It was then brought to the Philippines as a gift by one of the US Presidents who came here. Go there and see how it looked like.

You would see Museo Pambata just right past the US Embassy along Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

See also: An Amazing Discover at the Museum for Kids