Winter Activities for Families with Little Ones

Winter Activities for families with little ones…

OUTDOOR

Ice Skating (indoor options too)

Neighboorhood check local city websites for rink and warming house availability

Bloomington Ice Gardens (kids $3 – adults $4 - skate rental $2)

Centennial Lakes (skate rental $5 - sled rental $7 - no admission to skate)

The Depot, Minneapolis

Wells Fargo Winter Skate (free for Wells Fargo customers, $2 rental for others)

Skiing

Hyland Park

Buck Hill

Sledding

Ride the Bus or Lightrail (children under 5 are free)

Nature Centers

Richardson – Bloomington

Preschool activities (4-5), Tuesdays 1-3pm ($10 – registration required)

Weekend Family Activities often – usually Sunday 3pm is free.

Woodlake – Richfield

Dodge – West St. Paul

The Raptor Center

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Bell Museum of Natural History

HOLIDAY RELATED

Holidazzle Parade

Parades occur Thursdays - Sundays, starting Friday, November 23rd through Sunday, December 23rd. Each parade begins at 6:30 p.m. and lasts approx. 30 minutes. Nicollet Mall from 12th Street to 4th Street

Macy’s 8th Floor Display

Sat, Nov 14th – Fri, Dec 14h.

Jackson Street Roundhouse, Santa’s Train Shop

Dec 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 15 & 16.

Canadian Pacific Holiday Train

Tues, Dec 11th or Thurs, Dec 13th - see website for details.

EVENTS

St. Paul Winter Carnival

Jan 25th- Feb 2nd.

(Torchlight Parade, Feb 2nd 5:30 – 7pm Downtown St. Paul)

SPECIAL TODDLER DAYS

Minnesota Zoo

First Monday of the Month – no school groups scheduled.

Members also get 20% off at the food court and stores.

Children’s Museum

All Tuesdays – no school groups scheduled.

Also, 3rd Sunday of the Month – free admission for the entire family.

(Closed Mondays)

Science Museum

9:30am – Noon Tuesdays. No cost for 5 and under. Regular admission price for adults.

Walker Art Center

1st Saturday of the Month, Free

2nd and 4th Tuesdays, Arty Pants for kids 3-5

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Free Sundays

INDOOR

Open Play at Southwood

Fridays 10am - 12 noon $8 per family

Theater

Stages Theater, Hopkins:

Children’s Theater, Minneapolis:

Imagination Theater, Minneapolis:

performances are 30 min, on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings. $2 per child.

Jungle Theater, Minneapolis:

Dec 1, 8 and 15th $6 per person, plays for 4 and up.

Local Highschool and Middle Schools

Indoor Parks (must wear socks)

Edinborough Park, Edina:

($6 per child, 10 punch pass for $50)

Monday – Saturday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm

Sunday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

The Blast, Eagan:

Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm

Saturday 8:00 am – 8:00 pm

Sunday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm

17 months and younger, FREE

18 months and older, $5 – only $2.50 after 5pm

10 punch pass, $45

No food or drink allowed, has small concession stand in atrium

Indoor Play (must wear socks) *see attached for hours and prices

Pump It Up:

Gleason’s Gym:

(need waiver - available on website)

IGM Gymnastics

(check out their Black Friday Drop N’ Shop for kids 4+)

SkyZone, Oakdale:

(need waiver - available on website) - be sure to call ahead as sometimes Toddler Time is cancelled

FREE Play Areas

Eden Prairie Mall

Roseville Mall

Burnsville Mall

REI – Richfield

IKEA – Bloomington (must be potty trained, can play for one hour)

Story Time *see attached for schedules

Local libraries: Penn Lake, Oxboro, Augsburg – check for details

Red Balloon Bookshop:

Wild Rumpus Bookstore:

Choo-Choo Bob’s – St. Paul: Children’s Train Store

Mall of America

Toddler Tuesdays: download quarterly brochure – (click “events”)

Lego Land: First Tuesday of the Month, free Lego Build 5pm-7pm

Sea Life

Nickolodean Adventures: 25 pt pass $11.95 plus tax on Tuesdays (toddler rides only)

*Pass must be purchased on a Tuesday, but can be used anytime.

Water Parks/Pools

The Depot, Minneapolis

(same place as ice skating):

Tropics Water Park, Shoreview:

Water Park of America, Bloomington:

Holiday Inn, Owantanna:

Holiday Inn, Brainerd:

Chaska Community Center:

Movies

IMAX, Minnesota Zoo:

Family Nights, third Monday of the month. Buy an adult ticket, get a child ticket free. Free dinner included, while supplies last. Doors open 5:30, show at 6:30.

OmniTheater, Science Museum:

Mall Of America: Family Fun Flicks, 10am Saturdays - Free

Cinema Grill, New Hope:

Crafts

Home Depot: First Saturday of the Month, 9am-12noon, free build

Lakeshore Learning: Every Saturday, 11am-3pm, free craft - see website for details

Lowe’s:

Sovereign Ground Coffee Shop(48th and Chicago): play area for kids, great coffee for moms.

Rollerblading at the Metrodome:

Rollerskating at Skateville, Burnsville:

Bowling

Airport Bowl, Richfield

Southtown Bowl, Bloomington

Brunswick Bowl, Eden Prairie or Lakeville

Pinstripes, Edina: Monday - Friday, 10am - Noon, $5 kids - Parents Free

The Works, Bloomington:

Highschool or College Sports

Professional Sports

KIDS EAT FREE (or cheap!)

Always check your local restaurant before going – promotions change quite often.

Mondays

Qcumbers – after 4pm, kids 3-12 eat free. 2 free kids per paying adult.

Tuesdays

Perkins – kids eat free from 4-8pm…some locations have cookie decorating and balloon animals.

Mall of America – MANY stores participate in kids eat free for Toddler Tuesday.

Champps – kids eat free from 5-8pm. The St. Paul location also has a magician and Bingo.

IKEA – kids meals are 99 cents per item (ie. Meatballs, mac n’ cheese, yogurt, drink)

Cici’s Pizza buffet – kids under 3 are free, kids 4 and up are $1.99.

JUST FOR FUN - Christmas Related

Elf on the Shelf:

Advent Calendars: (lego has a fun one:

Chain Links (to count down to holiday events)

NORAD Santa Tracker: follow Santa around the world on December 24th

AT HOME

Coloring: markers on aluminum foil, on an open paper bag, post-it notes, "magic wonder" by Crayola

Painting: watercolors, "magic wonder" fingerpaints, regular fingerpaints, handprints

Puzzles

Playdough or Silly Putty (see ECFE recipes)

Cotton Balls (use tongs to move them back and forth between bowls)

Make menus and placemats for dinner (or lunch or breakfast) – play restaurant

Forts and Tents

"Fingerpaint" with coolwhip on plastic wrap taped to the table – shaving cream works too

Bathtime

Airplane/Train with chairs (set them up like an airplane and pretend to take a trip)

Sensory boxes (rice, snow, cotton balls, uncooked pasta, water, cooked spaghetti)

Cornstarch and Water. Mix in a bowl. When you scoop it in your hand and make a fist, it becomes a solid. When you let go, it becomes a liquid.

Red Light/Green Light

Duck, Duck, Goose (for you Wisconsin-ites!)

Simon Says

Boardgames: Candy Land, Hi-Ho-Cherry-O, Chutes and Ladders, Hungry Hippo, Cariboo, Memory

Twister, Elephun

Dancing

Bake cookies

Picnic on the livingroom floor

Camp in sleeping bags in the livingroom for naptime or overnight

Heather Starks

2012-2013