Things to do with pre-schoolers while school aged kids are still in school and over the summer

Here is a list that I have compiled of affordable things to do with your pre-schoolers.  My youngest is done with pre K on May 16th, my oldest doesn't finish 1st grade until June 18th.  That is alot of time on my hands to fill with my 5 year old.  I don't have a schedule of what I want to do when, but this is the list that I will be using when I think 'What are we going to do today?'  I will break the list down by days first since certain things only happen on certain days.  At the end, I will list other stuff that there is to do outside of that.  This could be useful for the entire summer.

To start off this is a blog that I go to find new and fun places to visit: family fun in maryland and beyond

Monday:
Skate Zone in Crofton, Tot Rock & Roll (rent skates or bring your own ride on), 10-2, $4/child (will probably only run through Memorial day.
http://www.sk8zone.com/

Fairlands Gymnastics-- This is a gymnastics arena in Burtonsville, Md.  They open up their arena for ages walking-6 years. 1 hour for open gym time.  There is a nice boundless playground with a large sand box there as well great to have a picnic afterwards.  Mon/Wed 10:30 - 11:30 $5/child
open gym at fairlands gymnastics

Tuesday:
Fairlands open gym: 11:30 - 12:30 (see Monday for description)

Regal Cinema Summer Movie Express: Movies at Regal Cinema, Waugh Chapel, $1 movies on tues/wed over the summer beginning June 24.

Wednesday:
Robinson Nature Center: A new nature center in Columbia.  There are alot of interactive displays, a play room and a walk through nature that makes you feel the size of a field mouse.  Closed Mon and Tue.  Free on Wednesday.
Robinson Nature Center

Fairlands Gymnastics: 10:30 - 11:30

Regal Cinema Summer Movie Express (see link below)

Thursday:
Fairlands Gymnastics: 11:30 - 12:30

Friday: Working on finding things that have deals on Friday's.

Other useful links:
Kids skate free: free coupons to use at local skating rinks: kids skate free
Kids bowl free: free tickets to use at some of the local bowling alleys: kids bowl free
Regal Summer Movie Express: Regal Cinema Summer Movie Express
Cinemark Summer Movie Club house: $1 movies at the Arundle Mills Movie theatre, the list hasn't been posted yet.
North Arundel Aquatic Center: North Arundel Aquatic Center
Pump it up: Pump It Up Calendar
NASA Goddard Visitor Center: Small visitor center that you can visit for free. NASA Goddard Visitor Center
Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center:  patuxent wild life refuge
Rollie Pollies in Crofton: Check open gym times: rollie pollie schedule
Eco-Adventures: A new location in Millersville that you can interact with animals.  eco adventures drop in time
Currently an amazon local deal for EcoAdventures: amazon local deal (may be expired)
Play n' Learn Playground Super store:  This is a playground store that has made an arena of their sales area with at least 6 playground models, 3 trampolines and a small basketball area.  $6 for 2 hours.  Play n' Learn superstore
Rainbow Systems Playground super store: They to have opened up their show room for open play.  There are more structures, no trampolines and basketball.  Yes, it is located about 2 blocks from play n learn.  I have been there one time, and that is it, my kids like the trampolines.  I believe it is $6/2 hours, it is not advertised as well, so I would advise calling before you go.  Rainbow systems super store
Bass Pro Shop offers an informational and crafty kind of summer program.  We have done it in conjunction with the movies offered at Cinemark.  The info isn't up yet, but here is the link--hopefully it will work when the information becomes available: bass pro shops summer camp

Playgrounds that I like and why:
High Ridge Park: no swings, secluded, rubber ground (no mulch), short paved walking trail, close public restroom, picnic tables, open field for sports/kite flying high ridge park
North Laurel Community Center Park: mostly fenced in, no mulch, has some different structures. north laurel community center park
Hilton Area Tire Park at Patapsco State Park: Playground using recycled tires, large, different kinds of structures, small nature center (if open), short nature hikes, onsite public restrooms.  hilton area tire park

Here are links to some great playgrounds that are more then a 20 minute drive:
Clemyjontri Park
Wheaton Regional Park
South Germantown Adventure Playground
Cabin John Regional Park


I regularly scan certifkid.com, groupon, living social and amazon local for deals and discounts on local attractions.

Fort Meade offers has some great playgrounds at Burba Lake Park, and have $1 bowling days on Thursdays.

Orioles Season Opener

While alot of people in my family are sports fans, and I have played sports all my life, me and my husband are not really sports fans.  But since my kids have been born and raised in Maryland they have been drilled with the Orioles and Ravens from day one.  Not that they watch the games, but they are excited to hear about them, or drive into the city and see the stadiums.  We had planned to go to some games in the future, but ended up going a bit sooner then we thought.  The Orioles decided (or whoever the powers that be) that the first game would be dedicated to the members of the military.  They asked Fort Meade to rally some kids to help with the opening ceremonies at the game.  We were lucky enough to be one of those families. We really had no idea what was going to be happening until it happened.  And what happened was just magical for the kids!  All the kids, about 80 of them, lined an orange carpet coming from center field.  Each child held a flag and waved it as the players ran down the carpet.  They even got to meet and hang out with the Oriole mascot.  It was a beautiful day for baseball that day and great day for the kids to enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Here are some links to the opening day ceremonies: 

Baltimore Sun Paper

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-orioles-opening-day-2014-pictures-pg,0,7417331.photogallery?index=bal-orioles-game-033114-15-20140331

Fort Meade Soundoff paper: (you can see the kids in some of the pictures, and we are pretty sure our oldest is the one hugging the Oriole) 

http://www.ftmeadesoundoff.com/sports/11830/fort-meade-children-celebrate-opening-day-with-orioles/

A little artist

We haven't done much notable to blog about lately.  We get up and out and do things, but it is the same things we have done in the past, and my camera is broken, so I haven't been able to take as many pictures.  I don't find that my phone takes the best pictures, so I am looking to get a new point and shoot camera.  But before the camera died, I took some pictures of the kids cute artwork.  And this morning the light bulb went off, I can show you those!  So here are a few fun pictures my kids have drawn over the past year.  

First up, my younger son.  He just started pre-school last year.  Most of these are from there, but there are a few that are his own and deserve an explanation.

The caption on this page reads harold and the purple crayon.  He decided to draw one arm longer then the other, then he proceeded to run around the house with one arm tucked in his sleeve and one arm out, just like his picture. 

This was his first picture of me, he added himself at a later date. 

Now we start onto my older son.  These are from Kindergarten.  

Nothing to exciting, but these are just a few of the projects they have done to make me smile.  Who knows if they will ever make it into a book of some sort.  This way I can always look back and find them. 

Happy Tuesday! 

Universal Studios

I know, it has been almost 3 months (wow) and I am finally finishing up our vacation photos for everyone to enjoy!  I was excited to get the Disney photos up because I have never been to Disney.  I went a few years ago with work, but had to work, so I didn't get to fully experience all that is Disney.  Universal--this was our third time there, so with the exception of the Harry Potter stuff and riding the kids stuff we didn't care about before, it is still kind of the same...but awesome!   We enjoy us some theme parks.  Just to give you an idea, when we got married, we went to Cedar Point 2 days later, and then honeymooned in Orlando and spent 3 days going to Universal.  Then when we went back to Orlando for our 3 year anniversary we stayed with a cousin and went to Universal, then to my Grams near Tampa and hit Busch Gardens, then on the way home, stopped at another cousins in North Carolina and hit Carrowinds--which is Parmounts cousin to Kings Island and Kings Dominion.  So we love amusement parks!  Back to the task at hands.  I think my kids love them to.  We seem to be raising adrenaline junkies.  The horse and phone rides don't really do it for them any more, they need speed, and hills and fast turns.  Near the new big Harry Potter coaster/ride that doesn't offer speed pass, the adutls would take turns doing the single rider thing while the other ones would ride with the kids on the smaller coaster 'The flight of the Hippogriff'.  To say that they rode this coaster 15 times probably be a few to less.  There were no lines, and it almost took longer to walk up to the ride then the actual ride.  But it is what they love, hills, speed, turns and it was awesome for us to enjoy the adult stuff while they enjoyed things that are their speed.   While 3-D rides took a while to coax them onto, once they did, they loved it.  If you go to Universal (I use Universal as to include both universal studios and Islands of Adventure---because I can never really remember what is where), they have 3-D rides for Dispicable me, Transformers, Shrek and Spiderman.  They area all very awesome.   We rode Minion Mayhem at least 6 times.  One day the kids spent hours in the Fievel-make you feel like the size of a mouse--playground, complete with inflatable raft water slide.  There was also a small coaster, smaller then the Hippogriff, but still a fun ride for them and then to the Curious George water playground.  This day, the adults again took time to go ride the rides using the single rider lines, and the kids had a blast!  Now that it is all said and done---I would like to go to Disney again someday so I won't be a newbie, but we have already talked about gettingn back to Universal again!