Smithfeild aquatics center

Really short post today about the Smithfield Aquatics Center located about 45 minutes outside of Raleigh and maybe 15 minutes from where my kiddies live. The aquatics center is a great option for rainy days or to just mix things up from the routine. They have a big pool and a great splash park, as well as several fitness facilities. I usually take D to the splash park which is open Monday/Wednesday/Fridays from 10 am to noon. Its a lot of fun for the kids to play in and I would say no more than two feet deep at its center. The facilities them self are clean and when we've been never too crowded. They offer a great variety of classes.

The Park: Clayton Community Park

Goodmorning lovlies. Just a quick little snippet today about the Clayton Community Park located right next to the Clayton Community Center. Since my family lives outside of Raleigh this park is great for anyone living in the Clayton/Garner area. It's right behind the Little Gym in Clayton.

I love this park to take the kids to and have a little picnic and playtime. It has two playgrounds which is nice because one is a little bit bigger and geared towards the older kiddos and the other is a short walk away but slightly smaller for the slightly smaller ones. There's some great climbing structures for them to play on, slides, a large sandbox, swings and a pretty large shaded picnic area. Along with the playgrounds there is also two sand volleyball courts, baseball fields, tennis courts, and a half mile paved path that goes around the park and a large pond. 

The park isn't very shaded expect for around the pond so don't forget to pack and put on your sunscreen. Overall though, the park is great and a great way to spend a couple of hours with the kids. Sometimes I'll pack up their bikes to ride around the path while I trail behind :)

Marble's Kids Museum

Hello lovlies, today I am going to talk to you guys about the children's museum here in Raleigh known as, Marbles. Marbles is a great place to spend the day with your kids or take a friend along for a play date. The aim of the museum is to teach kids through interactive play. It is absolutely great and the entire building might as well be one giant playground. There is literally something for every kid at any age or interest.

The bottom floor of the museum is definitely geared towards a younger audience. There is a large play area where kids can pretend to be a fireman, policeman, EMS worker, Veterinarian you name it. In addition to this there is a small stage set up where kids can put on costumes and give the adults a mini performance. Right next to here is an expansive train table that is big enough for at least 15 kids to play on at the same time.

Also on the first floor is a submarine where you can play pretend science experiments and a pirate ship to take you looting and plundering. Arrrrgh! There is more fun on the bottom floor but I can't give it all away, your going to have to go to find out for yourself.

Upstairs there is the "Money Palooza" room which aims to teach kids financial responsibility through play. Watch out for the hanging piggy bank because he will occasionally break open dropping down small plastic balls on anyone underneath. Next door to this room you can build your own car and race it down a track, build a house out of giant legos and even try your hand a little bit of woodworking. There is a great sports room (with a hockey rink) and mini basketball court, and soccer too.

The staff at Marbles is great too! They are in general really nice and are always willing to play with the kids. My favorite times to go are after lunch because usually most school groups have left by then.

Oh and don't forget to check out what movies are playing at the IMAX attached to the side of the museum. D and I have seen some really neat documentaries there.

All in all, Marbles is a great way to spend the day and for $5 a person you really can't argue for the value. Kids will play and play and play all day. C and D frequently ask me when they get to go back. It's a great reward for good behavior and good choices too.

Clemmons State Educational Forest

I love Clemmons State Educational Forest!

 It is a great place to pass a couple of hours with D and enjoy the outdoors. A former CCC camp, Clemmons has four trails that loops around the forest and one takes you by a small lake located in the park.

D's favorite trail is the "Talking Tree" trail which is about a mile long. There are posts with buttons that when pushed talk to you about a tree that has marker on it. It's great, you learn a little more every time you go!

There is also a "Talking Rock" trail which is part of the larger geology trail and then there is the exhibition trail. I believe both the rock and geology trail are around a mile and the exhibition trail is the longest, a little over three miles.

All in all Clemmons is great! It's pretty much a shaded walk the entire time so we've never got too hot. It would also be a great place for an afternoon run. The park rangers are amazingly nice. The second time I took D there I lost my eyeglasses and no lie they called me and told me they found them almost a month later!!!

Please take your little ones here, have fun and learn a little bit about the outdoors while your at it!

Lake Wheeler

Visit Lake Wheeler's Website

Out of all the parks that I have been to, walk around, or visited in Raleigh, Lake Wheeler remains on of my favorites. I think I like it because it's a little more tucked away from the highways and it's usually not as busy as Lake Johnson or Umstead.

Lake Wheeler has a great picnic area and playground for the little one's to go run and jump and play in. It's really shaded so it doesn't get too hot there in the summer time. When I've taken C and D, we've always packed a picnic lunch and just enjoyed the park. The downside is Lake Wheeler doesn't offer much in the way of walking trails or paths but it makes up for that with the lake. It is beautiful and expansive. For a reasonable rate you can rent paddle boats (C and D were not big fans of this... be ready for your leg work out!), canoes, kyaks, john boats, you name it! When the boy and I went out there we rented a canoe and paddled around the water for at least an hour.

Also, there are tons of birds! It would be a great place to do a little nature lesson with the kids or to highlight whatever science curriculum they are learning in school. 

In all its such a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere it's hard not to have a good time while your visiting.

Don't forget your sunscreen and have fun!

xxxo

ms. omi

Trains and Planes

With my little ones, I have the treat of working with a boy and a girl so I usually have to find activities that are fun and engaging for the both of them. However, there are days when I am with just D, who is all boy.

What I like to do on our days together is plan something that is going to be fun for him. Some of the things I like to do are plan a picnic at the train station or the airport. Since my family lives in Clayton we usually frequent the Selma Train Station and the Johnston County Airport. I really like the Selma train station, which has been restored to it's 1924 splendor. Inside there are few displays on the history of trains and the railroad.  There is a train car outside the station that you can climb and play on... but it is locked except for twice a year.

However, both of these are small and out of the way if your living in Raleigh but you do have the advantage of going to RDU and there is the Amtrak downtown and also on in Cary.

If you are going to the train station I suggest looking up the times trains are arriving and departing the station. Nothing is worse than trying to entertain a toddler while waiting for the train.

Jumpin Jax' in Garner, NC

I love this place. It is so cool and fun for the kids. There are three bounce houses and my favorite, a two-foot climbing structure that will wear those kids out! I can usually take D there on a Friday morning and he will play and play and play for about two hours. After that we get hungry and hit the Andy's down the road.

But this place is cool. They do have a little snack bar with decent prices. Watch out for the little quarter game machines though, C and D both pester me to play the games every time we go and boy is that annoying! Oh well, the place is great. Take your kids, have fun, and look forward to the nap later that afternoon.






Also, there is an Andy's right next store and is D's favorite place to eat lunch now. Kid's meals come in a cardboard car which adds that special touch while were out. 

 

Pullen Park

Alright, sorry to have been gone for so long but life has been busy around here. Today I want to talk about Pullen Park which reopened about six months ago.

IF you have kids the park is great. There is an awesome train ride that goes around the length of the park and takes about five minutes for the whole train ride. There are also kiddie boats (which are kind of lame...in my humble opinion). Both the rides only cost...$1! That is awesome and cheap. When I went with D I spent 10 on tickets and we rode the train four times and he did the boats two. Needless to say he had a blast.

Along with the trains the rest of the park is great! There are three playground areas for kids to run, climb, and slide on along with two sandboxes. And these aren't your everyday sandboxes... you can dig like your on a construction site and really make a good mountain of sand. They also have a little area in the sandboxes where you can play in a "house." When we went D and a few other kids were operating a pizza shop and slice was a low $30,000. Watch out Hermain Cain.

With the renovations Pullen Park has added a little cafe area that uses local food distributors. It was a nice touch to the end of the day. The food was pretty good and not too pricey.

Take your kids, play and have fun and wish for the nap on the car ride home. :)