The children’s museum drew more than 8,300 visitors

in its first months.

Running and laughing kids duck in and out of huts and over a bridge; a trio of pint-sized patrons wraps a long, plush stuffed snake around their necks while a cluster of boys watch ping pong balls swish through clear plastic pipes.

It’s a typical day at the Kids Discovery Museum, which has seen a surprising 8,300 visitors since it opened its doors in April. The museum recently closed for a week of upkeep, and reopens at 10 a.m. this morning with new activities.

“With (so many) people coming through, it’s a constant challenge to do maintenance when you’re open,” said Cheryl Dale, executive director.

A “Shadow Freeze Wall” has been installed downstairs, to “capture” the shadow of a person on a canvas covered with a specially sensitive paint. Other parts of the museum will get much needed maintenance.

Dale said she was surprised at the numbers the Madison Avenue museum has attracted, including some Seattle area residents who visit once a week.

At first about 70 percent of museum visitors were from the island, but the museum now draws significant numbers from Seattle, Kitsap County, and even 5 percent from out of state during the summer.

“Our fear was it was going to be too small, but parents like the size, because they can watch kids of different age groups in the same room,” Dale said.

Marianne Lindsey’s son Sean Lindsey was celebrating his fifth birthday at the museum on a recent weekday.

“This is such a neat thing to do because it’s easy,” Marianne said. “They provide everything except the cake. For me, the challenge is what do you do at the party with the kids. (Here) they’re all contained in one area. Eleven kids at my house, I’d be pulling my hair out.”

The largest draws are the “ball machine” and the art area.

Made by a Seattle resident using recycled parts, the machine has ping pong balls pushed by air into plastic tubes stretching up 8-10 feet in a crazy maze.

The machine has proved so popular, it had to be moved from its original spot in the entryway, Dale said, because kids were so fascinated with it they never got into the museum.

“It’s 100 times better than we’d thought it’d be,” Dale said.

At the arts center, projects change every two to three days, with offerings for different ages. Kids take their projects home when they’re done, just for the $5 admission price.

Though admission only cover one-third of operating expenses, if the fee is a hardship, the museum waives it. Each branch of the Kitsap Regional Library system and Helpline House also have passes that can be checked out.

“Our mission is to make this available to anyone who wants to come,” Dale said.

Volunteers help keep the place running and most programming comes from local businesses, like the kids yoga class by a local instructor and a recent presentation about coffee and the rainforest by Starbucks. The Bainbridge Island Historical Society is partnering with the museum, while an eco-tour travel agency in Seattle is doing a promotion with the museum’s rainforest exhibit for a Costa Rica tour, for which each ticket booked will return some money to the museum.

“It was donors who opened it, and donors who will keep it open,” Dale said.

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Bring the kids

The Kids Discovery Museum at 305 Madison Avenue reopens this morning after a week of upkeep. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. To volunteer, call 855-4650 or see www.kidimu.org.