In Door Play When Its Cold???

have you looked at joining a moms organization? There are two that I know of, mothersandmore.org and momsclub.org. Both are a great way to meet moms with kids the same ages and have playdates and many things to do! I joined one when I came to the area and LOVE it. I have made great friends for my toddlers and me.

My three yr old son love Jungle Java (locations in Canton, Farmington hills and Ann Arbor). $6.50 per child to play in the play area. They also have a seperate area for the younger children. Adults don't pay to enter.

Hi A.,

when my very active son was a toddler I would set up daily "obstacle courses" for him. It would be anything from jumping, skipping, rolling, summer saulting etc... to the couch over a pillow up the stairs - Some days I would do a theme and he would have to pretend to be an animal doing the course etc...He loved it and burned off lots energy. Sometimes I would challenge him to see how fast he could go and sometimes I would put on music. I just kept changing it up all the time and it really helped us get through some long winters! Hope that helps.

DeeL.

We go to McDonalds play place. they have a great apple walnut snack for $2.00 that I get for the kids. My son is a climber so he loves it and I get an hour of sanity.

I use the library -= and right now they have a special deal going with most of the museums in the area - you can get free passes for 2 or 4. Check out the details in your local library.

Our library also has "activity bags" to check out - that include coloring pages, videos, books and other fun stuff geared for a particular topic (ie, fall, thanksgiving, colors, etc) the kids love to see the surprises!

Also - just getting out makes a difference - try to set up a playdate with another mom.

good luck!
D.

HI A.
At my house we dance, have special pillows just for jumping on, a pop up tent, I'd even wash some of the smaller outdoor toys and bring them in for the day. The little teeter totter was great for that. My 5 yo thinks the seatless peddle bike is her exercise machine. We use them together while watching the travel channel and pretend we were going to those places. You could do so w/ out the tv as well and make up your own adventure. Lots of arts and crafts. Do jumping jacks with counting.
A. H

I hear there is a gym in Ferndale that is good and relatively cheap.. I don't have the info, but that may be fun.
Can you just bundle up and go outside anyway?
There's a place called Kiddie Klub in Rochester Hills (M59 and Crooks) www.kiddieklub.com that is great.. after 5pm it's $5 per child. Maybe go to Oakland Mall too if you're not too worried about germs and play there?

Maybe have a playdate with another active toddler/mom and the kids will get their energy out together.

Also we just went to the Flint Children's Museum and it was GREAT. It's only $4 for adults.. not sure how much kids are cause our's was FREE under 2.

Imagination. That's the key. We used to pull all of the cushions off of the couch and make forts. Great for killing hours. Also great for body strenth (for both of you!). Then we would knock it down and climb on it. Sometimes we'd made an obsticle course out of it. Too fun!

Good luck!

PS; When that gets old, try Chuck E. Cheese! :D

S.

If you have the money for it, Gymboree is great! If you are scheduled for a class, then you can go to the open gym times which are a good way to get energy out! Good luck!

A.,

How well I remember those days...here are a few ideas.

Check out your local library and see what free programs they have as they play groups, and reading groups, and play areas, and computers and it is a great place to hang out. If your area does not have a big library or a childrens section or center, look on-line and find the biggest one with the most activities near you.

Almost any mall has play areas for free and I use to meet several of my friends with their kids and we sat and talked and drank coffee and watched the kids play and the moms got a break also. Sometimes when we could afford it we would eat lunch their also. We would meet in the morning and then go home for naps.

Some movie theaters offer cheap movies on certain days of the week and some are even free. You probably have to visit the theater or call them directly to find out. Some muesuems are inexpensive or free also. They are a great place to go with a friend and the kids can run around even if they don't really understand what you are seeing.

Your library or chamber of commerce may even have activities for families and are a good place to start. My friends and I all had zoo passes as in family passes and they have some buildings that are great to go in when the weather gets cold. The Detroit zoo is open year round and my favorite time to go was the spring and the fall. The bird sanctuary and the butterfly exhibits are indoors and not far to walk too.

We got together as friends at each other's house and had lunch and the kids all played in the basement or whatever. You need to socialize and play as much as your toddler. Do you rollerskate as they are open during the week also and have lessons usually. On days like this hit the park and take advantage of the weather. I bundled my kids up and took them even when it was a little bit colder and they just ran around and found other kids to play with.

If you are going to places alone...take a book and read while your child plays as in the mall and you get the idea.

Enjoy while you can as all too soon your toddler will be turning 14 and in the 8th grade as my son is!!

M. M. (SAHM mother of three miracles...7, 9, and almost 14).

If you ever want to travel to Ann Arbor ... they have a 'hands on museum'. It's $6 entry and SOOO worth it! Even though my daughter is just 14 months old, she loves it. They have a preschool area which we can barely get her out of, and the rest she has fun with as well. She may not understand things, but at least we're exposing her to science and she's having fun with it. My husband and I have fun playing with the stuff too!

I have a 22-month-old and a 3-1/2 year old and they both LOVE the Children's Museum! Other places we go are PlayWorld (indoor play area with all kinds of Fisher Price and Little Tykes cars, playhouses, balls, slides, etc.; mall play areas, fast food restaurants with play areas. I'm always on the lookout for more ideas as well, so if anyone knows of anything in the Grand Rapids area, I'd love more ideas too!!
Hope this gives you a few more ideas, A.!

Hello!

Where do you live? That may help the input, knowing what cities you are near!

R.

Allison,
It sounds like you don't live near us, but there is a public museum in Kalamazoo, called Kalmazoo Valley Museum. It's free, although they do ask for a donation. They have a excellent preschool/toddler area on the second floor. They also have a planatarium (although there is a separate charge for this).

In Grand Rapids, they have a childrens museum, which is a hands on for kids museum. There is a dress up area, an area with carnival mirrors, a big magnet table, Duplo blocks, an art area, and lots more that I can't remember off the top of my head.

Something else we do once in awhile is go to Mcdonald's and have lunch and play in their playland.

Check your local library for toddler time activities.

Rivertown Mall in Grandville has a toddler play area with a big treehouse with a slide ,and they also have huge bacon and eggs to climb on. They also have an old fashioned carousel to ride on, I think it costs $1.00 to ride.

I hope this helps!

Oakland mall has a great play area. BUT it is closed until after christmas - as that is where santa will be sitting.

lakeside has a great playarea. Great lakes crossing has a great play area.

Gymboree (in birmingham adams south of maple) has classes and open gym times.. I think the classes are too expensive.

Macdonalds playareas are great- some are smaller for little kids.

bounce places... there is bounce U in troy on rochester road. They have some times that are for preschoolers only. so your child will not get trampled by the big kids.

There are other bounce places around. Chuck E cheese.

Ferndale Communiyt Center.. has their gym open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for running and playing. The also open up a great playroom M- W- F lots of toys.. but sometimes we go and there are no other kids there. There is a fee but it is cheap.

Franklin Athletic club has toddler gym... I think it is only on weekdays. There is a fee - maybe $ 8 per child..

Jungle Java has a big play area for kids.. moms can drink coffee. There is a fee.. maybe $7 per kid.

A nice swimming class at thelocal community center can help use up some energy.

I see by going to Oak Park's website that they have a recreation center on Oak Park Blvd. Livonia has a Community Recreation Center. An annual membership is reasonable and there is a ton for the whole family to do. If it is anything like that...the whole family will love it! Also check into what is out there like that in the Utica area if you are there a lot. Also...some YMCAs have a lot of things for the whole family, and you can get an annual membership there, too.
Good luck!

Check the website for Abilitiescenter.com. It is a child therapy place that has open gym times during the fall and winter. It is $8 per child and located in Walled Lake. They have a rock climbing wall, inflatable bounce house, a swing set, bikes etc. It is alot of fun! It is off M-5 and Maple Rds.

Oh, I totally understand! We do a lot of crafty stuff...simple stuff. It is amazing how an active kid will sit still to do a fun craft. 3 year olds can do a lot-- they can glue, color, cut...just let them use their imagination or guide them in a project. For active stuff, we dance around to kid music. I've also let Ava help me clean a lot, since she wants to help. I use products that are not chemically harmful, so it is safe. She squirts the windows and wipes them, and I took an old swiffer and shortened the handle for her and she will push that around with a microfiber rag attached to it and pick up dust bunnies. We sing songs and clean...it actually makes it more fun for me too. There are some good videos which facilitate exercise with toddlers, too. I found that if I do it with Ava she will do it, too instead of just watching.

Hi A.,
The Library is a awesome place to hang out when you are three. It's free and usually they have tons of interactive
programs on the weekends. We lived at the Library for many years especially during the winter months,
Other ideas (some might have a fee). Java Jungle and Castaway Cafe are the best places to let your child run wild while you have a cup of coffee. Also Pump it Up has open hours to let the little ones come in a jump.
Most malls have kids area that my son used to love.
Even McDonalds can be fun to let the kids run around in the play area (just bring your hand sanitisor with you). Lots of pools have open time to let the little ones play. We loved that too in the winter.
You can also do a playgroup each weekend with several moms. Each weekend one mom has the group at her house. The kids play for an hour or two and then leave so you still have time for your husband.
M.

Hi A.,
If you have one near you..chuck E cheese is great. also, if you have a mall they usually have play areas. There is a place in howell..not sure how far u are from there. Its called castaway cafe. Its a huge play structure for kids. Its about $6.00 to play all day! very inexpensive. ok hope this helps!

We do some arts & crafts, a lot of color books, "school" work books and baking. We also allow the girls to run around the house a bit more than normal. If it gets really bad, we may take them to a mall with a play area. If it's not really cold outside, we'll even bundle them up and let them play outside for a little while.

Hi,
I received a E-mail that told me about the Abilities Center in Commerce, they charge $8. for a child on a weekend day. They have certain days and times set aside. What they describe sounds like a lot of fun for a small child. I will check it out but I would like places that don't charge or the fee is less.
Thanks,
L.

Look at your local malls. Lots of them have indoor play areas. (FREE) have coffee or pop and let your child play. If school is canceled in the area it is sure to be packed. Also the earlier the better to avoid the crowds. Also go during the weekdays to avoid the weekend busy shopping crowds.
Ask around there are some inexpensive play areas. Playworld in Grandville,MI has a huge ball pit and play area plus little tyke playhouse and vechiles. Your charged by the age of your child and there's no time limit!!

There is a place in Farmington Hills on Orchard Lk Rd and 14 mile rd called Java Jungle (or Jungle Java). They have a web site, it's an indoor play area. It's nice. I've also taken my twins (2 yrs old) to Mc Donalds that have indoor play lands. Otherwise, we got to 12 Oaks Mall or Great Lakes Crossing and let them run around at the play area there.

--K.