Art Lab at Irving Arts Center
May 23, 2010 by Happy Campers
Filed under To Do in DFW
A few Sundays ago, the Irving Arts Center hosted an Art Lab for children & young adults.
Jessie & I took Reese to see what exactly an “Art Lab” was, and what a neat surprise!
The Arts Center had a large room set aside for the children, & our guide gave us a short introduction to the artist on display in the Museum, Arie Van Selm.
He uses stencils to create his very large paintings, so our guide showed us how to use the stencils & sponges to create our own works of art. Van Selm uses lots of head, bird, & “blob” shaped stencils, and so did we!
Jessie’s Favorite Painting
Reese’s Favorite Painting
My Favorite Painting
Heather writes of daily life with a homeschooler at Reese’s View of the World.
Spice Up Staycation with Cheap, Creative Thrills
May 21, 2010 by Julie Blair
Filed under Best Of, To Do in DFW, feature, fun
You aimed to rent a beach house the Big Island this summer for your family, but alas, the economy has downsized your plans to include only cold showers at home.
That said, you and your kids can substitute a costly vacation with a smashing “staycation” here in Texas. All it takes is a little imagination and perhaps some phone calls. And just think: You’ll have the luxury of your own washing machine, which, when enjoyed with a frosty margarita, is a beautiful thing.
Here are ten things you can do locally when the weather heats up.
Send your children to “Mom Camp.” Invite four or five parents to form a co-op for a week-long “camp.” Each adult takes one day then plans and oversees a themed play date for a four-hour block of time. Each day includes a craft using recycled household goods, traditional games like hide-and-seek, outdoor free play, a story borrowed from the library and a snack. Consider themes like “the ocean,” “outer space,” “circus,” or “summer.” For inspiration on crafts and games, see www.familyfun.com. Budget: $30 per kid.
Spend a week rating ice cream parlors. Take your kids to sample the wares of our community’s ice cream shops. Have your children draw up a chart then assign points to each shop for their store’s variety, product quality, atmosphere, etc. Then, have your foodies write a review of the stores. (If they don’t have the endurance to write yet, you can play secretary for them.) Budget: $25 per kid.
Host a spontaneous bike parade. Invite the neighborhood clan over to decorate their bikes and trikes then peddle the creations through the streets for their adoring fans (ie. parents). Use recycled Christmas ribbon, latex balloons, old toilet paper rolls, streamers and other craft box floatsome and jetsome to personalize every ride. Designate one child to carry the boom box to broadcast summer tunes. Non-riders can carry pom-poms, twirl batons or march. Budget: $1 per kid.
Design a puppet show. Put all those lonesome socks hanging out in the laundry room to use by making hand puppets. Use paper, pompoms, yard, etc. to decorate each character. No puppet stage? No worries: Have your children stand on the couch and raise their hands above their heads to display their puppets. Take the show further by making tickets and selling popcorn. Budget: Free.
Create an outdoor kids’ museum. String an old sheet up on a laundry line and fill spray bottles with watered down tempra paint. Have your children spray the sheet to make innovative designs. Warning: The paint will sprinkle the kids, so be sure to have everyone wear old clothing. Bonus: When the project is done, have everyone run through the hose then leap into the swimming pool or a warm mid-day bath. Budget: $5 per kid.
Take advantage of free trials. Sample classes at local gyms like WinKids, Gymboree, the Little Gym and Excite as well as dance studios all of which offer complimentary trials. Your kids will get exercise in an air-conditioned environment, you’ll get an hour off duty, the hosts will receive free publicity when you tell your pals how much fun you all had. Budget: Free.
Help lost animals. Many of the area’s shelters welcome children who can gently pet wayward dogs and cats in an attempt to keep them socialized. This is a great opportunity to discuss the idea of “home” with children, the concept of adoption and the importance of volunteering. Be careful, though. If you get too involved in the project you might bring home a beagle. Budget: Free, but donation recommended.
Strive for a strike. Even three-year-olds get a kick out of pushing a big, black bowling ball down the wooden lane if there are bumpers to help guide it. Older kids will enjoy putting their Wii skills to use in a real-world adventure. You will get a kick out of remembering high school as Belinda Carlisle and the Go-Gos sing “Vacation” while you slide across the floors in those killer sueded shoes. We like AMF in Lewisville for their less-expensive rates and retro feel. Budget: $10 per kid.
Roll with it. Once you’ve mastered bowling, your ready for roller skating. At Interskate Roller Rink in Lewisville, your little ones can get their sea legs atop four-wheeled skates in a special tyke rink that includes guard rails. This hidden gem even offers a live DJ who takes requests. They might even play “Fruit Salad” by The Wiggles if you bring your own CD. Budget: $3 per kid on Bargain Night plus skate rental. Check www.interskate.net for coupons and free skate nights.
Request a tour. It is amazing how many local businesses provide educational tours of their facilities if you simply ask nicely and/or beg. Pull together a group of five playmates and visit the city’s recycling plant, the Great Harvest Bread Company, a local shoe cobbler, Grapevine’s glass blowing studio or the DFW airport where gearheads will enjoy riding the trams from terminal to terminal. Most intriguing is a trip to Flower Mound’s lone alpaca farm called Nana’s Pacas where Nana and her husband will teach you about on the cousin of the llama. They’ll let you pet the animals and show samples of the goodies that alpaca fur makes. Budget: Treasures or treats cost up to $20 per kid.
Julie Blair is a freelance journalist based in the Dallas area. She loves to roller skate with her four-year-old twins. Her personal blog can be found at: www.chocolatecoveredpajamas.blogspot.com.
What is YOUR favorite staycation activity?
Trains at North Park
December 9, 2009 by Texasholly
Filed under To Do in DFW, activities, feature
The trains at NorthPark Center in Dallas is a fun thing to do with your kids over the holiday break. The trains are set up in a store front in the mall. All the proceeds go to benefit the Ronald McDonald house.
When you walk through the train display, there are trains on both sides on multiple levels. There is space for strollers and you will find yourself lifting your kids so they can see things up high. There are also displays lower on their level.
The details are pretty great. There are little scenes everywhere you look. My boys were especially interested in anything construction-related.
The train display doesn’t take long. We probably spent about 30 minutes. The food court at NorthPark is expansive and kid-friendly.
NorthPark Center has an unusual attraction for kids. In several locations they have these large planters filled with beautiful flowers. The tile bricks are very slick and children climb up to the top, hang on, then slide down. The planters attract tons of kids and all seem to have a fun time.
More information about the trains at NorthPark can be found here. The exhibit will be at NorthPark November 21, 2009 through January 3, 2010.
Black Friday in the ‘burb
November 26, 2009 by Texasholly
Filed under To Do in DFW, feature
I have lived in the ‘burb for 7 black Fridays. Each and every one has been celebrated in the same way. My oldest son and I go SHOPPING!
It all started because he wakes up early. I figured that since he was awake at ungodly hours, we should shop at ungodly hours.
It has become a family tradition. Ryan is now 8. He looks forward to it all year. He will tell others how every year he and his mom “get up in the middle of the night to go to the stores”. We shop then go out to breakfast. Most black Fridays we are back home before 9 am.
For us it is not about the actual purchases, it is about the event. I will pick up a door buster bargain if it is convenient, but if the line at the register is long we skip on to the next store.
This year we are doing all our early shopping in the ‘burb. I could have never guessed 5 years ago that we would have that many shops available in this area. What fun!
So, I have made this map. If you see us, please wave…
…and if you are hungry around 7:30 there are usually empty tables near us for breakfast.
The map is from our last year’s adventure. It is where you will likely find us this year as well. You may note that Wal-Mart is not on our list. We usually do the Wal-Mart overnight online specials instead of the zoo that Wal-Mart becomes on black Friday…remember, this is ALL ABOUT THE FUN.
Back to Boston; A Beautiful day in the City
Baby, it’s hot outside
August 19, 2009 by Liz
Filed under To Do in DFW, feature
When I imagined being a stay-at-home mom, I had visions of arts and crafts days, outings to places like the zoo, aquarium and park and educational classes galore.
My social life would explode with a whirl of activities with other mommies, and I would end each day feeling like I was providing my child with a full and engaging life.
Flash forward to my current reality as a new stay-at-home mom in the metroplex. What I’ve learned, and quickly, is that all those fun activities I imagined are great, but only if you are the mother of a toddler. My four-month old couldn’t care less if she sees a giraffe at the zoo. In fact, she really doesn’t care where we go or what we do, as long as she can do so with her newly discovered fists crammed in her mouth.
And don’t get me started about how bleaping hot it is here. Having an infant in the summer in Texas is like being under house arrest. Any activity outdoors is immediately dismissed due to the fact that while it is not exactly enjoyable to find yourself sweating buckets, having a sweaty and therefore cranky infant is even less enjoyable. This summer, the most engaging activity I look forward to is an outing to the mall where I can spend several hours just strolling around in air-conditioning. How far I’ve fallen.
Lucky for me, baby Kate is super entertained and impressed by the small stuff. A new teething ring, a brightly colored sock, her feet. And while MY life is slightly less exciting than I imagined, I’ve been amazed to find that I have actually become super impressed by the small stuff too, like Kate’s fascination with a new teething ring, a brightly colored sock and her feet.
But on those days that I do decide to brave the elements, if only to save my sanity by getting out of the house, here are a few things to do with an infant. Mothers of toddlers, beware. Most of these activities require a companion that can’t crawl and/or get into things.
Mall Strolling: Okay, I’ve already said it, but spending several hours at the mall is therapeutic, even when you are on a budget and only get to look, not touch. Besides being air-conditioned, the mall often has great locations to change diapers, nurse or grab a snack. Personally, I gravitate towards any mall that has a Nordstroms in it, thanks to their fantastic women’s lounges. And Kate alternately gets to nap, feed and look at pretty things, which she always enjoys.
Coffee Houses: Maybe your infant is different, but Kate loves to people watch. At times when mommy is no longer interesting and my bag of tricks has run dry, taking Kate out someplace to just sit and observe often makes her day. I personally like to take her someplace that I can get wi-fi and squeeze in a little work while she goggles at all the different kinds of people. Panera, Starbucks or your local coffee shop is nearly always an eye-candy fest for baby.
Classes: There are a ton of classes in the metroplex, both baby-focused activities like Kindermusik or Little Gym, or mommy-focused classes like baby wearing or signing. I have to admit I haven’t taken advantage of these just yet, mainly because when I looked into the cost of Kindermusik I decided I could buy a CD and a tambourine and sing to Kate for a total of $19.95 instead of spending the fairly exorbitant amount of money to do it in public instead of in my house. Did I mention I have been called cheap by certain people? However, that said, I know several people who take their babies to classes and love it. Also, a lot of the parent-focused classes are free which really gets me excited! Pottery Barn Kids even has events and decorating classes each month that are all free, just get on their email list to be notified.
The Gym: If your gym has a daycare, take advantage of it! As a stay-at-home parent, I enjoy the fact that Kate is exposed to other children/babies/caretakers when she goes to the gym. I feel like I’m doing something good for her and for me. And trust me, I don’t always feel like working out. Just yesterday I took a good book to the gym and spent 45 minutes on a bike, pedaling as slow as humanly possible and enjoying some “me” time while Kate played with (okay, stared at) the other children. I have another girlfriend who uses the gym daycare to get a nice long shower some days instead of her typical 3.5 minute shower she has to take at home.
Liz Edelbrock is a writer and blogger who enjoys sharing her misadventures as a wife and mother with anyone who can learn from her mistakes! Follow her antics daily on The Edel Spot.
Old Town Waterpark – Lewisville
August 2, 2009 by Texasholly
Filed under To Do in DFW, feature
Since we don’t have a pool at our house, the boys and I have been on Pool Tour DFW Summer ’09. We have swam several times a week at the generosity of friends, neighbors and communities. In fact, it has been a great tour and isn’t helping my campaign on the homefront for a pool of our own.
The boys love Old Town Aquatic Park in Lewisville. I love that it is easy to make sure that three boys running in different directions are safe.
Rhett who is three loves the little park-like spiral waterslide and the splash area. Reid and Ryan who are older really like the larger pool area with a very lazy river. It is so lazy I am not sure that it can be called a river.
There are quite a few covered picnic areas and seating for observing adults. The price of admission is low – even for non-Lewisville residents and we easily spent 2 to 3 hours on each visit if snacks/lunch were remembered.
Old Town Aquatic Park is located at 535 W. College in Lewisville. More information about hours and admission charges can be found on the City of Lewisville website.
Gaylord Texan – Summerfest
July 25, 2009 by Texasholly
Filed under DFW North, To Do in DFW, activities, events, feature, fun
I recently went over to the Gaylord Texan for dinner with my husband. It has been awhile since we have been there and they have been busy during my absence! The place is bigger and better than ever. One of the things the Gaylord Texan is doing this summer is a bunch of activities for families which they have named, Summerfest.
Throughout the amazing interior of the Gaylord Texan hotel are family-friendly displays and live character interaction. Many of the displays are trains.
Some of the trains fit into the lush Gaylord Texan hotel landscape and some were brought in for the Summerfest festivities.
My favorite was the very random guitar train…
There were also very tall people…
and very tall trees.
Even if you don’t make it to Summerfest, it is really fun to just walk around the hotel.
The riverwalk that winds through the heart of the hotel is beautiful.
There are little scenes and quiet corners with special things to see.
Everywhere you look there is something fun and a little out of the ordinary.
Summerfest is running every weekend all summer through September 9. Thursday evenings are kids eat free nights at the Gaylord Texan restaurants. You can find out more information about Summerfest and the Gaylord Texan on their website.
Dallas Zoo
July 14, 2009 by Texasholly
Filed under DFW East, feature
Last Friday we had good intentions. A friend and I agreed to meet at the Science Museum with our collective 5 boys for a morning of fun.
I was 1/2 the way to Dallas when my husband called and said, “Where is this museum?”
“Fair Park.”
“You CAN’T GO THERE TODAY! It is the Cotton Bowl!”
About that time my friend called to report her husband had just called her with the same information and she was already in a traffic jam on I-30.
We had 5 anxious boys, 1 grandma and 2 very uninformed mommies!
We made a snap decision to go to the Dallas Zoo instead. The weather was great and we already had sandwiches packed…
The boys were excited to get out of the car and run around. The zoo was a perfect place for expending child energy.
There is an area where you can buy either worms or birdseed sticks to feed the birds for $1. All our boys chose the birdseed sticks. The birds were still on their “winter schedule” so eating wasn’t a high priority, but we had some fun encounters. Several of the birds kept trying to climb into my purse or up my mom’s coat sleeves. They were not shy and the kids loved it.
Next time I will encourage buying the worms. Some of the birds only eat worms and they seem to be a less popular purchase among the zoo visitors. You don’t actually touch the worms, the birds will eat them out of a small cup that is provided.
The zoo has a huge play area. It has equipment for kids of all ages. This spider web was my 5 y/o’s favorite:
There is also slides and tunnels and large eggs to climb into…just a bunch of fun stuff. Surrounding the play area are several smaller learning centers and the Nature Exchange Center.
All the boys thought this was great. You can bring in up to 5 items (you collected at home) and trade them for other nature treasures. There is a point system assigned so it is like a nature store. There are many things to see and touch even if you (like us) don’t have anything to trade.
This Nature Exchange Center is one of the main reasons we will be returning to the zoo this year–and next time we will be prepared with treasures to trade.
The underground learning area is really unique. It is dark (and quiet) and has all sorts of animals that live underground.
There is also a tunnel to crawl through to fully experience underground living.
There are also lots of animals at the zoo…
Overall it was a great experience. We were glad we had missed the craziness at Fair Park and gone to the Dallas Zoo. It took us about 45 minutes (without traffic) to get there from Flower Mound. We spent 4 hours, but could have easily spent another hour or two if everyone had the energy!
If you have written about your experience at the Dallas Zoo, please mention the link in the comments.
When Holly isn’t planning trips in the middle of major events, she can be found at June Cleaver Nirvana where being a mommy and blogging is not in the middle of traffic.
How to find family activities in Denton County
June 28, 2009 by Texasholly
Filed under DFW North, feature
Last November when Burb Mom was just a few weeks old, one of my friends (who at that time was one of 4 Burb Mom readers) sent me a frantic email saying, “Have you seen this?” with an e-newsletter attachment.
It was one of the first Family eGuide newsletters that outlined TONS of stuff to do in Flower Mound, Highland Village, Lewisville and surrounding areas.
Holy crap!
We did a lot of research before we started Burb Mom and then...just a few weeks into it I find that someone else has started a very organized, informative calendar for THE VERY AREA THAT Burb Mom covered.
Of course I subscribed instantly.
At that point Family eGuide didn’t have a website and at that point Burb Mom didn’t have a newsletter so I figured that this town is big enough for both.
As Burb Mom grew and as Family eGuide grew things changed.
Burb Mom got a whole lot more chatty and less calendar-driven.
Family eGuide started a website and amassed a huge amount of information and developed what I believe is the most comprehensive area family event calendars.
Ever.
Anywhere.
So we HAD to meet Valerie Preston the brains and sweat behind Family eGuide.
We met for coffee at the Cinnabon/Schlotzsky’s in Flower Mound – a coffee which lasted 2 1/2 hours. It was so fun to meet her. We couldn’t stop talking, planning and trying to figure out how we could work together.
She is a very organized mom of two who scours over 150 sources on the internet, newspapers, etc. to put together a resource for families which is unmatched:
- Weekly newsletter full of family activities in Southern Denton County.
- Online calendar FULL of events - really, you won’t believe it until you see it.
- Website that includes everything local to Flower Mound, Highland Village, Lewisville and beyond that families would want to know.
- Special seasonal lists like summer camps, sports leagues, etc.
- Kids Eat Free list.
My favorite part of the Family eGuide website is the calendar – it is magical!
The amazing thing is that it is all there FOR FREE for parents in Southern Denton County.
When you stop by Family eGuide, be sure to sign up for the e-newsletter too.
