List o' Fun--The Dallas Arboretum

About a week and a half ago we met some friends at the Dallas Arboretum.  The trip had it's issues (for one, they were an HOUR AND A HALF late), but we were able to get a few pictures of Olivia.  I'm noticing that picture taking is just not her thing! :)  There were lots of photo opportunities, but by the time we walked through the place she was asleep.  We plan on going back soon.

If she could just sit up on her own, this whole picture taking thing would be a little better. :)

Not happy :(

Ha ha! What we do for a picture.

This is the entry way.  Needless to say, there were LOTS of pumpkins!

Our first stop

Since we were waiting around for so long, by the time we got on the go Olivia was tired and cranky.  I didn't bring the Baby K'tan because I expected to push her in the stroller.  I have a hand me down Baby Bjorn (that was a hand me down to that person as well).  It was in the car, so I grabbed it at the last minute.  We haven't really used it.  Olivia lasted about 5 minutes in it.  I wasn't sad about it-it wasn't friendly on my back!  I'll remember the K'tan next time!

Apparently they do different attractions at different times.  Right now they have 8 castles set up.  They were cute.  The people we went with had a 4 year old girl, so she enjoyed them.  We hope to get better pictures with Olivia when we go again next week.

Besides the beautiful flowers, plants, trees, and fountains, there were pumpkins everywhere.

We went on Columbus Day, so it was super crowded.  Plus, it was cool and overcast that day, which never happens here.  Michael took lots of pictures of the scenery, but we hope to get more pictures with Olivia in them next time.

List o' fun--Painting Pottery

There are paint your own pottery places in almost every city.  They are fun for both kids and adults alike.  Since K's birthday was coming up, I figured I'd take Little Man to paint her something.  It gave us something to do one of those evenings that I was having to stay the night.  He loves to paint, so I thought it would be a perfect fit.

After realizing that I was not going to let him paint a dinosaur for his mom's birthday, he quickly decided on a set of coasters.

He was really into it at first

After he painted the bases he was pretty much ready to go.  He just wanted to get home and play. :(

The lady came over and showed us our options for decorating.  There were these fine point bottles to use, stencils, stamps, and variety of brushes.  He really really wanted to use the fine point bottle.

He drew a picture of him and mommy.

It turned out to not be as easy as he thought it was going to be.

I'll be honest, I was losing my patience a little.  He tends to have a one track mind sometimes and I'm not sure this was the best choice for us to do.  If you do this with your child, make sure you go into it with an open mind and little expectation.  Also, it's best to let them paint something they like and let it look how they want it to look then to go for the gift idea.  That way there is less pressure!

Finally after some banter back and forth he decided on some stamps and stencils

We had to leave them there for a week.  Here's the finished product:

The drawing of Little Man and Mommy

A flower stamp (that apparently had too much paint on it)

A heart stamp--then I suggested adding a border around the EDGE...this is what we got!

Star stencils

Lots of these places have "Mommy and Me" events or other special days where you can come in and do something with your little one at a discounted rate.  There was a place right by his house in Ohio, but we never made it to the Mommy and Me sessions because of scheduling conflicts.  It's worth checking out.

The session fee at our place was $6 for kids.  This included all the paint and supplies you needed and did not have a time limit (some go by the hour).  Then you just have to pay for the piece of pottery you choose.  The set of 4 coasters with wire rim holder was $20.  Not bad for a birthday gift for mommy.

List o' fun-- Dallas Children's Aquarium

The first week we were all here in Dallas was a little crazy.  It was right after the New Year and Little Man wasn't enrolled in school yet.  We had about 5 days to go exploring and see what Dallas had to offer.

I'll admit, it's been much harder for me to find things to do here for him then in Columbus.  I literally had a 3 page list of things to do in Columbus.  Here, I have about 5 or 6 things and nothing has been all that great in my opinion.  I would have guessed it would be the other way around since Dallas is bigger.  Maybe I just haven't been looking in the right places.  I'm not sure.  Luckily, since Little Man goes to school 5 days a week, there haven't been a ton of days where I've had to find a place for us to go.

Anyway, back in that first week we took a visit to the Dallas Children's Aquarium.

Isn't that creepy looking?

This turtle was huge!  It's hard to tell with nothing to reference it to.

Little Man loves to eat seafood.  His favorite is lobster, and he literally gets a whole one to himself when he goes out to eat at Red Lobster.  We had to get a picture of these giant crab(?).

The museum is open 7 days a week, from 9 to 4:30.

The cost is $8 for adults and $6 for kids.

Personally, I thought it was kind of small.  Then again, I have a kid who likes to rush through exhibits and places we go.  We were only there about an hour... maybe an hour and a half and we walked through it twice!

We did get to see them feed the sharks, which was kind of cool.

I think they do it every day at a certain time.

They also have an outside area for different sharks, sting rays, and other special fish.

They are in huge tanks.

Overall, it was an alright trip that got us out of the house.

It's one of those places that I would probably only go to once a year.

List o' fun-- Mall Playgrounds

Mall playgrounds can be great, but they can also be frustrating.

There are a few tips to follow.

The up: they are great when it's a cold and rainy day... or when it's super hot.

The down: remember, everyone else is thinking the same thing.  Especially, don't go on "spring break" or "Christmas break".  Everyone else is going to be there and it will be a zoo.

The up: It can be a one stop shop type of thing.  You can shop, you can play, and you can grab lunch.  If you are needing to get out of the house with your kiddos, this can be free (or almost free) gig that will last hours.

The down: It can get crowded.  Also, sometimes people let their big kids in.  You have to watch out for that.

I have given you a few other tips on this blog before, but in case you forgot:

*The stores open at 10, but the mall opens sooner.  Try going to the playground at 8:30 or 9.  No one else will be there.  Then when the malls open, you can stroll, shop, or grab a coffee.  You'll be in and out before the crowds.

*You can also hit up a storytime at Pottery Barn Kids or Barnes and Noble if your mall has one.

Don't forget your hand sanitizer!

List o' fun-- Storytimes NOT at the library

Library story times are great.  I already told you how much I loved the library that Little Man and I use to go to.  The American Library Association has a "Every Child Ready to Read" initiative, so the librarians are trained and mindful of what kind of activities they choose.  Story time at the library is not what it use to be.  It's not read one book and you're done.  They do singing, finger plays, puppets, rhymes, lessons using the felt board and so much more.  It's all meant to reinforce early literacy skills.

But....... sometimes you can't make it to story time.  Or...... you want to do more than just go to the library once a week.  Well, there are a few options out there.

First, there is a story time at Barnes and Noble

The Barnes and Noble story time may not be as in depth as the library one, but it's still pretty good.  It lasts about a half hour.  They still read and sing and some of the ones I've been to have offered a snack and crafts!!!  Most stores offer a story time twice a week, but you'll have to check your local store for days and times.  Just like with the libraries, you'll want to shop around.  We had 3 in the Columbus area that I tried out, and I liked one way better than the other two.  It all depends on who is working in the children's department.  Some people are just better at it that others.  Another perk is that you can get your Starbucks coffee and sip on it while your kiddo is having fun.  Also, most B&N have a train table in the kids section.  You can stay after story time or come before and extend your trip out of the house some.  On top of story time, Barnes and Noble has special kid events on Saturdays sometimes.  They have "guests" like Clifford the Big Red Dog or Dora and Diego come.  I've never been to these since I don't work on a Saturday, but I would have taken Little Man if I did.

The second place you can go for a story time is Pottery Barn Kids.  Yep, it's true!

As far as I know, it's every Tuesday (no matter the store).  The website says from 11 to 11:30, but it was 10 at the one in Columbus.  You may want to check with your store ahead of time.  Also, the story time at the store we went to never lasted 30 minutes!  It was more like 10.  I always coupled it with playing at the mall playground.  The perk is you get a "passport" on your first time.  Every time you go you get a stamp.  After 5 stamps you get a "prize", which is actually a 20% off coupon.  (Unless they changed it!)  So if you want something at Pottery Barn kids, it may be worth it! :)  They also have special events, but this varies by store.

List o' fun--Take a Tour!

There are lots of great places to take free tours in Columbus.  (I'm sure in your city too!)

I don't have picture from our actual tours, and we didn't get to all of these, but here are some ideas for those of you looking for something fun to do.  You don't have to have kids to check these places out! :)

GRAETER'S

(It's an ice cream place for those of you who don't know!)

The Graeter's on Bethel Rd gives tours.  They have a minimum of 10 people (play date?) for guided tours, or you can take a self guided tour if you don't have a group.  The tours last 20 minutes.  They also have an inside play place for the kiddos.

VELVET ICE CREAM FACTORY

If you want to drive to Utica, Ohio, you can take a tour of the Velvet Ice Cream factory.  Tours run May to October from 11 to 3.  Tours last 30 minutes and start on the hour every hour.

ANTHONY THOMAS CHOCOLATE FACTORY

The factory is located in west Columbus.  Free tours are given on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 2:30.  If you have a large group, call for reservations.  You get to walk up on a "cat walk" and look down at the factory.  You get a free piece of candy too! :)  Then you can shop the store.

AL'S POPCORN FACTORY

We never made it to this one, but it was on our list.  It is also located on Bethel Rd.  They are open Monday through Saturday from 11 to 7.  It doesn't list specific times for tours, so it seems they are available all the time!?  It says you will watch a video and then get to taste some of the fun flavors such as cookies and cream, pizza, bubble gum, and jelly bean.

THE WHISTLE FACTORY

  The American Whistle Factory, located in Worthington, is the ONLY manufacturer of metal whistles in the United States.  If I remember correctly, this tour cost a little--maybe $5?  Also, you have to be part of a group.  If you are not part of a group, they will schedule you with another group.  (You can't just show up for a tour.)  My friend Laurie and I took our boys and joined a Kindergarten field trip.  The tour lasts about 45 minutes and you get a whistle at the end of it.  You get to pick your color lanyard and can buy a plastic cover if you want.  I got red! :)

THE OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM

Back when Little Man was really into trains, I found out that there was a train museum in Worthington.  They are only open on Sundays from 1 to 6, so I didn't get to take him.  However, I passed the information on to K and they took him.  Since I didn't go, I can't tell you too much about it, but I do know that he enjoyed it.

List o' Fun--COSI

After taking a look in my binder last week, I realized there were still 38 things on my "List 'o Fun" that I have not shared yet.  Can you believe it?!  I'm sure you are thinking I've already shared a ton.  At least, I feel like I have.  Well, some of the things left on my list are Columbus specific and some are general ideas.  I have pictures for some of the Columbus places, but not all.  I plan to share what I have and throw in a little Texas every once in a while. :)  I hope you don't mind.

C.O.S.I. stands for "Center of Science and Industry" and it is located around downtown Columbus.  We had a membership there, and went there often.  I think it's worth it, and if I still lived in Columbus when my little one arrived, I would make sure to have one as well.  (Some people complain that it's not like "the old" C.O.S.I, but it still has some great qualities.)  Even before becoming Little Man's nanny, I went to C.O.S.I. each year on a first grade field trip.  I will say though, that going with younger kids (and not a school trip) is much better.

C.O.S.I. has lots of fun exhibits like Ocean, Life, Progress, Gadgets, Space and more. They also have traveling exhibits that come in that can be very fun. 

Even though these places are great to explore, here are the things I love about C.O.S.I......

1. Little Kids Space

Also known as simply "Kids Space", this is an area for children ages birth to 5 years old.  Once you go into first grade you are no longer allowed.  Hello?! Love!  This is so nice when you have smaller kids.  You don't have to fight the big kids or the field trip crowds.  Everything is geared towards learning and child development.  You check in at the entrance and get a ticket with the number of kids and adults in your group.  When you leave, you have to show the ticket.  This is for security and is so nice.

There is a giant tree house with slides and places to climb.  There are multiple thing to play with balls, very large building blocks, scooters to ride, a "construction" house, a "home" with kitchen sink and doorbell, and lots of soft squishy and sensory things for babies.

There is a helicopter

  A Dr.'s office--including many colorful band aids for the kids to put on dolls, crutches, ace bandages and fake x-rays.  There is also an "eye Dr" area.

There is an ambulance with working lights

There is area with play kitchens and food.

Lastly, Little Man's favorite... the water table!

 

2. Traveling Exhibits and Special Events

They have had some traveling exhibits that Little Man has loved.  Things like Sesame Street, Bob the Builder, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and The Body.  All have been super fun.

The also have yearly events that we enjoy.  In the summer they have something called "Farm Days" where they fill the entire back patio area with farm equipment/tractors and exhibits like milking a cow.  They also have a "Big Machines" week where the patio is filled with things like back hoes, excavators and bulldozers.  The kids get to climb on the tractors at Farm Days and the construction equipment at Big Machines.  These are both right up Little Man's alley! :)

3. Classes

They have early education classes for kids ages 6 months to 6 years of age.  Each class is geared toward the child's age group and has a theme that is consistent with what they should be learning at that age/state standards.  We didn't start attending the classes until Little man was about 3 and a half.  I wish we would have gone sooner!  As a former educator, I LOVED them.  They are so well done and worth the money.  The really are educational.  On top of that, they are well organized and give many options so the kids don't get bored.  If you are in the Columbus area with small kids, I highly recommend checking them out!

At a "color" class... mixing colors, learning about colors, and much more

(Yeah, notice all that water going on the floor!?!?)