"Children do not need to be made to learn about the world, or shown how. They want to, and they know how." -John Holt
This was an interesting place... First of all, let it be known there is no trading going on. The selling of overpriced junk, yes. And second, if you are to really enjoy Clark's, your humor level must be considerably lowered to accommodate non-stop, one-liner wisecracks and corny puns as funny. That is next to impossible for me. There was a lot of eye-rolling going on...
The kids were excited to ride the real train as opposed to the fake train at Storyland. S
adly, we spent the whole ride being chased by "Wolfman" whose whole schtick was to get parents to throw their kids overboard and woo the "pretty ladies" all the while shooting his noisy cap gun and igniting bombs. And to be sure you could hear him, Wolfman was coming through loud and clear on the train's surround sound. Oy. Simone was not impressed (see right).
The bear show... oh, the bear show... Though I am not fond of animals doing tricks, if it's to be done, I would hope it's with some dignity left for the poor beast. But no. None. Not surprising. I'll spare you those pics and offer the highlight of the show, Caden hugging Gabriel on the bleachers. :)
Now the rest of the place was clean (well except for the designated smoking area conveniently nestled next to the playground) and cute with a replica of old downtown New England with shops and museum-type walk thru's.
The old school potty was somewhat interesting... but all in all, my recommendation is to spend your extra time at the rest of the scenic stops through the National Forest.
"By nature people are learning animals. Birds fly; fish swim; humans think and learn. Therefore, we do not need to motivate children into learning by wheedling, bribing, or bullying. We do not need to keep picking away at their minds to make sure they are learning. What we need to do - and all we need to do - is to give children as much help and guidance as they need and ask for, listen respectfully when they feel like talking, and then get out of the way. We can trust them to do the rest."
John Holt
"In the end, the secret to learning is so simple: Think only about whatever you love. Follow it, do it, dream about it...and it will hit you: learning was there all the time, happening by itself." -Grace Llewellyn
"What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge, not knowledge in pursuit of the child."
George Bernard Shaw
Real, natural learning is in the living. It's in the observing, the questioning, the examining, the pondering, the analyzing, the watching, the reading, the DO-ing, the living, the breathing, the loving, the JOY. It's in the joy. ~Anne Ohman
"How could youth better learn to live than by at once trying the experiment of living?" -Henry D. Thoreau
adly, we spent the whole ride being chased by "Wolfman" whose whole schtick was to get parents to throw their kids overboard and woo the "pretty ladies" all the while shooting his noisy cap gun and igniting bombs. And to be sure you could hear him, Wolfman was coming through loud and clear on the train's surround sound. Oy. Simone was not impressed (see right). 
Now the rest of the place was clean (well except for the designated smoking area conveniently nestled next to the playground) and cute with a replica of old downtown New England with shops and museum-type walk thru's.
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