April 22nd, 2010 Ryan
Elmo and the gang visited Boston again this year for yet another spectacular show, “When Elmo Grows Up.” The best part is that the music is geared toward adults just as much as the kids, using familiar songs such as “Down on the Corner” and “Give a Little Love” alongside “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” Before you know it your smile will be as big as your child’s.
The plot of the show… spoiler alert – skip this paragraph if you don’t want to know about it! Big Bird starts the show by asking the kids in the audience what they want to be when they grow up. He joins the other muppets on Sesame Street in preparing for a big pageant where each one performs a number based on what he/she wants to be. Big Bird doesn’t know what he wants to be, so he ends up helping everyone practice their part of the show. Elmo doesn’t know what he wants to be either, so he joins Big Bird and watches everyone rehearse, only to wind up changing his mind with every performance. Different career choices include a forest ranger, firefighter, train conductor, and police officer, amongst others. The moral of the story: Big Bird learns that he does not need to know right now what he wants to be when he grows up and he can even change his mind several times if he wants to, because that is a part of being a kid.
The show is absolutely adorable and a great lesson for kids of all ages. Plus, if one career isn’t interesting as a storyline to your child, it will change in a few minutes and their attention is grasped again. As usual, Sesame Street keeps the action rolling. They include discussions about letters and numbers and the ever-popular “Elmo’s World” is featured in the second act.
The show started about 15 minutes late (we’re assuming this is to help those parents arriving late, like us!), and ran about an hour and a half. It’s broken up into two acts with a 15 minute intermission. Watch out for the $10 Elmo balloons, which are sold during intermission. Be prepared to tie them to something and keep them low; Big Bird asks that you not block the view of your neighbor. We also saw the rest of the balloons being sold on our way out of the show, though we’re not sure if that happens on a regular basis.
One last piece of advice: if your kid is antsy and you don’t anticipate them sitting through the performance, consider upgrading to floor seats. The children can move about freely and even dance in front of the stage. During several parts of the show some of the monsters actually come down to the floor to dance and visit with the children. The screams of joy are priceless!
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April 8th, 2010 Ryan
Last week we ventured out to Disney on Ice presents Princess Classics. You know that princess gown that your daughter wants to wear everywhere? Tell her to put it on and pin her hair in an updo – this is one venue where little girls and tiaras are the norm!
As soon as we walked into the doors of the DCU Center we were surrounded by girls running around in their princess dresses, and why not? There’s no better way to meet your favorite princess than to be dressed exactly like her! Even the girls that did not have Disney-themed dresses made the effort to spruce up that night. At the end of the show the characters come up to the edge of the ice for the final song, and we just had to laugh when we realized that our son was surrounded by screaming girls jumping up and down. It was adorable to see their faces when they were merely a few feet away from the princesses.
As with any other themed event, there are vendors selling tons of Disney memorabilia, and none of it was cheap. Bring your wallet or, at the very least, be prepared to say “No” a lot! We packed toys and food in our bag, which was not checked at the door, so our son had plenty of supplies.
If you’ve been to Disney on Ice before, you can probably imagine the storyline, but to those of us that are young at heart it never gets old!
Spoiler Alert: Stop reading if you don’t want to know the plot.
Mickey and Minnie emcee the show, special guest Tinkerbell helps with the introductions, and a few other characters make appearances. The first half of the show consists of shortened versions of many Princess stories, such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Mulan. Every story is presented up to the point of the magical kiss, which is completed in grand style at the end of the first act. At that point each one of the princesses and her prince are brought out onto the ice for the magical kiss, so they all end up on the ice together.
The second half of the show focuses on the Cinderella storyline (a huge hit for her fans). When it’s time to try on the glass slipper, the servants even check the feet of some of the girls sitting in the front row around the ice. The end of the second act is their wedding, and all of the characters reappear dressed in white and gold and skate around on the ice. If you have good seats, remember to scoot down to the edge of the ice to get a close-up view.
Disney is known for their productions, and Princess Classics doesn’t disappoint. Children and adults alike will be smiling and singing along to all of the familiar songs. Even if you aren’t into the storylines, the ice skating is always spectacular to watch.
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April 1st, 2010 Ryan
General Info
Situated just over the river on Congress Street, the Boston Children’s Museum is a must-visit location if you’ve got kids and are near the city. Admission is $9.00 for kids aged 1-12 and $12.00 for adults. One key tip is to check out this list to see if your town/city library participates in the Museum’s coupon program. Participating libraries have coupons that are good for 4 tickets at a reduced cost of $2.00. That’s $40.00 in savings for a family of four! Call your library to reserve tickets ahead of time as they usually have one coupon available for each day of the year. Pack a lunch and you’ve got a very inexpensive, fun, and educational day with the kids.
Lay of the Land
The museum spans 3 levels with 5-6 themed areas on each floor. It seemed logical to us to start at the top and make our way down, but the centrally located large elevator and staircase make is easy to move between levels during your visit, so order probably isn’t too important. Peep’s World on the 2nd floor is primarily a hands-on water play area. Science Playground on the 1st floor also has a hands-on bubble area. Even though there are plastic smocks for the kids, they are bound to get wet, so take that into consideration when planning your path through the museum.
The third floor has the Global Gallery, which features visiting exhibits, usually for several months at a time. Check the website to see what is currently there. Let’s Get Curious was there when we visited and we timed our stop to this floor based on a scheduled visit from George himself. Make sure you check the daily schedule on your way in. This floor also has an actual Japanese-style home which you can visit (make sure you take your shoes off!) as well as a construction zone and a room focused on Black history in Boston.
If you’ve got toddler-aged kids you will want to make sure to check out the PlaySpace on the 2nd floor. It is dedicated to kids 0-3 years old with a museum staffer guarding the door to make sure the older kids don’t sneak in. In this area are a large train track, blocks, puzzles, a play house and kitchen, bubble making area, and a special zone for little crawlers.
General Information
If you want to plan for eating during your visit, there is an Au Bon Pain connected to the eating area and you are welcome to bring your own. The map of the museum also lists some nearby restaurants if you’d like to go that route. There are a decent amount of tables and if the weather is nice, plenty of areas outside to eat. Lockers are available if you need to store any valuables without having to worry about carrying them around. Bring a few quarters to rent one of the self-service lockers. Strollers are welcome and there are plenty of ‘parking lots’ for them throughout the facility.
Other Highlights
We like that admission to the museum is all-inclusive, meaning if your kids want to take part in a special event or the frequent KidStage performances, it’s included!
We really enjoyed visiting the Japanese House, an authentic two-story silk merchant’s home from Kyoto, Japan. You have to take your shoes off to visit this one and it’s worthwhile as you’ll wonder how they got a real home into the museum. Your older kids will enjoy viewing how a different culture lives and be very happy to go home to their bed when they see the sleeping space in this home.
Kid Power is an active area focused on teaching kids about the activities that will make them healthier. There is an interactive dance floor, a rock-climbing wall, power pump seats, and other fun exercise activities.
The 3-story New Balance Climb is the centerpeice of the lobby when you enter the museum and is something your kids will want to try out. Painted, curved platforms encased with carpet seem to float around the central pole with a net surrounding the entire structure to make sure nobody falls out as the climb up. Unlike many climbing structures, parents can follow their kid’s progress on the stairs next to this structure.
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March 25th, 2010 Ryan
According to Punxsutawney Phil, winter was over sometime last week after 6 extra weeks, you never really know here in New England. At Crazy Kids Boston, we are calling victory on winter though and declaring it over. Congratulations to all on making it through another one.
With that, we’d like to highlight some of the outdoor venues around the state that we really enjoyed in the last year.
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Southwick Zoo
What we said: Southwick Zoo is one of the best zoos in Massachusetts! This place just kept going and going and rivals some of the country’s top big-city zoos. Do not worry about having to sit through a show with your kid – they are short programs designed to keep their attention. |
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Mass Audubon
What we said: 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. |
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Capron Park Zoo
What we said: If we lived closer we would be members in a heartbeat. Like the three bears, the size wasn’t too big or too small, it was just right. I wasn’t worried about losing our little one or letting him run around. |
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EcoTarium
What we said: If you told us that a Bald Eagle, a Polar Bear, a Boa Constrictor, and a Great Horned Owl all lived within 15 minutes from our home in Central Mass, we probably would have called you crazy. That is, until we visited the EcoTarium in Worcester, MA. |
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Purgatory Chasm
What we said: This was one of my favorite places to go hiking when I was young and I am excited to share that with my husband and son. The best part about the chasm is that the granite rocks keep it cool, so even on a hot, humid day you can stay outside and cool down. |
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Davis Farmland
What we said: It’s hard to summarize Davis Farmland as there was so much to do, see, touch, feel, and experience. The Davis family really thinks like parents and keeps a stash of safety items on hand everywhere you look: wipes, sunblock, bug spray, and ‘Boo-Boo Stations.’ The food choices they offer are good (they even have baby food!), but they also have an abundance of picnic tables so you can pack food for the family and bring it in with you. |
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South Shore Natural Science Center
What we said: The SSNSC is one of those “hidden gems.” It was cool to see some of the local animals and learn about the local trees and plants. I can’t wait to go back again with my nephew to see a “Meet an Animal” show. |
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March 17th, 2010 Ryan
If you thought that bowling, bars, and kids did not mix, you may want to reconsider. While Kings Dedham’s primary target audience is the 21+ crowd, before 6:00 PM kids are welcome and on a recent weekend visit, we saw lots of families having a blast. Kings features 20 lanes of ten-pin bowling, skee bowling lanes, shuffleboard tables, and a small arcade. With a full lunch and dinner menu, Kings is a good spot for eating out, bowling, or hosting a birthday party.
Kings opened in 2009 and boasts 26,000 square feet of restaurants, bars, and game play. It is a huge facility. There are several different dining areas ranging from high-top tables in the bar area to booth-style dining in a quieter area. The menu offers moderately priced, traditional American fare, so no one should have an issue finding something to eat.
20 lanes of bowling are split between two main bowling areas with a private room with Skee bowling towards the back. Bowling is fully automated at Kings so you don’t have to worry about keeping score, and the animations between players and strings helps to keep the kids entertained. Skee bowling is a combination of Skee ball and bowling; the lane is half the size and Skee balls replace bowling balls. With a set of arcade games, this room is a good place to visit with the kids.
Overall, Kings is worth checking out, but remember that it is not Chuck-e-Cheese, so you’ll have to keep an eye on the little ones here.
Happy Bowling!
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March 10th, 2010 Ryan
The mild weather definitely has everyone thinking “Spring!” Instead of just a taste of it, try being enveloped in it at the Smith College Spring Bulb Show in Northampton, MA. Sure, it’s a bit of a ride, but when you step into the conservatory you’ll forget all about the dreary ride on the Turnpike. Even if your kids aren’t into plants or gardening, the conservatory is an oasis at this time of year and is full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
The conservatory is an instructional aide for the students studying botany at Smith College. You can see the map of the rooms of the conservatory on their website or wait and pick one up in the reception area when you get there. Aside from the bulb show, there are seven other rooms and a corridor lined with plants and palms. (There are several rooms that are just for the students, therefore off-limits to the public.) Some of the houses are warm, so be sure to dress in layers. The Stove House is home to the orchid collection and has a pond-like structure in the center, complete with fish and frogs. Keep your eyes peeled! This was a favorite spot for the kids. The Camellia Corridor was lined with different types of plants, but pay close attention to any plants with small white flowers – these are usually orange or citrus bearing plants. These flowers are unassuming to most people, but contain the sweetest fragrance in the world (besides the bulbs!). Those are just some of the wondrous sights and smells you’ll find hidden about the conservatory.
There are two rooms in the middle, labeled Cold Storage and Physiology House, that are used for the Spring Bulb Show. This is the main attraction; while the other houses can get a bit crowded, be prepared for a slow walk through the bulbs. The best feature about the crowd is that you don’t have to worry about taking your camera and pausing for pictures – everyone else is doing the same thing. The bulbs are cultivated and kept up by the students of Smith College and are sold the week after the show ends. As soon as you step into the room your nose is hit with the scents of hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips mixed together. It’s a fragrance that you will want to bottle and carry around with you for the next few weeks! Words cannot describe the amount of bulbs in the rooms; the flowers were literally on top of each other. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
Adjacent to the reception area is the Church Exhibition Gallery, which features exhibits with a botanical theme. The current exhibit is The Inner Beauty of Flowers. The photographer uses x-rays and light to photograph flowers in a way not usually seen. You can view the exhibit online and order prints as well.
Behind the reception area is a walkway leading to the restrooms. Even if you don’t need to use them, be sure to wander up there and see the display of Woods of the World. This is a permanent exhibit of 178 different woods from numerous areas throughout the world. The wood is not stained to be the different colors that they are, which is intriguing. Guidebooks are available on the wall to research the different woods. It is a beautiful, natural display that complements the flowers and plants wonderfully.
In addition to the conservatory and all it has to offer, the grounds adjacent to the greenhouses are beautiful to walk around. We saw some crocuses and snowdrops already in bloom! The front garden, right next to the road, is lined with perennials, while the rest is classified as a “Systematics Garden,” which enables students to evaluate different plant families.
Aside from special events, the conservatory is open from 8:30 am to 4 pm daily. The Spring Bulb Show runs from March 6 through March 21, opening at 10 am and closing at 4 pm daily (members are welcome at 9 am). For two Fridays, March 12 and March 19, the conservatory is hosting special evening hours from 6-8 pm. Admission is free, but a $2 donation per person is suggested. The bulbs will be sold the weekend after closing, Saturday, March 27, and Sunday, March 28. Parking is available along the street that the conservatory is located on, but that is only for the Spring Bulb Show.
One suggestion: walk through the bulbs a few times, check out the other houses and the gallery, then walk through the bulbs again. It’s breathtaking!!
Smith College also hosts a Fall Chrysanthemum Show, which is from November 6-21, 2010. The Spring and Fall shows are a tradition and the dates through 2014 have been determined. Check their website for more information.
The Botanic Garden of Smith College
15 College Lane, Northampton, MA 01063
Phone: (413) 585-2740
website
Check out more pictures in our Botanic Garden of Smith College Set on Flickr
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February 24th, 2010 Ryan
This review is from our Chicago editors when George visited their city.
Whether your family reads the books or watches the cartoons, this show excels at bringing the characters to life. Curious George LIVE! is a new musical that is packed from start to finish with songs that tell the tale of George’s adventure from New York City to the streets of Rome. In this original story, George sets out to prove to the world that his friend, Chef Pisghetti, makes the best meatballs in the world. Performances of the show run between Thursday, January 28 - Sunday, January 31, 2010 at the Sears Center Arena in Hoffman Estates. Tickets are priced from $15-$38.
The production successfully creates a believable translation of the characters to the stage. The Man with the Yellow Hat, Professor Wiseman, Chef Pisghetti, and the Doorman are protrayed by actors who do spot-on impersonations of the characters voices and mannerisms. Their larger-then-life costumes translate perfectly. George’s animal friends Hundley and Gnocchi are cleverly depicted through simple puppetry. Of course George is the most difficult to portray. They did a great job with the costume, and tried their best to match his frenetic movement with some pretty cool tumbling. My 5 year-old was a little disappointed though. He wanted to see more climbing and “monkey stuff,” and I would agree. Overall they did an exceptionally believable job bringing these beloved characters to life.
Our favorite musical numbers were the opening productions of the first and second acts. “Special Delivery” followed by “Big Brown Box” makes for a bustling street scene. Both song are very catchy - they were what the kids were singing during intermission. The second act opens with a super fun song, “Straighten Up and Fly Right.” There is a cute gimmick with flashlights that makes for a cool visual effect. This song revolves around George stowing away on an airplane to Italy. It started the second half of the show off on a great note.
The low point for me is the pacing of the show. Pretty much the entire story is told through song. At times this is very successful, but at other times I would have preferred some of the story to have been told through dialog to move the production along. There was a great deal of antsy-ness going around around me near the end of the first act. The show is 1 hour 40 minutes long including a 15 minute intermission. For this age group I think a far shorter running time is more successful. The 5 year-olds I was with were able to sit through the entire show, but at times they were bored.
Even with some faults this is a fun show. From the festive lobby displays, to the intermission’s strolling vendors, to the great characterizations, this is a cute show for the pre-school aged Curious George fans in your life.
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February 17th, 2010 Ryan
If you find your family traveling through Vermont and you are near Waterbury, you’ll want to make a stop at the Ben & Jerry’s Factory for a tour and some free ice cream samples. On a recent excursion to Burlington, we made a pit stop to check out the ice cream making process and taste some Ben & Jerry flavors. Located about 5 minutes off of Route 89, the Ben & Jerry factory offers a 30 minute tour of the facility for $3.00 a person and kids under 12 are free. It is best to plan a visit during weekdays as they are usually not making ice cream on the weekends, but you can still take the tour.
The tour itself starts with a six minute informative short video detailing the history of Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, how they started making ice cream in 1978, and how Ben & Jerry’s has become what it is today. The next stop on the tour is an enclosed walkway overlooking the production facility. Large numbered signs make identifying the different parts of the plant easy while the tour guide explains the process of making ice cream. This is the part where it’s better to visit during the week to see workers doing their craft.
After the tour your group will visit the tasting room, where you’ll get to try a current flavor of ice cream and ask any questions you might have. Everyone gets to grab a small scoop of frozen goodness, and if there are still extras they allow you to take seconds. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable and kept the tour moving at a reasonable pace. If the tasting was not enough to satisfy you, there is a counter at the front of the building to order as much ice cream as you can eat – just follow your nose toward the smell of fresh waffle cones!
During the warmer months you can also enjoy the Flavor Graveyard, as well as a picnic area with a playground and patio. Check their website for events – they run a Free Outdoor Movie Festival throughout the summer at dusk, and during the winter they offer snowshoe tours on the grounds of the factory.
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February 11th, 2010 Ryan
The Commerford Zoo Kids Fun Fair travels around the east coast putting on kids’ fairs with a petting zoo and kiddie rides. We recently went to a fun fair at the DCU Center in Worcester and had a great time. This is not a full-featured circus or carnival, but was a welcome break from the cold we’ve been experiencing. Tickets were $10 per adult and kids under 12 were free with a coupon that you can get at the ticket booth. These tickets gives you access to all of the animals, but the games and rides are À la carte with cash or tickets for purchase.
The Animals
Commerford has a wide variety of animals including elephants, lemurs, monkeys, snakes, camels, a zebra, various birds, and even a uni-cow, which is a large cow with a single horn on its head. You and your kids can feed many of the animals, so bring your quarters and hand sanitizer. For an additional charge, pony, camel, and elephant rides are available as well as photographs with many of the animals.
Rides and Games
Carousel and kiddie rides await your little ones in exchange for tickets and cash. Tickets can be purchased for the rides at booths throughout the venue and can be purchased individually for $1.25, or save some money and buy them in blocks of 12 ($12.50), 24 ($25), and 36 ($37.50). Rides required either 2 or 4 tickets per person and included a carousel, train ride, car ride, super fun slide (highly recommended!), a huge bouncy, and several others. Games required a few dollars to play and included your standard carnival games of water gun squirting and balloon burst, all to win stuffed animal prizes.
Overall Thoughts
This fair is smaller when compared to the large, outdoor carnivals and fairs throughout New England, but is a nice change of pace to get out of the cold and see some animals up close and personal. While petting zoos can get old for parents, kids never seem to be able to get enough of seeing animals in this setting. The fact that kids were free was a benefit, but we ended up spending $20 for two adults to enter and $12.50 on tickets to go on a few rides. We spent an hour and a half at this one, and could have extended that to 3 hours if we ate there and took in a few more rides.
Check out their website for upcoming shows.
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February 4th, 2010 Ryan
This post comes from our sister site in Chicago and was written by Larry.
We had a crew over for the football playoffs a couple of weeks ago and all the kids were comparing their holiday presents - their new Leapster, Wii, and Nintendo games. They were discussing which game they liked, which games they were going to trade, and what they wanted to get next. However, just one week later, my kid was staring at his games. Mario Kart was still a blast, but everything else he either mastered, was bored of, and in some cases wasn’t old enough for.
We had the same problem with buying DVD movies. So we solved that problem by letting him take one of every 3 of our NetFlix movies. They come, he watches them many times, and we send them back, without the expense of buying the DVD. So I searched for similar services for games. SmartyRents and Gamefly came to my attention immediately.
SmartyRents has cornered the ”try before you buy” service for educational games. Started by credentialed teachers, they rent games for Leapster, Didj, Clickstart, Little Leaps, the V suite of game consoles (Smile, Motion, Flash, and Smile Baby). They have also gone through and documented the exact skill sets that each of the games teach so you know if it is age appropriate. Interestingly, they also have the back catalog for all of these consoles, so you can rent games that are actually out of circulation. Packages start at $9.99 a month for 1 game at a time and up to $24.99 for 4 games at a time.
Gamefly is concentrating on the exact opposite, more traditional part of the game market. Focusing on the Wii, PS3, PSP, XBOX, Nintendo Game Cube and Nintendo DS they sell everything from Super Mario Brothers to Grand Theft Auto. With over 7,000 games, you can rent one game at a time for $15.99 a month and 2 games at a time for $22.99 a month. The site sorts by popularity or release date and provides information on what type of equipment you need to play. So for Wii, it will let you know if you need the Steering Wheel for the game.
So if your kid is like mine and seems to go off and on with games, leaving you frustrated at the $30-$50 games that are just sitting there next to your TV unused, SmartyRents and GameFly provide a great alternative using the NetFlix model.
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