Richmond Virginia Kid Friendly Activites and Information
Posts tagged Slides
Cartwheels & Coffee in Carytown
1673 days
After having been cooped up with two sick boys for the last week or so, I was looking for plenty of fun things for us to 
get out and do. I’ve been wanting to visit Cartwheels & Coffee for some time, so I called some friends and off we went. It is located on Cary Street about two blocks up from the Boulevard. Since it was a little after ten o’clock on a weekday I was able to park right on the street in front. We parked our stroller out front with the rest of them and went inside to play.
I must say that it was a bit smaller than I expected. It is basically one large room separated by a 3-4 foot wall. The front is lined with tables, a coffee bar and a small enclosed area for small babies to play. The baby play area is free. The coffee bar is set up right next to the entrance to the larger play area. This is also where you pay for your older kids. If I remember correctly it was $4 for the first child and $3 for each additional child. It was pretty busy that morning and a little chaotic at first, but it didn’t take long for my boys to jump right it. There were lots of padded things to climb on, toys to bounce on, a rocking seesaw-like boat, a small stage area with some costumes, a toy kitchen area and a jungle gym for more climbing and sliding. My boys wanted mostly to climb and slide. It was a little nerve-racking for me but good for their development and stair practice. I assume that if your kids are a little older than mine you could probably safely sit in the front area with a beverage while they played. I will get there one day.
Since you do have to pay to play it probably isn’t something that I would do every week, but I will definitely go back again. The smaller play area was actually nice for me because the boys didn’t have as much room to run in separate directions. It was very easy to keep a close eye on them both. I think their setup is perfect for kids under the age of 5. In addition to the everyday play, they also have a free storytime every Friday morning, camps during the summer, various classes and they do birthday parties as well. Please visit their website for a complete list of their services, prices and monthly calendar. http://www.cartwheelsandcoffee.com/cartwheels/home.html
Humphrey Calder Community Center and Park
0723 days
Last week we met some friends at a park that was new to us. It is located in the city at the intersection of Kensington and Thompson, right next to a fire station. It seems like there is something for everyone at this park; soccer, basketball, volleyball and of course the playground itself. I was so excited to see that they have toddler swings. For some reason I have not found many parks near my house that have swings for toddlers. The boys wasted no time getting to the task at hand…exploring.
I love taking them to new places and watching them discover all that it has to offer. This playground has things for different ages and stages of development, which is great for families with lots of children. The bigger kids were climbing and going down the much bigger slides while the smaller kids were enjoying the see-saws, swings and much shorter slides. My guys are still pretty young so they did lots of watching at first and eventually wandered over to the swings. It is so nice to put them in swings that don’t need batteries or a doorway to hang from. They loved it! When they were finished with the swings we wandered over to watch some older kids. Before I knew it, one of my little guys was climbing the stairs to one of the slides for older kids. Not wanting to disappoint, I climbed up behind him and we went down together. 
I must say that the most exciting part of our visit to this playground was the train. Since the park is situated overlooking 195, there is a perfect view of the train tracks. As soon as the train was heard all of the kids there at the time ran over to the fence to watch. My two followed the pack not knowing what was going on, but wanting to be part of the crowd. I look forward to the day that I can sit on the bench and watch them play without having to follow so closely behind.
All in all it was a good time for us and a great playground to add to our list. I must also note that there are public restrooms on the premises, and although I did not go in personally, I was told that they should only be used for emergencies. Please visit this link for a little more information about the programs offered for children, teens and adults at the Humphrey Calder Community Center. http://www.richmondgov.com/parks/CommunityCenterHumphreyCalder.aspx
Rainy Day Play in Richmond
0730 days
With all of the rain in the last few days I haven’t been able to take the boys outside to play and work off some of their energy. So, earlier this week we headed to the mall for some retail therapy for me, and play time for them. In Chesterfield Towne Center there are two play areas for kids. I chose the larger area this time, called the River Romp. It was quite busy that afternoon with kids ranging in age from baby to maybe 5 or 6. There is a rule that children must be less than a certain height to play, not that I know who would enforce it, but I didn’t see any kids that looked too tall or old to be there.
I immediately noticed how clean the play area was. It helps that the kids must remove their shoes and no food or drinks are allowed. The mall staff comes several times throughout the day to clean and disinfect, and during these cleanings everyone must leave the area. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that everything inside is padded, including the floor. This was very reassuring since my guys are frequently tripping over their own feet and often fall down face first. In here they seem to bounce right back up!
There were plenty of bugs to climb up and over, tree stumps to crawl through and slides coming out of a tree. At times the boys were happy to walk around and watch the other kids. I was very happy to be able to sit and watch them. Don’t let yourself get too comfortable though. I must warn you that the doorway is completely open. At one point one of my boys wandered out while I was on the other side of the play area and he was out of my sight. Luckily another parent grabbed him before he got very far. Lesson learned! The next time we visit I will be sure to position myself right by the entrance to prevent any attempts to escape.
Please visit their website for additional mall information. www.chesterfieldcenter.com
