Mom & Sons’ Day Out

Recently my oldest son had the day off of school so I scheduled the day off of work so that we could spend the day together. Turns out it was a beautiful May day with highs in the upper 60’s! We started our day off with breakfast at Bob Evan’s with my parents (aka Grandma & Papa). It’s always nice to go out to breakfast since we rarely get to unless we are traveling or celebrating an event. I am always amazed though, how many people are actually out for breakfast on a weekday. We had to wait about 10 minutes for a table!

Our next stop was the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. My kids love this place and I love it too! The best part is that it is FREE! The kids get to see all kinds of animals, turtles, snakes, lizards, and fish in the indoor exhibits. The outdoor exhibits include ducks, geese, skunks, hawks, bunnies, deer, turkeys, and a fox. The place is not huge, but a great place to spend about 2 hours. This is perfect, in my book! It is definitely geared towards little kids, so once mine get a little older, they probably won’t want to go here anymore.

Our adventure continued with a picnic by the lake. We were less than a mile from Lake Erie, so we found a nice picnic table at the Huntington Reservation and had a picnic lunch. It was more of a picnic snack since we had such a big breakfast, but it was an amazing day to enjoy outside. After we finished eating we ventured down to the lake. They wanted to swim and play in the sand, but it was a bit cold for that (although there were some sun bathers when we were there). They were fine with climbing on the rocks and throwing rocks and sticks in the water. 

Our day ended by taking the long way home (aka no highways). We had to make a stop at a meat market to pick up some baby back ribs and then took a quick look at the house I grew up in as a kid. My oldest son loves to see things like that. He was really interested in what that house looks like since my parents no longer live there.

All in all a great day to spend with my boys!

Sunday Funday - The Toledo Zoo

Welcome to another week of Sunday Funday! My family is out to find adventures every week at local places in our area. I will be featuring a trip we took each Sunday. We live in the Cleveland, Ohio area so most of the locations will be in this area, unless we get adventurous and travel further! If you ever visited the place that is highlighted, let me know you experience in the comments!

Location:
The Toledo Zoo
2 Hippo Way
Toledo, OH  43609

Admission:
$11 for Adults
$8.00 for Children (2 yrs - 11 yrs) and Seniors (60+)
FREE for Zoo Members and Children under 2 years.
*Admission and parking are free for all Toledo Zoo members.

There are group rates available on the website!

Accessibility:
Stroller and wheel chair rentals are available at the zoo.  The zoo is very accessible with access ramps into all buildings.

Hours of Operation:
The zoo is open every day of the year except
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

Labor Day to Memorial Day: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Memorial Day to Labor Day: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

May & September:
Weekends – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday – 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Visitors have one hour after the gates close
to complete their visit.

Atmosphere:
Outside and indoor animal exhibits.  There are also food places and concession stands.

About:
With over 9,000 animals representing over 800 species, The Toledo Zoo is one of the world’s most complete zoos—it’s also the region’s top family destination! Let The Toledo Zoo take you from the Arctic tundra to the wilds of Africa, from the tropical rainforest to the Sonoran Desert and all points between—all in one great day.

Each year nearly one million people come to The Toledo Zoo to experience the wonders of the natural world, stroll our beautiful grounds and explore our historic WPA-era buildings. As you do, you'll encounter animals ranging from mammoth African elephants and majestic bald eagles to tiny toads and delicate moon jellies.

The Toledo Zoo is also proud to be at the forefront of many conservation efforts, working to preserve endangered and threatened species from butterflies and birds to toads and elephants. Fully accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), The Toledo Zoo is involved with breeding animals through the Species Survival Program that is helping to ensure a future for some truly amazing species.

My Kids’ Favorites:
1.  The Safari Railway that goes around the African Animal Exhibit - Normal price is $2, but it was only $1 on the day we went.
2.  Playing with the animal faces!

My Favorites:
1. The zoo is not too large and overwhelming, we did the entire zoo in about 4 hours!
2. Stroller/wagon accessibility
3. You are truly up close to a lot of animal, a lot better views then at other zoos!

Time Commitment:

We spent about 4 hours at the zoo.  We packed our lunches and ate while we were waiting for the train!

Sunday Funday - The Jump Yard

Welcome to another week of Sunday Funday! My family is out to find adventures every week at local places in our area. I will be featuring a trip we took each Sunday. We live in the Cleveland, Ohio area so most of the locations will be in this area, unless we get adventurous and travel further! If you ever visited the place that is highlighted, let me know you experience in the comments!

Location:

The Jump Yard
13700 York Road
North Royalton, OH 44133

440-237-8100

Admission:

Children under 30” and parents always FREE
Children 30”-35” - $8 weekday / $10 weekend
Children 36” and over - $10 weekday / $12 weekend

Discounts:
Yard Card! – 10 visits *anytime *no expiration - $80 (up to $40 in savings!)

Accessibility:

Free parking is available and it is a short walk to the door.

Once a month, The Jump Yard hosts a Sensory Night which is closed to the public but open to families with special needs.

Hours of Operation:

Monday & Tuesday – Closed
Wednesday thru Friday – 4 pm until 8 pm
Saturday – 10 am until 8 pm
Sunday – 11 am until 6 pm

*Hours are subject to change; check the website for the weekly Open Play schedule!

Atmosphere:

Large inflatables to jump on plus a Toddler play area for the smaller guests. There are tables for the parents as well as private rooms for parties.

About:

Striving to be a community leader of indoor entertainment, healthy lifestyle activities and fun for all age groups, we offer an exciting blend of attractions, including:

• a variety of unique and exciting inflatable play structures
• an infant/toddler area for kids 3 years and under
• a parent lounge, including complimentary WiFi and flat screen TVs
• a concession stand featuring delicious treats and healthy snacks

My Kids’ Favorites:
1. Everything – my kids love to jump and slide on inflatables, this is their type of paradise!

 My Favorites:

1. Parents are free and can go on slides/inflatables with their kids.
2. Large open area where you can view your children on different inflatables at the same time.
3. Great for different age groups, my 5 year old 2 year old can both enjoy themselves.

Time Commitment:

We normally spend about 2 hours at The Jump Yard. Sooner or later the kids have to tire out!

Sunday Funday - The Children's Museum of Cleveland

Welcome to another week of Sunday Funday! My family is out to find adventures every week at local places in our area. I will be featuring a trip we took each Sunday. We live in the Cleveland, Ohio area so most of the locations will be in this area, unless we get adventurous and travel further! If you ever visited the place that is highlighted, let me know you experience in the comments!

Location:

The Children’s Museum of Cleveland
10730 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106(in University Circle)
Phone: 216-791-7114

Admission:
$7 per person (children and adults)
Infants 11 months and under are free!
Memberships are available

Discounts:
Discounts are given to AAA members
There are often coupons in various coupon books such as “Enjoy the City”.

Accessibility:
Ample free parking is available on the east, south and west sides of the Museum.
The Museum is accessible to people with disabilities. Numerous groups of children with physical and developmental disabilities visit the Museum each year with special attention given to their individual needs.

Hours of Operation:
Monday – Sunday
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
Exhibit areas close 15 minutes prior to museum closing.
Closed on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, Installation and Removal of our Sand Exhibit (dates vary)

Atmosphere:
Indoor exhibits on multiple levels throughout the museum.

About:
Exhibits include the Big Red Barn, Bridges to Our Community, House and Hospital, Safe Rides For All Kids, Splish Splash, and a seasonal exhibit that changes.

My Kids’ Favorites:
1. Splish Splash – kids get to put on their rain coats and play in a large water table to learn about water transportation, weather, and the earth’s water systems.

2. There is a seasonal sand exhibit in the winter where kids can dig in the sand and build sandcastles. It is literally a huge room filled with sand!

My Favorites:1. Parking is convenient to the front door.
2. Easy to see multiple kids playing at the same time in different areas
3. Great for different age groups, my 5 year old 2 year old can both enjoy themselves.

Time Commitment:
We normally spend about 2 -3 hours at The Children’s Museum of Cleveland. Make a day of it and pack a picnic lunch! There are picnic tables outside as well as inside by the Splish Splash exhibit.

Sunday Funday – Pick “n” Save Orchard

Welcome to another week of Sunday Funday! My family is out to find adventures every week at local places in our area. I will be featuring a trip we took each Sunday. We live in the Cleveland, Ohio area so most of the locations will be in this area, unless we get adventurous and travel further! If you ever visited the place that is highlighted, let me know you experience in the comments!

Location:
Pick “n” Save Orchard
1222 Ledge Rd.
Medina, Ohio 44256

(330) 239-1480

Admission:
Pick your apples at $0.95/#
Pick your pears at $1.29/#
Pick you Raspberries at $3.00/pint or $5.00/quart
Pick your Pumpkins - $0.45/#

Accessibility:
Parking is in the grass and it is a short walk to the main building. Wagons are available to go out to the apple trees. Golf carts are on site when requested. They will offer assistance for those requiring help with their apples or walking.

Hours of Operation:
7 days a week

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m

Atmosphere:
Outdoor orchard with a building to weigh and pay for what you picked.

About:

There are over 850 semi dwarf trees and all have been trimmed to a 7-foot height, which make the harvesting much easier. The orchard is all trimmed grass, which gives it a park- like setting. Children can visit the pumpkin patch and pick their own Jack-o-Lantern.

Customers pick all apples, but upon request they can have apples ready and bagged for sale. All fruit is weighed and sold by the pound. Raspberries and Blueberries are sold in quart and pint containers, also customer picked.

My Kids’ Favorites:
1. Running up and down the rows of apple trees and seeing the horses in the distance.
2. Carrying their own buckets and picking their own apples.

My Favorites:
We had a wonderful time. We ended up picking 27# of apples, way more than we could use, but the kids had a blast and so did my husband and I. We also got a lot of nice fall pictures of the kids. I was able to make homemade applesauce, apple pie, and cinnamon apples with our apples!

Time Commitment:
We spent about an hour picking our apples. We will be returning to do pumpkins.

You can also use this site to find an orchard close to your house!

Sunday Funday - Lake Erie Nature & Science Center

Welcome to a new feature on my blog, Sunday Funday! My family is out to find adventures every week at local places in our area. I will be featuring a trip we take every Sunday. We live in the Cleveland, Ohio area so most of the locations will be in this area, unless we get adventurous and travel further! If you ever visited the place that is highlighted, let me know you experience in the comments!

Location:

Lake Erie Nature and Science Center
28728 Wolf Road
Bay Village, OH 44140

Admission:
Free
Donations to the Owl Collection Box are encouraged and greatly appreciated

Accessibility:
Stroller and Wheelchair Friendly

Hours of Operation:
Open Monday through Sunday
10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Closed major holidays:
Easter - April 24, 2011
Memorial Day - May 30, 2011
Independence Day - July 4, 2011
Labor Day - September 5, 2011
Thanksgiving Day - November 24, 2011
Christmas Day - December 25, 2011
New Year's Day - January 1, 2012

Closes at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Atmosphere:
Indoor and outdoor animal exhibits

About:
Different varieties of turtles, snakes, frogs, fish, and lizards in the indoor exhibit including a children’s play area with a puppet show house. Outdoor exhibits include birds, ducks, a bald eagle, hawks, wild turkeys, a red fox, deer, a skunk, and rabbits. There is also a planetarium with daily shows.

My Kids’ Favorites:

1. The indoor turtle exhibit – there are at least 7 large turtles in an open exhibit.

2. The outside bridge going over a small pond full of fish and turtles outside.

3. The planetarium show and walk through area where you “glow” in the dark.

My Favorites:

1. Admission is FREE!

2. We’ve gone on weekdays and weekends and never have had to deal with any crowds.

3. Parking is convenient to the front door.

4. Very stroller and wheelchair friendly, all on one level inside and outside.

Time Commitment:
We normally spend about 2 hours at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. Make a day of it and pack a picnic lunch! There are picnic tables located by the parking lot.