Bounce U - Get the Energy Out

Bounce U in Apex was so much fun! For the little ones, they have a session from 10 a.m. - noon called the Preschool Playdate where children 7 and younger  get to jump. This is a really big deal for my because my little ones are so small and can be easily trampled by big kids.

I always worry about the big kids getting too aggressive with my 1-year-old around.

Also, kids under 2 are free with an older sibling. So for both my kids to attend it was $8. For kids 2 and older it's $8 per child.

It starts out in one room, and the kids play and jump and climb for an hour. Then they switch rooms for the second hour, keeping the kids attention - especially the little ones who get bored easily.

We had a great time with a 4, 3 and three 22 month old kids. All of them enjoyed something different and played really well together, too.

And let me tell you, my children and I napped incredibly well that afternoon. This is not something I'd be able to do every week, but on a cold or rainy day, it's a fun alternative to staying home.

The facility is really clean, in my opinion, and the staff was not only helpful but pretty friendly. They seem to like kids, as long as you keep an eye on them, too.

While they do have a pretty regular schedule for open jump times, they suggest you visit their website to make sure. Click here for their website.

3419 Apex Peakway
Apex, NC 27502

HIGHLIGHTS: Great for the big and little ones, lots of options to keep them busy for longer periods of time, nice staff and clean bounce houses.

LOW LIGHTS: It's not the safest activity for a toddler, especially with bigger kids around, it also can wear out mommy and daddy as some of the bounce houses require more physical help for the little ones.

COST: $8 per child older than 2, under 2 is free with an older sibling.

Hollyfest in Holly Springs - Great for Kids!

We absolutely lucked out! I was so disappointed Hollyfest 2012 was the weekend we were scheduled to go to the mountains. Guess what!!!??? Hollyfest was rescheduled due to the weather from Hurricane Sandy. So we got to go. I've never been before, but it was so much fun! There were rides for the kids, crafts for sale, yummy food and lots of local vendors with samples and giveaways.

Also, I'm a helicopter geek, and they flew in a helicopter and allowed people to tour it! We couldn't wait in the long line because we had our youngest with us who does not stand still. But I hope they do it again next year because I will be there, and she will be old enough to understand how cool it is to get in a helicopter. Or maybe not, but I will try to explain it to her.

There were fire trucks, rock climbing walls, kiddie rides in addition to several bounce houses and a huge bouncy slide. That looked so fun, and Jordan (3) even tried it - but she got scared and someone had to slide down with her. It was pretty high; I must admit I would have paused myself.

There were photo opportunities, too, and some pretty good music for a while. I love this festival and wish I would have planned to stay longer. We committed the ultimate festival faux pas - we didn't bring cash. I had no idea how much stuff was there to buy, I actually just thought it was a couple of bouncy houses ... boy was I wrong. Luckily a good friend was there to lone us some cash for snacks and fun, but it was sure embarrassing. So if you go next year, which I highly recommend, bring cash. I know that seems like a no-brainer, but I was a rookie and didn't do my research.

Womble Park 
301 Stinson Ave. 
Holly Springs, NC

HIGHLIGHTS: Rides, bouncy houses, good food, local vendors (& I like to support locally), a helicopter and more.

LOW LIGHTS: Duh, this event is cash only and they don't have a cash machine on site. Parking was a disaster, but they handled it well (even though early voting was going on at the Hunt Center next door, which doubled the traffic), and it's at Womble Park (which is a parking mess in itself, in my opinion). 

COST: Free, except for food & crafts.

Marbles Kids Museum - AMAZING!

Marbles Kid's Museum in Raleigh is incredible; there's so much to do there sometimes my kids and I don't even make it upstairs.

We always go to the pirate ship, in the Splash exhibit, first and play there and at the submarine area for an hour, sometimes more. Then we get trapped in a huge play area full of imaginative play sections called Around Town. There has to be a dozen or more sections, including an ambulance, boat, a stage for putting on shows, a veterinary section and so much more. By the time that's done, it's time to go home (for my kids who still take naps)! I feel like I could skip nap time for my girls, and we still wouldn't get to all the fun.

So here are a few photos of what your kids can do there, but there is so much more. This is easily a top 5 activity in the Raleigh area, if not top 2 (everybody knows I love Pullen Park). If you haven't been there, GO! If you've been there, remember how much fun you had last time? It's just as fun if not more than the first time we went. I want to try to go once a month. My kids had so much fun, it was well worth the drive in and the $5/person.


Last weekend was butterfly weekend, and they had butterfly wings for the kids to wear around, live butterflies and staff helping the little ones. This coming weekend there is the Marbles Kooky Spooky Halloween Party from 6-9 p.m. I would absolutely go, if I were not going out of town.



201 East Hargett Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601

HIGHLIGHTS: Indoors, so perfect for bad weather or hot weather, there's so much to do and it encourages imaginative play, there are tons of kids to play with, indoor and outdoor activities, water play, dress up and I cannot name them all.

LOW LIGHTS: It's in downtown Raleigh, so it's a hike for me, parking is extra (but there's a parking garage you can park at for free on the weekends), and it's not free. Pack a lunch, because Rolly Polly's nearby has OK but not cheap. Cannot eat in Marbles (that includes snacks).

COST: $5 per person for everyone 1 and older (parents, too). There are membership options available, also that vary.

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!

MacDonald Woods Park in Cary - Very Shady (in a good way)

We ventured to Cary, NC to check out another park today. This time I heard about a park on Seabrook Avenue in Cary off of Cary Parkway from a nanny I met at the Kidstowne Playground in Apex. What a great place for a play date! It's called MacDonald Woods Park.

This is perfect for when it's hot out, as it is very shady from all the beautiful, grown trees that cover the area. I don't know what they call the material they put down, but it's a squishy flooring that's perfect for little trippers! My kids fall all the time, and they fell no less than five times each this morning, and NO BOO BOOS!

There were two separate jungle gyms (one for bigger kids and the other for littler ones), a little sandbox (very clean sand), a merry-go-round (pint sized), swings for both little and big kids and so much more. I'd recommend going on a play date there, as most of the moms seemed to live in the near vicinity and weren't very social with us or our kids. I think, though, it was just an off day. We met a great mom there, of twin 2-year-olds, who was incredibly friendly.

Also very cool, which we had no idea about when we were there: there is a great greenway that bisects the eastern side of the park and leads all the way to the US Hwy 1/64 pedestrian bridge, and that leads to the Kids Together Play Area at Marla Dorrel Park, which I LOVE!

HIGHLIGHTS: Shaded park, good for kids toddler and preschool age due to the variety of playground equipment, love the flooring on the ground. Also, there is apparently a basketball slab and picnic tables.

LOW LIGHTS: Parking was street only, from what we could tell, and we had to walk about a block to get there. The entrance to the playground is a bit steep, so you probably need to hold little one's hands walking down & it's a little bit of a hike for me.

COST: Free!

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!