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

5 Things To Know About the Bonanic Garden

by Alison

August 11, 2009

A huge garden may not seem like most fun outing for you and your preschooler, but Albuquerque's Rio Grande Botanic Garden is more than just your ordinary garden and so much fun too! Here are five things to know about this local gem.

1. Admission included with Aquarium. That means one price gets you access to both places (they share a common parking lot and entrance patio). For a few dollars more you can visit the zoo as well (a train will take you between venues).

2. The Children's Fantasy Garden is very much designed with children in mind. There are mazes to explore, large ants to climb on, a pumpkin to walk in, and a tree to slide through.

3. The Heritage Farm is a recreation of a 1930's era Rio Grande Farm. Your child is sure to love the cows, pigs, horses and goats that call it home. During the summer months, horse-drawn wagon rides are often offered.

4. The Butterfly Pavillion is a seasonal exhibit home to several hundred butterflies that fly all around you. It is open from late May through Labor Day. It's a no-touch exhibit (in that you should not touch the butterflies) so be sure to prep your child for that.

5. The Botanic Garden is the perfect picnic spot. There's a large grassy (and shaded!) area near the entrance. Lots of room for you little ones to run around while you enjoy the beautiful scenery.  Read more...

Weekend Getaway - Taos Ski Valley

by Alison

June 29, 2009

 

Two summers ago, my family and I enjoyed a quick getaway to Taos Ski Valley. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was even better. A ski village isn't really what one would automatically think of when choosing a summer trip, but there are some great deals to be had in the summertime and enough outdoor fun to fill your day.  

Through the end of the summer, you can ride the chairlift (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). There is also a disc golf course that you can use for free (discs are available for rental).

If you'll be there this weekend, you can enjoy tethered hot air balloon rides as well as a Fourth of July celebration complete with a parade, games, music, and face painting.

Take a hike on the Williams Lake trail. It's a two mile trip (one way) to the lake. It's steep, but we had no trouble hiking it with me carrying the baby in a front pack, and my husband carrying our three year old in a backpack (all in all, the three year old probably walked half the time). Even if you don't go all the way, and just as far as your kids can manage, it's still a beautiful hike!

 

Now that you're ready to plan your trip, visit the Chamber of Commerce for more information on lodging. In the summer, you can get one night in a suite for under $100. This is especially nice because that way you'll have a kitchen to prepare meals. Many of the restaurants are closed in the summer, so you are better off bringing food with you.

Don't forget to stop at the Taos Cow (located in Arroyo Seco, between Taos and Taos Ski Valley) for some ice cream and enjoy your trip!

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Five New Mexico National Parks

by Alison

June 16, 2009

Looking for a quick getaway this summer? Look no further than one of New Mexico's National Parks. Here are five that you and your kids are sure to love.

• Bandelier National Monument: Bandelier is located about two hours northwest of Albuquerque, near Los Alamos. Here you'll find ancient dwellings that are thousands of years old. You can explore many of them and there's also opportunities for your little monkey to do some climbing (on ladders). If you'd like to make an overnight trip, there are campgrounds  available. Bandelier also offers a junior ranger program.

• If your little explorer can't get enough of ancient rock dwellings, head south to the Gila Cliff Dwellings where you'll find the seven hundred year old dwellings of the Mogollon people that you can walk around in. The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Park is located about five hours southwest of Albuquerque, near Silver City. Because of the long drive to get there, you'll probably want to combine this with a camping trip and there are plenty of opportunities in the surrounding forest. There is also a junior ranger program.

• White Sands National Monument: No here's something you don't see everyday, 275 square miles of nothing but white sand! Your preschooler will enjoy playing in the sand and even sledding down the hills! White Sands is located about four hours south of Albuquerque, near Alamogordo. If you visit be sure to bring a change of clothing for the drive home (you'll be sandy!) and some sunglasses because the sun reflects quite a bit off of the sand. White Sands offers a junior ranger program 

• If you have a spelunker on your hands, head to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, home of 113 caves and lots of bats! If you visit anytime between now and Mid-October, you can watch nearly 400,000 bats exit the caverns at sunset. Anyone can go on the self-guided tour, but there are age restrictions for the guided tours. Carlsbad Caverns is located about six hours southeast of Albuquerque. There is a junior ranger program as well as a special kids visitors center.

• Petroglyph National Monument:  If you want to stay close to home, then this is the monument for you! Located on the west of town. Enjoy an short hike and check out some of the 20,000 carved images that give this monument its name. There is a junior ranger program, but it is geared toward older kids. Petroglyph offers many events  throughout the year.

Don't forget about the three fee-free weekends coming up this summer! It's a great opportunity to take advantage of the parks that require entrance fees.      Read more...

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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It's Not a Stick, It's A...

by Alison

April 13, 2009

Kids love to create, and their definition of artwork can be quite different from ours.  This means that chances are your child would be excited about an art project regardless of the materials used.  So, why not take advantage of that and scout out your home or your backyard for some craft supplies that would otherwise go unnoticed or just end up in the trash?

Flowers, grass, and leaves make some great collage materials.  I like to use clear contact paper to eliminate the need for glue (which is especially good for the littlest ones).  Then I also will cover the creation with contact paper as well.  Instead of just using  these materials for a collage, use them to spell your child's name - flowers are great for dotting 'i's! 

 

 

Head inside and you'll find even more great craft supplies. Cut pictures from old magazines. Look for specific colors, shapes, or letters and help your child create his own color, shape, or alphabet book. Popsicle sticks are lots of fun, too. Glue on some yarn for hair, draw on eyes (or use google eyes) and clothes to make people.  Glue four together to create a square-shaped picture frame. Challenge your child to make other shapes. Decorate old food containers (such as cool whip tubs or juice concentrate cans) and turn them into keepsake containers, pencil jars, or banks. Leftover bits of yarn, fabric, ribbon, or wrapping paper make great collage materials.

Create a stationary set for your child using the envelopes that come with junk mail (or your bills, if you pay them online and don't use them), paper that's been printed on one side already (cut them into fun shapes to make them seem interesting), and some return address labels. Use an old shoebox to make a mailbox.

Think outside of the box and you're sure to find lots of art materials around the house.  Before you throw it out, stop and think, what could my child create with this?

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UNM Duck Pond

by Alison

March 23, 2009

We crossed another thing off of our list! Last week, our family took a trip to the Duck Pond on the University of New Mexico campus to feed the ducks (#36 on the 99 things to do in Albuquerque before your kids grow up list). It was a beautiful spot, and fairly secluded considering it's located on the campus of a major university!  We visited during UNM's spring break, so there weren't many students around and, in fact, there were actually quite a few families and kids. 

The UNM Duck pond is a great place for preschoolers. For the active child, there's rocks to climb, grass to run on, steps to climb, and a bridge to cross.  For the observant or artistic child, there is plenty of opportunities for animal watching (lots of turtles) and nature sketching.  And you can't forget about feeding the ducks!  Though the ducks seem to be pretty well fed, as they weren't too crazy about the bread we had to offer.  Also, there are plenty of trees, so the area is shady and perfect for a picnic and there's also a nice clock tower, so it's a good place to teach your kids about telling time.

There is parking very close to the duck pond. From University, turn east on Las Lomas, turn south on Yale and follow it around the corner to Roma. You'll find several spaces with parking meters. These spots are free on the weekends, and $1.75/hour during the week. The pond will be directly south of you. If you visit on the weekend, many of the reserved lots are free and do not require special parking passes. You can view a campus map here
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Kids Will Eat (or At Least Try) What They Grow

by Alison

March 16, 2009

My four year old loves eggplant.  Yeah, you read that right.  And I don't have to hide it between layers of sauce and cheese in eggplant parmesan.  He eats it just lightly breaded and baked in the oven.

This love came about last summer when we planted some eggplant in our garden.  For some reason he took a liking to this plant in particular, especially once the purple fruit was visible.  So, needless to say, he was excited to try the eggplant after we harvested it. He's the same way with the peas in our garden, those are easy for him to pick and he likes to just eat some right away as a snack. We aren't always this lucky when it comes to him eating the produce from our garden, though if he's taken some responsibility when it comes to planting and watering, we don't usually have a problem getting him to at least try it. 

If you don't have any room for a garden, that doesn't mean you can't grow some food of your own.  Many vegetables can be grown in small containers that you can place on your front or back porch.  We've had success growing tomatoes in containers and currently we're trying lettuce and spinach (because they don't grow well in our backyard!).  For more on container gardening, check out this link.

Watching a vegetable go from seed (or small plant) to your dinner table is a fascinating process, especially for a preschooler. To fully involve your child in your gardening experience, let her choose a vegetable to grow.  Be sure to do your research first and make sure it will grow well where you are.  The Albuquerque Master Gardeners website is a good resource, as is your local nursery.  Now, let your child get messy and plant the seeds.  Put him on water duty and maybe even purchase a small watering can that would be easy for him to carry. Take pictures every now and then, so when it does grow into a mature plant, you can look back on all the stages it has gone through. And don't forget to get your child excited about eating what she's growing!
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Gardening Without a Garden

by Alison

March 10, 2009

Spring is just around the corner, which means many people are deciding what to plan in their gardens. From learning how plants grow to learning about life cycles and appreciating nature, gardening offers a multitude of learning opportunities for preschoolers.  Just because you don't have the space for a formal garden doesn't mean your child has to be left out, though.  Here are some ways your family can take advantage of a garden without having a full-fledged garden of your own.

Container Gardening
Do you have a patio or porch?  Then you can have a garden!  Many vegetables can be grown very successfully in small containers.  Let your preschooler have one container of his own to plant and take care of.  Want more information? Try this guide to container gardening or just do a google search for "container gardening"

Community Gardens
Simply put, a community garden is a piece of land gardened by a group of people. Individuals, families, or groups have their own plot in the garden to plant, tend to, and harvest (or donate!). The Rio Grande Community Farm offers a community garden. Call 345-4580 or send an email

Community Supported Agriculture
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) allows your family to take advantage of fresh garden produce without any planting or growing!  This is a great way to introduce your children to new vegetables that they may not otherwise be exposed to.  You simply pay for a "share" of a farm and then each week your family can enjoy a box of locally grown fruits and vegetables.  Los Poblanos Organics offers year-round service, while Erda Gardens offers produce from May through October.  Each garden has slightly different policies and procedures, so read carefully to see which one works best for your family. Visit this link for a full list of CSAs around the state.  Read more...

5 Places to Practice Counting

by Alison

February 03, 2009

This month the national Being Savvy blog is focusing on pre-math skills. Counting, of course, falls into that category. So here are five places that you'll find some unique counting opportunities. Dion's Pizza: Dion's Restaurants are equipped with a pizza viewing stations that let your child easily view the pizza making action. Count the pizzas you see, how many pizza ovens there are  Read more...

5 Ideas for Indoor Play on This Mid-Winter Day

by Alison

January 20, 2009

Don't let the great weather fool you, the calendar still says it's winter! Which means one of these days an indoor activity might be just what you are looking for. Here are five ideas to get you thinking about all the great indoor things Albuquerque has to offer: Art day at the Museum: Each Saturday at 1:00, the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History offers family art workshops. The  Read more...

Celebrate Fall

by Alison

October 27, 2008

The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and some terrific holidays are just around the corner. That's right, it's Fall! I grew up in Arizona and only thought I knew what seasons were until I spent a few years living on the east coast. Albuquerque may not "do" fall quite like the east, but compared to central Arizona, it's wonderful! Here are some fun ways to celebrate  Read more...

99 Things To Do In Albuquerque Before Your Child Grows Up

by Alison

October 14, 2008

Whether you plan to live in Albuquerque forever or for a month, here is a list of can't miss activities for you and your family to enjoy.  Many of these activities are free or just require a small parking fee.  Some will require a day trip, or even a weekend getaway.  Don't let your child grow up without experiencing as many as you can!

1. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.  Clearly an obvious one because it's such a unique experience.  Go early in the morning and walk around balloons as they prepare to fly the skies. Chances are, it's a experience your child will never have again.

2. See the sharks at the Aquarium.

3. Expore the ancient houses at Bandelier National Monument.   No, it's not in Albuquerque, but a two hour drive away. Your preschooler will love this because she can climb inside many of them and imagine what it might have been like to live in such a structure.

4. Get apples from Dixon Apple Orchard

5. Watch UNM battle it out on the gridiron, or any other sport you desire! 

6. See some neat looking rock formations at Tent Rocks National Monument.

7. Go to the Zoo. 

8. Ride the Sandia Peak Tramway.  It's the world's longest aerial tramway and it's in your backyard! 

9. Visit the Rio Grande Nature Center .  A perfect way to introduce your children to the river and the nature surrounding it.  You're sure to see a variety of wildlife and there's plenty of room for the kids to run crazy.

10. Go Fishing at Tingley Beach. There's a special pond just for kids
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History Lesson: Petroglyph National Monument

by Alison

October 07, 2008

It's estimated that Petroglyph National Monument may be home to over 25,000 petroglyph images. These old rock drawings are sure to be of interest to your preschooler. Start your day of exploration at the Riconada Canyon Trailhead (it's off of St. Joseph Ave.). The trail is a two and a half mile loop, but since you'll start to see some petroglyphs about 100 yards in, there's no need to do  Read more...

Day Trippin': Hiking with Your Preschooler

by Alison

October 06, 2008

When I lived on the East coast, it seemed we could choose a direction, drive for an hour, and be in a whole new place to explore. Albuquerque doesn't quite have that luxury. Here, you drive for an hour and you end up in the middle of nowhere. But Albuquerque has mountains, and a visit to the mountains will definitely give you the feeling that you are far, far away from the hustle and bustle  Read more...

Exploring the Urban Jungle at the Rio Grande Nature Center

by Alison

September 25, 2008

Is your child way into nature and all things outdoors? Then you'd best head over to the Rio Grande Nature Center (located on Candelaria right by the river). The Rio Grande Nature Center is the perfect place to observe wildlife and enjoy a beautiful Albuquerque day. There are some walking walking trails including a one mile loop that goes through the bosque and near the river. Some of  Read more...

How To Cultivate a Green (and Very Tiny) Thumb: Fall Garden Fun

by Alison

September 18, 2008

Does your preschooler know where the vegetables and fruits that you try and make him eat really come from? Fall in Albuquerque is a great time to show them. Planting seeds and watching them grow is an exciting activity for young children. If you have your own garden, be sure to involve your children. If you don't, all you really need is a paper cup, some soil, and a seed packet to  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...