...where YOU were the expert! What fun it was to brainstorm some of our favorite tips, tricks, places and resources. Hopefully this will provide you with great new ideas for yourself and your kids!
1.
Your friend just drove to Seattle
with her kids and has $20 to spend. Where do you recommend she go (can do a
summer or winter option)? We’ll assume parking is free. :)
·
Museum Tips and Tricks:
·
Children’s Museum – At one time the
last hour was pay what you want. Not sure if that is still the case.
·
Frist Thursday many of the museums in
Seattle are free – MOHAI, Museum of Flight, SAM.
·
Reserve Passes through the Seattle
Library – passes are made available month out at 9pm
·
Boeing Field to watch the airplanes
from the museum of flight. There is a drive thru Starbucks close by (this is
where you can use the bathroom too)
·
Parks:
·
Golden Gardens, Volunteer Park,
Greenlake, Discovery Park, Carkeek, Gas Works,
·
Playground at Seattle Center (it’s
free) and maybe take the monorail.
·
Wading Pools and Splash Pads:
Greenlake, North Acres
·
Ballard Play Space @ Ballard Church
(free)
·
Transfer Station (the dump)
·
Take the Water Taxi – there is a free
shuttle to the beach area
·
Take a Ferry
·
Bring a meal and have a “picnic” on
the ferry
·
Walk on, ride, get off, and get right
back on. Most ferries you only pay one way.
·
Ballard Locks
·
Greenlake walk
·
Get a really yummy hot chocolate or
mocha from Chocolati
·
Pike Place
·
Ikea playspace and then lunch
·
Construction Site – University
Village some fun action going on.
·
Groupon to find deals on museums,
gameworks,
·
Perry’s Playground @ Sandpoint
Community United Methodist Church (free)
·
Toddler Gym at Community Centers then
hot coco/ice cream
·
Matthew’s Beach and ice cream from
the ice cream truck
·
Ice Skating
·
Bowling
·
Lynnwood Rec Center
2.
If you could walk into a
PEPS/Postpartum support group for first-time parents of newborns, what is the
one piece of advice you would give them?
·
Learn. to. love. Coffee!
·
It goes so fast
·
Let them cry, binkie instead of
feeding in the night
·
Short bedtime routine/habits start
early.
·
It won’t always be like this
·
Do what works
·
1st year
is the worst
·
Figure out what works for you and
your baby
·
Give yourself grace in this time of
change – times of change can be good AND so hard
·
This too will pass
·
Take care of yourself.
·
Get a lactation consultant
·
Build your friendship within the
group (PEPS or Support group) to keep encouraging each other
·
The 1st year is so hard. Just survive the 1st year.
·
Don’t be so hard on yourself.
·
don’t stress about small things
·
it goes faster than you think
·
ask if a person has any questions as
opposed to offering advice.
·
Each day is a new day/a fresh start
·
Smell that sweet baby head
·
Check the neck rolls for milk
·
Find a friend and go to happy hour
with the baby
3.
Everybody talks about the best gifts
to buy a new mom but what is the best developmentally appropriate gift your
child ever got as a 1/2/3 and/or 4 year old?
·
Just tell your family/friends what
your child needs or wants
·
Magnatiles
·
Play Kitchen and food – especially
things that can be cut into pieces
·
Legos/Duplo
·
Indoor Stepping Stones
·
Art supplies
·
Blue Tape
·
Fort Kit – Buy a bunch of different
sized clamps from a hardware store
·
Experimental gifts – Everett
Children’s Museum annual pass
·
Money
·
The LOX!
·
Fubbles
·
Books
4.
If you could pick ONE
book/blog/podcast to share with a mom friend what would it be?
- Blog
Precious
Little Sleep
- Instagram
Busy
Toddler
Days
with Grey
- Podcast
The Mom
Powered Life
NPR –
Lifekit
Don’t
Mom Alone
Love
and Logic
3 in 30
Takeaways for Mom
Revisionist
History
Dr.
Finlayson – File Podcast Archive (about relationship and sexuality)
Family
Ties that Bind – by Richarson
Dr.
Jack Newman – his book about Breast Feeding
The
spirted Child
Healthy
Baby, Healthy Habits
Babywise
Like a
Mother
Dear
Girl (explicit)
5.
The rain is POURING and you are stuck
indoors with your kiddo(s). What is the best thing you can pull out of your
cupboard to keep them entertained?
·
Playdough
·
Sensory Bin: Cornmeal, Rice,
Flour…
·
Bake/Cook
·
Pudding Finger Paint
·
Freeze toys in ice and “rescue” them
or break the ice using spray bottles, salt, and….
·
Moon Sand
·
Stinky bubbles (cover food coloring
with baking soda and pour vinegar over it to reveal the hidden colors)
·
Just add water – glass of water, play
with ice, water sensory bin, bath, play in the sink
·
Play on a mat with kitchen utensils,
pots/pans (add dried beans or rice)
·
Outlining bodies on big paper
·
Draw on big pieces of paper on the
floor
·
Anything Busy Toddler
·
Build a Fort
·
Your TV
·
Tupperware
·
Video Chat with Family
·
Videos and Photos of each themselves
·
String Maze
·
Play snow
6.
Bath time hacks… what is the best tip
you’ve ever tried to keep your kids entertained in the tub.
·
*Use a bathtub desk/tray to separate the kids*
·
Bath Crayons (homemade)
·
Shaving Cream
·
Animals
·
Make Bath Bomb
·
Food Coloring
·
Color Fizzy/bath Bomb
·
Measuring cups/Spoons/Funnels
·
Sand toys
·
Music
·
Popsicle
·
Goggles
·
Foam Letters
·
Seaweed (there is a special type that opens up
when its in water)
·
Color Tablets
·
Face Paint/Body Paint in tub then wash it all
off
·
Legos
·
Potion bath – have kids mix up potions with bath
bombs/salts
·
blow bubbles
·
glow sticks
·
play “what floats?”
7.
Congratulations! You found a
Babysitter! But you don’t have a lot of money for a date night…. What would you
suggest as a fun low-cost activity for couples?
·
Pack a picnic or grab some food from the Ravenna
Brewing food truck and head over to the Montlake Cut to watch the boats float
by
·
Ballard Locks
·
Go for a walk around Greenlake or at
Magnuson
·
Go for a drink or a dessert – check out Lucinda
·
Concert at the Locks in the summer (Free)
·
Find last minute cheap tickets on the App Gametime
·
Check out Parent Map for ideas
·
Go to a movie at the Crest Theatre
·
Dinner at Red Robin
·
Improve night/Comedy club –
·
Farmer’s Market
·
Reserve a museum pass through the Library
·
Walk around Downtown
·
Rent a Jump Bike – don’t forget the helmet
·
Do a babysitting swap with friends to cut down
cost!
·
Wine tasting
·
Walk/hike