What's New at the LV Zoo? August Events for Kids, Big & Little.

I'm just going to say ... I love the Lehigh Valley Zoo! While it's not the largest, most exotic zoo, it's local, enjoyable and offers a great way for my kids to explore, learn and play (i.e. burn off some energy). For the first time this year, we purchased the family pass. The annual pass is $99 and is good for one year from purchase. It basically pays for itself after three visits for a family of four.

AUGUST EVENTS AT THE LEHIGH VALLEY ZOO

• August 2nd: The Lehigh Valley Business Group (LVBG) is sponsoring a free night at the zoo from 5 - 9 p.m. While there is no entrance fee, families are asked to register ahead of time and bring their free tickets.  

• August 3rd: Nocturnal Family Safari for families (kids must be 4+) from 5:30 p.m. - 9 a.m. Hike, eat and SLEEP with zoo animals! This sounds like a really great program; price starts at $30 for zoo members. Pre-registration required by calling 610.799.4171, ext. 238, 228 or 227.

•  August 5th - 9th: Summer Camps at Zoo for ages 11 - 14. Explorer camps is from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. and offers a wide range of educational and fun-filled activities. Registration required and camp starts at $240 for zoo members.

• August 15th: Summer Twilight at the Zoo from 4 - 8 p.m. with $1.00 hot dogs. 

• August 18th: Fifth Annual Run Wild for Wildlife Conservation, 10K, 5K and 1-mile family smart fun walk. Register via active.com. 

• August 24th: If you like margaritas, cheesburgers (in paradise) and Jimmy Buffett, this event at the Zoo maybe for you. Zoo in Paradise opens at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are available for $15.

DAILY ANIMAL FEEDINGS AT THE ZOO

If you're little ones like watching the animals, then feeding times will be a great experience for them to see. The penguins get their "fish on" every day at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., the the mongoose lemur eats a 1 p.m.   At noon on August 7, 17, 18 and 31 the alligator will be fed and the cute, lovable otter will get his (or her?) grub on at 12 p.m. on August 10, 11, 21 and 25.

For more information on what's going on at the Lehigh Valley Zoo in August or to register for any special events, visit www.lvzoo.org.

Let's go green! Try the Verdiva Bag!

If you are like me, you don't always remember to be "green" all of the time. Sure, I support the initiative in theory but not always in practice. Yes, I am human too.

A friend of mine introduced me to a cool new reusable bag by Verdiva®, an innovative proven material that marries functionality with design. Verdiva® bags are made with the legendary strength of DuPont™ Tyvek® fabric, the strongest non-woven fabric, that is lightweight and machine washable too.

Stylish to carry an iPad

 I wanted to try this bag out so I got one. Feeling a little silly taking only one bag with me to the grocery store, I decided to re-purpose it.  

First, I used it to carry my iPad around.  It was perfect!

Then I decided to use it for library books.  My girls and I like to visit the local library and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity! We normally come out of the library with tons of books. And books can be heavy and different sizes, not to mention difficult to carry.

Did I mention how stylish this bag is? We walked out of the library and even my youngest liked carrying the "book bag!" And let me tell you how unusual that is! I just love the perky color and design. We now have a great bag for the library and we know where all of the books go!

I can't wait to check out the other designs...perfect to differentiate between meats, dry goods and produce. It is nice that it is machine washable as I am always paranoid about the spread of bacteria. Washing between trips to the store is perfect!

Wegman's in Allentown has started to carry the Verdiva® bags as of May. So you too, can have a cool new bag like me!

 I found this cool video to show how easily it folds up!

This is my new favorite thing to promote!  It is a "Lehigh Valley Family Fun Favorite!"

Discover the Magic of the New Crayola Experience in Easton!

Color, color everywhere ... The Crayola Experience (formerly known as the Crayola Factory) is still located at 30 Centre Square in Easton, but that's about the only thing that's the same. The renovated building offers a new layout, new activities and a nice, new cafe. Whether or not you've been there before, it's definitely worth a day trip!

FOUR FLOORS OF COLOR & MAGIC

On the first floor, you'll find ticketing and a huge, new store (some of you may remember the old store was connected to the Factory; the new store is where the former eating-meeting space used to be). From there, take the stairs or elevator to the second floor.

iPads are a great new activity!

The Art Alive room features tables of iPads for kids and parents alike, and today's theme was underwater. Once we finished drawing our octopus and sea turtles, something magical happened! The drawings leaped to an animated wall with all of the other sea creatures.  I could have spent a full hour just in this room. It was a fantastic blend of art and technology.

Also on the second floor is the Crayola movie room which shows the audience how a crayon is "born." The show happens every hour on the half hour, and is much more clever, interactive and upbeat than before. My daughter and her friend sat through the entire show ... captivated by the presenter and her two, colorful sidekicks. 

Waterworks & crayon boats

Floor three features a two-story playground, sidewalk chalk, activity centers, Doodle in the Dark (my favorite room!) and water works. From the playground area, take the stairs to the fourth floor to experience a real Meltdown.

The Meltdown floor doesn't mean it's a floor filled with crying kids. It's an entire space dedicated to melting crayons and turning the wax into a new art form.

 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

If you have any old Crayola Factory tokens lying around, they will not work in the new machines. However, you can exchange them at the ticketing desk for new Crayola Experience tokens. These can be used to get markers, make your own crayons, and snag some model magic in a larger array of colors.

The Crayola Cafe is located where the McDonald's used to be. It's bigger, cleaner and offers a decent lunch selection, including pizza, hoagies, Naked brand juices, hummus, fruit and colorful cupcakes. 

I would recommend bringing a water bottle for the kids; there is a lot of climbing and dancing going on! Also, it's very busy. If you can get to the Experience on a weekday, just as it opens, you may have a better chance of avoiding large crowds. Here is more information on planning your visit to the Crayola Experience.  

FUN FACTS ABOUT CRAYONS

• Crayola crayons have been around for 110 years! The first crayons were made in 1903. 
• There are more than 200 different crayon colors, but only 13 label colors.
• The label machine can label 180 crayons per minute.

DISCOVER THE CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE

All in all, each of the four unique floors is dedicated to bringing out your child's imagination. Give yourself plenty time to enjoy each of the activities. This is one place you won't want to rush through.

Watch this YouTube video and see for yourself what makes the Crayola Experience a truly wonderful experience for kids of all ages.

Mom's Movie Review: Despicable Me 2

It was hotter than blue blazes today! So, instead of filling the inflatable baby pool, my gang headed to the AMC on Tilghman to watch a movie. This was the first time in YEARS that my husband had been to the movies and we brought our girls (5 years and 20 months). The heat must have definitely been getting to us ... we took a 20-month-old to the movies?!

We gave our oldest a choice: Do you want to see Despicable Me 2 or Monsters University? Secretly, I would have been happy watching either one of these, but was glad that she chose Despicable Me 2. I just love those little minions!



The movie is rated PG and seems to be well liked by the general public -- receiving four out of five stars on MSN Entertainment. I don't want to spill the beans too much, but here's the gist:

Dr. Gru is no longer evil ... he's a loving father to the three little orphans from DM1. There's another bad guy in town who wants to take over the world and uses the minions as part of his evil plan. Dr. Gru and girls save the day and the world! The end.

Oh, and there's a lot of jelly , fun new characters, guacamole and a princess party.

My crew really enjoyed this animated sequel. The baby almost lasted the entire movie and even laughed out loud a few times! Sure, the movie was probably not age appropriate for my toddler, but I do not regret taking her.

WANT MORE MINIONS?

For more details on Despicable Me 2 and to watch movie trailers, go to the official website. You can even create your own "InstaMinion" on Facebook (which I did, and it was fun and easy to do).

Have you seen Despicable Me 2? What did you think?

We are off to Girl Scout Camp: Part Three - Let the singing begin!

This post is a continuation from yesterday - We are off to Girl Scout Camp:  Part Two

So, the girls have been to camp for two days and all I have heard from them is "CAMP IS AWESOME!"  

The theme at camp this week is "cooking".  So, the arts & crafts that they do revolve around the fun of being in the kitchen.  So far, they have made chef hats, decorated spatulas and my older daughter made shishkabobs for lunch today!  

All of the counselors have "camp names".  How fun!  A few of the names that I have heard are Froggy, Glitzy, Sherlock, Booie, Whisper, Stomp, and Zappa.

They sing lots of songs!  The girls travel by bus to get to the swimming pool.  During the bus ride they sing fun camp songs.  There is one song in particular that seems to be their favorite.  It is called the Shark Song.  (see video)

As you can see from their cute little faces they are having a BLAST at Girl Scout Camp!

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

For more information about Camp Mountain House or any of the camps in the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania's Camp Experience, visit their website. 

If you are interested in sending your daughter to Girl Scout Camp this summer, I have an AWESOME coupon to pass on to you!  Go to this link and use the promo code SUMMER for 30% off summer camp!

We are off to Girl Scout Camp: Part Two

This post is a continuation from yesterday - We are off to Girl Scout Camp:  Part One

Monday...
The morning started off well.  The girls got up but were a bit anxious at what they would encounter on their first day of camp.  
Since I had not been to Camp Mountain House before, I had to depend on GPS to get there.  I knew it was some place off of Route 78.  But this is a camp, surely it will be way off the beaten path somewhere, right?  

We head down Route 78 to the Summit Lawn Exit.  We come off the exit ramp and within minutes we are turning onto a stone driveway for Camp Mountain House.  I am amazed by all of the trees and nature!  It is hard to believe we are only a few minutes from the interstate!  

Camp Counselors & My Girls

We continue down the driveway and we are directed to an area where campers are being dropped off.  We meet two counselors who help the girls out of the car and begin the check-in process.  Within minutes, the girls are singing songs and playing games with a bunch of other campers.

Camp started at 9 a.m. and I was all ready heading back out to Route 78 by 9:03 a.m.  WOW!  Their check-in & drop-off process is extremely easy and very well organized!  

What a wonderful way to begin a week of camp!  

For more information about Camp Mountain House or any of the camps in the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania's Camp Experience, visit their website. 

If you are interested in sending your daughter to Girl Scout Camp this summer, I have an AWESOME coupon to pass on to you!  Go to this link and use the promo code SUMMER for 30% off summer camp!

Fun-filled Educational Experience at the Museum of Indian Culture

Museum of Indian Culture

We recently visited this hidden treasure to tour the museum and meet some of the program instructors.  It’s in an extremely convenient location just down the road from Lehigh Valley Hospital on Fish Hatchery Road, but the property itself is quite scenic and beautiful. There is also convenient off-street parking right next to the museum.  The museum employees were kind enough to come in prior to the actual opening time of the museum to accommodate my schedule, but it is typically open from noon-4PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  However, they are also available for appointments during the week. The building itself was beautiful and interesting, and within the museum they had pictures and information about the origins of the building.  

Though my children were a little young to fully enjoy touring the museum, I found the information fascinating and believe that elementary aged or older children (as well as adults, of course) would greatly enjoy a tour.  There were two different rooms containing artifacts, replicas, and other pieces of interest.  One of the best parts, kids are allowed (and encouraged) to touch several items.  

There were instruments and tools, animal pelts, and even weapons available to be held.  My kids really enjoyed feeling the animal fur and discussing which type of animal they were touching!  In addition, a plethora of arrowheads, handmade dolls, moccasins, quilts, and much more is on display.  The tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly! They also had a small library containing an array of books and videos about Native American culture and a gift shop where patrons could purchase dream catchers or other souvenirs from their time at the museum.  

In addition to providing tours, the museum has many programs available for groups.  They provide programs for children preschool aged through college age.  These programs are $7 per child.  We met with Barry, who is responsible for the programming for younger children.  He explained that the program for young children includes storytelling and a craft, while programs for older kids include learning about the lifestyles of the early Native Americans and specifics about the tribes that lived in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  They even take children outside to get to throw an "atlatl", a large dart-like weapon.  I assure you, it seemed incredibly safe and is well supervised to ensure safety!!  Program directors at the museum will even travel to an alternate location to present one of their programs. 


All in all, we enjoyed our visit, and I would definitely consider taking a group to the Museum of Indian Culture to experience one of their programs!

July Events for the Kids at Wegmans!

Just in case you didn't love Wegmans enough already ... here are six more reasons! Throughout the month of July, Wegmans, located at 3900 Tilghman Street in Allentown, will host events for the kids. Some are free, others cost
a small fee.

Photo from the Morning Call, mcall.com

 FUN EVENTS FOR THE KIDS AT WEGMANS

July 13
Story & Craft Hour
10 - 11 am
Free event

July 19
Story & Craft Hour
10 - 11 am
Free event

July 20
Breakfast with Sully from Monsters University!
9 am - 12 pm
Breakfast Bar available until 11:30 am @ $8.99 / lb

July 21
Breakfast with Sully from Monsters University!
9 am - 12 pm
Breakfast Bar available until 11:30 am @ $8.99 / lb 

July 27
Story & Craft Hour
10 - 11 am
Free event

July 28
Cooking with Kids, Make your own ice cream
3 - 4 pm
$5 / child, purchase tickets at the Service desk

Maybe we'll see you there! If you have any questions about these events you can visit or call the Customer Service desk, (610) 336-7900.

We are off to Girl Scout Camp! Part One

I am SOOO excited! Why?  Well, my daughters start summer camp tomorrow!

As a kid I went to Camp Tohikanee, which is part of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania Camp Experience AND I loved every minute of it!

Tomorrow I will take them to Camp Mountain House, a wooded sanctuary located in Lehigh County minutes away from Allentown, which features shaded picnic areas and covered pavilions, spacious areas for outdoor activity, and three buildings for rainy-day fun.  All girls who attend Mountain House Day Camp (MHDC) will experience swimming on a daily basis, arts and crafts, cookouts, campfires, hikes, science, singing, games, archery (4th grade and up), and team building activities each week.

Each week has a theme so the activities will vary according to theme and girl’s choices. Girls are also divided into different swim groups and attend swimming at different times during the afternoon.

Here is the daily rundown...

7:30am: Extended Care
9:00am: Arrival
9:15am: Opening Flag Ceremony
9:30am: Arts & Crafts
11:15am: Arts & Crafts
12:30pm: Lunch/Swimming
2:30pm: Themed Activities
3:45pm: Closing Flag Ceremony
4:00pm: Departure
4:00pm: Extended Care

With all of that in mind, we are excited!  My girls are getting ready for bed as I type and their back packs are all packed and ready to go!  We have an exciting week ahead of us and I plan to keep you all updated.

For more information about Camp Mountain House or any of camps in the Girl Scout of Eastern Pennsylvania's Camp Experience, visit their website.

If you are interested in sending your daughter to Girl Scout Camp this summer, I have an AWESOME coupon to pass on to you!  Go to this link and use the promo code SUMMER for 30% off summer camp!

Open House and FREE Activities at Active Learning Center in Breinigsville!

On Saturday, July 13, from 9 a.m. to noon, Active Learning Center in Breinigsville will host an Open House, featuring children's music artist, Dave Fry. This event is FREE and open to the public.  

Starting at 9:30 a.m. Center Director, Jenna Godown, who has 24 years of dance experience  will teach a FREE Hip-Hop Class.   Class participants will be taught a routine for National Dance Day and with permission from parents, will be included in a video that will be entered into the National Dance Day competition in Los Angeles, California! 

Popular Folksinger and Family-music performer, Dave Fry will perform starting at 10 a.m.  Dave Fry has performed at Music Fest and other events around the Lehigh Valley. 

At 11:30 a.m. a FREE Martial Arts Class will be offered.  The Martial Arts program at ALC focuses on acquiring a strong set of moral values, developing an unbelievable non-quitting spirits and being aware of possible unsafe situations.

There will be lots of FREE things to do from cookie decorating, arts & crafts, to playing in the Moon bounce.  

This event is the first of its kind for ALC. The goal is to increase awareness about their programs as well as expose parents and children alike to their culture at ALC. They want families to experience first hand how warm and engaging their teachers are and experience the family atmosphere that exists in their centers.

It will definitely be a fun morning at ALC.  Space is limited so reserve your spot today. 

484-397-4095.

For more information about ALC and their programs or Lehigh Valley Martial Arts, please check out their website.

 

17 Fun & Free Things to Do This Summer in the Lehigh Valley

Like many parents, I am always on the hunt for things to do with the kids. It's an added bonus when, not only are we having fun, but it doesn't cost anything. (Who doesn't love free?) So, I scoured the interwebs in search of upcoming, free fun throughout the Lehigh Valley.

1. Allentown Art Museum -- Check out the Toulouse Lautrec exhibit. The museum offers free admission on Sundays, and kids 5 and under are always free.
2. Appalachian Trail -- Take the kids on a hike! You can pick up the trail on Rt. 309N.
3. ArtsQuest - Peas & Qs is a great family program at the SteelStacks in Bethlehem. Events start at 11:30; I recommend getting there a bit early to get a good seat.
   
4. Barnes and Noble -- Story time is offered Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. at the Lehigh Valley Mall location.
5. Bob Rodale Fitness Park -- You can't beat the giant sandbox at this park. The kids will love it!
   
6. Chick-fil-A -- Story times and family nights in Trexlertown at the Chick-fil-A on Hamilton Boulevard.
7. Concerts - Free concerts on select Saturday nights in Lower Macungie and on Friday nights in July at 7 p.m. at the Promenades.
8. Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomy Society --August 13 at 7:30 p.m. for grades 6 - 12; free planetarium show at the South Mountain observatory.
9. Lehigh Valley Road Runners -- There are still a few kids races left this summer. Register online.
10. Lehigh Valley Zoo -- The Lehigh Valley Business group is sponsoring a free night at the Zoo on August 2nd. To register go to http://lvbgtakesoverlvzoo.eventbrite.com.
11. Parkland Library -- Keep the kids reading all summer long! The Parkland Community Library has a great summer reading club for kids 2 and up.
12. Promenade Shoppes -- Pack their bathing suits and play in the PopJet by Starbucks. Little ones go crazy for this water time play action. Open 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
13. Promenade Shoppes Kids Day -- Enjoy free family-friendly activities on August 17 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
14. Saucon Rail Trail -- Get out their bikes or go for a run! Great exercise and burns off energy (just in time for naps).
15. South Whitehall Township -- At 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the township offers various free crafts and story times. Registration with the township building is requested.
16. Trexler Nature Preserve -- Forge the Jordan River and picnic at this free and picturesque spot.
    
17. Vacation Bible Schools - Check out our list of VBS programs.

For more information, check out the individual websites or click the embedded links above.

Do you have more events to share? What does your family like to do ... for free ... in the Valley? Share your events and ideas for fun below!