Last year, we took our family of four to Paris for spring break, and my kids enjoyed the city in ways I could not have imagined. Here were our five favorite family-friendly attractions:
Eiffel Tower
Yay! It’s time that time of the year again when New Yorkers dust off their ice skates and head to the park for some fun. And for Brooklynites, the fun began on Thanksgiving Day when Prospect Park’s Wollman Rink opened for the season!
Prospect Park is one of Brooklyn’s most beautiful parks, where residents and visitors to the area can enjoy many of the same activities they would in Manhattan’s Central Park. Wollman Rink is a great place for winter fun all season long. Take lessons, throw a skating party, take a leisurely spin around the ice, and enjoy a snack and a hot chocolate.
Up Top on Chimney Rock
If you read Barbara’s post about her visit to Chimney Rock in the mountains of Western North Carolina, you may have thought it was a challenging effort. And it was. But what is so great about this park is that all levels of adventurists can experience the sites.
There is no place in the world that I would rather be during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons than in New York City. I can say this wholeheartedly and without a doubt in my mind, because I have spent many holiday seasons in many places around the world, but despite the wonderful sites elsewhere, I stand firm to my belief that this is definitely the place to be.
Right now, the streets are filled with tourists. Fifth Avenue, Times Square, and Herald Square are almost impossible to walk through, no matter what day of the week, but the shopping is good, the streets are festive, and celebration is in the air. Some say it starts right after Halloween, and this year that pretty much seemed like the case with some retailers showcasing their best Holiday displays. But, truthfully, the celebrations really begin the day before Thanksgiving with the inflation of the Thanksgiving Day Parade floats. This event has gotten crowded over the years, so if you are heading over to Central Park West (between 71st and 81st St) with the little ones, get there early and avoid the crowds. The inflating of the floats happens between 4:00 and 8:00pm.
One of the best days on our recent trip was spent biking along the seawall and through Stanley Park. We rented bikes from Reckless Bikes in Yale Town and rode up along Sunset Beach and English Bay, into Stanley Park, and back around along Coal Harbor.
Riding around Coal Harbour Quay
Science Gallery at The Manitoba Museum
I’ve written about other Winnipeg attractions, such as Assiniboine Park and Zoo, Lower Fort Garry, and the Western Canada Aviation Museum, but that’s not all there is to do in Winnipeg. Those interested in natural history or hands-on science shouldn’t miss The Manitoba Museum.
The Manitoba Museum consists of primary galleries relating to the history, geography, and culture of the area, as well as a planetarium and science gallery. Admission can be purchased for separate areas or bundled together to see the entire museum. When we visited with our young children, the Science Gallery was our destination, although I would have loved to have shown my children the Nonsuch ship replica I remembered from childhood. Read More »
Royal Mail Plane at Western Canada Aviation Museum, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Can an airplane museum be interesting for both adults and children? That’s what we set out to find at the Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Western Canada Aviation Museum, located near the Winnipeg airport, consists primarily of a variety of aircraft housed in a hangar. Many have been lovingly restored by volunteers, and some of the works-in-progress can be seen while at the museum. Visitors can see the frames of, and occasionally step inside, airplanes from a variety of eras and sizes. My husband really enjoyed seeing the various aircraft.
But the big question was: What about the kids? On the second floor of the museum, there is a special children’s area, with interactive exhibits about gravity and flight. My kids loved playing in this area of the museum.
For those who want to take a break, there is a large windowed room with chairs where one can watch flights taking off from and landing at the adjacent airport.
A gift shop sells both souvenirs and unique books regarding the history of aviation.
We would return to the Western Canada Aviation Museum with children. For families visiting Winnipeg, this is a stop to add to the list.
Details:
Monday through Friday: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm; Saturdays: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; Sundays and Holidays*: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm *Closed New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Adult: $7.50; Seniors & Students: $5.00′ Children (ages 3-12): $3.00; Family rate (2 adults / 3 children): $18.00 (all prices CDN)
Hangar T-2, 958 Ferry Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3H 0Y8, CANADA
204-786-5503
Linda (minnemom) has traveled near and far with her children,
including a family vacation to Manitoba, Canada.
Photo credits: Dano on flickr
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There is no shortage of ways to celebrate Halloween in Chicago. Whether you are looking for something family-friendly, something wild, something free, or something spooky, you’ll find it this month in the city. Here are some of the best ways to celebrate “Chicagoween” now through October 31st.
Franken Plaza
Daley Plaza becomes Franken Plaza from October 23 to 31st. Admission is free and events include circus shows, mask-making, arts and crafts, a farmers market, and other performances.
Franken Plaza's Orange Fountains
Pumpkin Patches and Pumpkin Picking
You don’t have to venture out of the city to get your hands on a great pumpkin to carve. Instead, just plan an outing to the Green City Market. The market remains in its outdoor location through October 31 before heading indoors for the season. For a true pumpkin patch experience in the city, complete with petty zoo, hay rides, cider and donuts, and pumpkin carvings, check out one of the many pumpkin patches located at parks around the city, such as Humbolt Park and Archer Park. Hours differ and admission ranges from $3-$5.
Halloween Barn at Living History Farms
By day, Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, is just what its name says: a series of farms from different time periods in Iowa’s history. The complex includes sections demonstrating the lives of the Ioway Indians in 1700, pioneers in 1850, townspeople in 1875, and a farm in 1900.
For several evenings each October, however, Living History Farms becomes a trick-or-treater’s delight. The buildings are decked out in their Halloween finery and families follow the path through the town with treat stations set up along the way. After the treats are gathered, there are storytellers, horse-drawn wagon rides, and fall displays. There is nothing scary about the event, and it’s perfectly suited for little ones. We navigated easily with a stroller and enjoyed our fall evening. Read More »
Honeygold Apple with October Snow on Branch
Despite the snow here in Minnesota, the calendar says it’s fall, the time of year that says “orchard” to many people. With the expansion of “agritainment” venues, a visit to the orchard is now about much more than just apples. These are some favorite fall orchard activities.
Apple Trees at an Orchard
Apple Orchard Pumpkin Patch
Hayride at Minnetonka Orchards, Minnetrista, MN
Corn Maze at an Apple Orchard
Straw Pile at Minnesota's Carlson Orchards
Corn Pit at Sever's Corn Maze
Orchard Store
Orchard Animals
Pie-making Demonstration
Haralson Apples Grown in North Dakota
Photo credits: minnemom on flickr
Linda (minnemom) visits one or two Minnesota orchards with her kids each fall.
She writes about their trips at Travels with Children.
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