family friendly travel – Page 5

We Went to The Crayola Experience in Easton, PA

**I was provided with free tickets for my family from the Crayola Experience in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation has been received**

The Crayola Experience in Easton, PA is a place I’ve been wanting to take my family too for a while now. It’s located here in PA. I think it appeals to everyone in my family from my husband and I too my baby girl. Crayola has been around for a long time. I think we’ve all had some type of Crayola products in our life at one time or another. The fact that Crayola makes you think of colors and imagination, well I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for us at the Crayola Experience. Even if you’ve been before, they added 18 new activities this year so it would be worth another trip.

There was a parking garage located right across the street with a reasonable rate ($2 per hour). There was also meter parking along the street. Easton itself was a very clean and beautiful town with a variety of restaurants and shops nearby. We stayed at the Comfort Inn on Nazareth Road which was only a couple minute drive from the Crayola Experience.

One of the first things we say in the Crayola Cafe was the world’s largest crayon weighing in at 1500 lbs and 15 ft long.

The Crayola Cafe had light food like sandwiches, salads, soft pretzels, and drinks available. Fairly reasonably priced for a place like this. There were bright colors every where you went.

My son is 4 and one of his favorite parts was the “Doodle in the Dark” section. The room was dimmed and there were all kinds of hands on and active stations in this room.

There were these boards in the “Doodle in the Dark” section which made glow in the dark pictures. There was also a floor the kids could go on that had different activities like games, coloring pages, and music activities. A lot of the kids of all ages had fun with this. In the picture below the game had balloons everywhere and when you stepped on the balloons they popped and you got points.

The other activity in this room included a screen with colored squares on the floor. When you stepped into one of the squares there Crayola man on the screen woke up. When you moved the crayon guy would move like you. So if you waved he would wave and so on. My son could have spent an hour there.

My husband and I both enjoyed the “Art Alive” activity. The room had a bunch of touch screen tablets. You could choose a coloring page, color it on the screen, choose an animation, and when you were done it would appear on a big screen on the wall. My son loved this too.

My diver I colored is on the bottom by the crab. My son’s fish he colored is hard to see because of the color he used. His is the fish colored in the aqua blue next to the orange fish by the crayon diver. There was a large indoor playground too with lots of levels. The parents could sit on benches or there were tables set u where you could color a picture and then turn it into a puzzle for no additional cost. Around the play area there were squares on the floor that were like pavement but soft. They had buckets of Crayola sidewalk chalk on the ground and you could draw on the floor. I took the time to make my mark.

There were 4 floors of activities. There were many projects you could work on and take home with you. The meltdown hand tables with containers of melted crayons that you could grab a card stock car and paint using a stick with melted crayons. When you first enter and buy your tickets you are given tokens to use in the machines like the Marker Maker and “Wrap it Up” which allowed you to choose certain colors of crayons and make a custom label. You could have it say whatever you wanted. I made one for each of my kids with their name on it. You could also choose a symbol to put next to the name. It dispensed a crayon and label. You could walk over to a table and it gave you simple instructions on how to wrap your crayon. I ran into an issue when we put in a token. It dispensed the wrappers but not the crayon. An attendant was available and quickly fixed it and gave us out tokens back. She was very friendly and helped a few people with different things while we were in that area.

We were there for 3 1/2 hours and still didn’t get to try everything they had available. The one thing I would have liked to have seen but didn’t was the crayon making demonstration. There was a lot of activities we did that would just make this post a mile long but I think you get the idea.

To find out more about the Crayola Experience in Easton, PA you can go to their website: http://www.crayolaexperience.com/

You can also find them on these social media sites:

Twitter: @VisitCrayola
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crayolaexperience

How to Be a Hassle-Free Vacation Mom Guest Post by Kendra Thornton

Packing up the kids for a family vacation is one of the most rewarding experiences of being a mother. A vacation with kids lets you get in sync with your family away from your hectic schedules. To get the most out of your family vacation, it’s crucial to prepare your trip with the same amount of detail and effort that you would expend for a client presentation. Here are tips and hints that will assure a pleasant vacation without any hassles.

Photo Credit: thejbird via Compfight cc

1. Check Out Family-Friendly Resorts

More resorts are starting to offer vacation plans for families with children. In fact, the competition for this demographic is heating up, especially in the UK, and many resorts offers special packages to attract families and children. These holidays will include special amenities for kids like horseback riding and ocean excursions. For example, Arizona and Colorado have a number of ranches that cater to children and families. My family stayed at a tropical resort when we visited the island of Oahu. Finding our family friendly Honolulu resort was not hard with a little research and advice from fellow traveling moms.

2. Fourth of July Trips
With the Fourth of July coming up quickly, many families are all set for a weekend of BBQs and road trips. Fireworks in old colonial cities can be a blast for the entire family. Picnics and parades are great for kids. Washington DC, Charleston, South Carolina and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are all great destinations. Wherever you go, be certain to plan ahead and find a good spot early. Take along a cooler with refreshments, a basket with sandwiches and snacks and a blanket for a cooler night.

3. Adult Time
Don’t neglect yourself. It’s your vacation, too. Set aside time to read a book uninterrupted or to visit the spa. Your husband can watch the children for an hour while you relax or take a walk on the beach. The next day, your husband can get away for a few hours of golf or fishing. Don’t forget to set aside time for the two of you after the kids are tucked away. A candlelight dinner on your room’s balcony can be the perfect end to a wonderful day.

4. Prep for the Plane

Boarding an airplane will go more smoothly by printing out your boarding passes a day ahead of your flight. This will allow you to go straight to security and avoid the airline desks. Slip on shoes and limited jewelry will also speed up your wait. When you’re packing your carryon, make sure your bag of liquids is on top and that it is easy to reassemble. Luckily, TSA states that baby food and formula is allowed through security in excess of 3oz.

Photo Credit: Frans Persoon via Compfight cc5. Feeding the Crew

I love traveling with my family because it exposes my children to places and cultures they aren’t privy to in Illinois. Foods can be a wonderful way to introduce your children to new destination. But keep in mind that new foods can cause allergic reactions particularly in the smallest children. Try to stick to foods with ingredients your child is used to eating. Squeeze packs can be wonderful for travel, by air and car and can be an excellent snack for picky eaters.

LEGO Kidsfest 2012 in Pittsburgh

If you ever get the opportunity to go to a LEGO Kidsfest, I highly recommend it. My family and I were so excited to see that LEGO Kidsfest was coming to Pittsburgh again this year. As a member of the USFamilyGuide.com blogger program, my boys and I had the opportunity to go and review this year’s LEGO Kidsfest. We had gone the last time they were in Pittsburgh so it was neat to see what was different and what favorites were still there.

We went on Friday, Nov 30, 2012. Yep opening day session from 4:00 – 8:30. Last year we had gone to the 2nd Saturday session. Not sure if it was because it was a Friday this year or if they really streamlined things this year but we got right in, no waiting in line. Granted we got there about 10 minutes after 4 too but we were practically able to walk right in. The staff that checked out tickets was very professional and polite. Every staff member we encountered was very enthusiastic and helpful.

One of the first things I noticed walking in was a yellow tent at the entrance with a sign that said “Lost parents tent” which I thought was kinda cute. If you and your child get separated, it’s a meeting place and they can make an announcement to reunite you. They also had the LEGO club tent. My 8 yr old is a LEGO club member. He had remembered his post card and got a free prize for bringing it in. There was a lot of related vendors there too with cool things to show the kids.

Just about anywhere you walk in the Kidsfest you’ll see the giant LEGO models built by LEGO’s master builders. The boys got their pictures taken by a few of their favorites, but there was so many.

Another thing you’ll find placed throughout the LEGO Kidsfest is the monochrome builds. The kids were invited to make their own monochrome creations and put them on display.

There is something for everyone at LEGO Kidsfest from the littlest to the biggest LEGO fans. If you get tired you can sit and watch LEGO shows at the theater which was new this year. They added lost of tables and chairs by the eateries so there was plenty of room to relax and enjoy and quick meal before you run off and discover more LEGO fun.

There was a LEGO Duplo area for the little ones. My youngest liked this part. They had little building tables set up as well as a big Duplo pile for them to build and crawl through. Certain times during the Kidsfest there was also story time and activities geared towards the littlest fans.

They had a few LEGO models that the little ones could climb in and touch.

I had each of my older boys write up their own short paragraph on LEGO Kidsfest. Here is my 8 year old’s version (his words)

“We went to LEGO Kidsfest on Friday. My mom was given some tickets and I’m a LEGO club member. My favorite thing that I did was play the Wii U. My favorite thing I saw was the giant LEGO statues. That was half the stuff I did there”

Now for my 10 year old’s version

“Where I live it’s a long drive to Pittsburgh, but it was worth it when I got to LEGO Kidsfest. It is great. My favorite part was the building competition. I came in 3rd out of 5. Buy tickets next time.”

My boys participated in a bridge building competition. They were put in a group of 6 total. They had to try to make a bridge that would hold the most weight against other teams. It was a good team work experience. Even though they didn’t win that competition. They still had fun.

There were so many other things too like the LEGO racer area where kids could build their own racers then race them down ramps. They had the map of the US where kids could build a piece to add to the map. There was a LEGO mural they could contribute to, and so much more. We actually didn’t have time to do everything but thanks to the handy map they gave us when we went in, we were able to plan and make sure they got to do the major things on their list.

In my opinion Friday seemed to be a lot less busy than the Saturday we went last year. But regardless we had fun both times.

Check out LEGOKidsfest.com to see an upcoming schedule for 2013. Also don’t forget to check out USFamilyGuide.com for your guide to fun things in your area and discounts!

***I received free tickets to review LEGO Kidsfest as part of the US Family Guide blogger program. No other compensation has been received.***

Review: The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

This was my family’s first visit to The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Locate on the North shore not very far at all from downtown Pittsburgh. Located close to Heinz field, PNC Park, and the Aviary just to name a few landmarks.

We happened to be going to The Childrens’ Museum of Pittsburgh the same day as a Steelers pre-season game. I was a little nervous about that, but it ended up working out just fine. The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh was not hard to find. Our hotel had pre-printed step by step directions.

The Childrens’ Museum was pretty busy on Saturday. The parking lot attendant was pleasant and helped us find a spot to park. Even though it was busy we were able to drop off our tickets and get our wrist bands very quickly. With so much to do we weren’t even sure where we wanted to start. The first thing we noticed was the tall kind of maze that went up three floors as we learned. Of course my 8 year old and 6 year old were all over that. It’s called “The Limb Bender” Here are some pics of the boys having a ball in “The Limb Bender”

In that area was also items from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. A fish tank, a tv camera, The castle, displays of the characters in the land of Make Believe and more. The boys kind of breezed through this part. I think it was more interesting to my husband and I since we grew up with Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

We then moved onto a room called “The Attic” this was a fun room with a giant Kaliedescope, A doll house, pictures that make it look like their eyes are following you, and steps that went up to a room that was on an angle called “the gravity room” and you could take slide down. We all took the slide, well except my hubby he stayed at the bottom to take pics.

Then from there was a hallway. There was a few neat exhibits in this area. They had a button panel set up. There was a screen with picture of Pittsburgh skyline. You could choose 1 or 3 Pittsburgh pics and create a computer animated fireworks display to music. Once you finished your could watch your fireworks display you created. This was a lot of fun. From there we went to the “Garage and Workshop” They had a Smart Car the kids could explore. The most noticeable thing was the almost tree house-like tower that went up 2 floors. There were steps to go up and a slide to come down if you wished. And my OT side was happy because I also noticed an elevator for those not able to hoof it up there.

This is my eight year old and 6 year old at the top of the tower getting ready to come down the slide. There was also a neat system where someone could stand on the bottom and put a toy parachute on a paddle. The person on the top would….i believe…turn a crank and it would bring the parachute to the top and you could watch it drift to the bottom. After the kids came down the slide,

We just had to try the ball maze over our head. There was a cage on the floor where you could put a ball in the basket and use a pulley system to get it to the kind of wire maze above our heads.

The ball would follow this sort of wire maze around and end in a funnel over head that would drop the balls back down into the cage. This got a little hectic. For how busy it was there were kids that kept grabbing the balls from other kids and pulling the ropes 3 or 5 at a time. It was fun though to watch the balls go around. There was more to do int his area like the little workshop room with robot gadgets, the giant wooden robot kids could control with levers and inclines for car races.

We then went to the Curious George traveling exhibit. It was cute. There was a rocket ship that was a slide, Curious George’s apartment building with a pulley system, and a lot more.

One of the room’s I was most excited about seeing was “The Nursery” for my 1 year old. His favorite thing seemed to be what I called “The lite brite wall”. He was facinated by this. He played with this for a while. Even when we took him to other areas he always would come back to “The lite brite wall”

We let him try the texture trail. There were wooden train tables set up, a ball incline where he could roll wooden balls down the incline and it would hit certain things to make sounds. Another feature he seemed to like was what we called the “bubble seesaw” Two small children could sit and use the seesaw. As they moved it would create bubbles in the “bubble wall” I tried to capture this in a picture.

We then moved on to the older boys’ most anticipated room…”Waterplay“. I was impressed with this room. They had rain coats and shoes like crocs to put on so they didn’t hopefully get drenched. There was an area with slatted floors that had pipe coming up from the floor. The kids could connect pipes to this and make a pipe system for the water to flow through. I enjoyed this most with the older boys because they were working together.

They had water way areas that the kids could put together sail boats with foam pieces and sale them on the water way. They had a larger area then one that was more accessible for the toddlers. My one year old just enjoyed splashing the water.

They wanted to do the “Limb Bender” about 3 times. We ate at the cafe in the Children’s Museum for lunch. To my surprise it was really very reasonable. We just got a large cheese pizza for the fam, and drink for each of us, and we got the baby some mac n’ cheese and it only came to about $24 bucks so no more than a family trip to McD’s as far as the food goes.

Because we allowed the children to linger on exhibits though we ran out of time. We didn’t get to try “The Backyard” which is outdoors. There were swings and a fort for them to climb in. There is also “The Studio” where they could create pictures or “The Theatre”. Oh well, maybe next time.

If you’re heading to Pittsburgh I would put this on your list of family friendly places to visit. Reasonable ticket prices, friendly staff, reasonable prices at the cafe, and lots to keep your family entertained.

Check out the link to see more things to do at The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Find directions, here about special exhibits and more: http://www.pittsburghkids.org/

***I received a family pass from The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh to help facilitate a review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. Any opinions expressed are my own***