Bay bounty and the pizza rat
Sailing away to the Chesapeake Children's Museum

By Theodore Fischer, Sidewalk

If at the shaggy end of winter you find yourselves suffering from cabin fever aggravated by the been-there, done-that blues, consider an excursion to the Chesapeake Children's Museum. To be blunt, the museum may be in the same "children's museum" category as the Capital Children's Museum in D.C. and Port Discovery in Baltimore, but in terms of size, sophistication and creativity, it's not in the same class. But if you want some low-key, cheerfully disheveled, inexpensive, educationally redeeming entertainment, Chesapeake Children's Museum could be the place.

Occupying a storefront in the Festival at Riva Road Shopping Center on the outskirts of Annapolis, the museum was established in 1992 to "create an environment of discovery about oneself, the peoples, the technologies and the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay region for all our children and the child in us all." The first thing children discover is the shrimpy Chesapeake Bay fishing boat in the "bay window" near the front door. Children are invited to don rain gear or life jackets and climb aboard. Elsewhere kids can play on a bay-style fishing pier in an environment surrounded by creatures local – like Dion the terrapin – and exotic – such as Matilda the leopard gecko and a den of touchable (but anonymous) Madagascar hissing cockroaches.

Exhibits that deviate from the environmental theme include Body Works, where children can play with a real dentist's chair, an X-ray machine and Stuffee, a huge doll with removable cloth innards. Center Stage provides a Goodwill store-size selection of dress-up clothing, and the Art Gallery lets kids help themselves from bins and piles of art supplies. The computer room (above) contains four units with Internet connections, a library of educational video games for all ages and a poster explaining how computers work. One room, called Minnows, is for toddlers. Any questions? A crew of pint-size docents is eager to help.

Chesapeake Children's Museum is the setting for sundry programs every weekday, for example, Moms Morning Out on Mondays, the Home-schoolers Support Group on Tuesdays and the Baby and Toddlers Playgroup on Thursdays (top picture); check the Web site (www.angelfire.com/md/mft/ccm.html) for a schedule. Museum family memberships ($45 per year) include unlimited free admission for all immediate family members among other benefits, and a $100-per-year Association of Youth Museums reciprocal admission includes a family membership plus admission to 85 other North American children's museums – including the Capital Children's Museum and Port Discovery. Additional contributions are also welcome. A posted wish list includes a video camera, a digital camera, remote-control cars and – something that would gladden the hearts of all visitors – "a permanent building to call home."

When the kids have had education and enrichment up to here, there's an alternate universe right next door: Chuck E. Cheese's. For adults who haven't had the pleasure (if that's the right term), Chuck E. Cheese's is a national chain of noisy, hyperactive restaurant/fun centers that most kids love and most adults endure. The menu emphasizes so-so pizza in various sizes and toppings with a couple of sandwich options and a surprisingly decent unlimited salad bar. Diners are entertained by sports and music videos and periodic performances by a band of huge animated dolls. But the headline act is Chuck E. Cheese himself (above; actually a human wearing the costume of a large gray rat), who lip-syncs a few songs with the wait staff mouthing backup vocals.

After lunch the overstimulated youngsters can access a dazzlingly addictive array of rides and games of chance. The devices work on tokens, which you can purchase from vending machines (four for $1). You also get some tokens free with food purchases (and birthday party packages – the bulk of Chuck E. Cheese's business most days). Devices like Skee Ball, a basketball game and shooting galleries spew forth tickets that can be exchanged for various trinkets – 10 for a plastic bug, 800 for a Sweetheart Barbie. (Fortunately, you don't have to count them; a scale produces a scrupulously accurate count.) For younger kids, there's a soft playground with a ball room, slides and tunnels, fire engines and helicopters – and it's free.

If you can steer them away from Chuck E. Cheese's, other Festival at Riva Road options include Three Brothers Pizza, the Ground Round upscale family restaurant and good sandwiches at self-service Zi Pani. Instead of Chuck E. Cheese's baubles, reward the kids with prizes from Be Beep, an upscale but painlessly educational toy shop.

Details:
All places are in the Festival at Riva Road Shopping Center in Annapolis. From the Beltway, take Route 50 10 miles east to Riva Road exit. The shopping center is at the intersection of Riva Road and Forest Drive.

• Chesapeake Children's Museum, (410) 266-0677. Open daily except Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. • • Admission: $3 for ages 1 and older.
• Chuck E. Cheese's, (410) 266-1438
• Three Brothers Pizza, (410) 573-0807
• Ground Round, (410) 224-4256
• Zi Pani, (410) 266-1349
• Be Beep, (410) 224-4066