What do stay at home mom's do? Well, we certainly don't stay at home. Besides the usual array of school activities, practices, dance classes, and church stuff, there are some things we really like to do as a family throughout the year. So I thought maybe it was time to post some of them here.
1) The zoo! Any zoo! We have a membership, and use it well. The zoo membership pays for itself in less than two trips, and is reciprocal at several other zoos around the nation....and with a membership you don't feel so bad if the kids just want to play in the Discovery Tree for two hours then go home.
2) Wonderscope. We need to renew our membership. They are a preschooler's paradise. They host Theater for Young America, have parenting, science and art classes, and lots of interactive.educational, exhibits. There's even a pair of hamsters, snakes, and a frog. Few places can get both my two year old and ten year old this excited.
3) The library. This was our favorite place in Topeka, but KC is just not quite as little kid friendly, so we don't go as much as we'd like. It's a haven of DVD's, and having to return them helps a parents sanity more than you can believe. It takes off you that they can't watch it for the millionth time. Sorry hon, it was due back so some other little boy/girl can watch it. For older kids, it's a great way to "try on" new types of books and find what they're really into, before you raid Borders. It's great for mom and dad books too, and a place where they HAVE to be quiet to go to....what more could a mom want?
4)Parks. We have a variety of ones we like, from Penguin Park in the northland to the Antioch Park in JoCo. A sunny day, a playground and a picnic are heaven.
5) "Pick your own" orchards. Want kids who love fruit? Let them pick it themselves. Our favorite one is Davenport Winery around Eudora. They have grapes, apples, and some years they have peaches. They sell local honey too.
6) Louisburg Cider mill. Kids love watching the apples being washed, move up the conveyer, and squished. Non-allergic kids like the fresh doughnuts too, both watching them be made and eating them.
7) Community centers: They aren't just a mini gym with a pool table anymore. They have indoor playgrounds & swimming pools, sports courts, art & fitness classes,....like the library we should use ours more.
8) Swimming: So many places have pools that are "water parks" now. We're partial to the one in Lawrence, where there are grandparents around to help!
9)Mini gof and bowling. Any kid over the age of 2 loves these two activities. Wanna really wow them? Play at the "night golf" in the mall. Take the ibuprofin with you though.
10) The plaza. We did a sculpture tour of the plaza when we were homeschooling our oldest for first grade. It was a great way to expose him to art on a kid level, with lots of breaks for food and cool stores like Discovery and Barner & Noble. The plaza art fair is another great exposure w/o pressure opportunity. And who doesn't love the lights at Christmas?
11) Restaurants. My kids think a meal in a restaurant is the epitome of joy. Whether it's the playground at BK or kids eat free night at Denny's, eating out is an adventure. For those with unending budgets and few allergy concerns, the rainforest cafe and the Dino place at the Legends are interactive too!
12) Movies. Yes, a couple times a year, we dare to take our herd to the movie theater. Everyone over the age of two thinks of this as an exotic adventure. Our one year old thinks it's an escape artist exercise. It's not just rare because it's expensive though. It's rare because the movies that appeal to toddlers and ten year olds rarely overlap, but every now and then we strike gold. Bolt was awesome!
So there you go, a dozen things to do that appeal to kids from 2-10, and sometimes older.
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