Local Trampoline Park Review in Mesa, AZWe are always looking for new activities to do with the kids. I have a couple criteria that really make for a good activity:
1) They are affordable. 2) There are convenient times we can go when they aren't crowded (so the littlest kids don't get bowled over). 3) They tire the kids out somewhat. 4) They have some educational value - or they are just plain fun and help us make memories! 5) They are clean. This local trampoline park in Mesa hit quite a few of my options. First of all, if you go with a 2-6 year old then you HAVE to go during TODDLER TIME. It's 10 AM - 2PM, Monday-Thursday and it's WORTH IT. The price is about 50% off. Parents get to "jump" for free, because let's face it, you are chasing after the little ones anyway. There aren't very big kids there and, in fact, when we went there weren't many kids there at all. This means my kids got to do whatever they wanted and we maximized the amount of energy we spent running around. That being said, it was so large inside that even on a busy day, there is still plenty to do! What I liked about this Mesa trampoline park versus some of the others is that it didn't have climbing equipment inside. It was pretty wide-open so I could keep my eyes on the kids at all points in time. It had lots of seating options for parents that are able to watch their kids and sit down. I can't stand having to climb through McDonald's-like playground equipment because my toddler is stuck and lost at the top. It's not my idea of fun and I don't think it's his either. There were LOTS of foam pits here. They did remind me of the old ball pits but comfier. I like to think that they clean these someway, but it didn't appear so. The place got dinged a point or two for not being the cleanest trampoline park I've ever seen. Our favorite thing at the trampoline park was a video screen that tracked your jumping movements and put you in a game-like universe where you completed Wii like games. It was really fun (and very challenging for the littler kids). There was only one of these working at the time, so I can see the line getting very backed up here on the weekends. Overall, we had a lot of fun. They offer memberships which seems like a better deal if you plan to go at peak times more than once. For us, we liked the toddler time and it's a nice option to go once-in-a-while.
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It's literally impossible to say "Bluey" without singing the theme song, right? Teddy wanted a Bluey themed birthday this year. We love Bluey in the Smith household. I love a good themed birthday and some good decorations. This is post 1 of a series on a Bluey birthday. Unfortunately, there isn't A LOT out there for Bluey birthdays at the stores. There is A LOT of different items on Etsy though which is great! We did see the Bluey and Bingo cut outs. They are about 2 feet tall and retail for around $40 each. I knew we could make it cheaper and have so much fun doing it. Here's what we did! WHat you Need:-Poster boardSo we started at Michaels. They sell poster board, but it was about $2 - $2.50 a sheet. We walked right next door to Dollar Tree and bought our poster board for $0.50 each! I am not affiliated with Dollar Tree, but I love a good deal so much that I should be! Also - they do have the thicker poster boards at Dollar Tree, but I would go for your standard project poster-board. If you are going to cut out the characters, the thicker poster boards can get a little wonky. -A projectorI know, this one is kind of a big deal. We were fortunate enough to have a projector at home to use. They do sell some cheap ones for around $25 at Wal-Mart, so if you're going to use it again, maybe it's not a terrible investment. You need it to project the image on the poster board. I'm not sure how else you might be able to do it without one. Ideas? -Tape (for holding up poster board) |
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How do you keep your toddler(s) entertained on rainy days? Here are the Smith household's top 5 favorites!
1. Dance in the rAIN - Record a "YouTube" Video
This might only apply because we live in Arizona and see minimal rain, but the kids hardly ever get a chance to actually play in it. If it's not too cold and definitely not storming, the kids LOVE to take their umbrellas out and just experience a little rain. I wish my kids had rain boots to splash around in, but I just can't justify the investment for as little rain as we get. That being said, let them be their own little Peppa Pig and jump in those (muddy) puddles!
My kids also get excited when we pretend we are going to record a YouTube video. Maybe one day I will get around to posting them. Teddy likes to plan out exactly what he is going to do in the video - so maybe singing and dancing in the rain - maybe telling a story using the rain. Rainy days are fun days to use the camera on my phone to record them acting like their fun little selves!
My kids also get excited when we pretend we are going to record a YouTube video. Maybe one day I will get around to posting them. Teddy likes to plan out exactly what he is going to do in the video - so maybe singing and dancing in the rain - maybe telling a story using the rain. Rainy days are fun days to use the camera on my phone to record them acting like their fun little selves!
2. The Forgotten Shopping Mall
I don't know about your town, but our mall is only ever busy around the Christmas season. This last rainy day, the kids and I went to the local mall. They have a climbing designated play area, a train that rides around the mall, stuffed riding animals you can rent, and a carousel! I used to travel around the country for work and visiting shopping malls was always something I loved (shopping addiction). I know every mall is unique and they all have some sort of charm. We had a blast! They even like going to the food court and smelling the smells if we don't want to get a treat!
3. The Library
We LOVE the library. There is always something new to see and do at the library. One of our favorite games to play at the library is to think of an upcoming holiday, a topic that we want to learn more about, or something we recently talked about. Then we go on a hunt to look for books related to these! We can talk about searching for books on the computer. They also love the really organized nonfiction section of our local library to meander through. Our library hosts regular read-alouds and activities for kids, so if it's raining, you might be able to tag onto one of these that you don't regularly attend. Our local events are all free and a great break in the day!
4. Children's Museums
My kids love their museums. For me, museums have to be structured and planned out ahead of time. I get too stressed when I let my kids just run free in a museum and have to corral them both. That being said, rainy days are great days to visit their favorite local museums. While my kids love the children's museums we have here in Arizona, they also love off-beat museums too - Arizona History, Fire History, Aviation. They love looking at new and different things!
5. Run Errands - Target and a Craft? Hair cut?
I love Bullseye's Playground at Target. I am guilty of buying lots there! I also love the little bins near the Michaels checkouts that have fun activities too. Hobby Lobby sometimes has some cheap themed crafts closer to holidays and the beginning of seasons. If we want to get out of the house on a rainy day, sometimes I take the kids to my favorite craft stores (or Target) and we find a cheap activity that will keep us busy. I can also get some shopping done (or at least a curbside pick-up). We avoid the toy aisle because we aren't looking to pack the house with more stuff, just find something different to do!
I am also reeeeally bad at getting haircuts done in a timely manner for my kids. What an easy, quick trip out of the house to get something productive done? My kids love getting their hair cut because they get little dum dum suckers after. They also think they are pretty cool to go to Sports Clips where adults get their hair cut. Let's face it, if it's a week day, it won't be too busy and you can cross something off the to-do list!
I am also reeeeally bad at getting haircuts done in a timely manner for my kids. What an easy, quick trip out of the house to get something productive done? My kids love getting their hair cut because they get little dum dum suckers after. They also think they are pretty cool to go to Sports Clips where adults get their hair cut. Let's face it, if it's a week day, it won't be too busy and you can cross something off the to-do list!
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