Let's head to Rutherfordton where there's a children's museum that offers a maker space that's pretty cool.

- I heard that the elves is yellow.

- Okay.

She just loves it.

She begs to come here.

- [Narrator] Deedee Watkins babysits her three-year-old daughter Windley.

When Windley's parents are working, Watkins brings her here to KidSenses Children's Interactive Museum in Rutherfordton two to three times a week.

- And every day I get her, she's like, "Are we going to KidSense?"

She just loves it here.

- [Narrator] The 11,000 square foot building has 14 exhibit spaces all with interactive features.

- [Mandi] We have all kinds of things here.

There's something new almost every time you come in.

- [Narrator] There are many replicas of real life places like a grocery store, a cafe, a veterinary clinic, even a television newsroom.

There are places to play with gears and gadgets, magnets and bubbles, and spaces just to create.

- [Mandi] Basically, learning through play.

Learning is work of childhood.

We all like to think that play is for fun and that's it, but actually, it's one of the critical milestones.

So, we want children to learn and be happy to learn about their environment, the world they live in, culture, life, a little bit of everything.

- [Narrator] The centerpiece exhibit is a real 1950s LaFrance firetruck.

- [Mandi] The kids love to go in there, ring the bell, do the alarm, make the lights go off, dress up.

That is definitely a hit.

- [Narrator] That physical interactivity is important.

- We have toddlers who use our grocery carts to learn how to walk in these spaces.

They're learning how to hold things properly when they play with our magnets or hold our markers.

There's a lot of early development that's critical and it's physical.

- Raise your hand, if you can tell me something about a worm.

- Worms have one mouth and nothing else.

- [Narrator] There are classroom programs too focusing on STEAM education, which means science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

This one is for a visiting elementary school class.

- [Kid] They're so cute.

- [Mandi] Kids learn less from being told something versus experiencing something and linking that to a positive memory, a positive experience.

- [Narrator] KidSenses began as the dream of a local parent who encouraged town leaders to include a children's museum in their downtown revitalization plans in 2001.

They eyed a vacant 1927 building that had been a car dealership and Five & Dime.

- [Mandi] And we said, this is perfect.

This is downtown.

It's big, let's do it.

- [Narrator] Three years and $2.5 million later, KidSenses opened in 2004.

It's hosted over half a million visitors from all over.

- Anybody who finds themselves wanting to see the mountains, enjoy a little small town and play, they come see us.

As long as you wanna pretend play, we're the spot for you.

- [Narrator] The museum serve children under 10, but is working on an expansion so they can serve children of all ages.

- We just want them to find a good place to be themselves, get some energy out, and make some good family memories.

- [Narrator] That's what it's been for Windley and her grandmother.

- What's he saying?

What's the turtle saying?

- He's saying ABC.

- ABC's.

Well, I think this is a great thing that they have here for the kids to come here.

I mean this is just a wonderful place to come, 'cause they just learn so much.

[playful music] - KidSenses is at 172 North Main Street in Rutherfordton and they're open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

For more information give them a call at [828] 286-2120 or go online to kidsenses.org.