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Health & Fitness

From Super Bowl to Spring Break: Activities for Families

In my family, we get a little stir crazy after football season ends and before spring has, well... "sprung." Here are a few suggestions from how to pass the weeks from Superbowl to Spring Break.

If your family is anything like mine, you are starting to get just a little stir crazy. Even with the mild weather we’ve had this winter, my daughter and her friends are ready to get outside and stay there. Then, there’s the end of football season. Having no football on Saturday or Sunday certainly makes my husband stir crazy. 

It’s time to get creative on what to do with our time until the weather warms, the pools open and kids can get out on their bikes and scooters!

Here are some ideas. I invite you to offer your ideas or share your experiences in the comment section!

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Enjoy downtown Atlanta:

ImagineIt Children’s Museum – Currently featuring a Clifford exhibit in addition to the permanent exhibits including:

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  • Fundamentally Food, which kept the children busy shopping as well as sorting various fruits and vegetables.
  • Let Your Creativity Flow, which is a fancy name for the area where the kids paint on walls and play with the world’s most fantastic sand – super easy to mold and great for little hands.
  • Tools for Solutions, known in my family as that-place-with-all-the-colorful-balls-that-you-can-make-go-over-your-head-and-watch-fall-down.

Note, I paid $10 for parking on a recent Friday, but we used our time downtown to play at the museum, walk to CNN Center for a late lunch, wander through Centennial Olympic Park and play at their fantastic playground area. I think we were there about 3.5 hours. I’m told there is cheaper parking on the weekends.

Georgia Aquarium – With their new Total Ticket, one price gets you access to their six permanent galleries as well as the AT&T Dolphin Tales show. It’s important to note that you need to get a timed ticket for the dolphin show and you’ll want to get go in at least 10 or 15 minutes early for a good seat – especially on crowded days. My family has a membership to the Aquarium and we go on a fairly regular basis. It never gets old. The children’s play area is a nice, indoor space for children to burn some energy. Again, like pretty much everything downtown, parking is an additional expense. 

Explore Midtown:

High Museum of Art – This is another Atlanta institution to which we belong. The children’s play space (the Greene Family Learning Area) is great for all ages with everything from dry-erase easels for little artists, blocks, magnet wall, and a great open space with larger foam blocks and big pieces of fabric to be used for everything from fort ceilings to super-hero capes. 

On Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the museum offers crafts for kids inspired by artwork in the museum. At the highlighted piece of art, volunteers read a story related to the artwork or the project the kids will make (be it painting, sculpture, furniture, etc.) For a list of what they will be making when, click here.

The Center for Puppetry Arts is also a top-notch outing for both kids and adults. It’s best to purchase tickets in advance online as some shows sell out. Single show tickets include Create-A-Puppet Workshop and access to their museum. Also, be sure to read about the show you select – some have age recommendations. The much-promoted Ruth and The Green Book is recommended for kids 9 and older. 

Local Smyrna fun!

On milder days, we have taken advantage of the parks and walking trails. Heritage Park is a local favorite as is Silver Comet Trail and the park at the Chattahoochee River under the bridge on Hwy 41. 

Art a la Carte or pottery painting places – I’m a big fan of artistic outlets that don’t have to take place in my home or on my driveway. Sidewalk chalk is great, but a lasting creation that you can take home or give as a gift is even better. A girlfriend and I took our daughters to Art a la Carte not too long ago and they loved it. They had full run of the private birthday room and enough inspiration to channel their inner Monet. Well, okay Picasso. My daughter came away with a passable Hello Kitty canvas and her friend with a nice rainbow. Both currently hang in their bedrooms. 

As for the pottery painting, I typically go to Glazy Dazy on Concord Road, but I understand the owner is recovering from an injury and currently on bed-rest. For the time being, you need to call for an appointment. Last year, my daughter did hand-print plates that she decorated for each grandmother for Mother’s Day. 

A bit farther:

Callaway Gardens – Admission to this amazing place – just an hour southwest from the airport – is free in February. What is there to do there in February when you can’t be outside or swim? Plenty! The butterfly center is amazing anytime of year and makes for a nice, indoor activity. When my family went this time last year, the weather was mild enough for us to enjoy some of the outdoor activities too. We took a walk around their charming chapel, explored a pioneer log cabin, and looked at where the vegetable garden would be once things actually started growing. There are also some fantastic hiking trails, though I couldn’t begin to tell you which one we did. It was short, easy and perfect for the 3.5 year-old we had with us though. I should mention they also have a beautiful resort with accommodations that include an inn, villas and cottages. (Those, unfortunately, are not free with admission.) Oh, and I’m told their golf course is pretty amazing too.

Plan an early year warm weather trip. Even if it’s a long weekend in Florida or the Georgia coast, a quick trip to some 80+ degree temps can give you a quick boost and something to which you can look forward. 

And last but not least, the Legoland Discovery Center is scheduled to open at Phipps Plaza on March 17. Don’t be fooled, as I was, into thinking this is your typical larger-than-life store with cool displays and areas for kids to build things (like Downtown Disney). This place has two rides, a 4D cinema, birthday rooms, a café and about a dozen “attractions” to keep you busy. According to their website, a typical visit takes 2 to 3 hours! My guess is that you will definitely want to buy your tickets in advance. 

Again, please take a second and leave your favorite activities or suggestions below.  

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