There was a time when toys were powered by a child’s imagination rather than by batteries. During the Children’s Museum of Houston’s Batteries Not Included: Retro Toys Wonder Week, simple games and playthings will once again get the spotlight. Ongoing activities include classic games like Pick Up Sticks, Sink or Float, and Chinese Yo-Yo. Kids can also create their own mechanical, but not electric, toy using refurbished materials, parts from other toys, and arts and crafts supplies.

Museum Public Relations Director Henry Yau tells us, “Kids think they have to have their Nintendo DS or XBox to have fun. We want to get them away from the monitor and to the museum to [see] that there’s fun and creativity in simple things.” 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays, noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. Through June 8. 1500 Binz. For information, call 713-522-1138 or visit www.cmhouston.org. Free to $5.

Mondays-Sundays. Starts: June 2. Continues through June 8, 2011

This article appears in Jun 2-8, 2011.