Pretend to be an underground critter, mix up a soup using natural materials, crawl through a maze of tunnels, and dig for fossils in an artistic subterranean environment.

The natural world is wondrous and inspires rich play experiences.  Underland encourages a sense of discovery, giving kids a feeling of being transported under the ground.  The environment promotes gross motor exploration and dramatic play by providing children with opportunities to climb, crawl, touch and pretend, surrounded by natural elements and sculptures created by local artists.

Underland was created especially for children ages 3 to 8 – and their adult friends – but younger and older children also have fun exploring this subterranean environment.  Museum play guides are on hand to encourage fun and learning.

Things to do in Underland

Preschoolers:

• Pour sand through kinetic sand flower sculptures and catch it as it flows through the leaves.
  
• Scurry through tunnels while making sounds and listen to the echoes.
• Sort natural materials into bowls and baskets.
• Curl up in a burrow and pretend to be an underground animal.

Ages 5 to 7:

• Count the animals you can find in Underland.
• Put on the animal costumes and make acorn and pinecone soup for all your underground friends.
• Make up a percussive song using different sounds on the wooden musical sculpture.
  
• Wiggle like a worm, crawl like a turtle and hop like a rabbit through network of tunnels.
  

Ages 8 and up:

• Be a paleontologist – uncover an American Mastodon in the dig pit and measure its bones.
• Read the rhyming clues on the Underland search cards and find animals that live underground in Rhode Island.
  

Other Exhibits:

Play Power | Water Ways | The Children's Garden | The Climber
Strings Attached | Littlewoods | Bone Zone | Shape Space | Coming to Rhode Island | Iway