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November 05, 2024

Where Every Family Matters

Kidsville: Storytime & Crafts

My busy crew did Kidsville inside the Parthenon in downtown Nashville's Centennial Park.

WHO: Mom Reporter Kristi and kids Wesley (3), Audrey (8) and Cobyn (10)
WHAT: Kidsville at The Parthenon, 2500 West End Ave., Nashville
WHEN: Most Saturdays from 11 – 11:45 a.m.
INFO: kidsvilleonline.org

With summer nearing its end we have been running out of clever ideas to keep the kids from boredom, or at least peel them away from the video games for a bit.  We decided to spend Saturday morning at Kidsville at The Parthenon in Centennial Park.

Kidsville is made up of a storytime, crafts and educational activities for what they say is aimed at children roughly 2 – 12 years old. This is a free event located inside the museum at the park which also offers free parking. This event is very short at only 45 minutes, but you are free to browse the museum at your leisure after or play at the park.

Kidsville is not offered every Saturday so be sure to check the website before you attend. If you visit The Parthenon on a regular day you can expect to pay $6 per adult and $4 for children 5 and older, which makes this event worth it just for the free admission!

Be sure to get there around 30 minutes prior to start time so you can register and find yourself a good spot for storytime. If you have young children, I recommend not bringing a stroller to this one because it can tend to get busy in the small space, and it makes it easier to have the option of taking the stairs. 

Kidsville is held on the second story of the Parthenon.  The statue of Athena makes for a gorgeous backdrop to your day while your children are entertained. I brought my 3-, 8- and 10-year-old with me who each had a unique experience.

My 3-year-old had a hard time sitting for the story but couldn't wait to get his hands on all of the tables they had set up with different interactive activities, such as build-your-own Parthenon and seed planting.

My 8-year-old daughter, who is the most outgoing of my children, really enjoyed the story because they got the audience involved with different questions about the book she couldn't wait to weigh-in on.

Now, my 10-year-old was a tough critic. He felt as though he had outgrown what was offered specifically for the Kidsville event. He did however find interesting exhibits within the museum which made it worth it to bring him along.

As an added bonus to our day, when we registered we were given a punch card for free ice cream! If you attend five Kidsville events in 2018, each child will receive a $5 gift card to Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream. We've decided we're definitely going to aim to get those punch cards filled before the end of the year!

About the Author

Kristina Johnson

Kristina Johnson is a local mom who loves going on outings with her three kids.