We just re-enrolled our six year old son, Max, for home school science club at Explora for the fall. I got some information from them in the mail the other day and they've changed a few things. It used to be that I could drop Max off at his class and then hang out at the museum during the hour, sitting in the baby room nursing the baby or taking my three year old up to the bubble table or playground. Now they're going to charge full admission if we want to do that, and they're giving the club members ID badges. There's also the family membership option, but we can't afford that, it's a stretch as it is to pay for the club. I'm going to call and ask if we can just use the playground during the class without paying admission, but I'm wondering if anyone knows of anything nearby I can do with my preschooler and toddler. I live way on the opposite side of town, so going home and back again isn't really an option. I know there's a park right by the museum, but it doesn't look like there's any play equipment there, and it will be pretty cold later in the semester to be playing outside. Any suggestions?

Tiguex park, right across the street from Explora, has a pretty good playground. But I guess it would be cold in the fall and winter.

Yeah, the playground at Tiguex is just across the large grassy area- I didn't know it was there for a long time!  I can't think of anything indoors that doesn't involve money- shopping around old town, hanging out in one of the coffee shops on Mountain road or at the NMHistory Museum cafe...  The main library isn't super far, if you are driving.  5th and Copper, I think.  They have a large kids area downstairs.

You might consider getting a Discovery card which costs I think $35 for a year and gives you right of admission for two adults and a child (I believe they have various combinations you can choose from) at a whole list of musea around the USA, including the Explora. You have to be from out of state in order to be entitled to use it, but I simply order mine online at Discovery Museum in Sacramento, pay online and then use it here. It also gives you free entrance to the Science museum, Atomic Museum and Art Museum in ABQ and the Space Museum in Alamogordo.

There are various cards like this, maybe others know of other cards with even better deals?

Wow, thanks for that information. I'm actually legally a Florida resident still, so I will have to look into that.