There is a Polish saying that encourages us to keep our minds on our own affairs and not worry about the things that are not our business: “Not my circus, not my monkeys.” But as parents of young children we all know that it often IS your circus and even if you try to pretend they aren’t your monkeys they all have your eyes and call you “daddy” so the effort is futile. What to do when the monkeys have taken over and the ring master needs something new to keep them occupied?
Step right up, ladies and gentleman, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis presents The Circus, Starring You!
The Children’s Museum, of course, never disappoints. This newest exhibit gives kids the opportunity to be a part of the circus. This is a particular draw for me because I, myself, have never been to the circus. I suspect my fantasies of this nostalgic “greatest show on Earth” are likely not based on the reality of the circus so much as the cleaned up depictions from cartoons. However, the Children’s museum shares my vision and has given us everything that is great about the circus with none of the off-putting parts. This is great because my wife and I spent hours wondering what kids would threaten their parents with now that Barnum and Baileys has closed. “That’s it mom, I’m running away to join the Harlem Globe Trotters!” Good luck son, do you even dunk, bro?
But here at TCM Indy kid’s imaginations can run away as they are fired from a cannon, balance on a rolla bola, walk a tight rope and perform on Lyra rings. Creators of this exhibit have really gotten into the mind of a child and given them the opportunity to perform death defying feats without any risk to their actual life and limb. The tight rope, for example, is done using virtual reality equipment, giving kids the illusion of being 10 stories high without ever being out of arms reach. The cannon firing is really just a fancy optical illusion that makes for great photos and speaking of photos don’t forget to stop by the clown photo booth to email your family a picture of you in full clown makeup. Pro-tip, shave first or you’ll look like an out of work, clown who tells inappropriate jokes at kids’ parties, like I did.
The Circus- Starring You! (website) runs now through March 25, 2018 and is sure to please all the kids and kids at heart in your family. So get in your clown cars and head on down!
MORE INFO:
The Indianapolis Children’s Museum is located at 3000 N Meridian St.
Hours & Admission: Tues- Sun 10AM – 5PM Learn about Family Nights and free days. Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Closed on Mondays through Feb. 27, 2017.
