Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in atlanta, GA

Celebrate Kid's Day This Weekend!

May 14, 2009

Saturday, May 16th is Disney's Kid's Day America - Dedicated to Children's health, safety and environmental awareness.

This year's celebration is being held at US Play parking lot in Kennesaw from 12 - 3 pm. 

There will be lots of activities for the kids:

Games & Prizes Great Food Face Painting Special appearances by local radio and beloved characters like McGruff & Sparky the Firedog	Real Fire Engine & Dump Truck to touch Jumpies Meet local police and firefighters Meet Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews ETO Storm Team Demo at 1:30
Optimize your child's health potential
Free Pediatric Screenings Free Spinal Scoliosis Screenings Free Environmental Information Free Child ID Cards/Fingerprinting   Donations for MUST Ministries will be taken as well

Event brought to you free by The Wellpath Center . Please check out the website for more details.  Read more...

99 Things to do Before Kindergarten in Atlanta

February 24, 2009

There are a few posts similar to this scattered throughout Being Savvy Atlanta.  I thought I'd post them all in one place. We may not make it to 99 this time, but I'm sure over time we'll get there!

Please feel free to leave comments with some of your favorites that you'd like to see added and I'll add them to the list!

1. Run the bases at Turner Field (after Sunday Home games during the regular season)
2. Play in the fountain at Centennial Olympic Park
3. Go to Story Time some place near you.
4. Have a picnic at your local park -- midweek.
5. Road trip to Chattanooga and visit the Tennessee Aquarium, Children's Discovery Center and all the great offerings the city has to offer.
6. Have a scavenger hunt at your closest Georgia State Park -- or take a drive to one you don't normally get to see.
7. Ride the train at Stone Mountain Park
8. Attend Toddler Thursdays at the High Museum of Art
9. Discover the new Tellus Museum
10. Sleep in, stay in your PJ's all day and make a pillow and blanket fort in the living room!  Be sure to bring your books and flashlights!
11. Walk, drive or take the bus to the top of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Kennesaw
12. Visit miniature farm animals at Tanglewood Farms in Canton 
13. Pick Blueberries
14. Pick your own pumpkins
15. Go on a hayride
16. Play in the Children's Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens
17. Make history come to life at the Atlanta History Center
18. Go play at American Adventures in Marietta
19. Discover the peace and quiet of the outdoors right in the heart of the city at Big Trees Forest Preserve in Sandy Springs.
20. Take a tour of the Preferred Jet Tours at Kennesaw Airport.
21. Afterward, take your kids to Elevation Chophouse for lunch and watch the airplanes take off and land.
22. Go see Thomas the Tank Engine at the Tennessee Valley Rail 23. Or see Thomas at the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad
23. Or see visit Thomas Town at Six Flags Over Georgia
24. Go to the Georgia Aquarium -- off peak hours
25. Visit the new World of Coke
26. Check out the new Tellus Museum in Cartersville
27. Go see a Puppet Show.
28. And discover how puppets are made.
29. Check out the Jolley Education Center at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw
30. Go see trains at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth
31. Play on the train tables at Hobby Town or Books-a-Million or Barnes and Noble
32. Have lunch at The Big Chicken. -- or at least drive by and see him on your way someplace
33. Grab a bite at The Varsity -- be sure to get a paper hat!
34. Go to the Zoo -- and go often!
35. Experience the American Girl Boutique and Bistro.
36. Go to the North Georgia State Fair
37. Experience the Renaissance Festival
38. Have an afternoon Tea Party
39. Visit the King Center
40. See a movie (or play or other show) at the Fox Theatre
41. Eat at the Silver Grill
42. Enjoy a concert at Chastain Park
43. Drive down Ponce de Leon Avenue
44. Take a tour of CNN
45. Ride MARTA
46. Visit Fernbank
47. Eat at Waffle House
48. Explore Lake Lanier
49. Watch a parade on Peachtree Street
50. Eat at the Marietta Diner
51. Chase butterflies at Callaway Garden
52. Discover any of the numerous indoor play places

Okay, so we're half way there.  Help me out Atlanta... what else should a preschooler do before starting Kindergarten?

 Read more...

Talking to Kids About the Recession and Job Loss

February 16, 2009

There is no doubt that everyone has been affected by the current economic climate.  People everywhere are taking pay cuts or losing their jobs or scaling back on their spending.

If you know you need to address this with your kids, but you're not quite sure how, we here at the Savvy Source have some simple tips for you.

1. Talk about it.  Like I said before, you kids will know something is going on. Be sure to talk to your kids and let them know that things are going to be a little different for a while.  Use simple language that they will understand and don't lie to them.  You don't have to say you've been laid off, but that "Daddy will be home for a little while."  Or "Mommy is changing jobs so she'll be home for a while while she tries to find something new."

2. Reassure your kids.  Kids want to know how this will affect them.  Reassure your kids that Mommy and Daddy will always be there for them.  If you have to move to a new house or apartment, let them know.  But be sure to tell them that you will be a family where ever you live and you'll be together.  They need to be reassured that Mommy and Daddy will always take care of them.

3. Keep your routine.  It's important to let the kids have some sense of stability and having a routine is one way to keep the status quo.  If your kids are used to having a playdate on Wednesday's, keep those playdates.  Now, you may need to tweak your routine a bit.  If you normally go out to eat once a week, perhaps you can stay in and have a family meal at home -- Make your own pizza or Taco night perhaps.  And instead of going to a movie, watch a DVD or have Family Game Night at home.  Our take advantage of some of the free activities our city has to offer.

When the economy falls on tough times, it affects everyone.  And while we, as adults, may find it stressful, we need to make sure we're not forgetting about our kids.   Kids pick up on our moods and react in their own ways.  While they may not have a deep understanding of what's going on, they certainly know "something" is changing.

So talk to them, reassure them and keep your routine as stable as possible.

 

 Read more...

Movie Review: The Tale of Despereaux

by Mimi Jenkins

January 09, 2009

On Christmas Eve we went to see the movie "The Tale of Despereaux." It was a great thing to do on Christmas Eve because it kept the kids entertained and their minds off of "when is Santa coming!" Josh, my seven year old, and I had just finished reading the book about a week earlier. The book was fantastic. Each night we couldn't wait to settle into a new chapter (or two or three or even  Read more...

Gifts that Keep on Giving All Year Long

by Mimi Jenkins

December 16, 2008

I don't know about you, but my kids seem to have quite a few toys.  And as they get older, they play with fewer and fewer toys.  We do a fairly big "purge" about three times a year -- before each of the boys birthdays and before Christmas.  We toss the broken or unsuitable toys and pass the ones still in good condition on to a local charity. There are some toys that I think the kids only  Read more...

Friday Family Fun Night: Stay Home

by Mimi Jenkins

September 26, 2008

With the current gas shortage, gas conservation is on everyone's mind. The point of Family Fun Night is to spend time together as a family, doing something you all enjoy. You don't have to leave the house to do this. So for this weeks FFFN I suggest staying in. You can still make the time special by getting out of your usual rut and doing something different. Why not get a pizza and have  Read more...

Friday Family Fun Night: We all Scream for Ice Cream

by Mimi Jenkins

September 19, 2008

It's Friday again and that means another FFFN in Atlanta. Tonight we'll be at the Kennesaw Elementary School's 100th year Celebration . All are welcome, but I realize that not every one wants to make the trek up to my neck of the woods on a Friday night! So this post is all about ice cream. It's a fun thing to do with the kids, relatively cheap and it gets the kids all hopped up on  Read more...