A quick Google will turn up endless lists of things to do with your kids in the house on rainy/snowy days, but let's be honest, after day 3 of cooking (see photo), art projects, fort-building and compromising of media-consumption limits ("yes, you get to watch the WHOLE movie! Here's some popcorn."), no amount of creativity or patience is going to adequately address the fact that everyone has house fever and things are about to get ugly.
So, where do you go when it's too cold or rainy to play outside? At least when it's 100+ degrees for the 15th day in a row you can go to the pool (again), but cold and rainy weather challenges Southern parents. We're weather wimps. I've been trying to readjust my attitude about weather. If it's warm and it's not raining buckets, go out to the park anyway and get super muddy and gross. Remember how much fun everyone had at ACL fest last year in the mud before they found out the grounds were created with treated sewage? You'll have more laundry to do, but they'll talk about this for days afterwards. Is 35 degrees really too cold to play outside? Bundle up and head out! But if fighting your personal weather demons is not in the works, or it is both cold AND rainy like it has been for the last three days, here are some ideas for Austin.
1. Museums. I bet you thought I was going to say the Austin Children's Museum, right? H-to-the-NO. I would only go to the ACM on a rainy day if it was with a toddler/preschooler on a weekday during the school year, during school hours. On the weekends and during holiday season, it's a zoo, especially if the weather is inclement. Fine if your kids are older and can be set loose to roam, but keeping up with a 3-yr-old at ACM on a busy day drives me to drink. These other museums are much less crowded and pretty entertaining:
George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center. (free admission, charge for special events/performances) African-American history center and adjacent to the Carver library branch. Don’t wait for a special event to visit – it’s outstanding year-round. http://www.carvermuseum.org/; 1165 Angelina Street; (512) 974-4926.
Possibly the most visually over-the-top display of collective Texan Pride ever, the Texas History Museum (lots of video, audio, and diorama-type stuff, can also see an IMAX and a Texas history movie there, and have a snack in restaurant), then clear the palate with a dash across street to the sleek, chic, technically too cool for me Blanton Art Museum - both located on corners of MLK and N. Congress. Can I get a YEEE-Hah? http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/; http://www.blantonmuseum.org/
So, where do you go when it's too cold or rainy to play outside? At least when it's 100+ degrees for the 15th day in a row you can go to the pool (again), but cold and rainy weather challenges Southern parents. We're weather wimps. I've been trying to readjust my attitude about weather. If it's warm and it's not raining buckets, go out to the park anyway and get super muddy and gross. Remember how much fun everyone had at ACL fest last year in the mud before they found out the grounds were created with treated sewage? You'll have more laundry to do, but they'll talk about this for days afterwards. Is 35 degrees really too cold to play outside? Bundle up and head out! But if fighting your personal weather demons is not in the works, or it is both cold AND rainy like it has been for the last three days, here are some ideas for Austin.
1. Museums. I bet you thought I was going to say the Austin Children's Museum, right? H-to-the-NO. I would only go to the ACM on a rainy day if it was with a toddler/preschooler on a weekday during the school year, during school hours. On the weekends and during holiday season, it's a zoo, especially if the weather is inclement. Fine if your kids are older and can be set loose to roam, but keeping up with a 3-yr-old at ACM on a busy day drives me to drink. These other museums are much less crowded and pretty entertaining:
George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center. (free admission, charge for special events/performances) African-American history center and adjacent to the Carver library branch. Don’t wait for a special event to visit – it’s outstanding year-round. http://www.carvermuseum.org/; 1165 Angelina Street; (512) 974-4926.
Possibly the most visually over-the-top display of collective Texan Pride ever, the Texas History Museum (lots of video, audio, and diorama-type stuff, can also see an IMAX and a Texas history movie there, and have a snack in restaurant), then clear the palate with a dash across street to the sleek, chic, technically too cool for me Blanton Art Museum - both located on corners of MLK and N. Congress. Can I get a YEEE-Hah? http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/; http://www.blantonmuseum.org/
Texas Memorial Museum & Natural Science Center (free), on The University of Texas at Austin campus. Fossils, dinos, minerals, gems, Texas wildlife (not live!), fish, insects, etc. www.utexas.edu/tmm/exhibits/
AMOA’s downtown campus. AMOA's official "family days" are too crowded for me, but the family lab at the downtown space is always available, and typically has kid-accessible art projects that dovetail with current exhibit. Better for older than 3, but our little ones have enjoyed the lab in their own ways. http://www.amoa.org/
2. The library. I'd like to say my children and I can spend a l ong, lovely, quiet afternoon just perusing the books and reading together (awwww!), but I would be exaggerating to a degree that would make LBJ proud. However, as they get older, this is becoming more possible, and we just keep practicing our library skills. The big one (4 1/2) and I can kill an hour or so here, which sometimes is all you need, especially if you are coming from somewhere else and facing down a long afternoon of house arrest. In a couple/few years, budget deities willing, the Austin Central Library is doubling in size and moving to Seaholm. The new kids' section will be walled off from the daytime homeless shelter, I mean, the adult area, and you won't have to shush the kids all the time for fear of disturbing others, especially others who probably are suffering from PTSD. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/newcentlib.htm Nice!
3. Best for getting the wiggles out: Indoor bounce house playspaces are popping up around Austin and the surrounding area like mushrooms. It must involve a really low initial investment because it seems like I hear about a new one every week. I like these places for energy expenditure and they make for some really fun birthday parties. Something about them kind of bugs me and I can't put my finger on it. Perhaps it's the idea of paying a total of $14 for admission for two kids - what if I had 4? Sheesh! But still we go. My current favorite in South Austin is Loco Motion at Westgate and William Cannon. http://www.locomotionplay.net/
LM is great for younger ones, and they have several well-stocked pretend play areas (a grocery store, diner, veterinarian office, garage, and dress-up/princess). There's a small gated area with Little Tikes stuff for the under-2's and they have free coffee (!) for grownups in the eating area (which is extremely clean and plenty big, even when birthday parties are in the house). LM is a little smaller than the other South Austin place I know about - Goin' Bananas http://www.goinbananastx.com/ - below is a video of our girls' favorite slide in the GB repetoire.
If you've got multiple kids to manage, especially younger ones, LM is perfect because you can pretty much stand around sipping your free coffee in the center of the place and effectively supervise say, a 4 year old and her friend playing dress up, a 2 year old in the corral, and still be able to see the bounce house area for when they make a mad dash over there and back again. I also just found out that they will let you pay once, leave, and come back on the same day - handy for naps! What's even more fun and Austin-y is the fact that LM is located at the back of an indoor flea market called Marketplace Austin, which has a dynamic that is so, so odd I can't even describe it. You can kill a good 30-45 minutes just walking around and looking at gorgeous quinceanera dresses and broken electronics.
Where do you like to go on rainy days?
3. Best for getting the wiggles out: Indoor bounce house playspaces are popping up around Austin and the surrounding area like mushrooms. It must involve a really low initial investment because it seems like I hear about a new one every week. I like these places for energy expenditure and they make for some really fun birthday parties. Something about them kind of bugs me and I can't put my finger on it. Perhaps it's the idea of paying a total of $14 for admission for two kids - what if I had 4? Sheesh! But still we go. My current favorite in South Austin is Loco Motion at Westgate and William Cannon. http://www.locomotionplay.net/
LM is great for younger ones, and they have several well-stocked pretend play areas (a grocery store, diner, veterinarian office, garage, and dress-up/princess). There's a small gated area with Little Tikes stuff for the under-2's and they have free coffee (!) for grownups in the eating area (which is extremely clean and plenty big, even when birthday parties are in the house). LM is a little smaller than the other South Austin place I know about - Goin' Bananas http://www.goinbananastx.com/ - below is a video of our girls' favorite slide in the GB repetoire.
If you've got multiple kids to manage, especially younger ones, LM is perfect because you can pretty much stand around sipping your free coffee in the center of the place and effectively supervise say, a 4 year old and her friend playing dress up, a 2 year old in the corral, and still be able to see the bounce house area for when they make a mad dash over there and back again. I also just found out that they will let you pay once, leave, and come back on the same day - handy for naps! What's even more fun and Austin-y is the fact that LM is located at the back of an indoor flea market called Marketplace Austin, which has a dynamic that is so, so odd I can't even describe it. You can kill a good 30-45 minutes just walking around and looking at gorgeous quinceanera dresses and broken electronics.
Where do you like to go on rainy days?
[September 2010 update on bounce houses: There is a lot of information out there about the presence of lead in inflatable play structures. I did some research on this and it appears that the structures that were manufactured prior to 2008 are the problem. Most permanently installed bounce house locations use newer equipment. Regardless, before you take your kid to a bounce house place, call and find out if they have tested their equipment or obtained lead-free certification from the manufacturer. All the ones I've called so far are fine. Seems to be the little mom and pop rental places that are still using the older structures. If you do run across one of these at a birthday party or festival, don't run away screaming like a scalded monkey. Just have the kids wash their hands and faces thoroughly after bouncing. No big deal. No need to be Suzy-No-Fun about it.]
2 comments:
I wish there was a Fuss Bunny Madrid.
We finally became library fans this week because of the wretched rain. That, and the new 3pm school pick up time. This blog could not have come at a better time. Thanks for all these great ideas. Now, how about some tips on how to keep the kids from screaming and running through the library? I can't get "inside voice" to catch on beyond one usage.
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