New to Dallas Area...

I grew up in Mesquite...welcome to North Texas! You could check meetup.com for a group of mom/kids to have playdates, etc. with. I know Mesquite has a group. There are some nice parks in Mesquite, Town East Mall has a childrens play area, The Children's Museum at Fair Park (Dallas) is tons of fun for a 2 year old and The Dallas Zoo has a great new exhibit called Giants of the Savanna. Your child can feed a giraffe....so cool! And there is a great Children's Zoo there with animals to pet, pony rides, stuff to climb/play on, etc. We have a family pass to the zoo and go at least once a month. Gotta get there early (they open at 9) though because it's so stinkin' hot right now. I hope this helps, I'm sure it's lonely being so far from home. =)

Welcome!!

Some websites for you to check out for ideas of things to do:

Meetup.com - put in your interests and join clubs or playgroups!
Aroundtownkids.com - Mostly for the Frisco, Plano, and Allen areas, but they have Dallas events too
Dallasnews.com - Go to the "Things to Do tab" - it will list everything going on in Dallas
Dallaschild.com - more places to go

Other ideas:
Join a church - get involved in the activities there
The Dallas Arboreturm - a must see! Its really hot though, so go early in the morning! - go on Mondays - family day with petting zoo & face painting!
Find your local MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group and join in!
Find out if there is a preschool PTA in your area of town
Go to the Dallas Zoo - there is a new exhibit there
Find a Mommy & Me Swim Class
Will your child sit through movies yet? AMC, Cinemark, Studio Movie Grill, & Regal all have very very cheap summer movies for kids
Check out your nearby library for toddler storytimes
Pump it Up Jr has a Pop in Play that is fun and is for smaller kids

If you need some time for yourself - check out Adventure Kids Playcare - it is a drop in playcare where you just drop your child off for as little or as long as you need while you go do whatever!!

For you:
Check out:
Joann's - has sewing, jewelry, craft, etc 3-4 hr workshops
The Ogle School - get a very cheap haircut, manicure, pedicure, facial, highlights, etc by a student - can't beat the price!
Spa Habitat - awesome massages!
Go see a non child movie!!
Find something on meetup.com that appeals just to you - join a club
Shopping!! Northpark mall, Galleria Mall, Stonebriar Mall - depends where you live.
Well, you know what you like to do!

Hope some of this helped!

You could try something like Music Together Dallas which would give you the opportunity to meet local moms as well as educating your 2 year old. All new families get a complientary initial class. Give it a try and see what you think...

Try looking a churches to see if they have play groups, newcomers club, mommy and me organizations, reading hour at the library. I do not live in Dallas but I am new to the area, my children are older 21 &13 but we moved a lot when they were young and I met many friends at those places. You can also try kinder music or other toddler classes if you are not looking for free things. At this age you will find your friends are your child's friends mothers because you get together for play dates. Good luck

1.) "DFWMama" Web-site: Todaysmama.com

2.) Metroplex Baby & Kids Dallas
Go to: THE SCOOP DIRECTORY & CALENDAR, Indoor fun, Play centers.
I found, The Children's Play Place at the Galleria is a jungle-themed play area for tots and toddlers; parent or caregiver supervision is required. It's free and fun. My 2 yr. old son loved it!

3.)Playin' Around Town. Web-site: www.playinaroundtown.com

4.) momslikeme.com (where Dallas - Ft. Worth moms meet)

~Libraries are a cool place where kids can have fun too, just not running around of course :) Have you tried a storytime yet? My 2 yr. old loves it.

~Also, there are bounce places where they have "open play" where for a few dollars, kids can let out some energy in the ac. Good luck! I hope some of those ideas are convenient. I know it's getting really hot outside!

~Willow Bend Mall Events for Families!
July 22 – Twisting Pretzels with Auntie Anne's Pretzels*
Children are invited to come behind the counter at Auntie Anne’s and learn to twist and shape their very own pretzel that then can be enjoyed hot and fresh from the oven.

July 29 – Eddie Coker Performance
Dallas’s own children’s singer/songwriter will delight all comers with his unique singing performance. His songs and performances feature fanciful and quirky characters and provide educational and spiritual support, including character building, fostering kindness and empathy, physical fitness and self value.

~DallasChild.com
(Free crafts for kids at Lakeshore Learning)
Also, check HomeDepot and Michael's stores in your area.

Hope this helps,
Diana
____@____.com

Check in to Mothers of PreSchoolers groups in your area. Go to www.mops.org and click on "groups" to find one near you. They may not be as active during the summer months but will be gearing up for fall soon. I know there's one through Preston Road Church of Christ.

Check with churches and libraries for things they may have for you and your child.

Go for walks in the morning and evening when the weather is pleasant and meet the people who live in your neighborhood.

I was in the same boat when we moved here from Jersey 3 years ago. I went to meetup.com and joined some mom groups, and now I have a great group of friends! The site is free and you just search your town and interested and there is a list of meet ups everywhere. Good luck and welcome!

Welcome to DFW! There are a ton of things to do here but since I have always lived on the opposite side I don't know a lot specific to your area. The first thing I'd say is find a church in your area that offers MOPS or a similar group. It's usually once a week or twice a month and it's a great way for you to connect with other moms and for your little one to make friends. You don't have to be church-going to participate. There are also tons of classes (gymboree, kindermusik, little gym) etc that would be a great place to get plugged in with other moms with kids your age. And of course there are a lot of fun things for you to do with your little one (parks, water parks, zoo, Arboretum, play areas at the mall - I know Ridgemar in FW and the Parks in Arlington but I'm sure there are some in your area as well). Guidelive.com is a great resource for things to do in the area (or at least it used to be, I haven't used it in a while). I wish I had more specifics for you. I'm sure there are plenty of moms closer to you that can help. Good luck, and again, welcome!

My husband and I just recently moved BACK to Michigan from the Dallas area. We had our first child down there. I only briefly skimmed the other answers so forgive me if I repeat any. Check out your local library. The one that was near us had weekly story times. I recently joined a mom's club here in Michigan. I know they have mom's club in Dallas too. You could also go to the malls and let your 2 yr old play in the play areas there and you could strike up conversations with the moms. Willow Bend mall has a nice play area.

Hope this helps! Have fun with the heat! LOL

Our neighbors moved here from Michigan three years ago...it takes a while to get used to the heat. Welcome to my hometown! I grew up in Mesquite!

As for stuff to do: The public library has toddler reading hours - my little sister loved them when she was a kid. There are a few churches who do the Mom's Day Out thing. What part of Mesquite are you in?

There are several great parks around. You can also make the drive to Dallas and visit some of their parks. It's a short trip on 30.

Check out meetup.com. There are several mom/play date groups and I'm sure there is one in your area. What part of Dallas do you live in? We spend a lot of time at either the bookmarks in Northpark mall of the Preston/Royal library. They have great story times and activities for little ones.

The local Dallas libraries have kids activities, so check that out online. Northpark Mall has a kids library just below the ANC theatre that my kids love. Many local movie thwarted have "cry baby mattinees for parents and kids, so look that up online. Also a great way to meet people. If you are interested, many churches have Mothers of Preschoolers groups that meet with childcare for the kids and a few hours for moms to get together for food, talking, crafts and a relevant speaker. MOPS saved me early on and helped me make lasting friendships. You can find a local chapter on www.mops.org.