Best Places To Take Toddlers/Preschoolers On A Rainy Day

Rain’s in the forecast… but that doesn’t mean you have to stay home with the kids and be bored! There are some great places in and around the Pittsburgh area to have a blast on a dreary day like this! Here are a few suggestions that your preschooler is sure to enjoy!

                                               

credit: www.gymsportgems.com

Gymsport

98 Vanadium Road
Bridgeville, Pa. 15017
412-220-1195
www.gymsportgems.com

Jump, climb, hang, slide, balance, tumble… if you have a little acrobat at home, then Gymsport’s “toddler-themed” Jungle Gym is the dreary-day escape for you! During Preschool Playtime, children can play in a safe “gymnastic environment with beams, bars, climbing walls, trampolines, slides, tunnels and a zip line!” Sessions are held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Toys2Try

2101 Greentree Road (Scott Towne Center)
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15220
412-276-8697
www.toys2try.com
Get your preschooler’s imagination running and creativity flowing at this whimsical, indoor playground in Mount Lebanon! This “eco-friendly” and “lead-free” environment has a tree to climb, a kitchen to cook in, a car to pedal, a ship to sail and much more! Toys2Try also offers a variety of classes, some just for the kids and others where parents can join the fun.

Children’s Museum Of Pittsburgh

10 Children’s Way
Allegheny Square
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15212
412-322-5058
www.pittsburghkids.org
Winner of Nickelodeon’s Parents’ Picks 2010 Awards for Best Museum, The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh “fosters both learning and play.” With both permanent and changing exhibits, children have the chance to learn about everything from art to biology in a variety of settings. According to the museum’s website, their permanent exhibits are based on a “Play with Real Stuff” philosophy, where real things help children understand the world. Each exhibit also has an area specially designed to foster development in toddlers.

Lilliput Play Homes Town Center

20804 Route 19
Cranberry Township, Pa. 16066
724-778-3322
4125 Washington Road
McMurray, Pa. 15317
724-942-3022
www.lilliputtowncenter.com
What could be better than playing “make believe” in a fun-filled, child-sized village? Start by visiting the Neighborhood Market and filling your shopping cart with delicious groceries! Or maybe you need to don your doctor’s jacket and help diagnose why your patients aren’t feeling well today. Clang! Clang! What’s that? The fire bell is ringing! Quick! Time to change coats and save the day! Lilliput Town Center is the ideal place to play for children and parents alike.

Giggles & Smiles

The Mall at Robinson
2050 Robinson Centre Drive
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15205
412-787-PLAY (7529)
Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills
516 Pittsburgh Mills Circle
Tarentum, Pa. 15084
724-275-PLAY (7529)
http://gigglesandsmiles.net
With an emphasis on movement, the activities at Giggles & Smiles fitness and fun center help to build strength, flexibility, balance, endurance and confidence in children. The center “creates a stimulating environment that makes fitness fun” and safety is a top priority with instructors trained in First Aid & CPR. In 2009, it was voted No. 1 by Nickelodeon’s Parents’ Picks for Best Indoor Playspace in Pittsburgh.

Bounce U

65 Warrendale-Bayne Road
Warrendale, Pa. 15086
724-935-8555
www.bounceu.com
Bounce U is the perfect place for little jumping beans! With “Open Bounce” events such as Preschool Playdate, Family Bounce Night and the All-Ages Open Bounce, kids will be in constant motion. In addition to the bouncing, these inflatable parties “come complete with music, games and snacks. Parents will love the “clean, climate-controlled environment,” and the kids will be excited to play on the “cool bounce stadiums.”

Tortilla Lunch

This week's recipe features one of my boys' favorite lunch items, the tortilla. There have been times when I would ask them what they wanted on their tortillas and lucky for you, I am not going to add their suggestions

The all-time favorite tortilla lunch is the cheesy/eggy/turkey-y/broccoli-y/wheat germy tortilla. The only trouble with this recipe is that you may not have the ingredients on hand. I always cook more food than I need for a meal so that I can freeze and use the leftovers. This allows us to come up with the cheesy/eggy...you know tortilla!

Cheesy/Eggy/Turkey/Broccoli/Wheat Germ Tortilla

2 whole grain tortillas
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of thinly diced turkey (cooked)
1 cup steamed broccoli
wheat germ - sprinkled as desired

Scramble 2 eggs in a frying pan with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and add the broccoli and turkey when the eggs are almost cooked. Cook until the eggs are no longer runny and are firm.
Warm tortillas in a toaster oven or in your regular oven.

Place tortilla on a plate and cover with the egg scramble. Sprinkle the cheese over the eggs and then sprinkle wheat germ on top. Roll up the tortilla or fold in half. Serve warm with cottage cheese with fruit dices mixed in.

14 Fun, Frugal Summer Activities for Kids

Day 1. See a “one dollar” movie at the theater. Many theater chains around the country offer summer movie programs for kids where they offer a “one dollar” movie every day for a week, or on a particular day of the week all summer. Alternative: Have a movie day at home by streaming a classic from Netflix.


Day 2. Sprinkler day. Delay your sprinklers for one day so they come a little later in the morning. This way everyone can get on their bathing suits and have fun jumping through the sprinklers on a hot day. But not for too long! This is a good time to teach them about conserving water, reducing utility costs, etc.

Day 3. Attend “story time” at your local library. My kids love to check out books on all kinds of subjects. My son currently has three library books on swimming, pirates and going to the dentist (quite a diverse reader, huh?). Many libraries also have a story time to encourage a summer reading program. Stories are read out loud and the kids have a chance to interact with the story-teller and answer questions about the book.

Day 4. Set up a lemonade stand. This is probably my favorite idea because of the lessons in entrepreneurship involved. Loan your kids $10 as “seed money” for supplies, or better yet, let them use their own money from savings. This way they don’t get used to the idea that borrowing leads to prosperity. Take the kids along to the grocery store one morning and let them pick up the lemons, sugar, cups, and a couple bags of ice to keep in a cooler. Yes, Crystal Light lemonade works, too, but is less authentic and more expensive. This is a great way for neighborhood kids to work together, as they can divide into teams to man the lemonade stand, make the lemonade, handle the money, etc. Please remember that an adult needs to be with the kids at all times, both inside and outside the house, so have a neighbor help.
Bonus: Use the money your kids earn to open a Kids Savings Account at ING Direct, where they can begin to understand the mechanics of banking, compound interest, etc. while earning a decent return on their money.

Day 5. Teach your kids to fly a kite. Check your 10-day forecast and look for a windy day in the coming week. Pick up an expensive kite for the kids. I even recommend springing for the extra spool of kite string on a roller because the string and handles that come with the kites are lousy.

Day 6. Make homemade play-doh. I haven’t run a cost analysis on this recipe to determine it’s “frugalness,” but I can tell you it is a lot of fun! I suppose the next best option would be to pick up some commercial Play-Doh on sale, but what fun would that be?
Day 7. Bake a cake. I remember having a ball helping my mom bake something when I was young. And not all the fun came at the end when I got to lick the icing from the bowl! Let your kids help bake a cake, and surprise mom or dad when they arrive home that afternoon.
Plenty of teachable moments here with opportunities to teach fractions (four 1/4 cups equals one cup, etc.). By the way, my wife made this pirate birthday cake for my son’s birthday last week. Arrrgghhh!

Day 8. Build a “fort” in the living room. When my son was smaller he got the biggest kick out of playing in giant cardboard boxes. We would color them, and cut “windows” out for him to look through. A living room “fort” could be as simple as a few kitchen chairs gathered in a circle with a large bed sheet thrown across them and draped to the floor. The kids can hide from mom and dad, read books, or pretend they are camping out in the living room.

Day 9. Go bowling. My grandfather and I spent many hot, summer afternoons bowling a couple games at the local bowling alley. These days, bowling can be an expensive activity. Call the lanes ahead of time and ask if they have any summer specials (certain days may be cheaper). Also check those coupon mailer packs for coupons for free games. To keep costs down, just let the kids bowl – you can work on your game another time.


Day 10. Declare a “bored” game day. I learned to play chess, checkers, backgammon, and poker (my mom wasn’t thrilled with that) one summer while staying with my grandparents. Few kids today don’t realize you can play games without a computer. Most of these old board games are inexpensive in their basic form – skip the “deluxe” edition, and check out the board game selection at Amazon.com to save even more.

Day 11. Have a water balloon fight. My son attended a birthday party recently and the parents had filled several dozen mini balloons with water. The kids participated in games like a water balloon toss – they start close together, but take a step back with each toss to increase the distance. The last one to break the balloon is out. With that was left, the kids had an all-out water balloon battle. Lots of fun, but be sure to pick up the balloon remains, especially if you have very little ones or pets as they could be a choking hazard.

Day 12. Create a “mini-me.” Find a piece of large poster board, or large heavy-duty paper (such as a butcher paper) wide enough for your kids to lay down on. Use a dull pencil (less chance for boo-boos) to trace their entire body to the paper from head to toe. Now let the kids decorate the kids to look like themselves in the same clothes they are wearing, same color eyes, hair, etc. When they are finished, help them cut out their mini-me for proud display.

Day 13. Pajama day. I feel like having these days as an adult! Stay in your pajamas all day long. Make pancakes in the morning, bake a pizza for lunch, and lounge around watching movies. Use your Netflix subscription to have a couple kid-friendly movies on hand.


Day 14. Spend a day volunteering your time. A good way to wrap up your two-week blitz of summertime fun is to allow your kids to donate their time to a worthy cause. Contact a few local charities and find out which ones will allow kids to volunteer some time over the summer (under your supervision). My daughter has worked with Project Linus in the past – an organization that makes blankets for children who’ve suffered a traumatic experience.

Read aloud every day.

Even for 5 or 10 minutes. He's learning words by hearing you say them. Name objects in the books and let him point to them.

Explain things as they're happening.

Make it a conversation, and listen when he talks.

Play Peek-a-boo.

He truly believes he's invisible when he holds his hands over his eyes. How fun is that?

Ask him to find things.

You'll be surprised how much he knows.

Expand on his words.

If he says “car,” make it into a sentence.

Put faces to voices.

When friends and family call on the phone, put pictures near the phone so he can see who's talking to him.

Sing songs.

Play toddler learning games such as “Name The Body Parts.”

Play with blocks.

An excellent study in cause-and-effect.

Introduce new environments.

New playgrounds. The grocery store. The children's room at the library.

Experiment with chunky crayons.

Help him color on paper with them, and learn NOT to eat them!

Give him choices.

But not too many!

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