Block Fest - A Mom's Review

I was unable to attend Blockfest 2012, but a mommy friend of mine offered to share her experience! Kari Hatley is a stay-at-home mommy who is also going to school to be a Special Education Teacher. She has a 3 1/2-year-old and a 4 1/2-year-old and is a great resource for me as her children are so close in age, much like mine.

By Kari Hatley

We LOVED IT!

Block Fest is best for ages 6 and under, and they were very prepared for toddlers running around and even told us at the beginning that they may end up wandering around checking out all the block stations on their own.  

We were given a worksheet with questions to ask our kids about their interactions with the blocks, and there was a facilitator at each station sharing encouraging words and playing with the kids as well.

The little ones seemed to have plenty of time in each station, but not too long. The kids closer to 6 would have loved additional time at each station. Also, I wish there was more space between each station because the whole atmosphere is a little overwhelming. It was easy to get distracted with the stations you had not yet visited.

Block Fest was an awesome event, and it was free through Project Enlightenment!!!  We will be back again next year.

Also, we heard about their playground and got there a little early to check it out. We could have played much longer and will go back. It is made especially for Pre-K aged kids. They have mini playground equipment, and the area is totally fenced in. The only downside is that they have classes during the school day so weekend/evenings are the best time to explore.  It is a must if you have little ones!

501 S. Boylan Avenue 

Raleigh, NC 27603

Holiday Express at Pullen Park - My Review

As I've said before, Pullen Park in Raleigh is my absolute favorite park to take my kids in the Raleigh area.  So when I saw Holiday Express At Pullen Park, I ran straight home to look it up. And I'm so glad I did because you have to buy tickets to attend. A month before the event, two of the days were already sold out. The cost was $8 per ticket and you can ride the train and carousel an unlimited number of times, but we certainly didn't get $8 worth of rides per person.

It was a lot of fun, the decorations/lights were gorgeous and when you were on the train it was spectacular! However, I am not going to rave and rave about it. In fact, I may not go back until my kids are a few years older. The biggest problem was the lines. You couldn't park at Pullen, you had to drive to the Dorothea Dix Soccer Fields, where you parked and waited in line for the bus to take you to the park. It was about 20-25 minute wait. Then, you wait in line to pick up the wristbands. You can do this the week of the Holiday Express event, but we live kind of far out so it wasn't convenient to go ahead of time.

Those lines were not the big issue, though. The issue is the train line. It seemed like a half-hour wait to get on the train, maybe more, but after waiting in the two previous lines, my kids were not in the mood to wait again. (They are 1 and 3). When we finally got on the train, that's where we got our monies worth. The train was lit up and there were wonderful, exciting (for the kids) displays around the entire track. My kids absolutely squealed with delight. But we weren't able to ride again because the line was even longer the rest of the visit. The carousel was fun, but the lines were pretty long and were even longer after our first ride. That's all we did. The line for Santa was pretty long most of the time, too.




What I really enjoyed was, of course, the train ride but also there were little craft stations. My oldest daughter made reindeer food, which we toted all the way up to Pennsylvania for Christmas and emptied on Aunt Chrissy's front lawn. Both girls made Christmas ornaments. It was so cute and absolutely wonderful to see my youngest (22 months) get to participate in a craft. Those, too, made the trip to Pennsylvania. My kids liked the clown with the little frog puppet, too.

Did we have a good time? Absolutely. Is it a must-do event? Sure, for the right ages. Will we do it again next year? No likely.

520 Ashe Ave
Raleigh, NC 27606


HIGHLIGHTS: The Train Ride, most of the regular Pullen Park stuff were still accessible, lights were gorgeous, people working were very friendly and seemed genuinely happy to be there, the clown, some of the crafts were wonderful and it's fun to experience the park at night.

LOW LIGHTS: Lines, we had to park at Dorothea Dix and ride a bus to the park, lines, the only food they had there was the standard concession fare (just OK). Did I mention the lines?

COST: $8 per person (under 2 are free)

Noon Year's Eve with your kids

Want to celebrate New Year's Eve with your kids but don't want to keep them up late?

Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh has their own celebration - Noon Year's Eve! They will ring in the "noon" year with a kid-friendly celebration, including a ball drop. Guest who wear a First Night Raleigh button receive buy one, get one free admission vouchers (limit 2 free). The festivities will start at 11:30 a.m. (Admission is $5 per person over 1 and older).

Also, thru January 1 there is an Arctic Antics theme throughout the museum.When they have themes, very often they have stations set up around the museum where you can stop and enjoy a craft or activity. My kids are drawn to these stations most of the time. Once they had butterfly stations and the girls played for hours with butterfly wings on their backs. So cute.

Visit their website at marbleskidsmuseum.org for more information.

Haunting At Harris - Missed the Hayride, but Still Pretty Fun

If you didn't get to Harris Lake County Park early on Saturday, you probably didn't get to enjoy the free hayride. The activity started at 2 p.m., and I think we got there at 3:30. The hayride tickets had already sold out!

It was OK for us, because we went to a pumpkin patch earlier in the day (Green Acres in Cary) where there was a hayride, but some kids threw absolute fits when they found out they couldn't go. I suggest you get there early next year.

The bulk of the activities were crafts and learning stations. My 3-year-old and I went, and it was pretty fun. There were several things that were way over her head, but others were perfect for her. Oddly, the preschooler that refused to play the bean bag toss or dig through the sand for treasures, stood next to the snake and spider lady for 20 minutes, asking question after question and man-handling the corn snake. This was not a small snake either. There were also live spiders and a dead wolf spider, which she asked me if she could kiss! UGH!

There was an obstacle course, which the little ones loved, and the playground was absolutely packed the entire time we were there. I would say it's geared toward kindergarten and older children, but it was still wonderful, and we will absolutely go back next year.

The hayride had an Indiana Jones theme, "Raiders of the Lost Park," and those who got a ride said it was very cool and true to its theme. The only casual complaint I heard was from a mom who would have liked to know there was a man with a chainsaw in the woods who chased the hayride. Go figure!
For those who missed the hayride, there will be hayrides again at Harris Lake on October 28 at 2 and 3 p.m.

Click here for the Harris Lake calendar of events.

2112 County Park Drive
New Hill, NC

HIGHLIGHTS:If your child didn't like one event/craft, there were dozens more to choose from, the hayride sounded pretty fun, Harris Lake is beautiful and has a nice playground and great dock. Also, they gave away "prizes" which was the biggest hit for my little one. 

LOW LIGHTS: The hayride tickets were gone before 3:30, so you have to get there early to participate. Harris Lake is known for ticks. We didn't have any on us when we got home, but you definitely want to check yourself and your children.

COST: Free!

Yates Mill Pond - Very Scenic, Educational Too!

It didn't start off this way, but Yates Mill Pond Historic Site turned out to be a wonderful activity for the kids. There are no jungle gyms, no swings and no sandbox. It's the site of an historic gristmill, which is incredibly scenic, but not quite the best place to bring a 1 1/2-year old and a 3-year old. In fact, with steep, stone steps and slopes at the mill itself, a very old structure (built in the 1750s), a creek with snakes and a waterfall, I wondered what the heck I was doing there in the first place.

Then, on our way out of the park we stopped at a building so mommy could cool off and take a break, and that's when we found the kids stuff! There was a dress-up station, a coloring area, cranks for the kids to turn and play with and see how the mill used to work and a very friendly, helpful staff.

Also, over the pond is a long bridge where you can watch the turtles, see a beaver nest and more. We had a great time after my heart stopped racing from the "dangers" of the historic mill trip.


4620 Lake Wheeler Road
Raleigh, NC 27603

HIGHLIGHTS:Wonderful education center, beautiful scenery, lots of opportunities to learn and see something new, great bridge over the pond where people can fish and enjoy the pond and wildlife!

LOW LIGHTS: I was terrified my kids were going to slip and fall on the stone steps, steep slope or run into one of the huge spider webs/spiders or fall in the water (SNAKES, even if they are in the water).

COST: Free!

Lake Wheeler Park - So Pretty!

Lake Wheeler is so pretty, clean (looking at least) and the park has a nice newish -looking jungle gym. There are shelters, fishing areas, volleyball courts and all kinds of wonderful perks, but boy was it a drive! I kept thinking, "Did we miss the turn?"

Of course, for some it will be much closer, but for those in the Holly Springs area it's a little out there -- but worth it! This fall, when the colors start to change, it's going to be gorgeous.

I actually want to go back very soon to use the paddle boats with the girls and my husband. I am not sure I'd visit Lake Wheeler regularly, but for a special trip I will definitely return.

Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was when my youngest (20 months) made friends with the exceptionally friendly fishermen on the dock. They had caught a few fish, let the kids look at and touch the fish and check out the worms. (Pictured above, right) She had them laughing and talking to the kids while we fed the geese, easily my oldest's favorite part of the trip.

6404 Lake Wheeler Road  
Raleigh, NC 27603

HIGHLIGHTS:Wonderful park and lake - beautiful, nice jungle gym, water, dock, paddle boats for rent, boat launch, volleyball courts and wildlife.

LOW LIGHTS: For some, it is WAY out there. I think it took me 35 minutes to get there from the Holly Springs area, and the play area is all the way at the back of the park by the water; also the play area is wood mulched so you'll need sneakers for your kids for sure.

COST: Free!

Greystone Recreation Center - A Rainy-Day Delight!

 It poured down rain, and we went to the playground! I wish I could say my kids are super tough and love to play in the cold rain, but I can't. I took them to Greystone Recreation Center (an indoor playground) in Raleigh.

I really had a great time, and so did the girls. It has a little jungle gym area (pictured above) and an 8-foot rock climbing wall. My kids were too little for it, but it looks like fun for when they get just a bit older.

It's a lot smaller than I expected and is located within a strip mall. But it was clean and perfect for a short trip on a rainy day. I have heard that they only allow so many kids and on a rainy or bad-weather day (cold, snow, hurricane/tropical storm) it can fill up fast, and they will turn you away. But we had no problem with that.

The hours, too, are a bit funny. It's open from 9-11 a.m. and reopens at 12:30- 5 Monday thru Friday. It's open 9-12 on Saturdays. So it's not terribly convenient, but I think it's worth it to break up a day or even week of bad weather!

7713-55 Lead Mine Road Raleigh, NC HIGHLIGHTS: I love the rock-climbing wall; it's a great alternative when the weather is not ideal, wonderfully decorated/painted, and the parents were incredibly friendly! I've found that's a bigger deal than it should be, but a fun park can be ruined but unfriendly moms and dads (which I saw a lot of!). LOW LIGHTS: It's in a strip mall and not the easiest to find, it's pretty small so when the kids get bored with what they see, they're done, vending machine (I dislike them greatly, as my kids then want to spend time asking for snacks they can't have instead of playing), the hours are short in the a.m. (which is the best time for my toddler and preschooler to play). COST: Free!

Womble Park in Holly Springs - Not Great for Little Ones

So I have changed my tune about this park - but not its user-friendliness for toddler moms and dads. It's still loaded with big kids who will trample, it doesn't have a lot of swings and the equipment is pretty high in some places. But I will say this, for my preschooler and kindergartener -- this is a wonderful park! They also refurbished the playground surface so when it rains it's not so mushy. There's still a pond and creek nearby, but my kids love playing in the trees that surround them. I wouldn't recommend for super little ones, but preschoolers and older can really enjoy this park. And there are some benches for the grown ups to sit down & a mini track that surrounds the soccer park adjacent to the park. So if your big kid is playing soccer you can go for a walk or play at the playground with your little one.

I'm sure there will be a few moms who disagree with me, but Parrish Womble Park in Holly Springs is NOT an ideal place to take your toddlers - at least for me. The jungle gym equipment is way too high, as well as the steps, there are only two swings, both baby swings, and there's a creek that runs through the playground area and a small pond with not-so friendly but ducks and geese in it.
Maybe I was in a bad mood when I went, but the highlight for me was the volleyball court where my kids could play in the sand and I could take pretend pictures of my kids playing volleyball (I was a volleyball player and desperately want my girls to play when they're older).
Also, the Hunt Center is right across the street and offers a track-out program for school-age children who go to year-round school. The park was packed with older kids the whole time we were there, and every time we've gone, and they nearly trample my little ones. 
Either way, it's there and close to downtown Holly Springs, so if you're up for the challenge (or disagree with me) have fun! You won't have my kids to contend with, because this is not the park for me. It is, however, a great park for older ones, I'm sure.

1201 Grigsby Ave.
Holly Springs, NC  27540

HIGHLIGHTS: It's close to home if you live in Holly Springs, nice playground equipment for older kids, volleyball court, and it's beautiful and right next to a series of soccer fields so your younger ones can play at the park while your older ones play soccer.

LOW LIGHTS: Parking is a hike away from the playground, the creek runs right through it so you really, really have to be on your kids, the playground equipment is really high, only two swings, it seems to be packed with kids all the time - they tend to run over the little ones.

COST: Free!

It's a Park; It's a School - STOP You're Both Right!

I packed up the girls and a small lunch and headed out for a picnic at Middle Creek School/Park, which is in that part of Cary, NC that really could be Holly Springs or Apex, too. I was a little worried that I was driving to a school that wouldn't let you play during school hours. But this was a true park, and it wasn't an issue.

I really liked this park! I cannot believe how many times I've driven past it and never knew it was there. I don't think it's far from Crowder Park, which is Apex but could be Cary or Raleigh, too. As the crow flies, it looks like they're about 1-2 miles apart.

Of course, if it has a sandbox my kids love it, especially the 3-year-old. Also, there were two separate jungle gyms. Both were wonderful. The larger of the two had a bridge, several slides, monkey bars and slides. But I loved the other one because it was shaded by a large, permanent umbrella. The slides on the bigger one got a little hot so we cruised on over to the other one. There are lots of places for parents to sit that are really close to the equipment. There is a nice-size grassy area where you can kick around a ball or just play tag, and some people brought a little airplane and were flying it around behind us on what looked like a field. I wish I'd payed more attention to my surroundings. I think I was a little groggy. It really was a nice park. Also, something I hadn't seen until today, there was an actual rock for climbing. It was a huge draw for the older kids. J (3-year-old) had a little trouble with it but tried anyway, which I love.

I loved the shelter. It was very clean. I will definitely go back when I have more energy!

123 Middle Creek Park Drive
Cary, North Carolina 27539

HIGHLIGHTS: Beautiful play area, grassy spot to run around or kick a ball, shaded jungle gym, very clean sandbox, swings for big and very little kids, clean shelter, rock to climb (VERY COOL).

LOW LIGHTS: It got a little hot when we were there, and most of the area isn't very shady. Also, for my 1-year-old old, it's too easy to get to the parking lot quickly and since the school is nearby, there was a bit of "lunch break" traffic.

COST: Free!

Spirit Halloween open at Beaver Creek in Apex

I am a self-admitted Halloween junkie. If I had more money, my house would look haunted year round. It's my favorite holiday, my favorite time of the year and simply the best day EVER!

So when I heard Spirit Halloween was already open at Beaver Creek in Apex, NC (near the movie theater and just a few doors down from Old Navy) - we made a day trip out of it. If I could stay over night I would - ha ha ha.

There were hundreds of costumes, fun decor and, of course, super scary stuff - especially for a 3-year-old! My 19-month-old loved it. It was a bit scary for my 3 year old but she got over it fast - not until we left the store though. (see her hiding behind me at the store in the upper right photo)

The store has got so much to look at, it can keep you busy for at least an hour. I highly recommend checking it out. I noticed they don't open until 11 a.m. on weekdays, so it's more of an afternoon activity.

Beaver Creek Commons
1541 Beaver Creek Commons Dr
Apex, North Carolina 27502

HIGHLIGHTS: AMAZING for Halloween lovers, very scary/cool decorations, great costumes. I LOVE THIS STORE.

LOW LIGHTS: It's pretty scary for 2- to 4-year-olds, and it doesn't open until 11 a.m. on weekdays.

COST: Free to walk through. But NOT free for Halloween lovers who HAVE TO buy stuff when you get inside.

I might BUG my kids this weekend

This Saturday (September 15, 2012) is Bug Fest at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences!
All four floors of the museum will "be filled with buggy fun!" from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (With an "Insectival from 5-7 p.m.) This year's theme is Mantids. I am not a "bug" expert at all. I'm really thinking both of my girls would love this! Dani (19 months) points out every bug we see at the park, "Bug! Bug! Bug!" she screams.

I have never been there before, so I cannot validate its greatness. I love the "Evening Insectival" - live bands, bug stations and a nocturnal bug tour takes place from 5-7 p.m. on the first and second floors.

(The information in red came directly from the Museum's Website on Bugfest)

• Enjoy the entertaining displays, exhibits and activities — both inside and outside the Museum.
• Learn about arthropods, which make up three-quarters of all animals on Earth, during fascinating presentations.
• Taste delectable dishes featuring creepy crawlers as a major ingredient at Café Insecta.
• Join the moths, fireflies and katydids for an exhilarating evening of nocturnal activities at the Evening Insectival.
• Learn how to keep your own hive at a Beekeeping Workshop
• Bring an unusual bug to the Stump the Experts table

http://www.bugfest.org/

See www.bugfest.org for more information.

De Plane! De Plane!

Observation Park at RDU airport is wonderful!! I had heard about it a couple times, but never thought to take the kids. It is really a park!

There are picnic tables with umbrellas, little runways for the kids to play on, a sandbox full of toys people have left behind and a little jungle gym in the middle. Then there's the observation deck, which allows you to watch the planes coming in with great visibility. The stairs are a little dicey for the little ones, but there is a ramp (which we notice after humping up the stairs - with a 3-year-old and a toddler). If all that activity wasn't enough, a plane would take off or land and all the kids would stop and stare at the planes. Some would scream AIRPLANE and others would just freeze until the plane passed by or stopped. It was hilarious!

My kids played for 2 hours at this place! That's just unheard of for my girls. It was so fun. Next time I'll pack a lunch, and we'll eat there.

The major drawback I saw was a rookie thing. It was a bit hard to find. After you pass the first terminal (and before you get to terminal 2) there is a park and ride turn off (on the right). I missed it the first time but noticed after it was too late that there was a sign for Observation Park. Then, as we left, I followed the airport exit signs and ended up on 540. So we had a bit of a detour. Also, there were landscaping flags all over the place. My kids would NOT leave them alone. In fact, we had to leave because they wouldn't stop (and they're a little sharp on the ends). I told them we had to leave if they wouldn't listen. But even that was after 2 hours of playing very well!

I would definitely go again, even though it ended up being a 35 minute drive. It's open every day 8 a.m.-6 p.m., too! LOVE IT.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Morrisville, NC 27560

HIGHLIGHTS: Free, new experience and a little different (I've never been to an airport park!), get to see the planes take off and land, sandbox.

LOW LIGHTS: If your kids are a little noise sensitive, this may not be the place for you. My kids love loud noises and airplanes, the stairs on the observation deck were pretty narrow (but there's a ramp) and it's a little difficult to find if you've never been there before.

COST: Free!