Two by Two...

This weekend, the family met friends at L.A.'s Skirball Center to finally check out their Noah's Ark exhibit, a completely interactive installation designed for kids. As you walk through the huge simulation of the wooden ark, you spot pair after pair of handmade animal creations fashioned out of recycled materials — everything from beanbag chair walruses to vultures made of venetian blinds, whisks and Indian slippers.

Little hands can make thunder, lightning and wind with the crank of a dial, prepare a meal in the galley and even sweep up fake animal poop.

The exhibit has a timed entry; visitors gets two hours to roam around the ark. We arrived half an hour before our slot, so we took the kids to the rooftop, where they could participate in a faux archeological dig. There were tents, little stools, shovels, brushes and "ancient artifacts" buried in sand...the perfect distraction for fidgety kids who would otherwise be whining "when do we see the animals?!"

It's easy to max out your full two-hour time frame because there are so many nooks and crannies to explore. There are puzzles, craft activities, dance and music demos and even animal puppeteers walking through for a meet-and-greet with visitors. We took a two-, four- and five-year-old and the exhibit was a good fit for each of them (though, the adults were probably the most excited).

A word to the wise: Show up a few minutes after the start of your time slot, or go in and head straight for the end and backtrack your way to the beginning. Otherwise, you will find yourself stuck between an elephant and a hard place. The giant statue is a huge obstacle right in the beginning of the dimly-lit entryway and we found it difficult to keep track of the kids amidst all of the other families herding in all at once.

We all left wanting to return soon. It was well worth the admission ($10, adults; $5, kids 3-12). Next time around, though, I plan to break from the pack and check out the museum's Civil Rights Movement photo exhibit.

Oh, and...If you find yourself stuck at this 405-adjacent spot with little low-blood-sugar loonies, don't overlook the museum cafe. I tend to be picky about what we eat and even I was pleasantly surprised. Their kids' menu grilled cheese was whole wheat bread and non-processed cheese and the fruit side was huge slabs of fresh fruit, rather than the usual soupy, wilted cocktail. Plus, if you're lucky, you might even get in a little celeb-sighting while you dine (we spotted the age-defying Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale doling napkins to their boys as we left.