Des Moines Families

REVIEW: Little Hands on the Farm, Iowa State Fair

Apparently, the Little Hands on the Farm exhibit at the Iowa State Fair is not new, but it was to our family...

Tucked back behind the Ye Old Mill, this farm is so cute, and our 3-year-old had a great time. First of all, it's free (a rarity at the fair... I think we spent over $100 on Saturday!). And the kids get a little Pioneer hat and treat at the end... best deal at the fair, as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, the premise is that they are little farmers who plant and harvest different items. They go from station to station where they can use the corn they grew to feed the cow that will give them milk. They turn in the soybeans they grew to power their farm equipment with soy biodiesel. They sell the wool from the sheep they raised at the farmer's market and make money to buy a treat (which is a real treat... our son picked a BomPop rocket popsicle).

Here's a couple photos our our little farmer enjoying himself...

And just in case you're interested, here's our fair itinerary. Worked out great for our kids...

1. People watching & getting our bearings. Stop one was just inside the main gate where we sat in the shade, drank $7 margaritas while the kids sucked down some sippy-cupped juice and planned out the day.

2. Straight for the Little Hands on the Farm.

3. Barns... went to see all the award winning animals, like the big bull, big ram, big elk, big pig.

4. Off to the big slide... $2.50 each and they went twice.

5. Glider... round trip... $12 or so for a child and parent.

6. Snakes... $2.50 each.

7. Midway... ut for the ferris wheel only... this was fun, but not worth the begging to do everything else... think we'll skip this next time. Oh, and it was $12 for my son and I to ride.

8. Dinner at the KCCI stage... not recommended... not really the fair food we wanted... just burgers and stuff. Oh, and DO NOT get the walking cheeseburger. Big mistake. It's a bowl of mush, and it's $7!

9. Cooling off at the Varied Industries Building!

REVIEW: Jordan Creek Town Center Family Festival

So the Jordan Creek Family Festival is a lot less festival and more... well... three bounce houses and a face painter. Really, calling it a "festival" is a bit much.

That's not to say we didn't have fun. It's actually the perfect amount of activity if you're looking to get there right after work, do a little bouncing, get a puppy painted on your toddler, grab a bite to eat and make it home in time for bed.

This might be a little tough for a single parent, but it worked out great for us, as my husband and baby graciously held a spot in the face-painting line for our toddler while we did the bounce houses.

Because we got there at 5:30 on the dot (starting time), we were only 10th in line for the face-painting, which gave us exactly enough time to go down the slide, do the obstacle course and bounce in Scooby for 5 minutes.

Then it was over to Joe's Crab Shack for some playground and burger time. Kid's meals are only $2 on Tuesdays, so we saved a little there. And our toddler loves to play while waiting for his food. We love it, too, as it gives us a chance to talk (we always request an outdoor seat in view of the playground).

So, I'd recommend the family "festival" with a two caveats... don't expect much and get there early!

REVIEW: Baby & Kids Expo, Hy-Vee Hall

Submitted by Heather

The Baby and Kids Expo at Hy-Vee Hall this weekend was great! Lots of neat vendors and activities for kids.

I loved the bounce house and activities provided by Pump It Up (Urbandale), Little Padded Seats and Language Schoolhouse. Our family cloth diapers, has taken classes at Language Schoolhouse and loves to jump at Pump It Up. 

These are just some of our favorites. Check out their websites for more information.

www.pumpitupparty.com

www.littlepaddedseats.com

www.languageschoolhouse.com

REVIEW: Nature Storytime, Greenwood Park

Submitted by Molly

My 3-year-old daughter and I went to Polk County Conservation’s Nature Storytime at Greenwood Park.   It was a lot of fun and very informative, but unfortunately swarming with mosquitoes.

The theme for this week was turtles. The guide read us a story, told us a fable about a turtle using a puppet, and then showed us some old shells and a live box turtle tha had recently been rescued. 

We then went on a guided hike around the pond to look for turtles and frogs. My daughter was surprised that turtles live outside, so I guess we could stand to get out into nature more often. If it hadn't been so hot and buggy, it would have been terrific. We’ll definitely try to go to more of these events.

For more information on similar events, visit www.leadingyououtdoors.com. If you go, be sure to bring your bug spray.

REVIEW: Des Moines Arts Festival

We've never really done the Arts Festival with the kids before. All in all, it was pretty good. They have a ton of kids crafts and a lot of room for them to roam.

The fireworks are tonight (and our 3-year-old didn't get to get his face painted earlier), so we're heading back around 7 p.m. How can you resist this weather... although, as I type that, I'm looking outside at what appears to be rain clouds. Better bring our umbrellas. Anyway, here are a few shots from today... [take special note of the shirt on Jack... available here!]

REVIEW: Sunroom Escapes, Ankeny

Submitted by Gary

My wife and I had been considering adding an addition to our home as our children’s families began to grow. We happened upon Sunroom Escapes at the 2008 Des Moines Home and Family Show and were immediately impressed with salesman’s integrity and his willingness to offer a walk-through of a finished sunroom similar to the size we were interested in. The homeowner allowed us to view the room and answered questions regarding his experience with Sunroom Escapes favorably.

The owner met with us to discuss our wants and offered several beneficial suggestions that ultimately led to what has become the entire family’s favorite room. He led us through the contract, the timing of the construction process and who would perform each portion.

All phases of the actual construction came off without a hitch.  All the subs were professional, honest and clean. Even with our wet spring, the total construction phase took only two weeks to complete.

REVIEW: Family Friday Night at Blank Park Zoo

Submitted by Molly

We went to the zoo on Friday night; they stayed open until 8 p.m. for Family Friday Night. We saw the new Asian elephants, Rosie, the mom, and JP, the baby. They put on a bit of a show to demonstrate their skills. These elephants are endangered species so in a way the “ranch” that sends them out is keeping the species alive. 

Here's a cute pic of Rosie doing one of her tricks. It was a 15 min show. We all loved it. They have these elephant demonstrations during the day, as well.

The Family Friday Night is a lot of fun because the zoo stays open until 8 p.m., and they sell food and beer.  Here are the dates for rest of the summer: June 13 & 27, July 11 & 25 and Aug 1 & 15.

REVIEW: Creations with a Twist

Have you seen this talented guy? OMG... you'll be wowed. He's not your average balloon animal maker. He's more like a balloon artist.

Here's a shot of my son with the monkey this genius with inflatables made at the Drake Relays Family Night at Boston's. This is only one of the outrageous creations he makes. Just check out his Web site to see some of the awesome little creatures he makes.

His name is Daniel Poe, and he's everywhere. As I was putting together the June calendar at DesMoinesFamilies.com, I noticed he'll be at several of the libraries in the coming weeks.

Also, he'll be at the East Village Books Family Fun Night. It starts at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 6.

REVIEW: IMAX at the Science Center

I was thrilled to see several parents taking their young kids to the IMAX at the Science Center on Saturday. Why? Because I didn't want to be the only one with "talkers" in my row.

We took both my 3-year-old and my 1-year-old, and they loved it. The 3-year-old talked quite a bit, but no one seemed to mind.

His perception of the film was precious, as he thought we were actually moving. He said, "We're going up, Mom!" "We're tipping!" The best part was when he told me he wanted popcorn, and I said we'd eat at the cafe as soon as the 45-minute film was over. To which he responded, "Are we going back to Des Moines?" So cute.

I'd recommend taking your young kids... really. Even my baby was wide-eyed and loving it.

REVIEW: Friday Fest, Urbandale

Listen, I miss going to Clive After 5 just as much as the next mom. But thanks to a commenter on my Juice blog, I was introduced to the mom's version of CA5... Friday Fest.

At Friday Fest, you get virtually the same experience (live band, beer, social atmosphere) with one very large difference -- your kids are completely welcome. They're not just welcome, they're catered to with a faux tattoo parlor, bouncy house, softball game and a clown. And there's food!

Because we have an every-other-Friday babysitter, we're going to alternate between CA5 and FF. (But between you, me and the blogosphere, I'm kinda looking forward to the Friday Fest nights).