Travels with Children

Mill City Museum

• 704 South Second Street
  Minneapolis, MN 55401
• 612-341-7555
• www.millcitymuseum.org
• $10 adults, $8 seniors and college students, $5 children ages 6-17. Free for children age 5 and under and MHS members.
• Cafe on site.
• Restrooms available.
• Stroller accessible (except for Flour Tower ride).

After our visit to the American Swedish Institute, we had a couple of hours before supper time, but not enough time to go across to town to the Children’s Museum as the kids requested.  Mill City Museum, however, was only a few minutes away.  Since we have a membership to the Minnesota Historical Society, the stop cost us only $1.50 for the parking meter.  One of our children protested the stop until we reminded him of the water area.  After that, he was the first one unbuckled and out of the car.

We’ve been to Mill City before.  It’s an interesting place for adults, but there’s plenty of hands-on activities for the kids as well.  We didn’t go on the Flour Tower segment this time, but we did get to taste some cookies in the baking lab.

We stayed almost until closing time, and the kids had fun all the while.

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The American Swedish Institute

• 2600 Park Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN
• 612-871-4907
• www.americanswedishinst.org
• $6 for adults, $5 ages 62 and above, $4 ages 6-18.  Children under six are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
• Restrooms with changing tables available.

I wasn’t sure the kids would be excited about a trip to the American Swedish Institute, but when I billed it as a castle (as the Museum Adventure Pass page described it), they were excited to go.

We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and the volunteer at the desk mentioned that they had a kids’ guide in the gift shop. $2 later, we were on our way with little “Tomte” to explore the mansion. The guide was very well written, taking us turn by turn through the estate, and telling us what to look for in the rooms. The kids love scavenger hunts, so this was right up their alley. At the end of the tour, there was an alcove where kids could write letters to Tomte and try to catch a glimpse of him outside. The guidebook also has plenty of activities for the kids to do at home.

In the basement, there is a small hands-on children’s area, but the rest of the place is look-don’t-touch. There is a small elevator, but the place is not particularly stroller-friendly so we left ours in the car.

There was a free concert with refreshments in the lower level, which the older kids enjoyed. The gift shop has a variety of items, including Swedish treats to eat. (I’m saving my chocolate bar for a rainy day.)

No photography is allowed in the mansion, so I don’t have pictures to show you of the intricate woodwork and other pieces that are found throughout the house.

Without the children’s guidebook, this would not have been a great stop with children, but Tomte’s tour made it interesting for them and educational as well.

Gale Woods Farm

• 7210 CR-110 W · Minnetrista, MN · 55364
• 763/694-2001
• www.galewoodsfarm.com
• Fees vary for different programs.
• Restrooms with changing tables available.
• Concessions available at certain times.

A listing on GoCityKids for “Spring into Farming” caught my attention, so the kids and I headed up to Minnetrista to check it out last Saturday.  What a great place to visit!  It reminded me of a modern-day version of the Oliver Kelley Farm.

Staff were on hand to greet us and explain the various things we could see and do after paying our admission.  First we headed into the craft room, where we each got to make a creation out of raw, but washed wool.  After that, we looked at the information in the hallway to help with the completion of our scavenger hunts, and then went to the kitchen area for a taste of French Toast, prepared with eggs, butter, and maple syrup made at the farm.

Outdoors, there were pedal tractors and a beanbag toss for the kids to play with.  We went into the greenhouse, where the kids declined making their own salads from the lettuce that was growing, but eagerly planted some seeds.  From there, we caught the tractor-pulled wagon ride so that we could see more of the farm.

After our ride was complete, we went into the barn area, where the boys were happy to hold baby chicks and the girls were brave enough to pet the little lambs.  We went out to the pasture to fly kites and looked at the calf on the way in.

All through the farm, there were volunteers and staff to guide us along.  Some were children, and others adults, but all made us feel welcome and did an excellent job of explaining their stations and inviting us to participate.

Throughout the farm, handwashing stations and hand sanitizer were available.  The restrooms were nice and included a changing station.

As we collected our scavenger hunt prizes, I inquired about field trips and learned that they have an extensive program set up for various ages of children.

What a fun way to spend a morning!  Even though we live on a farm, the kids are always interested to learn more and see different things.  This was definitely a family-friendly stop.

Our local library has always been one of our favorite adventure stops. From story time to the summer reading program to finding fun new books and videos to check out, there’s always something interesting to do at the library.

We don’t limit our library visits to just our own library, however. If we have extra time in another town, we love to stop in and see the library.

Last weekend, we had some extra time in Mankato, so we stopped in at their downtown library. What a fun place for kids! They have computers for tiny kids, little kids, and big kids; lots of puzzles for toddlers to do; and stuffed animals and other quiet toys. After a while, I was able to pull the boys away from the computers to look for some books. My first-grader found some new chapter book series to try, and my 5-year-old loved the selection of kids’ nonfiction books.

The great thing about our library system is that we can check out books at any of the Traverse des Sioux member libraries with our home library card, and return them at our home library. This makes the out-of-town library trips even more fun because we can actually check out some of the interesting things we see on the shelves.

If you’re looking for a nice adventure that won’t cost a thing, check out a library!

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Last Saturday, the ECFE program in Sleepy Eye sponsored a “Junior Olympics” program for children age 0 through 2nd grade. My friend and I loaded up our kids and took off to explore, and had a great time.

The event was very well organized. After we had signed in, they took digital photos of each of the kids for a project they could do later. Then we headed to the gym and took off our shoes to explore the run-and-jump activities. There were activities for all ages, starting with a small slide and ball pit for the youngest kids. My toddler loved the miniature hurdles and the “ice skating” (sliding on carpet with wax-paper “skates”). The boys had a great time with the tricyle course and hockey area, and my four-year-old liked walking on the balance beam.

We went into the cafeteria for a well-organized, healthy snack (crackers, pretzels, and cheese pre-portioned in coffee filters, bananas, and water bottles) and then started on the craft activities. The older kids made Olympic torches, name tags with their pictures, and even their own Olympic medals, while there were toys for the younger children to play with.

I hadn’t seen such big smiles on my kids’ faces for quite a while. They were each able to find something they enjoyed and work at their own pace. The morning flew by, and the kids were disappointed when it was closing time and we had to go.

Best of all, the event was free. It was very well planned and a lot of fun for all the little Olympians.

We’re fortunate to have ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) programs here in Minnesota, and they always come up with some clever–and fun–activities for kids.

On Saturday, I had plans to take my four kids to a “Junior Olympics” event in a nearby town.  I mentioned the event to a friend, and she was interested in going with her two daughters, so I offered to swing by and pick them up and we’d make a day of it.

Since I’m a Child Passenger Safety Technician, you can bet that any children riding in my vehicle will be appropriately secured in carseats.  I did a little rearranging of our collection of carseats, and here’s what I was able to do in the 8-passenger Sienna.

Middle row:  (The middle row in a Sienna will allow practically any combination of seats, including two Husky/Regents and a Marathon, but this was Saturday’s setup.)

• 5-year-old, forward facing in Britax Marathon
• 2-year-old, rear facing in Britax Marathon
• 7-year-old, in high-back booster (we removed the booster at each stop to enable third-row access)

Third row:  (This is the fun one, because in 48″-width minivan 3rd rows, it is possible to do 3-across only with the narrowest of seats.  The Sienna has 52″ and two sets of LATCH anchors, which makes more scenarios possible.)

• Almost-3-year-old, forward facing in a Cosco Touriva (installed with seatbelt in the non-LATCH position)
• 4-year-old, forward facing in a Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe (installed with LATCH)
• 5-year-old, forward facing in a Britax Husky (installed with Long Belt Path)

The third row seats were a tight fit, but all had good independent installs.

If you’re not a carseat nut like me, this may not mean a lot to you, but I think it’s great that I can fit six carseats in a vehicle that gets 24 miles to the gallon.

The day was a lot more fun when shared with friends!

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The good thing about snow in April in Minnesota (if there’s anything good to be found) is that it doesn’t last long.  By Thursday, Monday’s white blanket seemed a distant memory.  The sun was shining and the temperature was over 50 degrees.

One son had gone on a half-day errand with my husband, so after school the other three and I hit the road on an information-gathering/shopping mission.  After our errands were completed, we drove through Redwood Falls’ Alexander Ramsey Park.  We did a drive-by of the small zoo (with the windows open) and then noticed children playing at the playground.  What a sight to see!  Not only was the snow gone, but it wasn’t muddy there either.  I let the kids out — without jackets (gasp!) — to run and play for a while.  This didn’t last too long, because 2-year-olds don’t like to stay on the little-kids end of playground equipment for long, so we headed for supper when trouble started.  It was fun while it lasted.

Since it was the warmest day in about six months, it seemed appropriate to head to the Dairy Queen.  Our real impetus was the fact that our allergic-to-peanuts child was with Dad, so we were safe to step inside, past the allergy warning posted on the door.  We treated ourselves to supper and an ice cream treat, just like it was a hot summer day.

I’m not sure I believe it entirely, but spring may actually be on its way.

April Fool’s Barn

Originally uploaded by minnemom

We haven’t been anywhere fun in a long time. There are a number of reasons for this, and most have to do with the weather. We’re accustomed to long winters here in Minnesota, but for some reason, this year has been particularly trying. After our Good Friday snow, I thought it was safe to finally wash the kids’ snowpants and put them away. I was wrong. On Monday morning, it started snowing again, and this is what we woke up to on April 1.

I am really looking forward to spring. Having room in the trunk again after removing the winter survival gear. Getting the kids buckled into their carseats without the concern of winter coats. Places that were closed for the winter opening up again. Being able to go to parks and other outdoor areas. Outings in the warmer months are just a lot more fun and easier on the mom, it seems.

Some people who’ve read about our adventures have sent me additional suggestions, and I’m eager to get out and see some new places.

If it ever stops snowing, that is.