Robinson Nature Center

Howard County Maryland just opened up a new, all green nature center in Columbia, the Robinson Nature Center.  It is nestled in a quiet spot of woods.  There are several trails around the center.  We didn't hike any of them because it was rainy when we went, but you could see them all from the deck, and none looked to long or hard to hike.  Although, there may have been some we couldn't see.  Once you go into the center, there is a room where you feel teeny tiny, like in the movie 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.'  It shows kids alot of things that happen all over the forest, that you might not see.  Then there is a children's room with puzzles, games, magnifying glasses and books among other things.   There is a fee to get in, but on Wednesday's it is free to go check out.  Would make for a great playdate location! 

Fire House Fun!

What kid doesn't have the dream to be a fire man one day?  Several months back, my oldest had a fall on the playground that got him an all expense paid trip in an ambulance.  The EMT's were awesome and said that we should come by the station and check it out.  Here it is 6 months later and we finally get a chance to visit.  It was extremely easy to set up a tour.  On the website for our county's fire station, there was a link for tours.  You email the person your info, they set the date and you tour the fire station, unless there is an emergency that happens.  Fortunately for us, there was no emergency.  We had a great time.  Some old friends joined us as well as some new friends we have met this year at pre-school.  The kids had a great time and enjoyed seeing the trucks and the demo of the ladder going way way high up in the sky!

It was a great day!  I encourage everyone to find out how to take a tour of your local fire station!

Until next time...............

Spring Break Adventures

My First real blog post on my new blog site.  It is a good one to!  My oldest son started pre-school this past fall everyday, so it has cut down on our outings, so for spring break, I packed in about as much adventure as I could.  We traveled to about every immediate family member that we could, activated our 6 flags membership, went to the beach and hit 2 new playgrounds that we have not been in a while.  Here are some of the highlights through photos.   The main purpose of my new blog is to highlight places we go with photos so it can help you decide if it is a place you want to go.  Be sure to check places before you go to check for entrance fees and any discounts.  Some fees change based on the season.

This first place is Kinderfarm Park http://www.kinderfarmpark.org/  Located in Millersville, Maryland.  It has a multilevel playground with slides and swings and lots of fun stuff for kids.  The park also has a nice paved trail encompassing the park and an athletic complex.  They have pavillions for rent, but they also have picnic tables all about that you can use as long as they are open.  There is a 9 hole disc (frisbee) golf course there as well.  Here is a review of the disc golf course http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=1423  The park is also located on an old farm which the website talks about more, but you can go through the barns and see live animals (no feeding though).  Excellent outing for a family or a big group!

  Next up is the Patapsco State Park, Hilton Area Tire Park.  http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/patapscohilton.asp

This is a park that is made up of recycled tire parts.  There is a nice large wood structure , several smaller wood structures and several different kinds of structures made out of tires that kids can climb and jump off of.  The mulch is even shredded tire, so prepare to get dirty.  There was a nice trail to go on a hike with the kids.  4 kids ages 3-5 were able to do the one trail which is about 3/4 mile long.  This day we went, we stayed for 5 hours.  We only left because us mom's were ready to go.  The kids had a great time!

Sandy Point State Park http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/sandypoint.asp  is a local beach on the Chesapeake Bay.  Although I enjoy a good ocean wave on the beach, this is a great beach with little ones, they can play in the sand, and enjoy the water with out the rough waves.  There are playgrounds and picnic areas through out the park.  We have enjoyed spending a day or 2 at this beach each spring for the past 2  years and the kids love it!

I don't have any great pictures of six flags, but here is the link for you to decide if you want to go or not.  They have a great selection of kids rides.  There are 2 areas specifically just for kids.  We will be spending alot of time there this summer.  http://www.sixflags.com/america/index.aspx

Thank you for visiting, I will be updating regularly on the adventures we do through the summer.