Wordless Wednesday: Fall Colors on the Dakota Rail Regional Trail

I took the boys for a bike ride yesterday on the Dakota Rail Regional Trail which runs by our neighborhood.  A great chance to take in fall colors AND get used to my new digital camera!

 Happy fall!!

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!

ID Mommy Project: Make a Fall Leaf Placemat!

My favorite time of year, fall, also happens to be the shortest season here in Minnesota.  So, knowing that snow is not far away, we try to take advantage of every nice day we have left!  Here's a great project that you can do with your kids that combines some outdoor fun with preservation of those pretty fall colors.  I came up with this project idea a few years ago as an activity to do while babysitting my niece.  Today I was out raking leaves with the boys, and thought I'd try it with Sammy!

First, collect some leaves.  This is a great opportunity to learn about different colors, different types of trees, changing seasons, and why the leaves turn colors. If you don't have a lot of leaves in your own yard, it's also a great excuse to go for a walk at a nearby park or nature center.

This part you can do inside the house, but since we were collecting leaves in the back yard, we did it on the back step.  Get a roll of clear contact paper, unroll about 18" or so, and peel back the paper to expose the sticky side.  (sticky side UP)  Use a couple rocks to hold down the corners if needed, to keep it from curling back up.

 Next, start sticking your leaves down!  I find it works best to put the most colorful side down, however, either way will work. Make a collage with your colorful findings!

 We stuck down the sumac branch and then took off the thick stem to get them all positioned like that, and then surrounded it with other leaves.  This part is fun for the kids, to arrange and flatten the leaves so they stick to the paper.

 Now, peel some more of the backing off of the roll, and fold the contact paper over so you are laying down another clear layer over your leaves, with the sticky sides together.  Peel away the backing as you roll.

 Now rub and press the 2nd layer of contact paper so it sticks to the leaves and all around the edges.

 Cut off the roll and trim around the edges if needed.  Now flip it over, hold it up to the sky, and watch the colors glow! 

 "See?!!"

 Now show your little brother what you made!!

We used this one as a placemat...you could also finish off the edges nicely with some ribbon or colored tape.  These would also look pretty just hung on a window!

"Get Your Kids Outside!" Activity #4: Make a Nature Collage!

Here's another great way to get your kids outside AND foster an interest in nature...make a nature collage!  Here's Sammy proudly displaying his finished collage, giving me one of those fake-y squinting smiles that kids give you when you ask them to say cheese...

All this took was a scrap of cardboard out of my studio and a bottle of school glue!  If you don't keep pieces of cardboard around like I do, try cutting open an empty cereal box.  I just like cardboard because it's easy to carry around with heavy stuff stuck to it without it folding.  You could just as easily use paper on a clip board!

If your child is old enough, let him or her squeeze the glue on to the cardboard.  If they aren't comfortable operating the glue bottle, they can point to where they want their next "treasure" to be placed and you can help!

Once the glue is on, stick your item down!  We went on a nice walk around the back yard and found flowers, seeds, leaves, and even a feather.  Sammy had to make a couple runs over to the kiddie pool to wash glue off of his hands...and toes.  ;-)

Off looking for more stuff...

At this point Sammy declared, "it's all done!"  But, we could have continued to add things like sand, leaves, rocks, whatever!  You can even spruce it up more with crayons and glitter.  Once it's done you can set it in the sun to dry while you go paint with water, run in the sprinkler, or make dandelion curls!  ;-)

"Get Your Kids Outside!" Activity #3: Paint with Water!

When I was little my mom would give me and my siblings an ice cream bucket filled with water and a wide paint brush, and we would have a blast "painting" the garage door.  This works great on dark colored surfaces...even on the paved driveway.  Whatever you "paint" with the water looks darker, and over time the sun gradually dries it up, everything vanishes, and you have a clean canvas again.  Who knew a bucket of water could be so entertaining.  Thankfully, my mom did.

Sammy tried this out yesterday and had a blast painting the house.  Every day at the dinner table Daddy asks him what he did today, and the first thing he said was "paint the house!"

Since I've been posting other supporting links and articles in my previous "Get Your Kids Outside" activity posts, I thought this would be a good place to share this great article, which I found via a friend's link on Facebook: "Idle Parenting Means Happy Children." Basically it talks about just leaving your kids alone...giving them the space and freedom to play, develop their own sense of imagination and creativity, and a chance to learn their own lessons.

I really liked this paragraph: 
"The idle parent is a thrifty parent. We don't work too hard and therefore we can't expect to be rolling in cash. With thrift comes creativity. "Waste is unpoetic, thrift is creative," as GK Chesterton wrote. With no money, you start to discover your own inner resources. You make things and draw. Put a pile of A4 paper on the kitchen table, along with a stapler, scissors, crayons and glue, and you'll be amazed at what your children come up with. Forget digital gewgaws. Go analogue. It's more fun and a lot cheaper. Put a bird feeder outside the kitchen window. Fun does not need to be expensive." 

(Well, with the exception that we do still work hard, and my husband works very hard so that I am able to be home with my boys!)

I don't 100% agree with everything in the article...I found the most harsh lines were "… leave the children alone. Pitch them out into the streets or the playgrounds, and take no notice of them."  While I myself still prefer to be at least within view and/or earshot when Sammy is entertaining himself, I see the general point that we should give our kids a chance to learn things on their own, play in an "analog" manner, as long as they are in a safe place.  I absolutely love to watch Sammy play on his own and have been "teaching" him to do so since he was old enough to find toys entertaining.  (Unfortunately in this world of electronic gadgets and digital media, this has become something you have to consciously TEACH your kids...or in following with this article, allow them to learn on their own without constant interference.)  Most days he can completely entertain himself all day long if given the opportunity...although most of the time it just looks too fun and I have to join in.  I do think that if you go to the extreme in the article of shoving your kid off to play on their own and leaving to do your own thing every time, you are missing out on a lot of the enjoyment of watching your child learn and grow.  I prefer to watch from the sidelines when he doesn't know I'm looking!

I do agree though, that this ability to self-entertain can come in very handy on occasion as a work-at-home mom, when I have a last minute emergency client request to take care of.  I don't have to feel like I'm neglecting my child, because I can see and hear that he is safe, he is having a blast, and he knows exactly where to find me at any given time if he needs help re-building a Lego tower, needs an owie kissed, or has to go potty.

It's amazing to compare how he plays in the living room, same environment & same toys, with a tv on versus music.  Many days he never watches any TV, and when he does, I try to keep it to one or two half hour shows on DVR that stop when the show is over.  (It's way too easy to let live TV blend from one show into the next until the day is done!)  When the TV is on, he sits still and quiet.  When music is on, he gets completely into his play, building choo choo tracks, setting up tunnels, driving his little cars to Grandma's house, making up songs to sing, "reading" his books, doing puzzles, cooking little meals for the dogs and his stuffed animals, and performing to make his baby brother laugh. Don't get me wrong...I've had my fair share of instances where nothing but a re-run of Wonder Pets would do, and I know how hard it can be to turn off that TV when it's the only thing giving you a little peace and quiet during the day! 

While I do love many of the points made in this article, it is pretty extreme in one direction.  I of course would not condone staying in bed until noon because you are hung over by any means, and would never agree with neglecting or ignoring your kid. I think it's best to use common sense, and strike a balance between letting your kid entertain themselves sans-electronics, making sure they are safe AND still getting in there and actually playing with them yourself, too! Your kids are only this young for so long, so don't miss out on watching them learn through play or giving them memories of that one summer when Mommy threw herself down the slip-n-slide right along with them.  Those things stick in kids' heads, so put 'em there!  Now get outside and have some FUN! :-)

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!