Today I was thinking to myself what can I write about in the blog? Hmmmmm.....As a mother who had to make a little money go a long way, going places was quite difficult, but not impossible. There is a lot of free experiences that you can share with your kids. The first place that will give your little guys a distinct thrill is the park...any park with a playground will do. Little people have caniptions over the park. They love running around the playground and getting dirty. This is the one place that all kids become instant friends and imagination runs wild. Bring a book, a picnic lunch, bug spray and enjoy your day.
Now if you are looking for other things to do you might have to do a little investigating about your surroundings...I happen to be very lucky to have been born in Jersey...so close to the beach and Philadelphia right down the street. If you are also fortunate to be from this area you know about the many great attractions that await you and your children. Philadelphia offers so much to keep a person busy... In the historic district you can visit the Mint, Betsy Ross' house http://www.betsyrosshouse.org/ and the liberty bell http://www.nps.gov/inde/ all for free. Outside of the Betsy Ross House there is a stage where local residents tell anyone who listens what it was like to live in Philadelphia in the 1700's. I had a great time watching the action. My little boy used to love to go with my mom to Penns Landing in the evenings to listen to the free Big Band concerts...did you know they have free concerts all the time...check out their website: http://www.delawareriverevents.com/index.php?module=delawareriverevents&image=49) for more information.
Now if the city isn't your cup of tea there are many things to do in and around the country. There are many free attractions available in your area. Many states and counties have set up some sort of Children's Museums and most are very inexpensive. In South Jersey there are 2 that I know of. One is the Children's Discovery Museum (http://www.discoverymuseum.com/geninfo.asp) in Cherry Hill, NJ. A place for your child's imagination to run wild with giant bubbles that encase their body, a full size diner to play in and sooooooooooo much more. (I had a great time playing here) In Lumberton (http://www.imaginethatmuseum.com/) NJ there is another Children's Museum which also caters to the imagination of you and your child. Deleware just finished their Children's Museum (http://www.delawarechildrensmuseum.org/) located down on the Riverfront in Wilmington there are many other attractions to keep you and your family busy (http://www.riverfrontwilm.com/) .
If is a zoo you are looking for there are a few inexpensive zoos for your enjoyment. In NJ again, they have two small zoos one in Bridgeton (http://ja-jp.facebook.com/pages/Bridgeton-NJ/Cohanzick-Zoo/67010592699) the Conhanzick Zoo and another in Cape May Courthouse - the Cape May County Zoo ( http://www.co.cape-may.nj.us/cit-e-access/webpage.cfm?tid=5&tpid=442 )/ I am partial to the Cape May County Zoo because I played there when I was a child but both are great for a good day trip. Bring a picnic lunch and have fun. I would be remisce if I did not mention the zoo that now sits in my backyard of my new state: the Brandywine Zoo ( http://www.brandywinezoo.org/ ). Intent on education and fun they run many programs inside and outside the zoo. The other day as I was leaving my neighborhood library I was walking beside a hedgehog and some other animals that they were featuring at the county library. Did you know that hedgehogs smell like hoagies? Not a huge zoo but nice just the same, nestled in one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen with babbling brooks and trees.
In sharing this subject, I am constantly brought back to my childhood. We didn't have much as kids but we really didn't care because my parents made sure we had lots of love and great memories. Some of those great memories didn't cost my parents anything but the gas and a picnic lunch. Mom and dad took us to local factories on tours. We toured Strohmen bread, 7up bottling company and the original Hershey factory. Learned how to make pretzels in the basement of the original Sturgis Pretzels and saw tons of hanging, curing Lebanon Balogna in Lebanon, PA. Hours and hours of playing in the Cape May county Park and zoo, water ice and a trip to the Cross Keys airport to watch the planes, standing on the roof of the Philly airport in our jammies watching jets take off and land...sorry for the trip down memory lane but can you see how she took a little money and made it go a long way? Use your imagination and great memories can grow for you and your family, too.
The best way to find great places to visit is to get on your computer and google what you are looking for.
If you have any great places you would like to share - please feel free to share them, too.
Hi Joy,
ReplyDeleteGreat information. I can relate with you. Even when you spend little money you can have some great times with your family. We love to go to parks. In Raleigh we use to go to a park, that had a long bridge, we fed the ducks, and took a walk around the lake. Sometimes we would bring games and play on the lawn, other times my daughter played in the play ground while I read a book. We have been to the Cape May Zoo a few times. It has really expanded since my last visit. Look forward to you next article.