Over the years I have been to the Thinkery several times. Both as a Field Trip coordinator/teacher and more recently as a Nanny.. They've have always been in tune with keeping children's curiosity peaked with changing exhibits and classes over the years. Children can visit once or a million times and never get enough discovery and enjoyment. Their dramatic play/grocery store is perfect for older kids. (3-12) I started an art class for my little on Friday's and it's been a wonderful experience for my toddler. It's a 45 minute class that is well thought out, executed and enjoyed by children and adults alike. There always seems to be activities, story times and new things planned. The staff is very present and helpful with any questions or tips to help get the most out off of your day. The kids can get wet (with a smock) in a water feature area. They have a special area for babies and toddlers which is appreciated. I also found out they are open 9-12 Saturday and Mondays to those 3 and under. I look forward to checking that out soon. I do suggest you pack a lunch. They have a pretty impressive vending machine. But the kids will need a brain break from all the activities with some real lunch. Always looking forward to what they come up witH next!!! read more

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Just about any person at any age could have fun at the Thinkery. For just a $10 rate you're able to explore all the various elements that challenge and inspire all young minds. Whether you're ready for your little one to crawl and climb around all the many gymnastics mats or splash and explore in the water play area - this museum is filled to the brim with physical and educational activities to keep your kiddos entertained and their thirsty minds quenched with knowledge. And that's the rate for non-members. Members receive even better rates, and certainly a great use of their money. Furthermore, the welcoming and admission staff was more than nice, and willing to explain all the benefits of joining the museum. Keep in mind, there is no immediately close parking, so be sure to bring your stroller for the walk from the garage if you've got a little one. Good news is - they have ample room to store your stroller while you frolic! There's so much more to explore outside of the small area we played in, like their pretty complex playground that graces the entrance of the museum. I can't wait to return with my little booger. read more

Thinkery - Kids Activities Near Me - Austin, Texas

I've taken my kids to several children museums, and this one is on par with several I've been to, but did have its issues. To start, getting to the museum can be a headache during the weekend. While its location seems great, its right across from a park and there were tons of people walking in the roadway and creating ALOT of traffic around the building. I cant really fault the thinkery for that though. The price is a bit steep for what they offer, in my opinion. Their prices are $14 per person, regardless of your age (unless you're 23 months or younger). It's a pretty small building and it felt that several of their activities were either in poor condition, or not working in general. There was also an airplane launch activity where the kids build airplanes and launch them. They ran out of supplies and the employee stated she would go retrieve the launched airplanes in a little bit. So several kids and their parents sat their patiently while the employee was talking to a co-worker and listening to music. It made everyone feel as if they were a burden at this particular activity. That being said there are some great activities to see. My kids really enjoyed playing with the tornado simulator, the outdoor area, and of course the water room. All in all, I just felt whelmed at this museum. Wasn't overwhelmed, wasn't underwhelmed just whelmed. My kids who are 5 and 9 seemed to have a similar reaction as most of the time they were just ready to go to the next activity. If you live in or around Austin, I would say to check it out, but I wouldn't go out of my way. read more

What an incredibly fun place! Indoor AND outdoor play areas. We are ACM members from The Woodlands Children's Museum so we even got 50 % off admission. Spent 2.5 hours there and then the kids got hungry. There isn't food just some vending machines so bring lunch or a heavy snack if you want to stay longer. read more

Thinkery - Water play - Kids Activities Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Fun place for kids in Austin! Recommended! Good for kids to learn through leading and touching

Went there with my 15 mo grandson . Was really fun. He seemed to enjoy it. So many areas but he seemed to enjoy water play the most. In the shopping area he loved to carry the items around! I think it will be even better for him in another year. Definitely recommend for kids about 18 months and up to about 5 yr read more

My husband and I took our son here today. He's 10 months old, and he had a blast! He loved the light and color room. He played with the huge lite brite and color blocks for so long. The toddler center was wonderful. He played with fake vegetables, crawled through pillows, plants, and colorful tubes. He had blocks and other toys why his disposal, but the stand outs were definitely the huge magnetic board and mirrors. He could have stayed there all day. While he was too small to enjoy most of the activities in the water area upstairs, he did all love splashing and playing. They had a wall he could run his hands through to start. He played the drums in the water and laughed at all the splashing. There were so many other amazing parts of the museum, but he didn't get to play just yet. I was glad that there was so much for our little guy. We'll definitely be visiting again when he's older. read more

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Incredible children's museum! And we barely even saw a fraction of it in the 2 hours we spent there. Even my 7 month old who is notoriously fussy had a great time and was entertained thoroughly in the baby areas. The craft center is really neat, they have all types of recycled products you can use to make whatever you'd like, such as aluminum cans, ribbon, fabric scraps, plastic lids, etc. My daughter would've spent all day long in there creating if I hadn't dragged her out to check out more of the museum. We saved $45 by using a membership card we have for a museum in Utah (Thanksgiving Point) because there's some type of partnership. I highly recommend checking this place out if you have kids!! read more

Thinkery - One of the infant play areas - Kids Activities Near Me - Austin, Texas

We went today for their Baby Bloomers event that they have every Saturday. We purchased presale tickets, thinking it made a difference. It didn't. You can still buy tickets at the door and STILL have to wait in a long line of people who are there to buy tickets. This makes absolutely no sense as to why someone would need to buy tickets ahead of time. All and all, we enjoyed what they had to offer for the littles. read more

Abstract: great place when it's not packed We were gifted a membership so we go to the Thinkery pretty often. We usually go right when they open and leave at noon for lunch. It's a great place to play to get out of the extreme heat. Btw, if you park in the garage you can get it validated at the kiosk near the entrance. During the school year (more so at the end of the school year) you'll be plagued by children there on field trips. I wish they would limit the number of children so my 2 year old isn't getting pushed around in the kitchen or water play area. He was getting pretty frustrated so we ended up leaving. Before we left I asked one of the employees when the field trips are so we can avoid those days and it was pretty much every day for the month of May. Overall the place is clean there's normally employees at the the stations to help guide the children on how to interact with the exhibits. The restrooms are clean and pretty well maintained. I don't see a nursing area but I guess you can just do that anywhere in the building. My favorite place is the designated baby/toddler area. This is a great respite for more gentle play when there's too many children in the other areas. I've taken kids from ages 1-14 here and everyone finds something fun to do. I think the ideal age for anyone going would be from 3-8. Any older than that they'll quickly get bored. Some things they can improve: Have designated member hours even just certain days of the month or something so kids can actually play. People will also be more inclined to buy a membership for the exclusive hours. Every other museum or zoo has exclusive member hours so should the Thinkery. They have designated free days so there should be some days with member hours. read more

We've been here a few times and usually get a full days worth of activities and enjoy ourselves. We just attended the Halloween event here and I couldn't be more disappointed. We spent $100 just to do the same exact thing we do every other day of the week only for less time. The only difference was they had animals you can pet, singing and dancing adults and a station that you could make a ghost out of a cotton ball and paper towel. I don't quite understand why they'd charge more for something like this. It really was a waste of money and I'm not sure I'll be back read more

I have had a membership for two years. I am coming up on my renewal and I'm not going to renew this year. I have two kids. We were meeting up with two families to do the Think Lab. Due to the lines at the garage and then at the entrance I was two minutes late. (I also left my house 30min for a place that takes 10in to get to). So they said I couldn't buy a ticket. That was the sole reason we went. And due to policy they said I had to buy TWO tickets one for an adult and one for the kid. Well I have a 2 year old so she can't participate. The plan was to have my two mom friends take my older one to do the lab so I can take the younger one to the rest of the museum. Both kids could have fun right? Throw a mom a bone. So by the time they fussed around with SUCH A WEIRD REQUEST, they decided I couldn't go in anyway. (and by the way, their website does NOT say if you're even a minute late, you will not be let in.) If they had just let me buy tickets, there would have been an incredibly thankful mother, I would have paid for my ticket which I wouldn't have used, and probably bought another year of membership. Might want to teach some business/customer service lessons to the managers. read more

Thinkery - Kids Activities Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great Children's Museum. The staff was very interactive and the exhibits were very engaging. read more

Thinkery - Kids Activities Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The Thinkery may be one of the coolest children's museums I've been to! My nice, not quite 2, loves this place. The first bonus is that they validate parking for the parking garage. The second, is that there is a huge playground near the Thinkery. You can absolutely make a day out of this! There were tons of kids, of varying ages, all over the Thinkery. It's also important to point out that there was a lot of adult supervision. Not just by the parents/field trip sponsors, but the Thinkery employees as well. There were organized trips as well as individual visitors. They offer special programs for different age groups from infants to adults! There are lots of hands on activities, both independent and guided, for all ages. You can even throw birthday parties at the Thinkery! If you live in the area I'd suggest a membership. They have a calendar with special events, so it could be different every time. Kids seem to love this place, so you would absolutely get your moneys worth. read more

A great way to spend a morning with the kids! I loved seeing what my kids gravitated towards.. I came away with some water play activities for home that they love. That being said, we ultimately didn't think we would get the mileage out of a membership plan, as quite a few of the exhibits were just an exciting walk-through. I'd love to see more community events or experiments in the future! read more

waste of (a lot of) money.. majority of the toys & interactive stuff is broken. extremely outrageous pricing. go take the drive out to Mckenna Childrens Museum in New Braunfels.. you pay $8 per person of any age, as compared to $18 per person 2 yrs + at the thinkery.... with all that $$$ they take from families you'd think they would have functioning attractions.. the only time thats worth going is when its FREE on Tuesdays from 3-7 read more

This was near where we were staying so I gambled that it would be fun for kids 9 and 12. The place definitely skews younger but my kids were very well entertained and enjoyed the variety of light and mechanical exhibits downstairs. The upstairs was a mystery though. The water feature upstairs didn't make much sense except a way for little kids to get wet. We didn't really see much purpose or decent explanations. Similarly the test kitchen was cool but didn't resonate. Still fun place and glad we checked it out. read more

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It definitely kept my 3 year old busy and that are very accommodating. It definitely sparked interest into different STEM areas.

Yes! to everything Thinkery related. My 2 year old loves it, and I think we will be members as long as we are in Austin. There are many rooms to explore, plenty of activities for kids of all ages. Some classes are for older children, but there are story times and entire rooms dedicated to the young ones as well. The outside play structure is HUGE, interactive, musical, a climbing gym, and a stream/water fountain filled with toys and that you can put pipes in to change where the water goes. SO much fun. ALSO do bring a change of clothes for the indoor and outdoor wet areas. They provide cute little scientist smocks and waterproof crocks, but trust me, the water escalates quickly. ALSO if you want to dodge the chaos and hubbub, go on a weekday (just look at the schedule,) because there will be less children and families there. read more

I hadn't been to the Thinkery since leaving Austin in 2017. Safe to say I was so excited to go back with family. What impressed me most was their mitigation strategies to keep folks safe and keep doors open. Masks are required for those over 24 months and ample hand sanitizer was available. You also can't bring food to eat indoors and must take it out. It is very nice that they are taking this steps so kids can stay curious and hands on. We appreciate these efforts by their team! I was pleased to see them address and discuss these requirements when folks were not following them. There is a parking garage available in addition to street parking. They do validate parking so bring your ticket. The park across the street is a constant favorite. It is a short and great visit for kiddos under 10 (and those of us adults who stay playful at heart.) read more

Fantastic place for all kids of all ages! Went during COVID and several features were closed but still had an awesome experience. Parking is annoying but everything else is great. Tons of hands-on fun for kids in every corner or every floor. Even outside is great fun, good learning and active play for all kids. Such an amazing place with adolescent brain development and creativity in mind. Love it. Can't wait to go back! read more

My daughter loves it here, but definitely bring extra clothes and water okay shoes for the water room. Bringing snacks are also a good idea cause there is little to have there. So much interactions and so much science, love it here! read more

Thinkery - Kids Activities Near Me - Austin, Texas

As part of our summer bucket list we have been visiting a lot a children's museums. This one was definitely on our list as it came highly recommended by a friend. We are so glad we were able to visit and we had children from six months to four years old. All of the rooms were very fun, engaging, and educational. But if we had to choose our favorites, the light room and the water play room was by far a hit. Although the museum is not that big it was the perfect size for our little ones. The playground was the perfect size, the light room was just right and had lots of fun light up tools and blocks to play with, and the STEM room was so fun and engaging. They also have story time which we didn't participate in because our kiddos just loved the water room and didn't want to get away. On that note, I appreciate the waterproof aprons and the crocs that children can use so they would not get their clothes and shoes wet. The toddler play room was perfect for my little one; it was clean and decent sized. It was nicely decorated with cute little animal holes that light up. This museum is perfect for crawlers up until preteens age. Admission is $12 each. Under 2 free. We utilized street parking which was very reasonable. I think we paid $1.50 for 2 hours? Would highly recommend this museum if you are visiting Austin. We look forward to coming back. read more

So so fun all the kids in my group ( two nine year olds, one seven year old, one five year old, and one four year old) had a blast! The little ones enjoyed cafe Thinkery, air, earth and water, and the water play area. The older kids liked air earth and water, water play area and light lab. Was a really nice experience read more

Thinkery - Cafe Thinkery - Kids Activities Near Me - Austin, Texas

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seriously lame! we have a 2.5year old and not only does it need a desperate clean, it's expensive for what you get! $54 for parents and 1 child? don't waste your time and money! read more

Oh my goodness, Im not even sure where to start.. Some friends of ours invited us to go the other day... Since we had never been, and have been wanting to go.. we happily accepted! A very well executed plan... absolutely. First things first.. If you are a family of 3 or 4... and have never been... make sure the day you decide to go you plan of spending $95. Yep, that's right. For a 12 month membership. The first day you go, it will $36 (for 4) so.. in exactly 3 visits, the membership has MORE than paid for itself. What a great deal! That membership will get you discounts on bday parties, access to the museum before hours on certain days, adult night access... etc etc. Just do it. You wont regret it. Now, for the place itself. Roomy. Safe. Fun. Exciting. Something for everyone. Clean. Plenty of seating if you need. Nice parents who (most of them) interact with their children and don't just leave them off to wonder aimlessly getting on everyone's nerves... like Mt. Playmore. ha. Decent kids. Mostly well behaved little ones. Such a nice change from the above mentioned. Everything there is fun in its own unique way and educational. So many different ways to spark curiosity and learn why things do what they do. So many things to do, period. You can move around freely. There are workers there in most areas to assist. Some activities: Lite Brite peg board (HUGE) Frozen Shadows (too awesome) Light painting (so magical) Water Xylophone color board that changed color panels when you touch the circles Splash Stations Water Drums Mechanical peg boards Rockets (build them, test them and launch them) Story Time Farmers Market with real scales and produce that looks REAL Toddler areas and more... easily spend multiple hours in here without getting bored. Love this place. We WILL be back for sure! read more

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I tell you what - if I had a million dollars, I'd probably move to the Mueller area. If you have a kiddo, it the perfect situation! The Thinkery is now the crown jewel of Mueller. The Thinkery is just what Austin needed, it is such a cool interactive kid's play space! You simply can't miss the bright red building. It is very modern and attractive, with all types of delights inside for the family. There bottom level has a gift shop and check in. Then a huge train table. There is a cool light blocks room, think mega lite brites for kids. Through December only, they have a special attraction called "Junk Town" and kids make junk buildings from recycled trash and odds and ends to add to the junk city. There is also an infant playspace downstairs so you can let the tiny one play while the older kids are nearby moving gears and mechanical machinery around. There is a super cool playground just for the Thinkery but beware - the "nest" located at the very top of a mesh tunnel on the playground is NOT adult friendly and many kids think it is funny to go all the way up there and not come back down....my two year old thought this was hilarious, until my chubby a$$ climbed on up and claimed him. The second floor has an reading nest with storytimes. Also a "market" with fake veggies, fruit and a kitchen for pretend shopping and cooking. There is a tumbling space nearby with pads, cushions, hoola hoops and projected kids yoga on the wall. There is a special "crawlers, infants and toddlers" area that the Thinkery does a good job of isolating for the smallest kids and keeping older kids out so the little ones can explore safely. Community free hours on Wednesday evenings only (recent change, used to be sunday evenings too) -gets crowded! Special labs and workshops all through the year. Located in the Mueller area off 35/Airport, after the Thinkery, go visit the duck pond, walk around the lake, play at the playground or visit a food truck! read more

I love the thinkers! I like that they are always changing it up and showing new displays for my daughter. It's also very reasonably priced. My daughter favorite room is the lights in the back dark room. Its amazing for sensory learning! Another point is gotta mention the love for the stuff around the thinkers like restuarant. Parks and food trucks! read more

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I love the Thinkery!! We have an annual membership so we can stop in for an hour or two hours a few times a month. If you have one child and you want to come here with two adults, it's going to cost $27 and I can see that maybe you'd not want to spend that for a 2-3 hours excursion. So just buy a membership already!! They're a great deal :) When my son was 1, we'd usually make one round of the whole place in an hour or so and he'd be done. Now that he's almost two, we don't make it everywhere in the 1-2 hours we're there, but he's way more immersed in the exhibits. He LOVES to paint (well, more like spray water on the wall and wipe it off), climb around in the toddler area, and splash in the water room. Plus there's a train area, the market, the chicken coop (not real chickens :) ) , outside play space, magna tiles, colored light blocks, and more and more exciting things to discover! read more

This really is a super place to go if you have children from 1 year old or so to just about any age! There's a huge parking garage and it was free today. Also another outdoor park that's completely separate that you can picnic at afterwards! There's so many fun stations: painting, water fun, toddler/baby roaming room, story time, crafting, outdoor playground, toy food play fun, LED Tetris, magnet tiles, wax creation art, unique one of a kind stations that really are neat and worth checking out. read more

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I am going to have to agree with Tess on this. I thought the place looked amazing. ... at first glance. I also thought it was a waste of 6 pieces of paper printing off my "E" tickets. ...I mean shouldn't they be "P" tickets if I'm having to print them and hand them in at the door. ... whatever. Also, how did James get his for $4.50?? Wtf man. ...I paid $27 for myself and 2 boys online. I felt like all of the exhibits were super cool and pretty inspiring. .... for the right age group. Several times one or both of my sons made references to the exhibit being for babies or their sissy. ... who is like 18 months. I am giving this place 3 stars because my boys did enjoy themselves for at least 45 minutes before they got bored, BUT....I would say this place is the bomb if you have children 6 and under! ALL of the younger children I saw were having a blast! read more

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We love this place. We have a 3 year old and I dont think she will ever get bored with it. Love how there is free parking next to it also and now there is a Snap food trailer outside so you can grab healthy meals before or after your visit. The playground is spectacular and my daughter's favorite area is the water area upstairs. I dont know about the reviews that say these are projects you can do at home since there is no way I could build or afford the water contraption in that area-especially the water flute device that is fun for kids and adults. Fyi -avoid the water area if you dont want to get wet. They have water shoes and aprons but they wont 100% prevent your kid from getting wet if they are really getting in to it. The place does get crowded and unfortunately you do experience the scenarios of babysitters/parents talking on the phone instead of watching their kid and therefore it can get rambunctious if parents are not monitoring their kids. If I was going to change one thing, it might be to offer more "small kids" areas, but like I said, part of that is just parents not properly supervising their kids while in there. read more

Thinkery - Kids playing along a water wall. Picture of the apron that helps protect clothes from getting too wet - Kids Activities Near Me - Austin, Texas

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We just went to The Thinkery for the first time in a few months and our boys just loved the new exhibits. Favorites were "Ready, Set, Roll", the interactive lights, outside playground, & others. We usually spend at least 3 hours at the museum so I recommend you bring snacks. Here is a YouTube video tour of the Thinkery Fun Children's Museum in Austin TX https://youtu.be/GsWFtMKIJEQ read more

We got to the Thinkery as soon as they opened at 10am and stayed until 11:30. I wish we could have stayed longer, as my son and my nieces were having so much fun! My son is 18 months and my nieces are 8 years old. There's something for all ages at the Thinkery! He loved the light up pegs, the fire truck, and the beach ball fan was his favorite! If we had more time I'm sure he would have had a blast in the water table area. Despite the cold weather, there were still tons of kiddos playing on the huge outdoor playground. The facility was clean and the staff was very helpful and friendly! read more

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Much bigger than the old Austin Children's Museum but only slightly better. Compared to any other kids museum in many cities we've been to it's pretty lame. The basic problem with this place is that most of the activities are simple and easily done at home. It's like a really big daycare. They need a new creative director or something. read more

Thinkery - Water play area - Kids Activities Near Me - Austin, Texas

So after visiting The Thinkery numerous times I'm downgrading my rating. I still think it's a great place for many families, and my complaints a specific to someone with little kids (3 and under). Basically, it is simply too busy, too crowded and too lightly supervised. We've been on different days and different times and it is always packed. Our daughter has been pushed, shoved, jostled and most recently, knocked in to the outdoor water feature. She wasn't hurt but she was soaked and scared. Some of this is rude, unsupervised kids; some of this is too many people in too small of an area. I think management is still figuring things out. While they do have a tottlers only program (baby bloomers) it costs extra on top of your membership and it only goes through age three. So, we'll be waiting to go back until the kids are older or they let less people in at one time. read more

I know that many families are ecstatic to have the one and only children's museum in town but there are so many flaws with it that I feel compelled to inform parents and grandparents about it. First off when you walk into the museum it stinks to high heavens of chemicals. The products they are using to clean the museum reek throughout and it can't be safe for babies children and adults alike. I have to hold my nose every time I go in and very soon I'm going to give up membership. The girls that work there are catatonic. When you complain about something they're unable to answer as if they're shell sho led by a question or direct statement such as "the headboard in the jumpy room is too low and several times I've hit my head against it when sitting down to watch my friends son. Who can I speak with about moving the headboard higher so this doesn't happen to other adults when they sit down?" Answer"doh" The fact that they charge such exorbitant fees to enter is blasphemous. Go to any other city's children's museum, read; Miami, Chicago LA. It's by donation only or suggested donation just like any other museum. The vending machine. Totally UNHEALTHY choices for children. I found an orange carbonated water with Sucralose in it! Disgusting. We went for the gingerbread house building session. First off the girl at the reception never told us which room it was in nor how to get there. Thanks! Upon arrival the almost blind girl at the door couldn't see our name on the registered list and insisted we didn't pay which seconds before we did. The gingerbread pieces were crumbling and then I in. Was so thick it wouldn't spread on the pieces. Put 2 and 2 together. Epic FAIL. We needed four more tries to get the thing to stick together. But the kicker here is the price. $20 for a poor quality gingerbread house then an additional $5 bucks per person meaning for each one of us present totally $30 for something I could've bought at Costco cheaper and far better quality. When I asked a program manager for a refund he declined saying there are no refunds. Well screw that! So no more thinking about it it's sayonara to the Thinkery. read more

Thanks to my friend Kim K. I got to come here with my little girl on her membership. I will be getting a membership here SOON. My little girl LOVES the water area. There is so much to do here. She doesn't want to leave! This place is fun for all ages! I love that adults are able to play with the areas also. I can't wait to take family back here and show them what a cool place we have in Austin. I can't wait to bring my daughter back also. She now knows to ask for it by name. :) read more

The Thinkery is such an amazing upgrade from the Dell Children's Museum. Well thought out exhibits and lots of opportunities for self-exploration for the kids. Bring clothes because kids will most definitely get wet, either in the Currents exhibit or in the fountain in the Backyard. Having to print out the tickets I purchased in advance from the site seems so 2006. Couldn't there be an addition to Passbook or at least an emailed code that doesn't require a login to their site once again? read more

Thinkery - The jungle gym in the Backyard. - Kids Activities Near Me - Austin, Texas

So much fun for the kids and adults toddler had an amazing time had to come back the next day all the activities really help with stimulating their mind will come back when in town a read more