We checked out another indoor play area last week! The West Des Moines Community Center located in Valley Junction. Another place that was recommended by Des Moines Beyond 4 Walls!
The WDM Community Center has been around for awhile, but we just decided to visit because they changed their hours! They are a little bit more convenient for those with little kiddos.
It is open Monday’s & Wednesday’s 10 am – Noon
The kids had fun, but I was not overly impressed with what they had to offer.
They had several toy cars, four-wheelers, little motorcycles, a plastic stroller with baby, and tumbling mats. The room was very large, so the kids enjoyed running around and riding back and forth.
I felt that they could place more things out to play with such as plastic slides, toy houses, etc. I was expecting more, something a little more similar to Waukee Tot Lot.
After we were there for awhile someone mentioned there might be more things to play with in the closet, but it was locked 🙁
Overall, I think this is a great place to take your kids to burn off some energy in these colder months, but I think they could offer some more items to play with! We will probably check it out later this winter to see if there is more 🙂
As 2014 comes to an end, I have so much to be thankful for. On the top of my list, I am thankful for my beautiful and healthy family. I have made some major changes this year including becoming a mother to two children, quitting my full-time job, staying at home with my children, starting my own business, and pursuing my blogging.
Midwest Mom & Wife officially became a business in the beginning of October and in the past three months, it has exploded with support and followers. I want to thank every single person who has began and continued following my blog and my Facebook page. I also want to thank the families who have entrusted the lives of their littles ones in my hands, while I take care of them. I am so lucky to be able to watch other children, while being able to be home with my own.
I have so many exciting things planned for Midwest Mom & Wife in 2015! Of course, I will continue with my exploration of the Des Moines area, trying out fun activities to do with the kiddos, focusing on being healthy and digging deeper into subjects that are important to me. Please keep on the watch for what else Midwest Mom & Wife will be adding to the community!
I hope everyone has a safe and fun New Year’s Eve and I look forward to what the year 2015 will bring! Happy New Year’s!
One Starry Night is not just a live nativity scene, but it’s a journey you take through Bethlehem and end at a live nativity scene. The whole church is set-up like Bethlehem, everyone is dressed up accordingly and there are live animals! Monte enjoyed the real life experience. The entire time, he was completely engaged in what was going on.
When you enter the church you register your family at the census table and receive your denarii, in a little cloth bag. Monte made sure to hold on to the denari and paid whenever he needed to. Then you walk into the worship area where you get to take a family picture!
Of course, Monte wouldn’t look at the camera!
As you wait in the worship area, waiting to start your trip through Bethlehem, you can snack on cookies and hot cocoa. There is a large screen with a Mickey Mouse Christmas movie playing to keep the kiddos entertained for a bit. There was also three young ladies who sang some Christmas songs, while we waited.
Then you get to enter the town of Bethlehem! Your first stop is to pay taxes. Monte had to pay one denari! Then we ventured outside where we looked at the stars with the shepherds and angels appeared to deliver the good news.
We then saw King Herod receive the news from the Magis. We traveled with the Magis through Bethlehem and even looked for a place to stay the night, but there was no room at the Inn.
We traveled back outside and saw baby Jesus and the live nativity scene!
After our travels, Monte spent the rest of his denari on animal crackers, making a clay pot, a Christmas bracelet, an ornament and a scarf !
I loved every moment of One Starry Night. Not only did Monte learn about baby Jesus, but he also learned the value of giving his denari to be able to go on the journey, do a craft, or eat some food. Oh yeah … and the entire thing was FREE!
This will definitely become a new tradition for our family in years to come. Unfortunately, One Starry Night is finished for the season, but I highly recommend putting it on your list to check out in 2015!
Have you and your family been to One Starry Night before?
I just learned about Storytime at the local Barnes & Noble recently. Every so often Barnes & Noble will offer Storytime, usually a Friday evening , Saturday afternoon or various other days during the week. An employee reads a special book and sometimes, there is a craft to go along!
This past Friday was a very special holiday edition of Storytime and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was read! The kids dressed up in their holiday pajamas and sat around while the classic was read to them.
They even got their own little red nose, like Rudolph!
Afterwards they were able to decorate a special gingerbread man, drank milk and ate a cookie!
In the Barnes & Noble cafe, they were offering $1.00 hot cocoa during the Storytime period. With every item you purchased in the cafe (including hot cocoa) you received a very special Rudolph shortbread cookie!
Monte and Amelia had so much fun!
Barnes & Noble has two different locations in the Des Moines area. They offer Storytimes at various times through out the week. This is a great alternative then Storytime at the libraries. It’s a nice way to change it up! Check out the event calendars for each location below, to see when the next Story Time will be!
If you are from Des Moines or have lived in Des Moines for awhile, you know about Jolly Holiday Lights. It is one of those “must do” holiday things.
The proceeds from this entire event goes to Make-A-Wish Iowa. Last year, this event raised enough money to make wishes come true of more than 35 children in Iowa. This truly is an event that is fun for the entire family and does some good for others 🙂
Jolly Holiday Lights is a 3.5 mile tour of lights through Water Works Park. There are several displays and each display is donated from a local business such as KCCI, More 104, DMOS, Goode Greenhouses and many, many more!
At the end of the event is Santa’s Wish Shop! Where you can take a picture with Santa, enjoy hot cocoa & cookie, and do some small holiday shopping.
Jolly Holiday Lights runs November 25th until January 1st 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Santa’s Wish Shop is open Sunday through Thursday until 9:00 pm
Admission
$10.00 per car
$20 per limo/mini bus
$45 per chartered bus
You still have plenty of time to drive through Jolly Holiday Lights! Don’t miss it!
This place is perfect to let your little ones run around and burn off some energy and it’s FREE! We spent almost 2 hours running, playing, meeting new friends and did not want to leave when it was over.
There are several things available at Tot Lot.
The inflatable pool with plastic balls was a HUGE hit. It’s hard to believe something so simple, is so entertaining!
There were a bunch of tumbling mats, toy bikes, huge bin of legos, tunnels, and much more to play with!
They also had a bouncy house available to play in. I am not sure if this is always available, but the kids had an awesome time bouncing around!
Monte also loved the basketball hoop, shown above. There were also ball hoppers that the kids could bounce around on.
The Tot Lot is located in Waukee at the Public Works Building and is available Mondays 8:30-10:30 am & Wednesdays 8-10 am. The times are kind of early, so make sure you plan for it!
I highly recommend Tot Lot for these upcoming winter months. A perfect place to for the kids to burn off some energy, bring a snack and make a morning of it!
It’s that time of year! Santa is going to be one busy guy this holiday season. There are several events and places to meet and see Santa. I have only listed a few popular events and places, but make sure to check out my calendar on the right hand side for a complete list!
1. Brunch with Santa at Center Grove – November 29 – December 21: Every Saturday & Sunday
Eat breakfast, do crafts, and visit with Santa & Rudolph! There will also be a coloring contest! Saturdays 9 am – 12 pm and Sundays 11 am – 2 pm. Cost $7.95 ages 3 and older $5.95 ages 2 and younger. Check out the Center Grove website for more details!
2. Santa Express – November 28- 30, December 5-7, December 12-14 and December 19-21
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad is offering the Santa Express again this year! A perfect event for your little ones. You will travel to the “North Pole” while singing Christmas carols, have hot chocolate and a cookie, meet Santa and receive a silver bell! Tickets are on sale! Make sure to reserve your ticket soon, because they will go fast. Check out the website for times and prices.
3. Santa at Jordan Creek Mall – November 21st – December 24th
Visit Santa at Jordan Creek Mall and get pictures done! No specific times are listed. Check out the Jordan Creek Towncenter site for more information!
4. Santa at Valley West Mall – November 14th – December 24th
Visit Santa at Valley West Mall, ride the train, and take pictures! Monday thru Saturday 10 am – 8 pm; Sunday11 am – 5pm; and Christmas Eve10 am – Noon. For more information check out the Valley West Mall website.
5. Santa at Merle Hay Mall – November 16th – December 24th
Visit Santa at Merle Hay Mall. There are no hours listed, hours may vary. For more information check out the Merle Hay Mall website.
6. Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops – Now thru December 24th
Get a FREE 4×6 studio with Santa, lots of kids activities and crafts! Games, trains, coloring, wildlife carousel, and SO MUCH MORE! For more information check out the Bass Pro Shops website for more information!
7. Windsor Wonderland – Saturday, December 6th at 6:30 pm
Located at the Windsor Heights Community Center in Colby Park. Admission is $3.00 per person & 2 and under are free. Admission includes a hot dog, hot chocolate, activities and the viewing up the three classic movies; Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Windsor Wonderland flyer.
8. Santa at Blank Park Zoo – Saturday, December 6th & Saturday, December 13th 10 am – 2 pm
This event is for the whole family! Take a picture with Santa and his reindeer, write a letter to the North Pole, enjoy hot cocoa and cookies, and explore the zoo! For more information visit the Blank Park Zoo website for detail and scheduled events.
9. Holidays in Johnston – Saturday, December 6th 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
There will be a gingerbread making contest, crafts, cookie decorating, entertainment, food and more! Santa will make an appearance on a fire truck! For more information and registration for for the Gingerbread House Making contest check out the Johnston Patch website!
10. Breakfast at the North Pole: Reiman Gardens – Saturday, December 13th
There are two sittings available one at 8 am and 10:30 am. This event is for the whole family where you will enjoy a healthy breakfast in the Winter Wonderland, activity station, and carolers. You must register! For more information, prices, and to register check out the Reiman Garden’s website.
11. Brunch with Santa: Urbandale – Saturday, December 13th 9 am – 11 am
Bring your kiddos, camera, and wish list! Join Santa for donuts, juice, holiday crafts, cookie decorating, and so much more! $10 per child. For more information and to register check out the Urbandale event page!
12. Breakfast with Santa at Pump it Up – Sunday, December 16th
Jump your little hearts out and take a break and share breakfast with Santa! Private time with Santa will be first come, first serve. Pre-sale $8.00 per child. $10.00 per child for tickets purchased online. $12.00 per child for tickets purchased at the door. Check out the flyer here!
13. Breakfast with Santa at the Science Center of Iowa – Saturday, December 20th & Sunday, December 21st
Enjoy a delicious buffet-style catered meal in the Food Chain Café, decked out specially for the season, snap a picture with Santa and share your wish list! Explore SCI, see science demonstrations and live programs. Science Center of Iowa members receive a discount! Check out all the information here.
It’s the holiday season and one event to kick off the holiday shopping season is Small Business Saturday! Remember my post last year of all the awesome places to shop local in Des Moines? Well, Small Business Saturday is happening again this year on Saturday, November 29th!
In celebration of Small Business Saturday another great event is taking place on Sunday, November 30th … The Small Business Sunday Holiday Shopping Extravaganza.
This event is specifically for local vendors to showcase all their art and businesses. Shannon Stimple, a local artist in Des Moines, participated in a Small Business Saturday event and there was such a great turn out that she decided to host one herself, this year on Sunday, November 30th from 12 pm – 5 pm at Z’s Bar and Grill/Legion Hall.
There are so many participants signed up representing so many realms of art including: cooking spices, airbrush, photography, fibers, jewelry, pottery, gift baskets, body art, and tons more!
Vendors include :
Shannon Stimple with SMS Custom Designs–jewelry and not your typical Tie Dye
Lynsi Pasutti with Turtle Star Studio–functional & decorative slab pottery
Gayle Curtis with herbal delights
Karla Risius-Schumacher and Angela Perez with Gift Baskets and other Handmade Giftables
SkeieScapes (Cindy Skeie) with bright, wonderful Photography
Veronica Deitrick and Fuku Wonwon with Dog Hats and Accessories
Steve Baier with Air Brushed Masterpieces
Maggie Howe with Girl With A Sword Productions- Fibers and Scarves
John Gibney with JAG Photography
Sarah Norman with Alternative Artistry Body Art
Spice Shed has delicious, organic, salt free spice mixes
Joy Hockensmith with funky, cool Jewelry
Danèlle Stamps with savory kitchen must-haves from her family farm
Betsy Hemping with Deep Rooted Fine Beaded Art
Kim Bat Kreatures with Spooky Art
Kaitlin Flury with fantastical paintings
Anne Llewellyn with Shaded Tree Bakery will have scrumptious treats
Annie Wood-Long with her fashion-forward hair accessories for teens and kids
Meagan Tron of Trondo airbrush/spray paint art
D.Ryan Allen with his captivating and curious illustrations
Playground for Kids is such an awesome place, located in Ankeny. It is full of so many activities. We went on a Monday and for the first hour we were there, we were the only ones playing!
You know when you go to carnivals and other kid events, they have the bouncy houses and inflatable slides? AND your children have to wait in line for their turn to go?! Well, we had none of that! Monte was so excited to go up and down the slides, over and over again. No one telling him to WAIT!
There was also a large tree house you could climb up and there were tunnels up above, that you could crawl around and slide down the many, many slides available to get down.
There was also a fun bouncy house that had a large “hoop” that you could throw balls into!
Admission into The Playground for Kids is $8.50 for 2-12 year old. Walker up to 23 months are $5.50. They also offer a $50 punch card for 10 plays, which saves you $3.50 each time you visit. I highly recommend purchasing this now, because this is a place where you will WANT to take your children to burn some energy this winter.
They also offer a3 month membership for $99, which allows discounts on concession treats, birthday parties, and unlimited visits!
I mentioned birthday parties … check out the awesome packages they offer! They also offer rentals of their inflatables if you decide to have your own party, at your house!
I definitely recommend visiting! You could even ask for a punch card OR membership for the holidays!
Winter has hit and settled in the Midwest! Sadly, no more parks for awhile, so we are checking out some great indoor places to run and burn off some energy. We checked out another great place last week … Imagination Playschool.
Imagination Playschool is located at the Pioneer Columbus Center is Des Moines. This was another place I learned about from Des Moines Behind 4 Walls!
It’s a large gym that is full with fun activities to do including foam blocks, play houses, tumbling items, and even a walk climbing wall!
Monte’s favorite were the cars and cars that went down a hill, kind of like a roller coaster!
Imagination Playschool is not officially open full time yet. They are hosting a few preview dates and last Wednesday was one of them. They have the following preview dates …
November 26th, 9 am – 2 pm
December 10th, 9 am – 2 pm
Starting in January it will be open certain days of the weeks, every week! It’s $2.50 per child to play. It’s well worth it, to keep the kiddos busy on a cold, wintery day!
I highly recommend putting this on your list of places to check out!
