Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in albuquerque, NM

5 Things To Do Before Summer is Over

by Alison

August 04, 2009

Summer is wrapping up, soon it will be back to the routine that is the school year which will soon be followed by the hectic holiday season. Here are five things I'd like to do before summer is over.

1. Visit I Scream Ice Cream - I've mentioned this fun and quirky ice cream spot (located at Carlisle and Indian School NE) many times on this blog, but can you believe I've never actually been there? Summertime is perfect for ice cream, so I hope to be able to take the kids there sometime soon.

2. Go to Storytime - It's been so long since my boys have been to storytime. My oldest will be starting kindergarten in a few weeks and I'd love for him to have another opportunity to go before it becomes an activity I do with the younger kids while he's at school. Many of the libraries take a storytime hiatus over the summer, so I'm thinking we may hit oneat Barnes and Noble

3. Go to a Farmer's Market - I love the sights and smells that are only found at a farmer's market. We're trying to work through our own garden's produce so we haven't had much of a need to visit a farmer's market, but I'm thinking a visit is in order very soon. I've heard great things about the Downtown Growers Market (check out that vendor's list - so much more than just fresh produce!).

4. Go to the Zoo - We've spent a lot of time at the Aquarium and Botanic Gardens this summer and the zoo has taken a backseat. Time to visit before school starts up and we don't have as much free time on our hands.

5. Plant more flowers - Two months ago, my kids helped me plant some marigolds. They are doing great and I want to add something else to the flower bed.

What's on your list?  Read more...

Five Places to Get Wet

by Alison

July 21, 2009

Here are five places where you can get wet and cool off on a hot summer day

1. The West Mesa Pool has an indoor recreation pool with a zero-slope entry, fun sprinklers and a waterslide. You'll also find a similar pool outside. Since it's an indoor pool, it's open year round (at least the indoor portion is). Admission is 50 cents for kids five and under and  $3.00 for adults. On Sundays, children are free and on Friday nights everyone is 50 cents.

2. Eisenhower Pool is an outdoor pool with two small slides plus the wading pool. Admission is 25 cents for kids five and under and $2.25 for adults. On Sundays, children are free and on Friday nights everyone is 25 cents.

3. Las Padillas Pool has a waterslide and some fun sprinklers to aid in your cooling off.

4. The Manzano Mesa Sprayground isn't a pool, but rather lots of fun sprinklers and other wet ways to cool off.

5. Your own backyard is always an option. The kids can run around in the sprinklers, splash in a blow up pool, slide down a slip 'n' slide or experience the joy of water balloons. Right now is a great time to pick up summer toys because they are starting to go on clearance to clear the way for school supplies.

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5 Places To Get A Cold Treat

by Alison

July 14, 2009

With temperatures creeping towards 100 degrees, a cold treat is a must! Here are five local places that serve up frozen treats perfect for a hot summer day.

1. I Scream Ice Cream - Albuquerque's funnest ice cream shop by far. Not only can your kids enjoy an ice cream cone, but there is also a fun selection of toys to play with! Be sure to stop by the bathrooms, they are pretty cool too. I Scream is located near Carlisle and Indian School NE

2. Paleteria - Located mainly on the west side (such as Paleteria El Tropico), these shops serve mainly fresh fruit popsicles. So, not only will you get a nice cool treat, but it's healthy as well! Be aware that Spanish tends to be the language of choice at these shops so you may find yourself facing a menu in Spanish. Don't worry too much though because you can always just point to what you want!

3. Sonic - I put Sonic on this list because, well, I love it! Your kids can choose a soft serve cone or jr. candy sundae for only $1 and you can choose from a variety of ice cream drinks and fun fountain drinks like cherry limeade. There are many locations all around town. Go here to get a coupon for a 99 cent Sonic Chiller.

4. Berry Ocean - This shop, located near Montgomery and Wyoming NE, serves up soft frozen fruit yogurt and gelato.

5. Your Freezer - Make your own popsicles or ice cream and teach your child about the concept of freezing in the process! Try this recipe for ice cream in a ziploc bag or here is a whole list of frozen treats you can make courtesy of Family Fun Magazine.

Explore a National Park this Summer

by Alison

June 15, 2009

Planning your summer vacation? Explore history, nature, and more this summer by visiting one of our country's National Parks. The National Parks system consists of more than 400 cultural, recreational, and historical sites, including the Grand Canyon, The Statue of Liberty, and the Boston Harbor Islands - that's quite a variety! More than a dozen are located in New Mexico and Albuquerque's Petroglyph Monument is on the list, so you really don't have to go far.

A trip to one of the National Parks can consist of just a couple hours or a full weekend (many of them offer camping and other lodging). Check out the list of parks to see if there is one near your vacation destination, or consider one of the parks as vacation destination this summer.

What do the parks have to offer your preschoolers? Aside from the chance to enjoy the great outdoors or perhaps see how people lived long ago, many of the parks offer junior ranger programs. This program works well for families with kids of different ages because there are often different activity books for kids of varying ages and abilities. If you visit White Sands this summer, your preschooler can pick up an activity book with coloring pages, puzzles, and a scavenger hunt all designed just for four and five year olds. If your child completes all of the activities, s/he can earn a junior ranger patch! There is also the web ranger site with plenty of games that are easy enough for your little one. This site would be a great way to prepare for your National Park visit or just a fun way to use up computer time!

This summer, the National Parks Service has announced three fee-free weekends. If you're planning a trip to one of the parks that requires an entry fee (including many in New Mexico), consider planning your trip for one of these weekends (the first is this weekend).

Check back tomorrow, it's list day and I'll have a list of five New Mexico National Parks you don't want to miss.
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Summertime Learning

by Alison

June 08, 2009

School is out, but that doesn't mean that learning opportunities need to stop! Whether you want to make sure your child is ready for Kindergarten in the fall, or you just want to try and foster a life-long love of learning, incorporating math, writing, and reading into your daily activities is important for all kids - and it can be a lot of fun, too!

Teach your child to write his or her name and give them ample opportunities to do it. Write it on paper, trace it in the sand, or spell it out with magnets in the sand. Look for the letters in his/her name wherever you go.

Read to your child every chance you get. Sign up for the library's summer reading program and visit the library often. Check out this Reading Activity Calendar from PBS Kids for some fun reading related activities.

Create a calendar and mark down any special dates. Use the calendar to countdown how many days are left until that special vacation or outing.

Encourage your child to keep a journal. He/she can draw pictures or dictate things to you.

Bake with your child. This provides for some great counting activities. Count how many different ingredients there are. Count the cups of flour or sugar as you pour them in the mixing bowl.

Go to the airport and stop at one of the viewing areas. Count the planes as they take-off and land.

Take advantage of time in the car to play rhyming games (can you tell me what rhymes with cat?) or I Spy with a letters and numbers twist (Can you find the letter 'T' on one of the signs? Can you find the number six?)

How do you keep your kids learning in the summertime?  Read more...

Five Local Farmer's Markets and Five Ways to Involve Your Kids When You Go

by Alison

June 02, 2009

This week's list is a two-fer! Five farmer's markets for you to check out and five ways to make your visits lots of fun for your kids.

1. Corrales Growers' Market - Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings (Wednesday markets start in July) at the Recreation Center in Corrales.
2. Albuquerque Downtown Market - Saturday mornings at Robinson Park
3. Nob Hill Growers' Market - Thursday afternoon at Morningside Park
4. Los Ranchos Growers' Market - Saturday mornings at City Hall in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque
5. South Valley Growers' Market - Saturday mornings at Cristo de Valle Presbyterian Church

1. Create a bingo game board using various foods that may be found at a farmers' market (visit this harvest calendar for a list of what is in season and when so you have a better idea of what to expect). As you find each fruit or veggie, let your child mark it off on the game board.

2. Tell your child he can choose any fruit or veggie he'd like and you'll take it home and cook it. Challenge her to find something she's never seen before - and maybe even something that you havve never tasted before!

3. Practice counting. How many different types of produce are at each stand? How many tomatoes are in each container? How many strawberries will you buy?

4. Go on a color hunt. Choose a color and see how many fruits and vegetables you can find that are that color.

5. Practice ABC's. As you tell your child what each different fruit or vegetable, emphasize each initial letter sound.

What other farmer's markets do you love? How do you ensure your kids love going as much as you do?
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Splash and Play at the Manzano Mesa Sprayground

by Alison

June 01, 2009

Looking for a fun (and wet) alternative to a traditional swimming pool? The Water Sprayground at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center is open for the season (and will be open through August 14). The Sprayground has lots of fun sprinklers that will get your kids wet and cooled off. It's perfect if you have kids of varying ages, the older ones can explore on their own (it's a small area) and the little ones can sit and splash without you worrying about them going under. *

The Sprayground is located at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center (between Eubank and Juan Tabo just south of I-40). It is open on weekdays from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. You must have a membership to the center, which costs $13, and a 50 cent donation is requested each visit for children aged 3 and older.

Looking for a unique birthday party spot? The Sprayground is available for rentals. It accomodates up to 75 people and can be rented weekday evenings or Saturday afternoons. The cost is $100 for two hours. Contact the center for more information, contact information is available onthe website.

*There are no official lifeguard on duty, though staff does supervise the area. Children under the age of 12 must be supervised by an adult. Though there is very little standing water at the Sprayground, remember that a child can drown in even the smallest amount of water. In other words, keep a close eye on your children!
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5 Places for Swimming Lessons in Albuquerque

by Alison

May 05, 2009

The weather is warming up (it's even supposed to hit 90 this week, what's up with that?) which means finding ways to stay cool. What better way than the swimming pool? Here are five places where you can get your kids all ready for a safe swimming season with some lessons. The only one I have experience with is the lessons provided by the city. I did a parent/tot class with my son two summers ago and we both enjoyed it quite a bit!

The City of Albuquerque - Registration has already begun, so you may be hard pressed to get into the first session, but there usually seems to be openings for later sessions. There are four sessions and the first session starts up on June 1st. Visit the city's website for more information on how and where to register.

Bernalillo County - The county usually offers swimming lessons at its pools. Keep checking the county's website or call 505-314-0418 for more information.

Kay's All Swim School - Kay's All Swim School offers private lessons for children ages and up as well as group lessons for younger children (with parent) and a swim camp for kids ages 4-9.

Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque - The JCC offers group and private lessons for children, as well as parent/tot lessons for children under the age of three.  You don't need to be a member (or even be Jewish) to take part in the lessons, though you will pay more than members do.

New Mexico Sports and Wellness - This fitness club has several locations throughout Albuquerque that have swimming lessons for children. You do not need to be a member of the club, but you will pay more for the lessons. For more information, visit the main site, choose a location, and then choose aquatics under the program header.

And one more:

YMCA of Central New Mexico - Swim Lessons are located at the Horn YMCA location. You will need to purchase a membership in order to take advantage of lessons, however you can opt to purchase just a program membership.

Did I miss anything?  Please leave a comment and let me know!

Pretend it's Summer, When Clearly it's Not!

by Alison

January 22, 2009

Each time my four year old sees our little plastic pool outside, he begs me to fill it up and let him swim. It might be warm outside right now, but it's not that warm! Here are a few less cold ideas for pretending it's the middle of summer, and not the middle of winter! Drive through Sonic for some ice cream. Since the cool thing about Sonic is that the carhops bring the order to your  Read more...

5 Best Ways to Enjoy the Bosque

by Alison

September 16, 2008

The bosque is the beautiful open space surrounding the Rio Grande River. It's home to a variety of trees which create a shady forest habitat for beavers, birds, turtles and snakes. It's one of my four year old's favorite places to go, he loves exploring there. Here are five ways you can enjoy the bosque with your children. Take a walk. The Paseo Del Bosque trail extends for 16 miles from  Read more...