My goal is to provide other families out there ideas on keeping your kids active and entertained while not losing your sanity or breaking the bank. I can only hear, the now infamous line, “Paw patrol is on a roll!” so many times before I want to throw the television set out the window! So lets talk about a few places you might not have thought of for inexpensive activities.
This morning we headed to Lakeridge Winery for their 26th annual Harvest Festival. They had a craft fair, greasy food, wine tasting, winery tours, and the kids new favorite activity: grape stomping! We browsed jewelry and artwork while munching on kettle corn. There was a live band that performed everything from Prince to Tim McGraw. People set up their lawn chairs under massive shade trees and enjoyed a wine sample (or two) while listening. No one was overly intoxicated and the kids had a vineyard to run through when they got bored. The event was absolutely kid friendly! So follow a local winery on facebook or twitter and pay attention to their festival events!
Another of our favorite child friendly places is Bass Pro Shops. You already know that Bass Pro sells outdoor equipment: hunting, fishing, and camping gear line their shelves. What you may not know is that several times a year they host child friendly events that encourage kids to get outside. At Christmas they offer free photos with Santa and build a wild animal carousel for the little ones to ride. At Easter, a big white rabbit greats children while they search the store for hidden eggs. My girls have fired BB guns, made arts and crafts projects, learned how to aim a bow and arrow, and next weekend they are taking a free fishing lesson. There is always an art project offered and a free photo with a cool backdrop.
After you’ve had a glass of wine and learned to fire a BB gun it might be time for a trip to the hospital! (insert laugh here). Our local hospital opened up a new children’s ward about two weeks ago. For their grand opening they invited area children to bring their favorite stuffed animals for a check up! There were doctors and nurses on call to put band-aids on teddy bear’s skinned knees and update Hello Kitty’s tetanus booster. They had balloon animals and face painting and it not only let the community know that there was a new children’s ward in town but it also taught the kids that the hospital isn’t a scary place. It is a place for help. In that same category of helpers, you should pay attention to local police and fire stations. They occasionally offer open houses for area kids to come tour the stations. If you are in the Orlando area, there is actually a new fire house hosting an open house next weekend (6/18/16)! I’ll post information at the bottom along with links to everything else I have mentioned.
Next time you are grocery shopping check out the message board at the store. Wegmans in the northern states offers low-cost children’s cooking classes. Whole foods is a national food chain that offers kids cooking, yoga, and other free events throughout the year. Most grocery stores have events posted inside the store and on their webpages.
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The most rewarding thing we have done with our children has been
volunteering. Many organizations offer volunteer opportunities that are
appropriate for young children. The most comprehensive database of
volunteer opportunities is maintained by Point of Light. There are
literally hundred of opportunities, nationwide, that are perfect to help
instill a sense of community service in you kids. You can also check
with organizations you already belong to. Churches usually have food
banks they partner with. We live in a theme park metropolis and have
found volunteer opportunities with places where we hold annual passes.
Perhaps your office has a volunteer group you haven’t given much thought
to in the past. All of these are starting blocks to help you find an
opportunity right for you and your family. (I promise the sign the kids
are standing next to below says PASS member beach clean up). Did a light bulb go on in your head while you were reading? Is there
some not-usually-for-kids-place in your area that you’ve just realized
you need to look into? If there is let us know! Send us an email! We are
always looking for new and interesting family activities to share! Take
a look at the link section down below for links to the places we did
talk about! Now, go have an adventure!
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