We rented a bounce house for my triplets’ 3rd and 4th birthdays, and both times it was a huge hit!  Even our basset hound got in on the fun when she tried multiple times to climb in the bounce house with the kids!  Check out the pictures below of Winnie trying to climb in!  Luckily, her little legs were too small to let her jump all the way inside!

You can follow the link to view all the products available in the Little Tikes Dog Days of Summer Sale.

Images: Susan Gunelius

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The Teeter Twirl is intended for kids ages 6 and up.  It’s not just a traditional see-saw.  The Teeter Twirl goes not just up and down, but it spins in circles, too.

The Teeter Twirl is just $59.99.  This seems like a great toy!  If you have the Teeter Twirl or have seen it in use before, leave a comment and share your opinions on it.  Is it really as cool as it looks?

Image source: Toysrus.com

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For those of you who have no idea what Monkey Joe’s is, it’s an inflatable dream place for kids. It just came to my town a couple of months ago and it is super super popular here. It’s basically a huge room filled with inflatables of every kind. Kids can jump and slide until they pass out. They also have food and drinks that you can buy there and they host birthday parties.

It’s a little pricey for most parents though. I have heard quite a few complaints about the price. Here, it is $9 per kid and they can jump as long as they want. The longest we have stayed so far is 2 1/2 hours. I have only paid full price once and the other times I had a coupon. At full price, it’s $27 for all of my kids to play. Not exactly a cheap outing that’s for sure, but it has been great for special occasions and for a sanity saver. When it’s too cold for the kids to go outside, it’s nice to be able to take them somewhere other than McDonalds. My kids love Monkey Joe’s. They’ve even offered to pay for it out of their allowance. Sweet kids, lol!

Now the thing that sold me on Monkey Joe’s wasn’t just the inflatables. Oh no, there’s more to it than that. They not only cater to kids, but they cater to parents also. When I first walked in, I immediately saw to my right black recliners, 2 big screen tv’s, computers AND people on their laptops. That’s right, they have free wireless internet and a place for parents to kick back and relax. My kids know exactly where to find me if they need me. They also just brought in 2 new massage chairs. Oh my!

The other thing that I have loved about Monkey Joe’s that I have not seen other places, is how they take such good care of the kids. My daughter got hurt there on our first visit. Nothing big, just some kid’s big head rammed into her shoulder. One of the people that works there saw it happen, they brought her to me and then within seconds had an ice pack and a sucker for her. And not one of those cheap suckers you get at the bank. A sucker that any kid would be proud of. It’s amazing how fast my daughter healed up and was back playing. I have seen the workers do this time and time again and they have also come up to the parents and tell us to let them know if we need anything. Now that is service and that’s a place I will bring my kids too.

Also, if you’re lucky, Monkey Joe himself (yes, a giant purple monkey named Joe) will come out and play, give hugs and hi-fives and just be silly with the kids. The last time I was there, Monkey Joe decided to go to the little cafe next door and harass the people who were trying to eat. It was hysterical! I like that Monkey Joe guy.

My husband has to work tomorrow and it’s the kids last day of freedom until school starts again. Guess what I am surprising them with? Yep, a trip to Monkey Joe’s. Maybe I’ll slide and jump with them. I have some serious energy to get out after being in the car for 28 hours!!

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We met some friends this week at a new park in our area. A friend (hi, friend ) was so excited to share this find with us and all the kids. And the kids had a blast!

Have you been to a spray park (I’ve also heard them called a “sprayground”), yet? They seem to be popping up at parks in this part of the state, with one even expected soon at the park next to our house. With large, colorful structures shooting water out in all directions, they are an exciting attraction to the kids. I like the fact that I can go with all of my kids by myself to a place where they can enjoy the sunshine (make sure they have sunscreen!) and the water, without the dangers that I would face trying to watch them all at a pool. When they’re older, maybe, but not at these young ages!

The youngest was none too thrilled with all of the surprise blasts of water being shot at him, but the oldest two couldn’t get enough of the buckets of water dumping on them! I was wondering what happened at the park if there weren’t any kids around when another friend (hi, another friend! ) told me that the whole park was motion activated by a sensor near the center of it all. That was cool.

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I remember Tetherball poles at one or two of the grade schools I attended, but I never remember it being a huge craze or anything. Certainly nothing like four-square. Baldman, however, remembered playing a few games in grade school. He says, “I like the Tetherball.” (He’s a bit sleep-deprived right now.)

So, how about you? Do you remember ever playing this game? Had the craze died out by the time I was in school? Are kids still playing it today?

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Click to see my Legoland flickr album.

Ever since we moved to London in January, we’ve wanted to take our four-year-old to Legoland Windsor. My husband finally arranged to take the day off yesterday and off we went even though the skies were gray and it had poured heavily the entire night before. Legoland would NOT be a fun park in the rain because almost every attraction is outdoors. Luckily for us, the only drops of water we felt were from the many water-spraying rides!

As soon as we arrived at the front gates, our son was beyond excited. He had to touch every single thing including the oversized LEGO tiles that decorated the front gates. As soon as we were through the entrance gates, he ran as hard and as fast as he could to reach the first LEGO dinosaur on display. I have never ever seen him move like that.

It was probably a good thing we waited until now to bring him. Given his personality, he would have been frightened of some of the attractions until recently and he might not have been tall enough for some of the rides either. Minimum height requirement is usually 0.9m and kids under 1.3m must be accompanied by an adult.

His favorite ride by far was Dino Safari which featured jeeps going around a circuit flanked by various jungle creatures including a giant spider and several dinosaurs. His favorite play area was the Rat Trap which was geared towards older kids with drop down net cages and ramps but he still enjoyed climbing up and down, pushing buttons that produced loud sound effects like cannons roaring. LEGO Miniland was a pleaser too because of the running trains and space shuttle that “launched” every ten minutes with a big puff of smoke.

His least favorite ride by far was the Dino Dipper which is just like those carnival carousel rides that go around in a circle really fast. He didn’t appreciate that at all but I thought it was good to push him out of his comfort zone a little since he tends to be a little overly cautious at times.

Unfortunately, shopping wasn’t so great at the Legoland Windsor Big Shop. There wasn’t anything there we couldn’t find at Toys R Us. Other items like the Lego ice cube tray were too gimmicky and overpriced. We left happy to have had a day of adventure but no souvenirs to show for it. Maybe next time!

Have you been to a Legoland? What did you think?

PS There are more flickr pictures from Legoland Windsor in the United Kingdom, Legoland Billund in Denmark, Legoland California, and Legoland Deutschland in Germany.

Technorati Tags: amuseument park, playground, children, kids, legoland, legoland windsor, toys, lego, legos, attractions

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We live in a city that is trying to revitalize its image and its city life. We’re not a hotbed of activity yet, but a few improvements have made a difference in our lives. For instance, the kids and I were able to spend a day with friends enjoying the Children’s Discovery Garden at Wegerzyn Gardens, which is one of the local metroparks.

This brand new children’s play area has a variety of activities for kids of many ages and abilities. The wetlands area features a large pond with various critters swimming around inside. There is a water area with a little waterfall that the kids can get soaked in, a shallow creekbed (that even the baby can play in), and caves to explore.

A music area with giant musical instruments that 2-3 kids can play on at once, and a maze of waist-high shrubbery, allowed some artistic expression and navigation skills to all be exercised at once. The prairie lands showcase all varieties of plants that once grew wild in our area.

And the pièce de résistance, for my older two, anyway, was the play house. Just their size for looking out the windows and enough toys inside to keep them busy and out of the sun for the bit. Though I think the main attraction of the play house was the grandma who kept being the big bald wolf for them, pretending to try to blow it down!

Share with us your favorite park for spending a day out with the kids!

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Jerry Tyler with the Benton-Franklin Health District said the older metal slides and swings are dangerous because they retain heat and can cause second and third degree burns to little kids.

“There could be metal rivets that can be hot. Even plastic slides can be an issue,” said Tyler.

Some of the more innovative playground equipment such as this one at the playground near me could definitely burn kids especially when they take off their shoes to play in any water features or simply to cool off. And don’t forget the sunscreen!

KVEWTV.com, June 29, 2006

Technorati Tags: playgrounds, summer, hot, toys, playground equipment, slides, children, kids, play

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Click for larger images.

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