"Winter" in Tallahassee

Moving from Colorado had its fair share of culture shock, but I think the biggest oddity I experienced while living here are warm holidays.  The first Christmas we spent in Tallahassee it was 70 degrees.  We had the windows open.  I wore a tank top.  I probably got sunburned.

Despite my loathing of the hot weather down here, I will say Tallahassee an extremely family friendly town. There are always tons of events going on, especially at Christmastime.  One of my favorites is the Winter Festival that the city sponsors.  The first year we went, it snowed.  Well, they made it snow with snow machines anyway, but it was a nice effect considering we were so used to real White Christmases.  The festival includes a lighting ceremony where they light up all the grand oak trees downtown, followed by the annual Jingle Bell Run (a short & sweet 3K.  We haven’t participated since the kids arrived, but I think next year we will start back up) and then a parade, complete with Santa.  They dedicate one section of the downtown area to kids, appropriately dubbed “Candy Cane Lane” where they don the strip with animatronics and the local candy maker does a candy cane making display and all the kids get free (GIANT) candy canes.  The festival this year is on December 7 (tomorrow).  Festivities begin at 3, and the lighting ceremony starts at 6pm. 

Another one of my favorite events at this time of year is Elf Night at Dorothy B. Oven Park.  Every year they light up the park, and you can drive and walk through a fantastic light display.  We never attended on Elf Night until Abby came, because it is geared towards kids, and well, we weren’t really into that before we had our own!  They almost always provide some sort of treat like cookies, hot chocolate, and hot apple cider.  Lots of people are dressed up as fun characters; gingerbread man, snowman, toy soldier, and of course, SANTA!  We have gone the past two years, and we are hoping to go again this year.  Last year it even rained, but we went anyway!  They also made it “snow” last year – with bubbles.  I think that was Abby’s favorite part.  Elf Night this year is on Thursday December 19 at 5:30pm.

So, Tallahassee friends, what is your favorite family friendly holiday event this month?  We’re always looking for fun things to do with the kids!

Summer Extracurriculars

Summer is here, which means our extracurricular activities are piling up.

I like using the summer sessions of classes/activities to “test” them out on Abby.  The school year is way too long of a commitment for a high-spirited 2.5 year old (although, she will be 3 in August).  But 6-8 weeks is perfect.

Here is what we are enrolled for this summer:

Mommy & Me Ballet

Abby at ballet, last year (left) and this year (right)

This is our second summer taking ballet with The Tallahassee Ballet.  We did it last summer, and Abby enjoyed it.  I even contemplated signing her up for the year (Sept – May) but didn’t because I was due with Will in November, and, well, the logistics of having a newborn and shuffling Abby to & from class, plus the added expense of having 2 kids won out.  Plus, she was just 2 then, and I am not sure how she would have handled it.  Last summer, the class felt like chaos.  But now that she’s almost 3, it’s amazing how well she follows directions (from the teacher, never from me.  Go figure!).  And I think she is really enjoying it.  She talks about ballet all the time.  For the fall, we decided to put her in a ballet/tap program that comes to her preschool, Dancing Little Stars.  I talked to another mom from her class whose little girl is in it and she loves it!  Abby will have her first recital in full costume in May!

Gymnastics

Abby at gymnastics

This is another parent participation class through the City of Tallahassee.  We just started this summer.  I wanted to start in the spring, but the process to get registered is ridiculous.  No offense to the Trousdell GymnasticsCenter, but, they need to get out of the dark ages with pen & ink registration forms and a lot of sitting around and waiting type lottery drawings.  Invest in some software people!  Anyway, we really like the class so far.  The problem is, it is such a high-speed environment, it goes by SO fast. I don’t think 30min is enough.  They should extend it to 45min.  Especially since 5-10min of the class is wasted while people trickle in and they take attendance.  But, Abby loves it.  Her favorite (of course) is the trampoline and also doing forward rolls down the “wedge.”  The classes are so cheap and are a great way to wear her out so we will definitely keep her in it in the fall.

Swim Lessons

Baby Abby at her first swim lesson, at about 8mo

This is Abby’s third summer taking swim lessons through the city (a way easier registration process, and all online!).  But, I will say, you get what you pay for.  The classes are not that fantastic, although I hear that some pools have better instructors than others.  We’ve had the same mediocre instructor for 3 years, but we keep returning because it’s cheap, and this is the closest pool to our house that provides parent/child classes on a weekend.  Also, this pool has a huge kiddie activity pool.  So after class we stay and play for a little while.  We enrolled Will this summer too (ages start at 6mo) and he pretty much hates it.  Abby is our little water-baby, not so much Will it seems.  At age three they start “solo” classes, so next summer should be interesting!

A lot more activities will be open to her next summer when she is actually 3 and close to 4.  I can’t wait to “test” some new things out on her, like T-ball or soccer.

What do your summer activities look like?

5 Outdoor Summer Activities for Toddlers

Now that summer is officially here (it’s even the last day of school in our area today), it’s time to start taking advantage of the longer days and warmer weather.  Here are a few ideas you can use to keep your little ones entertained and enjoy a little sunshine yourself:

Get Wet

With hot summer days, there is nothing like a little water play to cool off.  If you have a kiddie pool and/or a sprinkler, you can set something up in your own backyard!  Here is a little video of our most recent set-up.  The pool is about $20 at target, and the slide was a gift from a good friend (yes, she always closes the door behind her).

 

Most cities also have public pools, or maybe your local neighborhood or apartment complex maintains a pool.  We are fortunate to have two pools that have kid-friendly activity pools.  Abby actually is less than thrilled to have water shot at her, but I think as she gets older and a little more fearless she will really enjoy it.

Plant Something

Gardening is a great teaching tool.  Kids get the satisfaction of getting down and dirty in the soil and also learn about the lifecycle of plants.  You can either start a backyard garden, or get a small pot and plant 1-2 seeds and watch them grow.  They can also participate in taking responsibility for remembering to water and fertilize as necessary.  Some plants, such as radishes, sprout really fast.  Radishes are usually ready to harvest within a few weeks so those are great starter plant to keep younger kids engaged.  Marigolds and Sunflowers are good flowers to grow with kids as well.

Watch Wildlife

Every time we are outside for even a minute, Abby will shout “Look Mommy!  Birds!”  We also have lizards, squirrels, and even snakes that we can see just around the house.  You could also go to a local park or nature preserve in order to observe animals that you may not get to see in your own backyard.  If you live near a lake, river, or the ocean, you can go observe aquatic wildlife as well.  My daughter gets a kick out of watching turtles and fish swim around, and also to watch ducks dive under the water and pop back up a few feet away.  Easy toddler entertainment!

Get Messy

Do lots and lots and lots of outdoor crafts!  Whole body “finger” painting, shaving cream fun, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, etc are fun ways to entertain those toddlers while also getting some fresh air and sunshine (yay Vitamin D!).  Here are a few links that will get you started:

Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Spray Painting Fun

Shaving Cream Paint
 

Have a Picnic

We are fortunate enough to have several wonderful public greenways very near us.  It is the perfect place to stock up the picnic supplies and a few outdoor toys (balls, bubbles, whatever you can think of) and run around.  Eating outdoors is always a fun novelty for kids.  They can even help you prepare for the event by packing the cooler and picking out what type of food they would like to bring to the picnic.  Picnics are also a great opportunity to meet up with other families for both adult and child play dates.  The last time we had a picnic at the greenway there were 3 families total.  The kids had a blast playing with each other and the parents sat and relaxed and chatted while the kids ran around.  As you can see from the photos, it was tons of fun!

There you have it.  Five simple and fun ideas for you to take advantage of this summer.  What kind of activities do you enjoy doing outdoors with your children?