Richmond Virginia Kid Friendly Activites and Information
Posts tagged Richmond Va
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!
Romp N’ Roll
1499 days
A few weeks ago I purchased some Open Gym passes for my boys from livingsocial.com. I was able to get several passes for each at ½ the regular price. Too good to pass up! Today we went to check out the Midlothian location for the first time, just back from the corner of Midlothian and Huguenot. It’s basically a large, colorful room full of padded equipment for kids to climb, jump on, hang from, tumble and run around like wild animals.
We were the only people there at first and it was nice to have the run of the place. They ran from thing to thing, sometimes stopping in route to dance to the music that plays at all times. They were able to be as loud as they wanted and I wasn’t worried about them falling and getting hurt. Like I said before…everything is padded. They spent lots of time shooting hoops, jumped on the trampoline, dangled from the monkey bars (I didn’t even know they could do that at this age), went down the slide countless times and climbed on top of everything that was stationary. When they tripped and fell they bounced right back up off of the padded floors. I don’t think that one tear was shed in the hour that we were there, which is a huge accomplishment for two clumsy boys.
Our passes are for the designated Open Gym times, but there are also several different class options for varying ages 
and interests. Our boys enjoy music so much that I am most likely going to sign them up for the class called Tumble Tunes. They also offer art classes, adventure classes and summer camp for children between the ages of 2 and 6. And like most places geared towards young children, you can even rent the space for birthday parties. There are several locations in the Richmond area, and you can try any class for free. I know that we will be going more frequently once it’s too cold to play outside. http://www.rompnroll.com/
Where Kids Eat for Free
1523 days
During the last few weeks we have been eating out quite a bit because I was very pregnant and did not feel like cooking. I am always looking for places to where kids eat for free and was delighted to find two in the last week. Since lately it seems that most of what I attempt to feed my kids intentionally winds up on the floor, I don’t feel too bad about it when it comes free with my own meal.
Kids eat free at Qdoba every Sunday. I have wanted to try Qdoba for some time and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Chipotle will always be my absolute favorite, but Qdoba actually has a much larger menu and it was very tasty. With the purchase of each adult meal on Sundays kids have a choice of naked burritos, chicken or cheese quesadillas or tacos. Each meal comes with juice, milk or a fountain drink, and the sides are vegetarian beans, applesauce or tortilla chips. My kids not only loved the chicken quesadilla that we got for them, they also decided that this was the day that they would start using forks to eat their meals. It was a very exciting dinner out for all of us. You can view their menu and find the closest location to you here http://www.qdoba.com/.
I was also excited to discover that kids can eat for free at Great Wraps every single day of the week. We used to eat their all of the time before we had kids and just recently went back for the first time in months to discover the Kids Eat Free sign on the door. With the purchase of each adult meal you kids have a choice of chicken tenders, grilled cheese and one other item that escapes me at the moment. You also have a choice of french fries or chips and a drink. There aren’t as many choices as I’ve seen at other places, but the few items they do offer are usually big hits with kids. They happened to be out of the chicken tenders that we wanted to order, and offered up grilled chicken for the boys instead. I was pleased that they were so accommodating and the boys were happy. Since their website (http://www.greatwraps.com/) does not actually show a kid’s menu, you may want to check with your local Great Wraps ahead of time. Or just head down to the location just off Broad Street near VCU.
Bottoms Up Pizza
0563 days
We have been big fans of Bottoms Up Pizza for years but only recently took our kids there for the first time. I’m not sure why we waited so long because it is extremely child-friendly. Don’t most kids like pizza? I have to admit that I was the one who wanted pizza, but there was no reason not to take the kids along for the ride.
We went early and were able to get a great parking spot right outside. We have never really had trouble finding parking in the area, but it’s nice to park close by when we have to carry the boys in and out. We were seated right away on the covered patio. There were only a few other kids when we arrived but more and more families with kids of all ages came in while we were there. Like I said, most kids like pizza. I brought plenty of snacks and toys to keep the boys happy while we waited for our food, although as usual, they were happy to people-watch.
They do have a kid’s menu at Bottoms Up that includes not only pizza, but also things like burgers, chicken fingers and grilled cheese for the kids who don’t like pizza. Instead of ordering from this menu though, I decided to share my Hawaiian pizza with them. They loved it! I love that it saved us some money by not having to order separate meals for them.
While we were eating one of the servers began setting up a large table for a birthday party, complete with presents and balloons. I had never thought of having a birthday party there, probably because our kids are still so young, but why not? The group of kids that came in for the party looked to be somewhere between eight and ten. They all seemed very happy to be there. I will have to remember Bottoms Up as a possible party location in the future. After our dinner we took a short stroll down the canal walk to burn a few calories, which is another reason why I love their downtown location. You can visit their website for the menu and address. http://www.bottomsuppizza.com
