Fun, FREE Twin Cities' Activity

 Sorry folks, I know I haven't posted much lately!  I've been quite distracted, but for a good reason...after a year of H-E-double-hockey-sticks, we have SOLD our house!  Next week we'll close on the one we're already living in and then we'll be back to being homeowners again and can get on with life as we like it!  Yeah!!  Hopefully you'll see more of me here soon.

For now, I thought I'd share this fun family outing we went on a couple weekends ago here in Minneapolis.  We had a blast and it was all FREE!

First we ventured to a warehouse in Northeast Minneapolis (Suite 177 at 1620 Central Avenue NE) to see this incredibly huge Lego train layout.  Local Lego enthusiasts put together 750,000 Lego bricks to create this totally original display (no kits allowed!), and one Saturday a month they open it up for public viewing from 11 am until 4 pm.  We saw it on our local news station, and in hindsight, probably shouldn't have come for the first one after the news story.  It was PACKED.  More people than they have ever had.

 My hubby had to wait out in the hallway with Toby in the stroller while I noodled my way through the crowd with Sammy on my shoulders.  He doesn't look too thrilled in this picture, but he had fun, and was pretty excited to see all of the Thomas engines, and even a Harold the Helicopter with his blades spinning!

It was very cool though, and I'd highly recommend it....I'd just suggest waiting a few more months until the news story crowds die down so you can really get down on the train tracks' level and enjoy it!

Since we were already downtown and had more time before lunch, my hubby had a great idea to head over to Mill Ruins Park.  We put Toby in the backpack and all went for a walk across the bridge over the Mississippi river. 

The park and the trails are full of amazing views and it was very cool to see the river raging with all of the recent snow melt. OH, okay, I lied...it wasn't totally free...it was like a dollar to park at the park.  Although, you may be able to find some free street parking on the weekends.  I figure when I dig a little change out of the center console in the car, it doesn't really count as an expense.  ;-)

So there's an idea for the next time you're looking for a fun, free family activity in our lovely Twin Cities!

Two Great, FREE Twin Cities' Splash Pads to Check Out This Summer

We had a blast today, during what is supposed to be the only day this week without rain, playing at the Oak Hill Splash Pad in St. Louis Park with our church play group friends! 

If you live in the Twin Cities, this place is definitely worth checking out.  It's completely free, and fully fenced in, so you can really let your kiddo's run wild.  There's a great playground right there as well, if getting drenched isn't their thing.  Sammy wasn't so crazy about getting his head wet last year at 1 and a half, but this year, he was LOVING it, as you can see... 

There are plenty of benches and lounge chairs around the perimeter, as well as a few large umbrellas, and bathrooms both indoors and portable.  Just outside the fence you can enjoy a picnic on a table or in the shady grass.  The water park is open June 1st through August 31, and is located at 3201 Rhode Island Avenue South in St. Louis Park.

If you live south of the river, Nicollet Commons Park in Burnsville is a fantastic splash pad type park as well, also completely free!  This one is very different but also very fun.  It is NOT fully fenced, and is very spread out, so it can be a challenge if you have more than one kid to keep track of.  It is not painted all colorful and playground-like, like the previously mentioned park...if you walked through it and didn't see kids playing in it, you might think it's just a pretty park full of water features and not know that it's actually meant for kids to play in. 

This park is very spread out, and features waterfalls, fountains, rivers, and all kinds of fun areas for kids to get wet.  It was surprisingly not busy, even when we went on a very hot Saturday afternoon last month.  I'm thinking that either not a lot of people know about it yet, or people are just too afraid to let their kids climb on waterfalls that go over jagged-edged rocks.  ;-)  Yes, there are quite a few jagged cliffs at this park, so you definitely want to keep an eye on your kids and make sure they don't get hurt.  But, there are other areas of the park (again, spread out) that are more harmless if you can keep your kids in one area.

This park is surrounded with a lot of nice grassy areas where you can spread out on a blanket for a picnic, as well as a few picnic tables.  Water features are running from mid May until the first week of October, and close from 5:00-9:00 am for maintenance.

I know I'm planning on chasing around these little wet footprints a lot this summer!