I have a very active 2 yr old. I do not have any friends with small children and I am not sure what to do with him during the summer. I would like to make friends for him as well as myself. Any suggestions where I can do this. He loves other children and gets very bored with staying at home all the time.
Try Charlotte Mommies at: charlottemommies.com. You'll have more activities available to you than you know what to do with! Blessings to you and welcome to the area.
The Morrison YMCA is AWESOME!! They have a wonderful outdoor pool that is like a mini water park, you can spend the whole afternoon there. Pack some snacks and have fun!! Also there is a splash park and playground at Veterns Park on Central Ave and that is a blast too!! We pack a picnic and make a day out of it don't forget your swim suit! You may also want to check out the Imaginon Library downtown and Discovery Place they are great when its hot outside.
I have a 2 year old also. There are tons of activities around Charlotte that we regularly attend. Some free, some minimal cost. Check out Mr. Nigel at Joseph Beth Booksellers on Friday mornings at 11:15 it is a 30 minute free kids concert, specifically geared to toddlers. It is fantastic! Also, Barnes and Noble offers free storytimes... check the website of the one nearest to you for times. We go to the Arboretum Barnes and Noble on Thursday mornings at 9:30. Parks and Rec. have a ton of programs for little ones as well. Just google search Mecklenburg County Parks and Rec. and check out the Get Going Guide. Charlotte at Play is another awesome place for toddlers. There is so much to do there... great for rainy days! The Little Gym is also great if your son is active and needs an outlet for all of that energy. Good luck!
As a 41 year old mom of a 3 year old, most of my friends have grown kids or no kids. We've made friends at the Siskey and Simmon's YMCAs - Morrison, too. We also go to our local parks regularly. The public libraries here are wonderful with lots of summer programs for toddlers. Our favorite is on Monday and Thursdays at 10:15 at the Mint Hill branch.
We've also made lots of friends through my daughter's preschool.
Best advice, don't be shy about reaching out to other moms. Talk to moms at the park or at the Y even at the grocery store.
My children had an aupair and during the summer months-- it was hard to find activities because they were always geared towards school-aged kids. However, Ray's Splash planet and Mallard Creek Recreational Center have preschool programming that is really cheap-- mini-chef classes, sponge painting, etc.... check them out. Also, Border's books, Barnes and Noble have story time too-- these are free and pack a lunch for a nice outing. Sprinkers are also very fun-- my kids particularly loved to do that. We also bought a water toy that is like a race track for boats-- you fill it with water and move the boats through-- they still play with that and they are much older now.
Good luck
M.
Try the library close to your house, they have lots of programs for kids of all ages, and it's FREE! Go swimming, take lessons, try different music programs - Kindermusic or Music Together are good to start with or go to the park.
A.
