Hello,
I am looking for activities that I can do with my daughter this summer. The summer has just begun and I am already running out of activities and ideas. Some days we just sit around the house and create (which is fine) but I would like to explore alittle more this summer in preparation for school in August. I am a stay at home mom of my 4 year old as well as my 8 month old daughter. Finding activities that will allow me to still be attentive to the baby is a challenge. I am also looking for things to do that do not cost a whole lot. Most days we do have alot of fun but I am just looking for more ideas so that we can explore and create an even greater summertime experience. Any suggestions? Thanks
Moms, thank you so much for your input. I have been busy searching for activities to do with my 4yo and with your advice I have found some great ideas. This summer is going to be so much fun for not only my daughter but me too. I am really a big kid. We have been to the water theme park in Oldsmar - my daughter had a ton of fun there. We also have gone to " You do the dishes" over by Tampa Palms, so much fun painting pottery. I made a beautiful switch plate for my daughters pink and green room, oh yah, my daughter had fun too! She painted a cute little butterfly dish for her jewlery. I plan to go back to "YOU DO THE DISHES" for a Ladies night out. I signed her up for swim class this summer, we will continue to enjoy the library, park, zoo, Marble Slab ice cream parlor. This weekend Pulix @Collier Pkwy is having a cooking demo for kids. We will go to that. I look forward to a fun fill summer with great adventures. I hope you all enjoy your time spent with the kiddos - they will be back in school very soon! Thanks again, your advice has given me so many ideas. If anyone knows of any summertime U-Pick farms that are kid friendly, let me know. I love Banes Hydroponic Farms but they are not open again until November.
Destination: Cypress Forest Park "Sprayground," 650 Pine Ave. N, Oldsmar, ###-###-####.
The scoop: A water-themed city playground in Oldsmar, at the corner Pine Avenue and Forest Road. Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free. Take Tampa Road to Forest Lakes Boulevard, go north, just past the Tampa Bay Skating Academy, turn left on Forest Road and follow it to the end.
What area do you live in? There might be some free/cheap activities on your part of town so if you tell us a general location you might get some better suggestions. You can also check out your local Joann's of Michael's store. They have Sat. crafts for kids that are usually free or very cheap and various classes throughout the week that start at $10. Yours might be too young for the paid class. Also check with the parks & recreation dept. They often have things like free nature walks and info sessions geared towards kids.
I have a 7yo and a 4yo. I'm doing what I can to keep them busy too : )
Have you checked your library? Our library has a summer reading program. It's great and the kids love it. They had to set a goal of how many books they will read over the summer. They don't have to read them on their own, you can read them to your daughter. They also have meetings twice a week where the kids go in and report how many books they've read that week and tell about one of them. The library also has some kind of entertainment that day. You don't have to go to both meetings, but you can. Last week they had this man there with dogs that do tricks. Tomorrow they're having MOSI there. This is at Largo Library. Even if you don't do the program, you can plan on going to the library once or twice a week to check out books, listen to books on tapes, play on the computer, etc. There might also be story time for preschoolers.
We also have Lowry Park Zoo passes. It's so hot so right now we'll do one section and then head to the water to play. Then we'll do another section and head home.
We usually end up at the beach once or twice a week. It's just so hot out that the only way to stay cool outside is to be wet.
Do you have a coupon book from Entertainment.com? I buy those each year. Not only does it provide us with money saving coupons, it also gives me ideas on what I can do with the kids. There's coupons for bowling alleys, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, ice cream stores, restaurants, and just about everything in this area. Usually it has buy one get one free. So you would have to pay for yourself to do some of these things and your daughter would be free. Even Lowry and Florida Aquarium has coupons in there.
L.
I heard the zoo is free like every 6 weeks. I have July 29th & Sept 9th as free days at the zoo.
what about chuck e cheese. my kids love it and if you go to www.chuckecheese.com you can sign up for some really good coupons-better then whats in the paper.
we live in florida- everything is here.
you can buy a pass to busch gardens and spend the day in dragon's land, or even in timbucktoo. some passes are really cheap and those you just pay for parking everytime you go.
mcdonalds play place is a fun place to go lunch maybe once a week. the local park is also good.
you local library is free and offers summer reading programs- go to www.pascolibraries.org
there is also a great group calles MOPS- mothers of preschoolers for mothers of kids ages up to 5. they have meeting for the mom, with a kids taken care of- they have play groups, and when i was in it i was the hospitality leader and would plan outings for the moms, and outings for the moms and kids. some were free- cheap, while others were a little more. go to www.mops.org to find your local MOPS group.
contact your local city of commerce and see what is going on in your area. dade city has something going on pretty much every weekend- from the car shows to the farmers market. i'm sure lol has something too. go to www.centralpascochamber.com
the local malls also have summer kids stuff go to www.westfield.com and follow prompts till you get to the mall you would like to go to- does not include university. their's is www.universitymalltampa.com
and you can also get MOSI passes- they are pretty cheap, and all kids love going there. go to www.mosi.org
hope this help you and your kids have a happy summer!!!!
Hi N.,
I am a certified instructor with Music with Mar. and we have fun, interactive music and movement classes throughout the community for ages 0-6. Classes do not teach music, but use music to teach basic developmental skills. Prices are per family, not per child! For a schedule and for more info, check out www.musicwithmar.com. I teach in Tampa, Oldsmar & Lutz.
W.
I just found out the Regal Cinemas in Citrus Park and AMC Woodland Theatres in Oldsmar, show FREE kids movies on Wednesdays. It is only one movie on Wednesdays and they only show at one time, but it's free! Happy Feet, Flushed Away and Charlotte's Web are all on the schedule.
