Venue name: Myriad Botanical Gardens
Kid Reviewer: Sam Roldán, 10 years old
What made the experience stand out?
We were in Oklahoma City but it felt like being in a giant garden. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine away the sidewalks and streets.
What was the best part?
I love that it’s in the middle of my city and it’s a good place to meditate. Meditation is very important to me because it lets me find peace. My Mom let me be by myself, like a short distance away without talking to me, and I just meditated on a rock in the Children’s Garden and over by the waterfall in the Crystal Bridge. I’m sure other people have said “ohm” in there too.
What was the worst part?
We had to keep feeding the parking meter. I accidentally pressed the 30-minute button twice when my Mom put in her credit card so we had to come back twice after like twenty minutes. I didn’t mean to do that. I thought I was adding time but instead, I kind of made it worse because I just wanted to push the button.
Will other kids like this venue and why?
Yes, other kids will love the experience because the rest of the world goes away. I like to imagine nothing else exists when I go to a place in nature. The Children’s Garden is fun because you can balance on a rubber ball, run under the splash pad if it’s hot and see different types of plants. My Mom thought I wouldn’t like that area anymore because I’m 10 but I do. There’s an event in October called Pumpkinville with 16,000 pumpkins, a Halloween party and pumpkin crafts. Kids would love those things, I think. I want to go to all of that.
Would this venue be enjoyed by your siblings? Why or why not?
Yes, I wish my brother, Isaac, had come because there was a chameleon in the Crystal Bridge. He loves those and keeps saying he’s going to buy one when he’s an adult. My brothers are 5 and 2 and they both like to run. The Children’s Garden is like one big green space, with places to climb and butterflies to see. We could also bring Midnight, our black lab, next time. I want to buy her a costume and put her in the Pooch Parade. She’d make a good vampire.
If you could do this again knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
Besides not pressing the button immediately on the parking meter, what I’d do differently is spend more time in the Crystal Bridge. It reminds me of a tropical rain forest in there, with thick plants and a parrot. My Dad is from Costa Rica and it’s very similar to that. I would also spend more time seeing the ducks and the goldfish; they followed us as we walked by.
Does what you saw match up with anything you’re learning in school or have seen before in a book, on TV, etc.?
I’ve read about tropical plants and seen those in person when I go visit my grandparents. The overall feeling is like Monday Meditation at my school. That’s important because sometimes your mind needs a break. I also read a book over the summer about urban escapes, which are intentional green spaces. Is this one of those? I think it could be.
What do you think you’ll remember most about Myriad Botanical Gardens?
It’s strange but happy to go to the center of the city and see turtles, geese and beautiful plants like hibiscus, which I just learned the name of, and see all these natural things. I’ll remember taking the time to stop what I was doing and get out of the house to wind down instead of amp up or be in a hurry. That’s a cool thing to do because it rests you somehow. Ohhhhmmmm….
[Editor's Note: Read all our Kid Reviews at www.metrofamilymagazine.com/Kid-Reviews/]