Inclusive Spaces in San Diego: A Visit to The New Children’s Museum

Jul 27

By Jessica Jordan, MS. OTR/L

A Sensory-Friendly Museum Experience in San Diego

For this blog post, I am sharing one of my favorite places to take my children, niece, and nephew in San Diego! The New Children’s Museum, off West Island Avenue, was surely the highlight of our trip!

The museum made sure there was something for every child inside. The space featured multiple floors with activities tailored to different age ranges. I really liked this as an occupational therapist because I feel like my job is focused on development and sharing what may be an age-appropriate expectation/activity or the “just right challenge” for any child.

Tactile and Proprioceptive Play for Toddlers

My oldest daughter, who was about 16 months at the time, really enjoyed the area that featured the white plastic “shag” carpet. With her shoes removed, this provided her feet with unique tactile input that she cautiously enjoyed and offered her new levels of awareness regarding where her body was in space (i.e., proprioceptive system) with this new grounding. This area also had additional tactile input with furry cushions that my little one gravitated toward, smiling the whole time.

Open-Ended Play in the Wonder Sound Treehouse

My nieces and nephews loved the Wonder Sound installation and tree house! This multi-level, primarily wooden structure featured areas to climb, tiny spaces, and plenty of visual input that stimulated their senses. We spent the majority of our time here exploring the many different passages, nooks, and rooms, which allowed for open-ended discovery while also feeling calming and cozy for my daughter.

Vertical Play and Pre-Writing Skills at the Chalkboard Wall

The children also came together when we found ourselves alone in the room with the large chalkboard. The full-length chalkboard (from ground to ceiling) encouraged involvement from a child’s entire upper extremity to draw, color, or write due to the vertical surface. The beautiful thing about chalk is that it is not permanent. My niece and nephew had the opportunity to practice writing their names on the chalkboard, but if they made an error, they were able to watch it being modeled with the correct letter formation, erase it, and try again. Sometimes my model was still visible, which served as a helpful visual cue.

Embracing Messy Play and Parent Learning Moments

One of the best things about this place was that with all the wonderful skills the children were working on… it was all driven by playful, child-led exploration! And there was even some powerful parent education happening too—like when my sister-in-law was initially hesitant for my niece to engage in messy tactile play that challenged her tactile system, proprioceptive system, and praxis skills as she used her hands as a paintbrush to paint a car.

Why We Love The New Children’s Museum

This space offered something for everyone—sensory input, motor opportunities, imaginative play, and connection. We'll definitely be making it a regular stop on future adventures!

Helpful Links

Was this post helpful or did it spark your curiosity? If you’re looking for deeper support, we’ve created a course and curated resources to help families, caregivers, and professionals better understand the motor and regulation challenges many nonspeaking and apraxic autistic individuals experience.

Online Course for Parents, Caregivers & Professionals:

Foundations in Apraxic Autism — an online course exploring the often-missed motor side of autism. Learn how motor planning, nervous system regulation, and the brain-body connection impact communication and daily life, along with practical ways to support the autistic individual in your life.

Explore Our Resource & Service Hub:

Explore our most trusted resources and favorite tools, or discover ongoing support options for families and professionals navigating autism, apraxia, and motor planning differences.