I had been hearing about this famous Vaisseau in Strasbourg for a long time. It was time for me to go there and of course, with my young guinea pigs who were the right age. You will have a great time with your family because you can share experiences and animations together. In fact, your kids will be happy from the age of 3: it's really science with fun!
Activities for children from what age?
The Vaisseau offers activities for children from 3 years old.
At the Vaisseau, activities for all ages
Throughout the day, animations for 3 to 6 years old and from 7 years old are proposed at the Vaisseau. We participated in a “How does it work?” animation for 3 year olds and up so that Leo could also participate. It is very well managed by the animator who also adapts to all ages represented. She does not explain the same things to older children as to younger ones.
Luce, 8 years old, also had a good time. The children first “assembled” a salad spinner with the basket, bowl and lid. We wrung out sponges. Then we played artist with dots of paint on a cardboard box at the bottom of the wringer. We run the wringer and the paint makes nice patterns. In short, all this to explain to children the centrifugal force found in many everyday appliances!
A museum with experiments, you name it!
The Vaisseau in Strasbourg is a place of discovery. The principle isto make the youngest discover science by making them experiment through many interactive elements. The rule at the ship? “It is forbidden not to touch!”. And there are some in all fields and for all ages! So, at the Vaisseau, what do we experience? (our experience is not exhaustive!)
Being Human
Here, we did a great family portrait on a giant metal picot frame. It will bring back good memories for many of us! We explored the mysteries of our brain with mental strength battles like “X-Men” or speed exercises. We were able to test our heart health, explore our bodies ourselves in virtual reality and even try a course with crutches or a wheelchair to understand the difficulties that some people experience on a daily basis. A good introduction to the human body!
I make
Leo operated different circuits with cranks, pulleys, nuts… to understand how the parts work together. In a completely different field, Luce created her paper box and even… labels with a (simplified) DTP (Desktop Publishing) software. And yes, we even talk about communication here! There is also a course that helps to understand the recycling of plastic waste.
Water
Equipped with an apron, Leo and Luce had a lot of fun testing the properties of water: from balancing a ball on a water jet to the force of the waves to propelling a boat. Did you know about the funny Archimedean screw? Personally, it was the 1st time I saw one! Just goes to show, even the greats still discover some after all their years of experience 😉
The animals
Luce and Leo answered a lot of questions about animals (which ones scare you the most? Which ones lay eggs?…). There is even an ant farm with a gallery for the little ones to crawl into!
The Lab’Oh, a place where creativity is king
In this space, creativity is the key. Beyond the “Draw me an idea” wall, you can create marble circuits with pieces of wood and plastic pipes or have fun writing or drawing with giant diodes on a large wall (this also amused my big darling). On my side, I liked the screen where were projected compositions made with 3D objects which, on 2D screen, gave a composition with a kaleidoscope effect.
Log’Hic
We ended our 2.5 hour visit with a quick visit to the Log’Hic space dedicated to… logic! Puzzles, tetris with big cushions… In short, here, the brain smokes!
Due to the capricious weather, we unfortunately could not go to the space “Le Jardin”. Another time certainly?
Adapted services: restaurant and store
As you may have guessed, there is a cafeteria here. The prices are quite correct for a tourist place with simple dishes declined in menu according to your age. There were even trays of strawberries for dessert (in season, I assure you)!
But the most dangerous place with children is without a doubt… The store! They don’t know what to do and frankly, I understand them: it is really well supplied. We ended up opting for a log ride but it was hard to make a choice. You will find the famous frames with metal pins as well as scientific experiments, kits to assemble yourself, many books to discover all the themes addressed in the museum and go even further.
I liked
- The diversity of experiences and themes. We easily spend 2h30 to 3h there!
- Being able to touch everything. This is what is unfortunately missing in some museums.
- The animation in which we participated, very well conducted by the animator.
- The services! Good value for money for the lunch and a very relevant and provided store in relation to the subject.
I liked less
- As strange as it may seem, we regretted the lack of explanation. From a certain age, children are able to understand a little more.
- The fact that there are a lot of themes and some are not deep enough. For example, the animals are really hovering.
- The environmental theme is missing. It is approached through certain experiments such as the force of the waves but should be put more at the heart of the device.
My photos of the Vaisseau in Strasbourg
Practical information
Rates and schedules
You will find here the schedules and rates of the Vaisseau .
Access
By car
The address is: 1 Bis Rue Philippe Dollinger, 67100 Strasbourg:- 74 kms from Colmar (about 50 min)
- 115 kms from Mulhouse (about 1h15)