A Painless Kid Outing

Back from a day out following two grandkids around the San Francisco Exploratorium, perhaps the world's greatest collection of science toys. It was my first trip there since my own kids were about the same size back in, um, I guess 1975. Three quick points:

• It's chilly. I guess heating with those high ceilings would be about as expensive as heating Golden Gate Park. But bring a sweater.

• It hasn't changed that-all much in 32 years. Loyal fans will howl with hurt pride when they hear me say it, but I mean it in a nice way. Fact is, they hit on a good model and they didn't change it. Related point: amazing to find that almost nothing is out of working order. Must keep the maintenance man mighty busy.

• I can't remember when, if ever, I have seen so many contended, well-cared-for kids. Let me specify just what I mean and don't mean here. You go to some other high-end culture venue--say, a performance of Peer Gynt. You find the place full of pushy parents elbowing the offspring in the ribs and saying "Listen to that kid, and you stand a chance of getting into Vassar!" They kids respond with rudeness or shrieks of moral pain. But I saw none of that here. Indeed, the remarkable point is that the parents seemed to be having as much fun as the offspring--it might as well have been Legoland (which is, if I remember right, a pretty good show itself). Granted, I don't suppose the parents will object if this day out adds an extra 20 points to the little genius' SAT scores. But everybody seemed to have forgotten the pressure in this general atmostphere of good will.