Boulevard Mall Playplace

The Boulevard Mall offers a small play area back in the food court. It has a decent amount of space for running around as well as some cars, trucks and other things for the kids to climb on.

A word of warning! Depending on when you go (school breaks, weekends or after 3pm weekdays), the play area can get over run with big kids whose parents are not anywhere to be found. Even though there is a height restriction on entering the area, it is most definitely not followed.

During the winter, I take the kids over on a weekday morning now and then and usually it doesn't get too busy until about 11:30 or so. There is also a nice carousel beside the play area which your kids can ride for $1.

New Year's Eve - HOT deal!

In case you haven't heard, Snow Park Niagara in Niagara Falls, NY is waiving admission and rental fees from 6pm to midnight on New Year's Eve. This is a great deal considering the adult deluxe tickets at the park are usually $20 and the child deluxe $18. (And these prices do NOT include the rental fees) Check out Snow Park Niagara's website for directions and parking information.

I heard this story last night in a WGRZ news report which you can access here.

New Year's Eve

It's hard to believe 2010 is almost here! Do you have plans for New Year's Eve? Here are a couple of ideas for a fun, kid-friendly New Year's Eve:

First Night Buffalo is Buffalo's biggest drug and alcohol free new year's eve celebration. The event takes place at the Buffalo Convention Center and tickets are available at Wegmans right now for $8 per person or you can purchase tickets at the door for $10. (Kids under 2 are free) First Night Buffalo runs from 5-10pm and you can look here for the schedule of events.

New Year's Eve Teen Night at Adventure Landing begins at 9pm and ends at 12:30am. This event is geared toward kids age 10-14 and the cost is $10 (which includes 25 arcade tokens). Plus, Adventure Landing has several other web coupons you may want to take a look at. Adventure Landing has locations in both Wheatfield and Tonawanda but note that the Wheatfield location is closed for the season.

Happy New Year!

Sledding

ORIGINAL POST FROM 2009

Ben and his dad were out sledding in the backyard today and having a lot of fun doing it! Their fun inspired me to post a few popular sledding hills in the Buffalo and surrounding areas. Here are a few you may want to consider: (With thanks to Fun 4 Kids in Buffalo Facebook fans for the great suggestions!)

Arcade Park Sledding Hill in Arcade
Beaver Island State Park on Grand Island (no admission fee to the park in the winter)
Chestnut Ridge Park in Orchard Park
Colden Tubing in Glenwood
Como Park in Lancaster
Delaware Park/Shakespeare Hill in Buffalo
Ellicott Creek Park in Tonawanda
Elma Meadows in Elma
Holiday Valley/Tubing in Ellicottville
Niawanda Park Sledding Hill in Tonawanda
Nike Base in Hamburg
North Hampton Park Sledding Hill in Brockport
Reservoir Park on Military Rd in Niagara Falls
Sprague Brook in Glenwood
Stiglmeier Park in Cheektowaga
Woodview Park in Hamburg

Looks like it may be a great week to bundle up and enjoy some FREE and fun sledding with the kids!

Leave a comment and share the best sledding hills you have found!

TOPS cooking school

TOPS cooking school for kids is one of those hidden treasures in the Buffalo area. When I first moved to Buffalo the playgroup I joined would participate in these cooking schools. Now, almost 4 years later a couple of things have changed. If my memory serves me right, the cost used to be about $5 less and classes were offered on a weekday morning.

Either way, TOPS cooking school is sure to be fun for your kids! The cost varies depending on the age of your child but is usually anywhere from $13-$20 per child. Classes are broken up into 3 groups: Little Chefs (age 3-6) with adult; Junior Chefs (age 7-10) parents need not accompany this age group and Aspiring Chefs (age 11-15). The cooking schools take place on some Saturday mornings from 10-11:30am and they are offered only at the TOPS located on Maple Rd in Amherst as well as the TOPS located on West Seneca Rd in West Seneca.

Check TOPS cooking school calendar for menus your kids would be cooking and more specific pricing information.

Curious George - LIVE!

Shea's Performing Arts Center will have Curious George Live January 13-17th, 2010. Tickets are on sale now and depending on which day and the time you go the cost is anywhere from $12-$31 per ticket. For showing times check the Shea's site here.

Have you taken your kids to see Curious George Live? Is it worth the money? Leave a comment and let me know!

Movie for a Winter's Day

North Tonawanda Public Library is hosting a Movie for A Winter's Day on Monday, December 28th and Tuesday, December 29th at 1pm. The movie on Monday is G-Force and it is rated PG for some mild action and rude humor. The movie the library is showing on Tuesday is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and it is rated PG for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality. This fun event is open to all ages but the library asks that parents accompany children under 12.

Popcorn will be served and registration is not required for this FREE event. For more information, call the library at 693-4132, ext. 5 or go here.

Elmwood Village Association hosts Free Ice Skating

The Elmwood Village Association will host Family Skate Day for all Elmwood Village Association members and guests on Wednesday, December 30th from 12:00pm - 1:50pm at the Buffalo State Ice Arena. And the best part of all is that the Elmwood Village Association will cover the cost of skating for the first 160 members that attend!

If you live in the village but you are not an association member you can become a member during the event and receive free ice time for you and your family. Go here for more information.

Explore and More - Fun all Week!

Explore and More Children's Museum in East Aurora, NY has a fun activity planned each day of this week (excluding January 1st). We haven't been out to Explore and More lately but last time we were there Big B loved it!

Activities for the week include candle making and decorating, shadow puppets, lanterns and kaleidoscopes. Hours of operation vary each day so check their calendar to make sure they are open when you want to go.

Have fun and make a beautiful candle for me!

Also, don't forget about Play Late til' Eight!

Dollar Day at the Botanical Gardens

Sunday, December 27th is Dollar Day at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. If you haven't yet seen the beautiful Holiday Display, Sunday may be a good day to do it. Admission for adults is usually $6, for Seniors $5, for kids age 6-13 $3 and kids under 6 are always free.

We went to the Gardens this year and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the train display had been greatly expanded. Big B really had a lot of fun watching it run!

For more information on the Botanical Gardens read this previous post.

TGIF

Merry Christmas! This Friday I hope you will enjoy your day with family and friends.

I'll see you back here next week with more fun things to do with your kids!

Ice Skating

Christmas break is almost here! Why not plan an ice skating outing? Here are a few ice rinks you may want to try:

1. For FREE outdoor ice skating in Buffalo, go read this post. I can't tell you how many great comments I've heard and read about the Fountain Plaza rink!

2. Como Lake Park in Lancaster, NY. The park has the largest natural ice skating rink in Western New York.

3. Rink at the Brink in Niagara Falls, CANADA.

4. Or check your local town recreation department as most have open skate times available to the general public. Amherst Pepsi Center, Town of Cheektowaga, and Town of West Seneca to name a few.

ETA on January 16th, 2010: Time Warner Classic Rink, 41 Riley Street in East Aurora, NY. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors, with skate rentals available for $3. Public skate times are 7-9pm Fridays; 2-4pm and 7-9pm Saturdays; and 2-4pm Sundays. Check the Web site for additional information.

Where do you think is the best place to go for ice skating? Leave a comment and let me know!

Saturday Fun 12/19/2009

A couple of fun events happening Saturday:

At 6 pm your kids can see the Village of Lancaster's 2nd Annual Christmasville Fire Truck Parade. Go here to read more about what to expect at the parade.

If your little ones want to get some fresh air you can bundle up and head over to Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in Depew. At 2 pm kids ages 4-5 can listen to a seasonal nature story and then head out for a short walk in the woods. Advance registration is required. Call 683-5959 to register.

Winter Camps

Here are a few winter camp programs that are offered the week of December 28th:

You can sign your kids up now for Rolly Pollies Gymbugs Holiday Science camp. Camp dates are December 28th - December 31st from 1:00 - 4:00pm for kids age 3-9 years.

Kids will enjoy 3 hours of science experiments, art, fitness and fun while being supervised by the highly trained staff at Rolly Pollies. Activities include group games and free play in the gym, Arts & Crafts, Science Experiments and more!

I've said in previous posts - Rolly Pollies is a whole lot of fun!

Buffalo Zoo is offering a winter nature camp for either a half day or full day. Camp begins December 28th and ends the 31st. Classes are split into 3 groups - ages 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12. Some of the topics include: Out of Africa, Snowbound, Monkey Mysteries and many others. As I've said before we love the teacher and activities at Cub Club at the Buffalo Zoo. I'm sure the winter camp will be so fun!

Finally, the Buffalo Museum of Science offers Science of Sound Discovery Camp. This winter camp is for ages 5-12 and goes from 9am-4:30pm. If you are interested in this camp that runs from December 28th through December 30th check here for more information.

Kids N Balance

Kids N Balance is a fitness, nutrition and recreation center located in Tonawanda, NY. Kids N Balance sounds like a fun yet educational place for kids and I wanted to mention it here.

From the Kids N Balance website:

Participants engage in a 60 minute structured fitness and nutritional education program that increases muscle strength, balance, coordination, flexibility and social skills through physical team building exercises, yoga, obstacle courses and therapy balls. Kids n Balance also has specialized classses for teens, toddlers and families. All programs are geared toward overall health of the partcipant, physical, emotional, social and nutritional.

I have never been over to Kids N Balance but have recently heard some great comments about it. The emphasis their programs place on not only fitness but also nutrition makes Kids N Balance sound like a fun and unique place to take your kids!

Have you had your kids in any of the programs offered at Kids N Balance? Leave a comment and let me know how they liked it!

Indoor Activities

Adventure Landing - Tonawanda

Aquarium of Niagara - Niagara Falls

B is for Books - Orchard Park

Barnes and Noble (children's book section/small Thomas play area) - Amherst, Williamsville and Blasdell

Boulevard Mall - Amherst (play area and carrousel near the food court)

Bounce Magic - Amherst and Orchard Park

Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens - Buffalo

Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society - Buffalo

Buffalo Museum of Science - Buffalo (Explorations room for the little ones!)

Buffalo Zoo - Buffalo (rainforest falls exhibit; the treehouse; cub club)

Chuck E Cheese - Amherst and Blasdell

Classic Lanes Bowling - Kenmore/Tonawanda

Clay Hands Pottery - Lockport

Creative Essence - Clarence Center

Designing Dish - East Aurora

Eastern Hills Mall - Williamsville (small play area)

Explore and More Children's Museum - East Aurora

Gymboree Play and Music - Williamsville

Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum - North Tonawanda (closed January through March)

Jenny's Clayhouse - Buffalo

Just Fun Family Entertainment Center - Hamburg

The Krow's Nest Family Fun Center - Niagara Falls

Kingdom Kids Family Fun Center - Buffalo

Lasertron - Amherst

Leaps N Bounce - Williamsville

Mallwitz's Island Lanes - Grand Island

Monkey See Monkey Do Children's Bookstore - Clarence

Niagara Climbing Center - North Tonawanda

Niagara Hobby and Craft Mart - Cheektowaga

Paddock Chevrolet Golf Dome - Tonawanda

Page's Paradise Island - Depew

Palm Island Water Park - Batavia

Party Paradise - Williamsville

Rainbow Rink - North Tonawanda

Rolly Pollies - East Amherst and Orchard Park

SkyZone Indoor Trampoline Park - Cheektowaga

Spinners Rink - West Seneca

Toddletown and More - Depew

Where do you take your kids for indoor fun in the winter? Leave a comment below and I will add it to my list!

Pajama Party and Free Drop and Shop!

Looking for a fun activity on a week night? Head over to Monkey See, Monkey Do for Holiday Pajama Storytime with WNY librarian, Jim Clark. This storytime is Thursday, December 17th from 6:30-7:15pm. Dress in your holiday jammies and listen to bedtime stories along with a treat! This is a fun, FREE event so if you need more information go here.

If you are an Amherst resident, Thursday night is the last chance you have to take advantage of Drop and Shop at the Clearfield Community Center. If your child is 3 (and potty-trained) up to age 12 you can drop them at the Community Center from 6 pm - 9 pm this Thursday. This is a FREE service for Amherst residents so if you have any Christmas shopping left to do you may want to take advantage of this!

Tumble Bee Gym

Are you looking for a fun gymnastics program for your kids? If you live in the Southtowns you may want to look into Tumble Bee Gym. They offer Tot and Pre-School classes; School Age classes; Private Lessons and Adult Classes. You can see a more detailed explanation of each of these classes here.

Call Tumble Bee Gym to schedule a free trial class at 868-1525.

ETA on 1/8/2010: If you go go to the Buffalo Kids Guide you can print a coupon for $5 off registration fee or a birthday party. It does not expire until 12/31/2010

Saturday Fun 12/12/2009

Meet one of Santa’s Elves at B is for Books! Santa's Elf will be at B is for Books from 10am-2pm to meet your kids and help them write letters to Santa. (I believe Santa's Elf will also be delivering the letters to Santa!)

Clay Town in Lockport is hosting their Holiday Ornament Painting Party Saturday from 12-4. Cost will be $10 each ornament and free hot chocolate and cookies are available while you paint.

This is the opening weekend for The Snow Queen put on by the Theatre of Youth in Buffalo. This play is based on the fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson and is recommended for ages 6 and up. Go here for more details.

Snowmen Preschool Special

Audubon Library will have a Snowmen Preschool Special hosted by my favorite librarian, Miss Lucy. The event takes place December 14 from 10:30-11am and will include stories, songs and a craft.

Call the Audubon Library at 689-4922 to register.

TGIF

Almost Friday - what are you going to do Friday night? You can take your kids over to Clay Hands Pottery in Clarence for their Holiday Painting Party. They will have special offers on paint your own pottery throughout the day as well as free coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cookies! Go here for more information.

Also, you can take the kids to see a FREE holiday movie at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carey will begin at 6:00pm. Call 692-2413 for more information.

Make Your Own Graham Cracker House

The title says it all! Doesn't this sound fun?

Explore and More presents Make Your Own Graham Cracker House at the Central Library in Buffalo. This event takes place December 10th at 6:30 for kids age 12 and under. It is FREE but registration is required.

If you can't make it to Central Library, Explore and More Children's Museum in East Aurora will be hosting another Make Your Own Graham Cracker House event the morning of December 16th. (Regular admission to the museum will apply.)

Disclaimer: Above picture is not representative of graham cracker houses your kids will be making!

Once Upon a Time Preschool Program at the SPCA

Once Upon a Time Preschool Program is held at the SPCA located at 205 Ensminger Rd. in Tonwanda, NY. It is offered to children ages 2-5 and meets each Tuesday from 10:00 - 11:00am. Different themes help your kids understand the relationship they share with each animal. Classes are FREE and run in 7 or 8 week sessions. Reservations are necessary so please call the SPCA at 629-3515.

It's so great that in the Buffalo area there are so many of these fun and free storytimes!

Which storytime is your kids favorite? Leave a comment and let me know!

Saturday Fun 12/5/2009

Wow! There are a lot of fun, FREE things going on Saturday! Check them out:

You can Meet the Grinch at B is for Books from 10am-2pm. The kids can say hi, have a picture taken and do some Grinch-related crafts.

Don't forget about the free Home Depot Kids Workshop taking place today as well as the Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic.

If you want to get the kids in to see Santa on Saturday why not take them by The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda? Kids can see Santa from 12pm-3pm and enjoy entertainment from Jim Menke Marionettes as well as crafts and hot chocolate. Admission is $5 for adults and $2.50 for kids age 2-12.

The Art of the Brick

If you have any Lego lovers in your household you have got to see this! Strong National Museum of Play has a new exhibit opening Saturday, December 5th called the Art of the Brick. This is so cool I just had to post it today!

From the Strong National Museum website:
Marvel at thirty eye-popping sculptures—giant heads, bodies, wall portraits, and more—created from nearly one million colorful LEGO bricks. Strong is the ONLY stop in upstate New York for this extraordinary touring art show.

Go here to see some amazing examples of what the artist, Nathan Sawaya, has sculpted with Legos. This exhibit will be at Strong National Museum until March 14, 2010.

Mommy and Me at Baby's Sweet Beginnings

ETA 3/7/2012: This comment sent from a reader: Hello, I just wanted to let you know that the Mommy & Me group at Baby's Sweet Beginnings has changed a little. They divided the group, so babies to are the 1st and 3rd mondays, and if the child can walk (consistently) the group meets the 2nd and 4th mondays. They did this to protect the babies that play on the floor from the older children who like to run around



Baby's Sweet Beginnings is a privately owned lactation and wellness center located in Lancaster, NY. (Right now you are probably asking yourself how this has anything to do with having fun with your kids!)

So let me tell you! If you are a new momma you may be interested in Baby's Sweet Beginnings free Mommy and Me Group. It meets twice a month, on the second and fourth Mondays at 10am, for mom-to-mom support. This month the Mommy and Me group will meet December 14th and December 28th. This is a great chance to let your little ones have fun playing while you get a chance to chat and meet with other moms. If you are interested, please call ahead to register at 681-8100.

Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics

Lowe's Build and Grow clinics are similar to the Home Depot Kids Workshops. This month at Lowe's your kids can make a Gingerbread House and Christmas Ornaments. Build and Grow clinics for December are the 5th and 12th from 10-11am and best of all they are free! Go here to register for one or both Saturday Build and Grow clinic events.

Kids Workshops at the Home Depot

Kids Workshops at the Home Depot are FREE and take place the first Saturday of each month from 9am-noon. The workshops are designed for kids ages 5-12 and this Saturday the project will be a trivet which you can see here. December 12th your kids can make a wagon which looks really fun!

The projects the kids make at these workshops do require help from a parent/caregiver but you will be impressed with the quality when you are finished!

Last year I took Big B to a firetruck workshop at Home Depot. The kids made a nice wooden firetruck and outside there was a real firetruck and firemen mingling around. The kids could get on the truck and the firemen passed out plastic firemen hats and a coloring book about fire safety. It goes without saying that Big B had an awesome time! The best part for me - it's free!

Music Play for Infants and Toddlers

Music Play from the UB Graduate School of Education is another fun music class in the Buffalo area. The activities and materials used in the Music Play classes are based on the book by Dr. Edwin E. Gordon, (a former UB music education professor) A Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children. Classes meet Saturday mornings at 10am or 11am at Villa Maria College in Buffalo, NY. The winter/spring session begins January 23, 2010 and ends March 27. You can register and find more information here.

Did your infant or toddler love Music Play classes? Leave a comment and let me know what was so fun about the class!