Richmond Virginia Kid Friendly Activites and Information
M Stringer
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Home page: http://www.richmondforkids.com
Posts by M Stringer
Let’s All Go to the Drive-In
0137 days
If you are looking for a fun family activity while the weather is still nice, I highly recommend the Goochland Drive-In Theater. We took the boys there several weeks ago to see Cars 2 and we all had a blast. To begin with, kids 3 and under are free, which worked out well for us. Adults tickets are $7, and many times during the week they drop the price to just $5 or $15 per carload.
We found a space in back near the concession stand and the playground. The playground is enclosed and separated in to an area for babies/toddlers and an area for older kids. It’s a great way to keep the little ones entertained while waiting for the movie to start. We also hit the concession and were pleased to find that nothing on the menu is over $3. There are plenty of picnic tables for you to sit and eat before heading back to your car. Since this was our first visit, we were not as prepared as we could have been. Most of the people there that night brought chairs and set them up in front of their cars. We have made a mental note for next time.
Each night is usually a double-feature with the most child-friendly movie showing first. Now that it is getting darker earlier, I believe the first shown starts around 7:30. I must also note that if and when your car battery dies…they have the means to get you up and running again. Their regular season runs until late October/early November. If you don’t mind the drive out to Goochland, you should definitely put it on your list of things to do. www.goochlanddriveintheater.com
Monkey Joe’s – Fun For All Ages
0369 days
We visited Monkey Joe’s for the first time recently with our preschool. I really didn’t know much about the place going in, and was worried that my kids were too young to really enjoy it yet. I was wrong. I was very please to find that they have an area strictly for kids 3 and under. I was also very happy that adults and parents can assist children younger than age 4 on any of the equipment, as long as no adults are jumping. It was really hard not to bounce.
For those of you who are unaware, Monkey Joe’s is an indoor inflatable playground for kids chock full of slides of many different sizes and lots of other equipment to play on/in. The area designated for younger kids even has props for learning letters and numbers. Fun and educational! One of our twins wasted no time and jumped right in. When he was tired of the area for the younger kids he went on to conquer the larger slides and play areas. His brother took some warming up to it all but eventually came around and a good time was had by all.
The place is very colorful and plays music for all to enjoy. It really is the perfect place to let you kids run off some energy on a cold winter day OR even a hot summer one. There is a snack bar offering things like hot dogs and pretzels. If you don’t need to watch your older kids as much as I do, you can sit down and enjoy the large screen TV or use the computer stations. And of course, they have several large party rooms with different party options to suit everyone’s needs. I am really considering having the boy’s 2nd bday party there in May. There is a small cover charge for kids to play but it is well worth the cost.
http://www.monkeyjoes.com/Richmond
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Santa and the Snow Globes at Regency Square
0422 days
This year we took the kids to see Santa at Regency Square Mall. The Polar Express is one of my holiday movie favorites and I was excited to share some of it with them, since they wont actually sit through the movie yet. It is set up so you walk through different areas and scenes and can watch the movie as you wait. I’m not sure that the boys even noticed any of the globes depicting familiar parts from the movie but I certainly enjoyed it. They did however seem to enjoy the snow falling in the forest. Then we went around the corner to see Santa. I was worried that putting them in Santa’s lap could cause a few tears, but we got away with it for the second year in a row. This Santa was great and not at all scary. They were even more excited when we posed for a family photo in front of the Polar Express. Probably more so that we were all in the photo and not so much because they realized that we were in front of the train. Either way, the trip was successful.
I do have a few suggestions if you plan to take your kids to visit Santa and the Snow Globes this year. We went during the week of Thanksgiving so we did not have to wait. You may want to go during the week, and before schools let out for break. I can only assume that the line will get longer as it gets closer to Christmas. We also got there at dinner time so that could have helped as well. They have several photo package options available. Some of them also come with free photo gifts that you can order online. And don’t forget to get a copy of the images on disk. We were able to use our photos on our holiday cards this year. Happy Holidays!
Stay and Learn at CMoR Short Pump
0452 days
I received an email about this program recently and although my kids are not yet old enough to attend, with the upcoming holidays, I would definitely take advantage of it if I could. The Children’s Museum at Short Pump has a fairly new program called Stay and Learn for members aged 2.5-6. It runs every weekday from 9am-Noon. And for all of you non-members out there, this may be the perfect time for you to join. For a limited time you can save $10 on the membership fee when you book your first session.
Since this program is new to me, I went to their website to read up on it a little bit. In each session your child will be able to participate in games, activities, stories and songs. They will have guided play time in the exhibits, ride the train and create artwork. They will even be provided a snack! This sounds perfect for parents who need to do a little holiday shopping without the kids in tow. It gets everyone out of the house and gives the kids something to do, while hopefully wearing them out, so they are ready to nap when you pick them up at noon. (I am assuming of course that nap-time is as important to all other parents as it is to me.) They do require that all children be fully potty trained, so get busy with that! I have taken my kids to CMoR Short Pump before and they loved it. So I am certain that any other kids that enjoyed it as well would not mind spending a few hours playing there while mom and/or dad do other things. I hope the program sticks around so I can take advantage of it when my kids are old enough. Here is the link for more information about the program. http://www.c-mor.org/stayandlearn/faq. One more important thing to note is that there is a discount for multiple children. Enjoy your morning out!
