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

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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Weekly Round-up: The New (To Us) Park Edition

by Alison

March 12, 2009

I recently updated the post, 99 Things to Do in Albuquerque Before Your Child Grows Up , to actually include 99 things! I received a lot of help and ideas from others and while compiling them all, I got so excited to actually do some of them! It's my hope that at least twice a month, I'll venture out with the kids and cross off one of the things on the list. This week, we explored a new playground (#43). We went to Columbus Park , which is located near Griegos and 12th St. The boys both had a great time. It's a large park with lots of grass, tennis courts, covered picnic tables, basketball courts, and of course play equipment! It was perfect for the preschool crowd and grade schoolers would enjoy it too. My 20-month-old had fun running around on all the ramps and there weren't too many places where I was afraid he might try and jump off!

 

 

If you're looking for an activity for this weekend, check the list, otherwise here are some events that might interest you:

This Weekend:

Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival at Expo New Mexico - Children can create their own works of art the Creation Station and watch a magic show. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (March 13, 14, 15) from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm each day.

Horno Oven Bread Baking Demonstration at Petroglyph National Monument Visitor's Center - Watch how traditional Indian Bread is made. Saturday, March 14 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Free Fishing Derby at Tingley Beach - Catch a golden trout and win a prize! The lake will be stocked with 5000 rainbow trout just for this event. Saturday, March 14 7:30 am - 4:00 pm

Start! Heart Walk at the Bosque School - A great way to exercise as a family and help out a good cause. Radio Disney will be there beginning at 9:00 am, the race begins at 10:00 am. Saturday, March 14 10:00 am - 12:00 pm.

St. Patrick's Day Balloon Rallye in Los Lunas -  Enjoy arts and crafts, music, food, and of course balloons!  Saturday and Sunday (March 14, 15) 7:00 am both days.

Book Signing at Borders (Westside Location) - Kersten Hamilton will be signing copies of the children's book Red Truck. Sunday, March 15 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Camp BioPark Registration Begins - Sign your child up for a fun summer camp at the BioPark. Monday, March 16

Coming Soon:

Dinosaur Crafts at Lomas Tramway Library - Children ages 2 and up can choose from two crafts to make and take home. Friday, March 20 3:00 - 5:00 pm (drop in at your convenience)

"Dinosaurs and Other Monsters of New Mexico" at Lomas Tramway Library - Touch real dinosaur fossils. Saturday, March 21 2:00 pm

Book Signing at Borders (Westside Location) - Jill Lane will be signing copies of her activity book New Mexico A-Z and Kathy Barco will be signing copies of her book, READiscover New Mexico. Saturday, March 21 1:00 pm -3:00 pm

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Special Storytime at Borders - Celebrate the anniversary of this book by Eric Carle. Saturday, March 21 2:00 pm

Every Child Ready to Read Workshop for Parents at Erna Fergusson Library - Learn how to prepare your child for reading. Call 768-5103 to register. Monday, March 23 10:30 am - 11:30 am.

Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club's 40th Annual Show at Expo New Mexico - If your child is into rocks, he or she is sure to enjoy browsing the collection at this show. There will also be visits from a wolf and grab bags for the kids. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (March 20, 21, 22) 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Sunday.

Healthy Family Day at Expo New Mexico - There will be health screenings, demonstrations, music, dancing, and games. Saturday, March 28 10:00 am - 12:00 pm.

Horno Oven Bread Baking Demonstration at Petroglyph National Monument Visitor's Center - Watch how traditional Indian Bread is made. Saturday, March 28 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

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Five Free Albuquerque Activities

by Alison

March 03, 2009

Some days you feel like you must get out of the house, but it would get expensive if each outing meant spending a lot of money!  Here are five free (or nearly free) activities for days like that.

Visit the Kidgets play area at Cottonwood mall.  Meet up with a friend and the kids can play and run around while you get in some adult time. Obviously this one's only free if you limit your shopping to the window variety!

Take advantage of a museum's free day. Several local museums have free admission days during any given month. This posts lists some and I've heard rumors that the Natural History museum is free everyday after 4:00 pm. They also have a handful of free days each year. Don't forget about the new storytime at the balloon museum, museum admission is free to those attending the storytime.

Explore at the Nature Center. Let your kids run around and explore nature. This even works if the day is a bit cold or gray because there's lots of fun stuff in the visitor's center also. If you park on-site, you'll pay a small fee, otherwise, it's a freebie.

Learn a new sport. Head over to a local tennis court and see how good your child is at hitting the balls, if nothing else, he'd probably enjoy chasing down the ones you hit!  Or you could try some frisbee golf, there's a course at Roosevelt park , or you could visit any park with a large open space and create your own.

Play with trains at Barnes and Noble. Each Barnes and Noble has a train table in their children's areas.  This is another one of those nearly free ones because it might be hard to escape with out a new book!  Just be sure and keep Barnes and Noble in mind when you are in the market for some new books.  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...

Room to Run

by Alison

October 13, 2008

We all have days where, try as you might, you can't keep the kids at home because they want to run! And what about those days when you want to tire your child out in hopes that they'll take a fabulous nap? Where should you go? Here are some places to take your kids when you want to run them ragged. With 11 acres, Roosevelt Park (located at Coal and Spruce SW) is a great place to let your  Read more...

5 Things to Do Outside When the Weather is Perfect

by Alison

September 30, 2008

I can't even believe how close to ideal the weather is here in Albuquerque! I could definitely do without the windy Spring days, however. So when the weather is just so beautiful that you feel it's a crime to stay inside here's some fun outdoor ideas for you. Feed the Ducks. You can usually find some hungry ducks at Tingley Beach Park. The Duck Pond at UNM is a good bet also. Another  Read more...