Scientists agree that the only reason adults have children is so they have a socially acceptable reason to visit amusement parks, eat at novelty pizza arcades, and see movies with Shrek in them. Put some fun in the oven with today's kid-friendly Groupon: for $8, you get two general-admission tickets to the Providence Children's Museum (a $17 value).

Serving the southern New England area for more than 30 years, the Providence Children's Museum allows parents and children to educationally interact with each other through two floors of hands-on exhibits and programs that help children discover art, culture, history, and science. In Bone Zone, tots can attempt to put together a life-sized skeleton puzzle, older siblings can examine the inside of a bone through a microscope, and parents are kindly fed answers to their kids' questions by the friendly staff. Downstairs, families can explore the science of fluid dynamics, building mazes and fountains that teach the fundamentals of water flow and pressure, while artists of tomorrow can go upstairs to Shape Space, where magnetic shapes and wooden blocks can be used to increase knowledge of spatial relationships by building three-dimensional models of Pat Boone's four-car garage.

New exhibits include The Climber, a challenging climbing sculpture that bestows children with the skills needed to pursue a career as a sculpture climber, and Underland, a subterranean adventure that teaches kids how to navigate underground animal burrows and root systems. Specialty programs rotate daily, so parents and caregivers should check the calendar. Providence Children's Museum is also dedicated to community service, partnering with various clubs and organizations to bring services to families of limited means.

The museum is closed Mondays, except holidays, from September through March. Expires December 31, 2010.

Reviews

Providence Children's Museum gets a 3.5-owl-eye average from nine TripAdvisors, who say:

• The Children's Museum was a highlight for our trip with our 2 year old son. We visited twice because it was so much fun. – Lingie
• Many mornings I wake up and decide to take the kids on an adventure. This has become one of my favorite and easy spots to go. – BostonComputerChic