December 3rd, 2009 Ryan
When you think of Yankee Candle you probably think of a small, aromatic store at the mall where you can always find a last-minute gift for your favorite candle aficionado. Last weekend we visited Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield, MA, and the only similarity to the mall stores is that they both sell candles. Yankee Candle Village is a huge complex featuring dozens of themed rooms selling every type of candle, craft, and candy that you could ever want.
The complex can be a bit daunting, so once you park you will want to find a map and plan out your day. There are two main eating facilities if you want to plan your visit around a meal. Chandler Restaurant is a full-service restaurant serving up traditional New England fare. We ate here and the service and food were great! We had to wait 45 minutes for a table on a busy Saturday, but there was plenty to do to fill our time. There is also a food court with a variety of options, and there are plenty of places to eat outside if you choose to bring your own food.
The Village is a maze of rooms, one after the other after the other, and each one has a different theme to it. There is a general flow through the rooms with the crowd, but as we stated before, you may want a map to figure out where you are. There are only a couple places with registers. Even though there are many registers at each station, the lines were still long. We ended up walking back through half of the complex to avoid waiting in what looked like a 30 minute check-out line.
For the younger kids, there is a decent-sized toy store with lots of open items to play with. Santa and Mrs. Claus are right in the middle, and a station is set up to write your letter to give them if you didn’t bring one with you. Close by is the Christmas Village (adjacent to the Department 56 section) where it snows every four minutes. Our kid got a kick out of the indoor snow, which was small particles of soap.
The main candle room, in addition to every variety of fragrance and size, has several different stations to make your own candles, House Warmer jars, and even an area where you can create a candle in the shape of your hand. The line for this was very long, so we didn’t do it, but you essentially dip your hand into some liquid creating a form which is transformed into a candle.
Mom says: Candles, Pandora, Vera Bradley, and Department 56 all under one roof… what’s not to love???!!! This is a great place to get into the Christmas spirit!
Dad says: I was impressed with the sheer magnitude of this tourist attraction, but be weary if you are sensitive to candle smells, large crowds, and 100’s of knick-knacks.
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November 25th, 2009 Ryan
Good luck shopping for the upcoming holiday season. One thing that you should see is major discounts from the biggest retailers including Toys ‘R Us, Target, Walmart, Amazon, and of course the Comic Vault on Ashland and Montrose. I have received several emails this last week from Amazon looking at 25% off all sorts of toys including Mattel, Disney, and Toy Story.
There is no substitute for getting toy recommendations from friends and family or just by watching Saturday morning cartoons and letting your kid point out what they want during commercials. However, there are a couple of resources you can use if you are looking for what is hot including the Toy Insider and Dr Toy. Below are the toys we had the most fun with this year in no particular order:
- Seven in One Maximus Draganoid. We would recommend any of the Bakugan toys and getting involved in this franchise but the Seven in One combines puzzles, action figures, and Bakugan all rolled into one.
- SORRY! Sliders. What a phenomenal sequal to the always fun classic SORRY!. This combines the gameboard with some physical skill and the ability to crash into your opponents sending them off the table.
- Nerf or Nothing. the new Nerf guns are wickedly fun. If you aren’t into play guns skip this recommendation, but you can get Nerf toys in all shapes and sizes that can shoot across the room without anyone getting hurt. They even have accessories for you to play capture the flag and Nerf dart tag.
- Battle Strikers. Battle Strikers is unique, fun, challenging and exciting. Using battery powered spinners, drop your battle strikers (each looks different, has a name, and certain qualities) on the play table and see which battle striker is left standing as they bang, spin, and crash into each other. Use the finger magnets to try to keep your battle striker spinning and crash into your opponent.
- Dive Sticks. Affordable, simple, and hours of entertainment in the pool. These simple dive sticks blink, glow, sink, and float in the pool. They help your kid learn to swim (and sink) while still thinking they are playing.
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November 19th, 2009 Ryan
Yes, we have had some good luck with the weather, but it continues to get colder and colder. A great way to warm up this winter is at Magic Wings in South Deerfield, MA. This butterfly conservatory is guaranteed to be a quick fix for when you are in the mood for some tropical weather. The 8,000 square foot conservatory is home to nearly 4,000 butterflies and is quite impressive.
With two large rooms, the conservatory is fairly spread out and has wide, paved, walkways making it easy to get around, even with kids. They ask that you leave any strollers outside. Be sure to walk throughout the entire conservatory as there is much to see. Fruit and sugar water feeders are everywhere for the butterflies to land on, making it easier to get that perfect picture.
A hatching station is behind glass so you can get up close and see the butterflies emerge from their cocoons. Baby quail are running around everywhere, so watch where you step! In the middle of the first room is a Koi pond and a little bridge, and in the middle of the second room is a gazebo. Benches are throughout the two rooms, providing a great opportunity to rest and enjoy the scenery; sit still and perhaps a butterfly will perch on you. They also have a great display of tropical animals. Most are in the second room, but there is a giant iguana in the first room.
There are a two different food options at Magic Wings. Monarchs Restaurant is a full-service establishment and a food court serves up standard burgers, sandwich, pizza and salad items.
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November 11th, 2009 Ryan
The Children’s Museum in Easton packs hours of hands-on activities and learning into an Old Fire Station in North Easton, MA. The cost is $6.00 per person (over 1) for the day, and for $60.00 you can get a family membership for 2 for a year.
Inside the museum you will find three floors of interactive exhibits. Next to the museum is an outdoor learning center called ‘The Wild Place,’ which is open from April through November. The Wild Place is a park with at least 10 different learning areas, ranging from paleontology to nature tic-tac-toe to musical pieces of wood. They also have several picnic tables for group lunching and snacking. We’d recommend visiting on a nice day so you can spend time in this area.
You enter the museum on the ground floor, where you pay at the desk and jump right into the activities. Among the things you’ll find here are a replica train, a large wooden train track, a pretend camp and cabin (completely with tent, fire pit, and story books), a performance stage, a fishing boat, a puppet theatre, and one of the highlights – a Rube Goldberg-like set of chutes, chimes, and tunnels that your kids can send golf balls through. The cool part is that to send the balls into this apparatus you have to climb about ten feet up a set of stairs. There is also a real fireman’s pole that your kids can climb to ring the bell at the top.
Downstairs is split between an eating area, which is open during lunch-time hours, and the FETCH! Lab. Based on the PBS Kids show, this area features various science experiments and loads of puzzles. A museum employee was actively showing kids and parents what to do. Bring your own food as they don’t sell any, but have a nice area to eat.
The top floor is geared a bit towards the older kids with a room dedicated to everything wood. Hammer nails into pieces of wood or lock a piece of wood into the vice to saw some off. The room next to it serves as a doctor’s office, complete with an incubator for the baby dolls. Another large room is dedicated to arts and crafts with lots of different projects to do. From paper and markers to cloth and pipe cleaners, this area was staffed with a museum employee to help out the kids or give parents some tips. The remaining area is for free play. There is a padded corner for the youngest visitors to play in while the older ones play in the kitchen, on the fire truck (with the dalmations!), or in a treehouse-like structure.
Mom Says: I like that they proactively offer hand sanitizer and a sign encouraging its use before you even walk in the door. It was great to see a staff member working with families in the arts & crafts and giving them ideas.
Dad Says: This is worth a trip and if you live nearby, I’d think about a membership. We could have easily spent close to a full day here between the museum and the park area. This isn’t the biggest facility, so I assume on rainy days it gets crowded.
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November 5th, 2009 Ryan
With frosty nights becoming the norm here in New England, it may seem like an odd time for us to be writing about the Mass Audubon, a group which manages 47 wildlife sanctuaries across the state of Massachusetts. A recent trip to the Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary reminded us of the beauty of the Fall season and the great work Mass Audubon does maintaining these sanctuaries.
The Mass Audubon sanctuaries take many different forms, from beaches and salt marshes on Cape Cod to woodlands and mountains in the Berkshires. Mass Audubon’s land protection efforts protect more than 34,000 acres of ecologically significant land in Massachusetts.
Through November 30, 2009 the Mass Audubon is running a Fall special on family memberships for $29.00, which normally costs $58.00. In addition to being tax deductible, membership gives your free access to all wildlife sanctuaries in the state and discounts on educational programs. Entry to the sanctuaries varies, but at $29.00 for the year, you only have to make a couple of trips to make this one pay for itself.
You can check out a list of the sanctuaries in your area using the Mass Audubon website.
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October 29th, 2009 Ryan
Jack O Lantern Spectacular
The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular returns to Roger Williams Park Zoo this year after a four year hiatus and spectacular is a perfect word to describe this special event. The night-time walk is open nightly from 6:00pm to 11:00pm, with the last entry at 10:00pm, and runs through November 1. Adults cost $12.00 and kids 3-12 cost $9.00.
When to go
We recommend going on a weeknight as far away from Halloween as you can. The weekends and week before Halloween are very busy, which means long lines. Wait times to get into the trail can be up to 2 hours on a busy night, which should be motivation enough to get there on a weeknight. We visited on the Monday before Halloween and found the wait to be 45 minutes. Dress appropriately for standing around in the cold and brings some activities to keep the kids entertained while you wait. On many nights there are some entertainers along the trail while you wait, which is great to help pass the time.
What to Expect
Picture yourself walking along a wooded trail in the dark, but instead of darkness on both sides, you see specially lit Jack-O-Lanterns with varied musical accompaniment. Over 5,000 pumpkins are on display to create this spectacle, making it an incredibly impressive sight. Since the Spectacular lasts for one month, the pumpkins need to be replaced, thus another 5,000 pumpkins are used.
The theme of this year’s presentation is “Fables of the Great Writers,” and included depictions of Alice in Wonderland, Sleepy Hollow, classic tales of the Brothers Grimm, Moby Dick, and many more famous stories. Many of the pumpkins are carved with standard faces while a small percentage of the 5,000 have special designs. This may not sound like much, but you will want to stop at each one to admire the beauty and work of the artists that created them, and at some point they seem endless.
One of the biggest highlights for us was about 10 minutes into the trail where you encounter a vast display of carved pumpkins. Several were so big that they were carved out and filled with other pumpkins! The weights of a few larger ones were displayed, with some topping the scales at 1100-1300 pounds. Smoke was added to the display, as well as loud music, and pumpkins were even strung up the trees like Christmas lights. As you can imagine, this area gets pretty crowded.
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October 22nd, 2009 Ryan
Turning Pumpkins into Jack-O’-Lanterns
The time has come to start thinking about the masterpieces you and your family will create for Halloween. Will it be a scary face, the silhouette of a black cat, or the logo of your favorite sports team? Fear not, you still have time to decide!
The Pattern
Some pumpkin carving kits have stencils included. If yours does, it’s a good idea to make some copies of them as you will probably want to toss them out after one or two uses. If you do not have stencils, check online. Be careful as there are lots of sites that will seem to be free and then want $2.29 for the pattern you just promised your kid. Here are two that are actually free: ehow.com, pumpkinglow.com.
If you prefer to draw your pattern freehand, the best thing to use is a china marker, which you can buy at a craft store. Pencil works, but is hard to see, and a marker does not rub off at all, so any mistakes in cutting will be seen by all.
Gutting the Pumpkin
Time to get dirty! Everyone knows to cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin and gut out the seeds… so what is there left to say? Plenty! If this is your chosen approach, be sure to tilt the handle of the knife at about a 45 degree angle away from the stem to ensure the top won’t fall in when you are done.
For those of you looking to do something different, cut the bottom of the pumpkin. This will be more of a challenge with gutting, but it will keep people guessing how you hollowed the pumpkin without taking the top off. It will be easier to light the pumpkin too, as you can just set up your light and lower your pumpkin onto it. Because you will be lowering the larger top part onto the small base, it is helpful to draw a small line (vertically) where you cut the hole so that you can use it to line up the pumpkin when placing it down.
Use a spoon to scrape the inside of the pumpkin, making sure you save the innards as we’ll be baking pumpkin seeds soon enough.
Carving
If you are using a stencil, apply it with tape to the face of the pumpkin. Use a push pin to poke holes along the lines of the image. Be sure to poke plenty of holes so you can follow the stencil clearly afterwards. If you are designing your own, draw your picture on the pumpkin.
There are two schools of carving – cutting everything out, or just peeling off a few layers of the outer skin. The first is easier, as you only have to worry about the final look. The second requires more tools and more patience, as you will want some consistency. The nice thing about this look is that your light will make the design of the pumpkin glow without having to look at the source of the light (notice we didn’t say candle…). If you go this route, be sure you really scraped the inside of the pumpkin as much as possible; you won’t have to peel as many layers on the outside. Check your local hardware store for some small saws and other tools that can be used for carving. Often times these can be easier to use and more sturdy than store-bought carving kits.
Lighting
Everyone knows you can use a candle, but that can be a bit of a hassle. Who wants to worry about fire, wax, and keeping it lit? Our tool of choice is a basic light bulb. We light to use the strands of light that are used in ornamental villages (think Department 56). If you don’t have any of these hanging around the house, you can find them at your local hardware store usually. Plug these into an outdoor power strip and you will never have to worry about the candles going out again.
When to Carve
Once a pumpkin is carved it will only last for a few days, maybe even a week. Some tips to help it last longer: keep the pumpkin out of sunlight during the day; soak it in water overnight; coat with petroleum jelly; buy a pumpkin spray.
Final Thoughts
While you are gutting the pumpkin, make sure you save the seeds. Separate them from the pulp, rinse them off, coat them in olive oil and some salt and get them into the oven. Remember to take pictures, don’t worry about the mess, and have fun!
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October 15th, 2009 Ryan
It had been at least 20 years since we had been to ‘The Greatest Show on Earth,’ so we were excited to take in the circus at the DCU Center in Worcester last week. The show is currently performing in Boston at the TD Bank Garden through Sunday. Tickets in Boston range from $15.00 up to $130.00 (for Circus Celebrity tickets), so there are plenty of options to fit your budget.
‘Over the Top’ starts off with Chuck Wagner, the ring master, welcoming us to the circus and proclaiming that it is his show because he wears the hat. Head clown, Tom Dougherty, has other things in mind as he repeatedly steals the ring master’s hat, giving him and his clown troupe control of the happenings. This theme worked well throughout the performance as it made for clean segues between the clown acts and the main attractions.
Ringling Bros. has moved away from the three-ring format and replaced it with half a ring and a wide-open floor plan. While some of the clown interludes were a bit long-winded for us, most of the show was fast-paced and kept kids, young and old, on the edge of their seat throughout. You will see classic circus acts, including the Globe of Steel and the Bengal tiger demonstration. Ringling Bros. spices it up with some new acts this year, like the Henan Troupe Swinging Poles. It was interesting to see that the contortionists and two balancing acts came out at the same time - it was a lot going on at the same time.
Intermission was even interesting as they set up for the tiger demonstration. In addition to the circus acts, Ringling Bros. has several large production numbers where the arena fills with the performers and animals, and everyone is singing, dancing, or executing a stunt. Your jaw will drop when you see how many things are going on at the same time! Circus Celebrity ticket-holders become part of the show during one of the group numbers. Performers drive into the arena in a tram-like vehicle, and the Circus Celebrities climb on. After a lap or two around the arena, the song continues until the floor is covered with entertainers, and the “celebrities” have an unbelievable view of the whole thing!
Animal Open House
We missed this in Worcester, but look for this open house 90 minutes before the show where you will get a behind-the-scenes look at all the circus animals. This is free for all ticket holders and lets your kids take pictures of the animals and ask any questions of the animal-care staff.
All Access Pre-Show
If you arrive early you can make your way to the arena floor for the All Access Pre-Show, where your kids can mingle with the clowns and even try on some of their outfits. Watch as an elephant performs by painting a masterpiece, which you can enter to win, or join the Bombastic Bouncers for some jump-roping lessons. This pre-show is a great way to get a close-up view of the circus for your kids.
Mom Says: Just like any other large event, there are plenty of toys and food items for sale. Watch out as some of the food items are paired with a souvenir, so the price skyrockets. I LOVED the show and cannot recommend it enough!!!
Dad Says: The big stunts were amazing from the motorcycle globe to the elephant parade. I could have done with a few less clown acts, but I know they needed time to setup and the kids enjoy that stuff.
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October 8th, 2009 Ryan
As we welcome the foliage to New England, we quickly realize the warm days of summer have past and it’s time to get ready for Halloween and Thanksgiving. We all (well, most of us) love this season as we get to dress up in costumes with our kids, teach them how to roll around in piles of leaves, and take hayrides through pumpkin patches with hopes of a warm cup of apple cider at the end.
We are ready for Fall here at Crazy Kids Boston and we hope you are too!
We’ve put together a couple of guides to help you make the most out of October. First up is an interactive map of 86 Pick-Your-Own Pumpkin Farms throughout Massachusetts. Use this to find a farm near you to visit for pumpkins, veggies, and many have rides for the little ones. After that is a listing of selected Haunted Houses that we think you might be interested in. Let us know your favorites by dropping us a note.
click here for a full version of this map
Farm list sourced from The mdar
Haunted House Guide
Nightmare New England & SpookyWorld!, Litchfield, MA
With seven different attractions this is one of the largest scream parks in New England.
http://spookyworld.com
Factory of Terror, Fall River, MA
With 30 rooms of terror, this factory building has supposedly been haunted for 100 years.
http://www.factoryofterror.com
Braintree Haunted House, Braintree, MA
In its 29th year, this is a South Shore fav! Only running for 3 nights, this year features a ‘Not So Scary’ night, designed for younger children on Thursday, Octoboer, 22 from 6-8 p.m. The regular haunted house is Friday and Saturday, October 23-24 from 6-9:30 p.m.
Haunted Ship - USS Salem, Quincy MA
Located aboard a 716 foot long US Navy Heavy Cruiser Gunship, no other haunted attraction matches the scale and visual impact of the Haunted Ship. Take a 20 minute tour of the haunted ship.
http://www.hauntedship.com/
Barrett’s Haunted Mansion, Abington MA
This mansion changes each year and this year has a new ‘Buried Alive’ experience, where you will hear, feel, and smell what it would be like to be alone and trapped in your final resting place.
http://www.bhmansion.com
Nightmare on Brookwood Road, Hanover MA
This isn’t a haunted house, but is a group of folks dedicated to giving visitors a scare. This free yard haunt with pre-6pm ‘non-scary’ hours is worth checking out if you are in the area.
http://www.thehauntedgrounds.com
REGION 335, West Bridgewater MA
Our 23rd year. The compound, now an military research facility, that has been taken over by the walking dead! All money goes to the Berwick Boys Foundation, a non-profit with year-round program for teenage boys.
http://www.Region335.com
The Haunted Mansion, Douglas, MA
When hinges creek in doorless chambers, that is the time when you should be nervous. When your friends don’t make it back, that is the time to be terrified! The best part of this haunted mansion is that admission is one can of non-perishable food, which is donated to a local food panty.
http://www.thehauntedmansiondouglas.com
Village Mire, South Yarmouth Massachusetts
This is a free haunted yard attraction which is not for the faint of heart (according to their site). If you are on the Cape, check this one out.
http://villagemire.blogspot.com/
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October 1st, 2009 Ryan
We took advantage of National Free Museum Day this weekend to visit the Boston Museum of Science with some friends and our son. It was a nostalgic visit for several of us who hadn’t been to the museum since our school days. While much remains the same at the MOS, there are rotating exhibits and lots of live and interactive shows to see.
Admission to the main exhibit halls is $20.00 for adults and $17.00 for kids 3-11 years old. Omni Theatre shows cost $9.00 (adults) and $7.00 (kids) with discounts on additional shows the same day.
The Exhibit Halls
With over 700 interactive exhibits, spread across the museum’s “Science Is an Activity” floor plan, every step of your stay at the Museum of Science is chock full of fun and learning. To aid visitor’s in navigating the 33 current exhibit’s and live shows, the museum has prepared an Early Learner’s Guide. This guide lists exhibits that are especially enjoyed by kids 8 and younger and provides a suggested order to visit to minimize backtracking. We’d suggest printing this out as a guide when planning your trip through the museum. You can find this list here. http://www.mos.org/discoverycenter/elg
Below are a few of our favorite exhibits.
The Discovery Center
Designed for kids up to 8, The Discovery Center offers hands-on activities that provide children the opportunity to learn by trial and error. Some of the areas are built for smaller children and some for older children, which is great for families with multiple children; the older ones will not complain of being bored here.
The lower floor has a special section for newborns from 0-12 months of age, complete with a rocking chair. Next to it is a ramp with some dress-up clothes, such as bees and animal fur vests. Children can also crawl under the ramp, which is very exciting when others are running above. This floor also has tanks with animals (we saw a frog and millipede) and a lit-up wall with colored rods for the kids to move and make designs with (think Lite-Brite, but really big).
Mathematica
This exhibit has been around since the museum opened in 1981 and is timeless in it’s ability to engage kids and adults in learning and experimenting with math. From the huge history of math wall to the soap bubbles forming on wire shapes, Mathematica is full of hands-on activities to teach math in an interactive way.
Science In The Park
The park-like setting of this exhibit invites kids to swing, jump, see-saw, and run on playground equipment to learn about the forces that put things in motion. Your kids can run a race against others or try to keep pace with moving lights to learn about speed and acceleration. They can hop on the see-saw to learn about balance and the fulcrum or spin on a metal plate to learn about momentum.
A Bird’s World
On the lower level of the Museum, this exhibit takes you on a virtual tour of Acadia National Park and displays every species of bird in North America. Make sure you check out the “Sneaking Corridor” to see how good your stalking skills are.
Seeing Is Deceiving
From spinning wheels to M.C. Escher drawings, this exhibit features dozens of images and optical illusions that will trick your eyes and boggle your mind. Several computer work stations give you a more in depth look at how some of these illusions work into tricking our brains into seeing what we do and several of the exhibits allow you to ‘take apart’ the illusion to understand how it works. This one is for older kids and adults and is on the top level of the museum along one of the hallway walls.
Food
The food court offers several different options including Wolfgang Puck’s pizza, burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips, BBQ-style sandwiches, and a full salad bar. We found the prices to be reasonable considering it is a museum and the wide variety of options made it easy to please everyone in our group.
Overall Thoughts
We will always be huge fans of the Museum of Science and visit at least once a year to see what is new. Some of the exhibits are a bit dated (computer revolution), but the classic exhibits continue to deliver on their goal of educating kids and getting them excited about science. Check the website for current events and live shows as you’ll want to catch shows that interest you and are included in your admission price. We’ll cover the planetarium and Omni theatre in another post, but it’s always good to try and include a visit to either of those when you come to Museum of Science.
If you plan to visit more than once a year, think about the membership. It comes with 2 hours of free parking with each trip, which is just enough time for a quick visit, as well as passes to the planetarium and the Omni theatre.
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