I am looking for things that are not very expensive and would be fun to do this spring. I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 9 month old. If anyone has any new ideas I would be greatfull. Sofar we have not managed to get out and do much of anything.
I belong to a group for stay at home moms. We have things planned each week. It is a great group of women and children. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll give you the website to join.
Not sure exactly where you live but there are:
zoos, parks, library storytimes, nature paths, pools, water/spray parks, picnics, play areas in the mall, playgroups (you can join your local early childhood PTA to get into one), activities outside like chalk, sprinklers, baby pools, slip 'n slides, bubbles, obstacle courses, long walks, playdates...
If you have a Playground World near you they offer free open play times as well.
T.,
I don't know where you are located, but the Naturealm in Akron is great!! It is off of Smith rd. near Summit Mall. It is amazing because there are walking trails (paved), and lots of nature that seems like you are in the middle of the woods, but you dont have to worry about your kids getting into anything that would be dangerous. Also, there is a visitors center, which has a "tour" type thing, with fake animals, a bee center, where you can watch bees work, and a large window where you can sit and watch birds at the feeders (and squirrels, of course). My 4 y/o loves going there, and so do my 2 y/o twins! they can run, and I dont feel like I have to watch them every second. I feel as if we can get close to nature without worrying about being so far out that things can happen, you know? Anyway, I hope this helps! Have a great time! Oh, and if you need any further directions, feel free to message me! P.
The park can be fun & it's free. There is also the Zoo. Family memberships usually don't cost that much & you can go as often as you like ( so you're not in a rush to see everything on each visit ). Parking is usually included with the membership. Zoo's are open year round with different activities. We like to go in the winter, we see Santa, decorate cookies with Mrs. Claus, ice skate, & just enjoy the holiday lights & decorations. Along with your membership you can get in free or at discounted prices to other zoos & aquariums. I live in Ohio & recently went to Florida. Myself & 3 of my friends went to an aquarium. They let us all in for half price with my zoo membership. Also we like to go on picnics & nature walks. The public pool is nice if it's not too crowded. I hope this helps. Get out there & enjoy the beautiful weather. P. S.
The zoo is always a winner at my house. My son is 10 and we've been members at the zoo since he was about 2. It's inexpensive to do for the day, but your best bet, even though it's a big expense all at once, is to buy a membership. It might be around $50 for the year depending on what level of membership you get, but it's well worth it. Because the zoo is so big, and my son's attention span is so short, we tend to keep our visits to around 2-3 hours....enough time to do smaller areas, then do a different area on our next visit. Also with membership, you get 10% off food and gift shop items.
You can also take a cooler with your own food and beverage. (ps the Cleveland zoo is free to Cuyahoga county residents on Mondays). I'm not sure where you live, but in Bay Village is the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center, it's free! Check the website www.lensc.org. Have Fun!
We go to the local library, they have different clubs at different times and days-- one we are part of is the adventure club where they do crafts and they have even brought in a petting zoo and had a monstrous Easter egg hunt...look into your library-- it's free and good networking for mom's, too! Also, in NKY look into TotterOtterville, it's relatively cheap and they have a ton of activities and have fun water outdoor activities when it's starts warming up. Also, near TotterOtterville is a small FREE waterpark with sprinklers and water slides, it's only a few years old and VERY nice.
My son (who is almost 8 months old) and I tried the "Baby Laptime" at our local library. It's free to babies (up to 18 months old, I believe) and their caregivers. The library staff member who led the event read simple books to the babies, taught us basic sign language, and led us in songs and fingerplays. After about fifteen minutes of this, she got out toys for the kids, and they had an unstructured play time. It was a lot of fun to meet other moms and their babies. The babies had a lot of fun with the toys and songs, too. My son was a little shy because he hadn't been around such a large group of other kids, before. I plan on taking him to more of these "laptimes" because it gives us something fun to do together, and it gives him a chance to socialize with other kids. If you need more information about where the events are at your library, you can check on the Columbus Metropolitan Library website at http://www.columbuslibrary.org/
I noticed one mother brought her older toddler with her young baby, and they both got along just fine with the other babies. There's also a toddler reading time at some of the libraries. Hope that helps!
I'm not sure where you live, but Dayton has a TON of Metroparks, and they often offer free programs for kids during the day. My daughter and I love Carriage Hill metropark, and it's just a few minutes from our house. She's 21 months and LOVES to be outside. I'm glad the weather's finally warming up so we can do things outside together!
it depends on your area but i know like here in sandusky there are a tonf of inexpensive things tot ake teh kids to go do you jsut ahve to look around. good luck
Hi Tammy. My four y/o loves animals and there are not any local zoos where we live, so we go to the Animal Shelter. She asks me about every day if we can go. The smell can be a bit over powering, but I think the animals enjoy the visitors as much as she enjoys seeing them. We also go to our local mall (which isn't very big) and spend a couple dollars playing in the arcade and save the tickets up for something big, or that will at least not break on the way home. The great thing about the mall is when we get home she is tired from all the walking. We also go to the toy store (after the arcade and pretzel) and she plays with the toys knowing that I am not going to buy her anything (she knows that before we go into the store). She gets wore out, I get exercise, and the baby sleeps in the car; great fun for all.
Check with your local libraries and parks. A lot of times, they have great educational programs for the youngins and for families.
Dayton Mall has a fun event for both moms & kids. It's called Momtopia Monday. Their next event is scheduled for Monday, September 10, 10:00am.
They're featuring a performance by Joe Caithamer who is a children's musician and plays high energy songs like "What's Happening Spaceman" which will the kids up dancing around.
At the event they also have a fashion show, mom makeovers, an opportunity for open discussion, character appearances, and games & activities for the kids.
If you want to find out more details you can just go the the website at DaytonMall.com/Momtopia
It's a great event!
Hi T.,
We live in Akron and have 3 kids right now... 12 yr, 3 yr and 18 mo, plus I'm due in June. We bought a yearly pass for the Akron Zoo last year for under $40... we ended up going to the zoo about 6-7 times and the kids always found something new to look at. With the zoo pass you can go to about 150 zoos through out the US for free or half price, but you have to pay for parking at any zoo you didn't get it through. So far this year we have visited about 5 different parks... my little ones like walking and playing with sticks as much as the play grounds. We've done the mall thing a few times over the winter, but I seem to end up spending $ there - lol. Last year we also bought a cheap pool and put it up in the back yard... we all were about to play in the "outside tub" which was a blat for the kids and mom & dad had fun too.
Being a single income family can make it a little harder sometimes... but we have been able to manage. Daddy does a good job of keeping them happy when momma is at work, sometimes even a walk around the block is enough to make little ones happy, and give you enough of a brake that you are a little more relaxed.
GL with your spring and summer adventures!
J.
T.,
I'm not sure where you are from, but I take my kids to local area parks. I too am a stay at home mommy with a 3 & 5 year old. I also go to Mohigan state park and walk the trails and have a picinic. Very inexpensive. More into the summer I take my kids to Lake Erie for the day.
