Pounding on the Walls

Thank the lord spring is coming.

A friend of mine from Florida keeps telling me how disappointed she is that we didn't get a lot of snow this winter, and I tell her she is crazy. After surviving 'Snowmageedon' a few years ago, I'm not itching to repeat the experience. Nor am I interested in being couped up in the house for weeks on end now that my kids are rambunctious toddlers.

Even so, the cold has had us pounding on the walls. It gets very boring being cramped inside day after day. Yeah, the little ones can manage a short walk where they are so bundled that they look like little zombies as they trot along, but it's not the same as 'going out to play'.

I've found a couple solutions to the 'walled-in' madness spreading through my house. Kids n' Motion is a local indoor playground stocked full of moon bounces, wooden castles and trains, slides, and even a little soft-block playroom for toddlers. The cost is a little painful- $6 per child- and that gets you a 1 1/2 hour session (with other kids) where you start in one room and move to the next halfway through. The upsides- the kids expend a bunch of energy and get a chance to interact with others their age. The downside- the cost, and of course, where there are kids, there are germs- and it never fails that one of mine catches something after we go.

If you can resist the pull of a giant pizza and wings, Chuck e Cheese is a somewhat affordable place to spend a morning. Notice I said morning. I never recommend that a parent with toddlers go in the afternoon- the place will be packed with older kids and your little one will often get shoved to the side. I usually spend about $10 on tokens and $2 on a treat like ice cream for the kids. This makes the cost about equal to Kids n' Motion, but you can spend quite a while there. The one in Woodbridge has an area for babies and toddlers, and an area for older kids, but mine like both. There are plenty of rides, games, and slides. My son likes to sit and do the racing games, while my daughter likes the life-sized racehorse game. It's so cute to see her sitting in the saddle. Oh, and don't forget to subscribe to their mailing list. You get free tokens on your child's birthday and half-birthday, and they often have great deals.

What's the cheapest indoor option? McDonald's playplace. Locally, there is one in Lakeridge off Old Bridge Road. It's free to go, but I always feel guilty so I buy cookies or something for the kids or a coffee for myself while they play. You wouldn't think that a big tunnel/slide would keep the little ones entertained for long, but I've spent more then four hours there some days. It really depends on if there are other children there or not.

On the days when it's pouring rain or Mommy is just too exhausted to pack everyone into the car, I resort to one of the greatest gifts ever given to me: the mini-moonbounce. It's a great thing to request for your children's birthday or Christmas gift. At a cost of about $200, it is an investment, but you can start using it as soon as your little one is strong sitter/crawler and it goes up to about 75 pounds. It fits easily in a playroom (mine is about 12x14) and inflates quickly with it's own air pump.

Last on my list is the best: The Baltimore Aquarium. There's so much to say about it however that I'm going to save it for another post.