Stages Theatre Company Cyber Monday $10 tickets.  Offer good only on Monday, November 28, 2011.  See A Silent Night for PEEF (on stage now) or The Secret Garden (coming in March) for $10 each.  To redeem, find your preferred date and time, select seats, and add them to your cart.  Type in code CYBER and apply the code.  Then select $10 tickets from the drop down menu, and check out.  Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins offers quality children’s theatre performances; read about our experience at Stages.

**Note: Stages had problems with their site early in the day Monday, and will now offer the discount until noon Tuesday, November 29.

Goldstar* is also having a Cyber Monday sale.  Check their site on November 28 for a week of deals for Minneapolis or other U.S. cities.  Family-friendly offerings in the Twin Cities include better-than-half-price deals for Waterpark of America and the Children’s Theatre production of Harold and the Purple Crayon. Some other family-friendly offerings on Goldstar (not in the Cyber Monday special, so they’re good until sold out) include The Wizard of Oz at Children’s Theatre Company on December 1st or The Nutcracker in Maplewood on December 10 or 11.  I’ve been a fan of Goldstar since the first show we saw at the Children’s Theatre Company.

Disney on Ice Treasure Trove** will be at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul on December 8-11.  Beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, November 28, and ending Wednesday, December 7 at 10 p.m., get a special price of 4 tickets for $44 on select shows by using code MOM when you buy your tickets by calling 800-745-3000 or visiting the website (I’ll post the link as soon as they send it to me).  Our family enjoyed Disney on Ice last time it was in the area, and I’m pleased that the discount price is the same this year as it was two years ago.  Here are the details on the show and discount:

• Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove:  Discover endless riches when Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove comes to your hometown!  Disney On Ice sets the gold standard with its newest skating spectacular.  Get tangled up in Disney’s 50^th animated feature with Rapunzel and Flynn and enter the worlds of your other favorite Disney princesses –Tiana, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and of course, the one who started it all, Snow White.  Ahoy, Mateys!  Set sail with Peter Pan, the always sassy Tinker Bell and the cantankerous Captain Hook and his pirate pals on an adventure beyond Never Land!  Trek the wilds of Africa with Simba, Nala, Pumbaa and Timon as they discover the true meaning of the ‘Circle of Life.’  Tick-Tock!  Tick-Tock!  Don’t be late to a very important date with Alice and the Mad Hatter as they march with the Queen of Hearts’ Army Of Cards.  Be sure to see this show full of memories guaranteed to last a lifetime.
• 4 tickets for $44 on select shows!  A total savings of $20!
  Discount valid on all weekend evening performances (Friday 7 p.m. / Saturday 7 p.m. / Sunday 5 p.m.)   Offer in effect Monday, November 28 @ 10 a.m. through Wednesday, December 7 at 10 p.m.  Offer Valid toward regularly-priced $16 tickets only, excludes VIP and Front Row Seats. Offer subject to ticket availability.  For best seats redeem as soon as possible. Valid on up to 12 discounted tickets. Not to be used in conjunction with any other discounts, premiums or rebates.
• To Redeem:  Call 1-800-745-3000 Use code: MOM or online with code: MOM.  (Offer subject to service and handling charges)

I know that many families like to experience special things together as part of their holiday traditions.  If you know of other family-friendly shows in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, especially if there’s a discounted price available, please let us know about it in the comments.

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**Our family was offered four tickets to Disney on Ice Treasure Trove in addition for me telling readers about the show.

As the world prepares for the 2012 Olympics in London, Americans can cheer on their team and learn how our Olympic athletes train by touring the Olympic Visitor Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The visitor center at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center is one of three facilities in the United States where our athletes train.  From the Olympic countdown clock to the Olympic rings adorning the property, it’s hard not to feel some team spirit and patriotism at this facility.

Tours, which are free, are conducted year-round and begin in the visitor center lobby.  After watching a brief yet inspirational film, tour guides show guests around the well-manicured grounds and into some of the training areas.  We saw the indoor shooting range, visited with one of the wrestling coaches, saw the training gym and basketball courts, and peeked at the indoor pool where famous Olympians like Michael Phelps have trained.  Our guide was excellent in answering questions about the life of a training Olympian.  Some athletes stay only a short while and some have lived on the site for several years.

Following the guided tour, guests are welcome to enjoy the grounds on their own, and our kids enjoyed standing on the medal platforms and taking turns “winning” the gold medal.

Back inside, there’s a room with an Olympic Hall of Fame that tells the stories of some of the athletes, and our girls tried the various statuary skating poses.

The floor is painted with Bob Beamon’s record-breaking long jump from the 1968 Olympics.  Would you believe that Beamon would have jumped over our entire family, stretched out head to toe?  (I know this because we tried it.)

The Olympic store is a treasure trove of Olympic merchandise, and we each found a special souvenir there.

The Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center was one of our favorite Colorado stops, and the free admission makes it accessible to anyone who is in the are and wants to learn more about our Olympic team.

I’ll admit that I didn’t really know what to expect from a Cirque show.  I had seen photos of costumes and sets from previous shows, and I’d heard really good things about the performances, but I think I expected it to be some sort of Broadway-type play with really strange movement.  The “cirque” part of it had somehow missed me.

With that bit of apprehension, I watched the first moments carefully, waiting to see what this show actually was.  I soon learned that Cirque du Soleil is a circus on a very different scale than any other circus you’ve seen.  The costumes, the music, and set are intricate and beautiful and odd all at the same time.  And the performers are absolutely amazing.

There’s a loose storyline that involves a big egg and new love, but I won’t give any of that away.  Beyond that, Cirque du Soleil OVO is that part of a circus that involves humans, albeit humans dressed as insects in this case.  There are no tigers, no elephants, (and no peanuts sold at the concession stand).  There are, however, trapeze artists and Chinese acrobats and rope-flyers and people who show great agility and strength.

Throughout the show, the scenes and music change to highlight the various performances, all with the OVO theme woven through them.

At first I was not sure that this would be a performance I’d take my kids to, but as it progressed I found myself thinking, “The kids would love this!”  They enjoyed the Chinese acrobats we saw at the Medora Musical, and the rope performers were reminiscent of those we saw at Circus World Museum.  I would warn young children that there are a few spots with bright lights and then sudden darkness and that the beginning could be a bit scary; after the first few minutes, however, things calm down quite a bit.  The first act is constant motion, then after a 30-minute intermission things slow down a bit before the amazing frogs (my favorite) near the end of the show.

I would recommend arriving so that you’re seated at least 15 minutes before the show begins, as some of the creatures are on display in the aisles before the show starts.  Restrooms, concessions, and souvenirs are available before the show and during the 30-minute intermission.  The entire show runs for 2 hours, 30 minutes.

The downside of Cirque du Soleil is definitely the price.  Tickets begin at $45 for adults and $31.50 for kids for side-stage seats; those with a better-angle view list at $70/$49, and the best seats increase in price even more.  For those looking for a deal, you can get discount tickets through Goldstar * half-price tickets to theater, concerts, comedy and sports for $27-$42 for select performances (Tuesday and Wednesday evenings).

If you can’t afford a family outing to see the OVO show, Mall of America is hosting a special OVO Toddler Tuesday program that includes miniature circus-training sessions and photo ops with some of the characters on Tuesday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to noon.  Bring your little ones; like all Toddler Tuesday programs, it’s free.  And if you’re lucky (like me) to have kids who are already done with school for the year, the older kids are welcome to come as well.  (Toddler Tuesdays are also a good time to buy Nickelodeon Universe points; they’re on special during Toddler Tuesdays at $11.95 for a 25-point pass and can be saved for use on a different day.)

Cirque du Soleil OVO is playing in Minneapolis through June 19 and then will move on to Chicago, Calgary, and Seattle.

Have you been to a Cirque du Soleil show?  Did you take your kids?  What did you like about it?  Share your thoughts in the comments.

* Affliliate link

When my husband suggested that we have a family outing this past weekend, my first thought was to turn to Goldstar * half-price tickets to theater, concerts, comedy and sports to see what half-price tickets we could find.  The Harlem Globetrotters were in town, but the discounted tickets for that event were already gone by the time we got our plans together.  Instead, we found tickets to Madagascar Live at the Orpheum Theatre.

Exposing the kids to the fine arts is important to us, but with four kids, it’s hard to afford expensive theater productions.  The cheapest tickets I could have bought through Ticketmaster for the production would have been $45 each with all of the fees.  Through Goldstar, I got excellent seats (center section, row H) for just $25 each.  (I had referral credit through Goldstar that covered the $6/ticket fees.)  Picking up the tickets was a breeze; I just showed my ID at the Will-Call window and we were on our way.

Concessions ($3 beverages and snacks) and trinkets ($20 light spinners) were available for purchase before the show, and we realized too late that the theater had a limited number of booster cushions available to help the little ones see.  Fortunately for us, the seats in front of us were empty, so our kids had a clear view of the stage.

The audience was comprised of mostly very young children, preschool age, but our 8- and 10-year-old boys enjoyed the show as much as our younger girls.  We talked about such things as characters and sets and willing suspension of disbelief and how a play is different from a movie, even if the story is similar.

When the curtain went up, the kids were at the edge of their seats, watching to see what would happen next.  We were close enough to see the characters’ faces, which I appreciated, but I think any seats in the theater would have afforded an excellent experience as the costumes and sets were large and bold.

The story, costumes, and singing were excellent, and I couldn’t find any flaws in the performance.  I loved the penguins and their covert efforts, and each of the kids had a different favorite.

There was just one part, just after intermission, where the stage is dark except for green eyes peering out, that was scary for my girls.  Other than that, the play was fun for the kids.  There were several humorous lines that brought chuckles from the adults while the kids didn’t even notice they were missing anything.

The show ran about an hour and a half with one intermission, and at the end, the actors had the kids up from their seats, singing and dancing along before the final curtain was dropped.

I was very pleased with this performance and would not hesitate to take my kids to see a similar performance, especially at a discounted ticket price.  The production was of very high caliber.

The show has moved on from Minneapolis, but has upcoming performances in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Providence, Rhode Island, and New York City.

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Since this was our first time at the Free Family Flicks, we weren’t sure exactly how it would work.  Here’s what you need to know if you go.

1. Check the Free Family Flicks listings on the Mall of America Theatres website.  (You may need to scroll to the bottom of the page for dates and times.)
2. Show up at the theater about 20 minutes before the scheduled start time.  They won’t open the doors much before that.  Seats are first-come, first-served.
3. You don’t need a ticket from the box office.  Just go inside the theatre and they’ll tell you which theater you’ll be in as you near the concession area.
4. You may wish to patronize the concession area with some of the money you’re saving by not paying for tickets.  For $15.75, we got a huge bucket of popcorn with one refill, plus two large sodas.  It was plenty of snacks for the six of us.
5. There are booster seats available just outside the theater door.  Small kids will probably need them, as the high-backed reclining seats make it hard for them to see the screen otherwise.
6. Be in your seat on time, as you may be eligible for some giveaways.
7. There were no ads or trailers before our movie began.
8. Turn off your cell phone!
9. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

This post has been featured at Trekaroo’s Spotlight Thursdays.  Stop by to see more travel posts!

More about Mall of America at Uptake.

As we perused the menu, I was surprised and delighted to see that kids are eating free at the Ikea restaurant (at least the Minnesota location, near Mall of America).  The offer lasts, I believe, through August 15, although I might be a few days off on the date.  The requirements are few:  kids must be 12 or under, and must be present.

There was no mention of a limit of kids per adult, so I was curious to see how it would play out.  We loaded up our trays on the specially-designed tray cart:  four kids’ meals, soup (creamy chicken rice, which was ok), summer salad (lettuce, fruit, and poppy seed dressing, which was delicious), garlic toast (a hit with the kids), two $.99 cups of jello (blue and yellow, of course), and my drink.  The grand total? $11.83 with tax.

Yes, all four kids’ meals were free.  No questions asked.  It felt like my lucky day.

If you want to get in on this deal, head to Ikea and see if it’s still available.  (It was posted on the menu board at the entrance to the restaurant at our location.)  The restaurant is one of the few Ikea areas you can get in and out of without becoming entangled in the maze of follow-the-arrow paths through the store, so you might even have a chance at getting out without spending a dime on other things.

Maybe.

Good luck!

Performances will be held in the Best Buy Rotunda at 10 and 11 a.m., and the world’s largest teddy bear toss will take place at 10:45.  Other speakers and features are planned.  The celebration will also include the release of the Teddy Bear Band’s new CD, Music and Early Literacy.

The Teddy Bear Band is perfect for the preschool set, but older siblings and parents may find themselves singing and dancing along with the catchy tunes as well.  We’ve seen the Teddy Bear Band at ECFE-sponsored events, community celebrations, and the Minnesota State Fair, and my kids always enjoy their music.

If you go, have the kids bring their favorite teddy bears (other stuffed animals are ok) to join in the fun; if you forget, though, the band usually has some bears they can borrow during the program.

Teddy Bear Band

Find more information about the 25th Anniversary on the Teddy Bear Band website, or on the Mall of America website. (Click on Events, then the August event calendar.)

Photo courtesy Teddy Bear Band.

For years I had dreamed of taking the kids to a show at Minneapolis’ Children’s Theatre Company.  We’ve been to good shows at Old Log Theatre and Stages Theatre Company, but CTC’s inviting productions, with ticket prices of $20-$40 or more, were beyond the reach of my pocketbook.

Then I read about Goldstar * half-price tickets to theater, concerts, comedy and sports in John Ewoldt’s Star Tribune Dollars and Sense column.  This half-price ticket outlet includes a number of Minneapolis-St. Paul venues, including Children’s Theatre Company.  For the slightly more affordable half-price tickets, I decided to splurge and take the kids to see Mulan, Jr.

Its run closed this week, so details about the show won’t help you much now, but I will say that I was really impressed from start to finish.  The seats were comfortable (although my lightweight daughters had a bit of difficulty keeping them from folding up), and there isn’t a bad seat in the house.  Intermission instructions were clearly given, and snacks were for sale in a fast-moving concession line that gave little tummies time to fill up before the show resumed.  Staff were polite and helpful.

Most of all, the show was excellent.  After watching Mulan, Jr., I thought perhaps it was a professional traveling production, like many of the shows at the Ordway.  But no, this was a local production, developed by CTC with local talent.  It was very impressive.

The only thing I wished I’d known more about before going in was the setup of the theatre.  After picking up our tickets at the box office, we had about 30 minutes before the 11:00 curtain time.  We used this time to make a quick stop at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which is in the same building, before ascending the stairs to the theatre.  What I did not know was that there is a lobby up those stairs, where many people were enjoying snacks and concessions before the show, which ran through the lunch hour.  Had I known this, I would have bought the kids some milk or cookies before the production began.

Parking is free in several lots and a garage within a block of the theatre, and if you have the time while you’re in the area, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is always free to visit.

I would love to return to Children’s Theatre Company again with my children, and it’s a distinct possibility if Goldstar continues to have discount tickets available.  At full price, however, it’s not an outing I can easily afford.  Group tickets are available, so if you have a group of friends, or can attend with a school or ECFE group, the prices will have a good discount.

The 2009-2010 CTC season is wrapping up, and tickets for 2010-2011 are now on sale.  Annie, Babe, and A Christmas Story have all caught my eye for the upcoming season.

Do you have a favorite theatre that hosts productions especially for children?

More about the Children’s Theatre Company at Uptake.

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I am not a golfer; in fact, the entire premise of wandering around acres and acres of land hitting a tiny ball into a tiny hole baffles me.  Miniature golf, however, has been something I’ve enjoyed since I was a little kid and Mom would let us stop to play a round on the 12-hour trip to Grandma’s house each summer.  (I wonder if the course along Highway 2 in northern Wisconsin is still there?)

When I was in college, two friends and I loved playing, and rating courses, and wished we had a way of sharing our wealth of information with the general mini-golfing public.  (This was before the days of blogging, and now I’m really showing my age.)

This enjoyment of putt-putt golf has trickled down to my children, who now regularly beg to go mini-golfing while on vacation, or every time we drive past New Ulm’s Putting Green.

On a weather-perfect Memorial Day, after attending our community’s remembrance program, I needed to run errands with all the kids in tow.  This is perhaps my most dreaded part of summer, because, contrary to public belief, shopping with children does not necessarily get easy as they get older.  I’m not above bribery in desperate times, so I told them I’d taking them mini-golfing when we were done with our stops.  IF they were good.  And IF it wasn’t too expensive.

They did reasonably well, so the first condition was met to my satisfaction.  We drove to Hutchinson’s Northern Links mini golf and inquired about the price.  And we almost left.  I had a budget of $20 in mind, but with rates of $8 for adults and $6 for kids 10 and under, it was a $32 bill for the five of us.  Ouch.  (Compare this to $4.50 and $3.50 at Putting Green, $5.95 for everyone at Mankato’s WOW Zone, and $6/$5 at LARK Toys.)  It was with my readers in mind that I spent the extra $12 and we were on our merry golfing way.

I have to say that I was impressed with the course.  It’s not gimmicky with a corny theme, moving parts, or blacklighting, but it’s a really nice 18-hole course.  It’s connected with Landscape Concepts, and the water features and pathways are examples of the landscaping work the company does.  The entire course is nicely set up, with flowers and trees and rocks and benches making it a pleasing place to be.

But what about the holes?  I’ve been on mini-golf courses where the slopes aren’t done right, or with ridges in places where there shouldn’t be ridges, making it nearly impossible to get the ball in the hole even with a good shot.  When we golfed at Wisconsin Dells’ Pirate’s Cove, my husband and I both felt that even the most challenging of their five courses wasn’t all that difficult.  But golfing at Northern Links was very, very good.  Some holes were easy, and even the kids could get par, but others were so challenging that none of us got the ball to the hole.  For all of the holes, though, the slope was well-done, so that if we hit a good shot, it made it to the hole if it should have.  It was a very nice course to play.

Northern Links Mini Golf is on Highway 15 in Hutchinson, Minnesota, just north of the roundabout.  A batting cage is also featured in the complex.  A few concessions are available in the clubhouse and there is a shaded picnic table near the parking lot.  Bottom line:  This is a very nice miniature golf course… for those who can afford the fees.

Photo credit: Hutchinson MN on flickr (by Confessions of a Mom)

More about Hutchinson, MN, at Uptake.

Goldstar

If you’d like to be notified of upcoming Goldstar events (which also include sports, music, and other theatre tickets), you can sign up with Goldstar and request notifications.  If you use this link when signing up (there’s no charge or obligation for signing up), I’ll get a small referral bonus for telling you about Goldstar.

I’ll be keeping my eye on Goldstar for some good deals so our family can attend more theatre and music events.  Have you used Goldstar?  Do you know of any other ways to save money on tickets?

* Affiliate link

Rain on Friday evening gave me hope that he’d be able to take the day off today, but, as rarely happens, I was at a loss as to an outing for us.  My husband, however, had an idea:  The Minnesota Gophers were holding a scrimmage at the nearly-new TCF Bank Stadium, and admission was free.  This sounded like the perfect opportunity for the kids to see some sort of college football, and for my husband to check out the stadium.

Now, before I go farther, let me explain the family dynamics.  My husband played both basketball and football in high school, and enjoys playing and watching sports.  I was on my high school basketball team, but with only 60 students in grades 7-12, that’s not saying much.  Warm bodies were welcomed, and I was at the far end of the bench, halfway to the next town.  Somehow of all the sports-capability genes in the family, a few went to my sister and the rest to my brother.  I got none of them.  Zero.  Zilch.

So far, our kids haven’t shown much interest in sports, so while their cousins are playing on traveling basketball and baseball teams, our children have joined the youth bowling league and the chess club.  We offered basketball camp as a summer option to our older son, and he chose science camp instead.  It’s just how they tick.

But just as it’s good for an athlete to be well-rounded and attend some concerts and plays and visit some museums, our kids should have some exposure to sports, so we’ve taken them to basketball games and baseball games.  Football we hadn’t managed yet, however.

Thus, today presented the perfect opportunity.

Since rain was forecast, we wore our raincoats as we walked across the U of M campus to find some lunch.  We landed at Burger King, near the stadium, and while waiting for our food I struck up a brief conversation with some other fans who were heading to the game.  On their way out, they stopped by our table and told us that their sons were on the team, and that we might cheer especially for them:  #17 on defense and #44 on offense.

With this knowledge, the kids were ready to get to the stadium.  We arrived early, where there were lots of giveaways for everyone:  mini footballs for the kids, schedule magnets, backpacks, posters, autograph cards.  We could sit anywhere we wanted, so we aimed for front and center, and landed in the first row on the 40-yard-line, somewhere we’ll likely never sit again.

With the sun trying to peek out, the threat of rain disappeared, and it turned out to be a pleasant afternoon for watching the game.  The scrimmage rules and scoring were somewhat modified, but the big screen, the announcing, the pep band playing–all of these were like being at a real game.  The only difference was that no matter which team scored, you got to cheer for the Gophers!

The highlight for the kids, however, was at the end of the game, when we walked down the concourse and onto the field for an autograph session with the players.  As a mom with four children and only three pens in her backpack, I panicked at first, but the team was ready with Sharpies for each of the players.  The team was scattered about the field, and our kids desperately looked for their new heroes:  #44, Ed Cotton, and #17, Sam Maresh.

Once they’d secured those special autographs, they were happy to wander about, collecting as many as possible.

The fans and players alike seemed to enjoy the interaction, and the kids were delighted with the autographs they received.

When the Gophers kick off the season this fall, you can bet our kids will be watching, because after today’s scrimmage they feel a personal connection with the team.  Thanks to the U of M for hosting this free event to give our kids the chance to see the Gophers in action.  We’ll make sports fans of them yet!

—–

Once again, a note that I’m participating in a contest at Best Kids Apps, a blog about iPhone apps for kids, for a chance to win an iPad, and this note is part of my entry.  Thanks for understanding as I put these blurbs in some of my posts, because although I don’t have the funds to actually buy an iPad, winning one would be very, very nice.

The sign on our local ballroom used to say, “Stay young–go dancing.”  My aunt and uncle are taking this to heart.

Last night my aunt surprised my soon-to-be 83-year-old uncle by inviting family and friends to their monthly dancing spot.  An accordion player and a drummer made up the band, and plenty of waltzes and polkas ensued.

Among the practiced dancers on the floor, our family’s dance steps perhaps looked quite basic.  It wasn’t Dancing with the Stars, but something much better–dancing with my dad and my uncles and my cousins and of course my husband.

In between all of the dancing, there was visiting, and cake, and more visiting.  It was fun to catch up with family at a happy occasion.  My mom and dad drove six hours to be there for the evening and enjoyed reminiscing with their siblings.  I caught up with cousins I hadn’t seen in too long, and the next generation had a chance to become acquainted.  My poor son was thoroughly confused with the double-relations in the family, and the stories of couples who had met at family weddings.  (His parents are of course included in that list, as are his grandparents, his grandpa’s cousin who’s been married 56 years, and legend has it that even they weren’t the first.)

My uncle was on the dance floor more than anyone else, smiling the entire time as he danced with his wife, daughters, sister, and nieces.  He’s one of the youngest 83-year-olds I know.

He must have seen the sign at the ballroom.

The Mankato Symphony Orchestra, in cooperation with local libraries, will be presenting its family-friendly “Haydn-Go-Seek” concerts in several locations in the upcoming weeks.  These concerts are free of charge and open to anyone in the community.  The one-hour concerts are ideal for babies and children who’ve never been to a concert before, as they are light-hearted and entertaining and designed especially for families.

Did I mention that they’re free?  When the Symphony presented the Haydn-Go-Seek series last fall, tickets were $10 for adults and $5 for children (which isn’t a bad price as far as concerts go), but because of a grant from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, the upcoming concerts are free to attend.

The schedule for the concerts is outlined below; if you need more information, please contact the local library at the phone number listed.

• Sunday, April 11, 1:00 p.m.–GFW Elementary School, Gibbon, MN (507-834-6640)
• Saturday, May 8, 10:30 a.m.–St. Peter (507-934-7420)
• Saturday, May 8, 1:00 a.m.–New Ulm (507-359-8331)
• Monday, May 17, 6:30 p.m.–Gaylord Public Library (507-237-2280)
• Saturday, May 22, 10:30 a.m.–Lake Crystal (507-726-2726) OR Mapleton (507-524-3513)
• Saturday, May 22, 1:00 p.m.–Mankato (507-304-4001)

Hope to see you at one of the Haydn-Go-Seek concerts!

We’ve been to several Cabela’s locations; often my husband has a piece of gear that he’s seeking, but the kids and I go along to watch the fish or see the animal displays.  They can be entertained at Cabela’s for quite a while.

Once kids are potty-trained, IKEA can be a nice escape for the adults.  The kids can play in the Smaaland play area while their parents explore the rest of the store.  It’s a nice way to keep everyone happy.

For the younger set, especially those who love trains, Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store in St. Paul, Minnesota, is an excellent destination.  In addition to a wide variety of supplies for both model railroaders and kids’ train sets, they have two play tables for tots and some working electric trains sets in the store.  My kids loved watching and playing with the trains, as well as looking at all of the items for sale in the store.

The American Girl stores are another place that’s fun to visit even if your intention isn’t to take home a new doll.  A snack or lunch in the cafe, watching the doll hairdressers at work, or just seeing all of the dolls and their accessories on display can be fun for kids.

Do you ever go to a store just for the fun of it?  If so, which stores do you visit?

Today was the grand opening and dedication of Target Plaza, the outdoor gathering space that brings the ticket office, gift shop, and gates 34 and 29 together.  It is meant to be a community space both for Twins games and on non-game days.

In addition to the brief dedication ceremony, which featured Kent Hrbek dropping the ball into the golden glove, the Twins and Target had some great family activities on deck for the day.  The kids could hit a ball (and get a free Target Plaza hat), throw a baseball (and get to keep it),  get tattooed, and make a Twins pennant.  Wally the Beerman was even on hand giving out free hot chocolate.  My son got his picture taken with T.C., the Twins mascot, and my husband was disappointed that he just missed a chance to get Kent Hrbek’s autograph.  Staff on hand were friendly and happy despite the cool and dreary day.

Target Plaza is a comfortable space where it’s easy to find the ticket counter and other essentials.  We parked in Garage A and it was just across the street, and access to 394 afterward is a breeze.  Although I’d known the new ballfield was close to Target Center, I hadn’t realized just how close it was.  When we were looking for a restaurant, Target Center’s NBA City was the closest one we found, just a block from Target Field.

Art and history are evident at the plaza, from the kinetic sculpture that disguises a parking ramp to the pictures of former Twins homes to pennants for each year’s teams.  The gates to Target Field from Target Plaza are Gate 34 (Kirby Puckett’s number) and Gate 29 (for Rod Carew).

After visiting Target Plaza today and peeking in on the field, we’re excited to get tickets and cheer on the Twins in their new home.  How about you?

We have found some quality, albeit lesser-known, theater productions, however.  Old Log Theatre, in the Minneapolis suburb of Excelsior, offer’s children’s productions two or three times a year, for about $15 a ticket.  Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota, offers an annual children’s production at a very affordable rate.  And Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins, Minnesota, another Minneapolis suburb, also offers quality children’s theater productions for about $15 a ticket.

We saw Nancy Carlson’s I Like Me! at Stages and were delighted with the show.  Talented local kids made up the cast, and the show was geared towards youngsters.    The play was not long (about an hour), and it had plenty of music and dancing and of course the familiar “I Like Me” story and characters.

I Like Me Poster, Stages Theatre Company

The theatre is housed in the Hopkins Community Center, a modern building in the heart of Hopkins.  The little touches, like booster seats for kids so they can see, and reminders to use the bathroom before the show starts, make it a good experience for kids.

I won tickets to I Like Me by following Stages on twitter (http://twitter.com/StagestheatreCo); they also have a Facebook page that’s worth following.

We’d love to find more affordable quality theatre productions or concerts to take in with our kids.  Can you recommend any?

More about Hopkins, MN, at Uptake.

We settled on the indoor version of something both my husband and I did as kids:  ice skating.  When we were kids, we spent hours outside on skates.  For my husband, it was an area where snow would melt off the roof and make a small rink.  My siblings and cousins and I, however, had the “dam,” a pond that was behind our houses.  Our dads would clear it off with the tractor when the ice got thick, and we’d haul our things out on sleds and change into our skates in the cold.  Somehow Mom always had used skates for us in all the right sizes.  We were never very good at skating, but we spent many hours out on the ice with our family and friends having good winter fun.

We haven’t yet made a rink, or bought skates, for our kids, but we wanted to introduce them to this winter activity, so we headed to the New Ulm Civic Center’s open skate.  The kids and I had tested the waters a couple of years ago, so as soon as we pulled up to the arena, they knew what fun were going to have.

Our 11:00 arrival gave us an hour and a half of open-skate time, so we paid our admission ($3.50 apiece) and skate rental ($2.00) and pu our skates on.  It’s a nice big sheet of ice, and they have walker frames for the kids to use.  It took a bit for my husband and I to remember how to skate, but once we did, we had a lot of fun.  The kids gradually got braver and tried a few strides without the walkers to lean on.  There were a few tumbles along the way, but nothing serious.

Spending some time on skates was a fun family activity, and the kids will have greater appreciation of the Olympic skaters as they watch, now that they’ve seen how hard it can be to just stand up on the ice.

Open-skate schedules and other information can be found on the New Ulm Civic Center website.

Have you taken your kids skating?  How did they like it?

1. To shop ’till you drop; or
2. To do the big fun family things like the Nickelodeon Universe amuseument park or the Underwater Adventures aquarium.

On a recent Thursday, however, I set out to Mall of America with my daughters, ages 6 and 4, to see what interesting and inexpensive things we could do.  We didn’t have much to shop for and our family is planning a Nick Universe outing soon, so this bitterly cold day was spend at MOA looking for cheap fun.

Here are my recommendations for keeping kids occupied at Mall of America.

• The Barbie store won’t be there much longer, but this small space will leave little girls dreaming of all things Barbie.  The Barbie-adorned elevators on the mall’s west side certainly got my girls’ attention.
• Step into Hanna Andersson and have your kids find out how tall they are–in centimeters–at the store’s measuring station.
• Visit the Legoland play area and build something with the provided blocks, or head up to the third-floor food court and see the magnificent Lego creations from above.

• Gymboree has a TV and small chairs, to keep kids entertained while their adults shop.  The Life is Good store has a TV and a huge beanbag.
• Outside of Best Buy, there’s a white mat where kids can move around, making projected pictures move as they jump and walk.  All the while, they’ll be on TV, thanks to a camera and television set up inside the store.

• Find a second-floor overlook and watch the Nickelodeon Universe roller coasters zoom past, or visit the 3rd floor south food court and wave to people on the log ride just before they make their big splash.
• Take their pictures at the cutout stand outside Kokomo’s, 3rd floor, south side.
• See how many times you can shake hands with Sharky as he walks around the mall.  Can you beat our three Sharky sightings?
• Stop in the American Girl store to dream, or have a snack in its 2nd-floor cafe.  We had a delightful time with $5 worth of ice cream.
• Have the kids play “spot the rhinoceros.”  Hint:  It’s at the Ecko store.
• Let them play in the Hello Kitty house at Sanrio, where there are also many affordable trinkets and treats near the checkout counter.
• If you can visit on a Tuesday, there are special “Toddler Tuesday” activities happening, and weekends often bring special events to the mall.
• See a free family movie in the theatres at 10 a.m. on Saturdays (and on Wednesdays in the summer).

Have you taken your kids to Mall of America?  Have you found any free-but-fun spots that kids would enjoy?

On our recent girls’ day out to Mall of America, my daughters and I wandered into the American Girl store to see the dream dolls up close.  This relative newcomer to Mall of America is located between the Best Buy Rotunda and Nickelodeon Universe.  The first floor is primarily for shopping, and the second floor houses the cafe.

We meandered in on a quiet Thursday morning.  A clerk politely asked if she could help us find anything special.  I was up-front with her:  We’re just here to dream, as I can’t afford an actual doll.  She left us to our browsing, and we wandered through the store, looking at all of the dolls and their accessories, and even the area where little girls can have their dolls’ hair styled.  Yes, there’s a beauty salon for dolls within the store.

In the back corner, we found the book section, and I allowed my kindergartner to choose one book.  She carefully looked all of them over, chose the one that looked best, and we went to the checkout counter.  The same clerk was there, and as she put the book in a bag for my older daughter, she also put some stickers in a tiny bag for the younger girl.  It was such a small thing, but it made the little one happy and showed that the American Girl store is really about service.

Later that afternoon, we returned for a snack.  I would have loved to take them there for lunch, but again, it was out of my budget.  Dessert, however, would be our treat for the day.  We sat at the counter (the girls’ choice), and there were dolls and highchairs that each could borrow to “eat” with us.  Our server promptly brought out glasses of water for us, and then tiny cups of lemonade for the dolls.  We were told that anything on the menu could be shared, so we decided on the trio of petite ice cream cones (with sprinkles) for around $5.  We each chose our favorite flavor and type of sprinkles.  Again, our dolls also received little treats so they wouldn’t feel left out.

Soon we were done eating, and my oldest daughter noticed a cake on the table behind us.  “Is that a real cake, Mom?”  I didn’t know, so we asked the cook.  No, it isn’t real, but an example of cakes that can be made for birthday parties.  And then it hit me.  “I have to make a cake tonight!”  “Yes, Mom, it’s my birthday tomorrow!”

Overhearing this, our server asked my daughter’s name and how old she’d be, and said she’d be right back with a surprise.  Protesting that it wasn’t really her birthday yet, we had to convince this almost-six-year-old that it would be all right.  She was presented with a small bowl of swirled whipped cream with sprinkles, complete with a lit candle.  The three employees in the restaurant were soon singing happy birthday to her, and she loved blowing out the candle.

I’ve seen people leave the American Girl store with multiple bags of dolls and accessories, so I know that our miniscule purchases were far less than what many people spend at the store.  I was pleasantly surprised, then, at how attentive and polite the staff were, even knowing that we weren’t going to be buying much.  They made the girls feel special and made the entire experience fun for us.  Bringing a special birthday treat was just icing on the cake.

We walked through the mall, and as we were approaching Nordstrom, an announcement came on, informing us that the mall was performing a lockdown drill and that we should seek shelter in the nearest store.  The girls were frightened by this (even though there weren’t any loud alarms), but a very kind clerk in Nordstrom helped to set them at ease.  We reminded them that it’s much like a fire drill or tornado drill at school, so that we’d know what to do in a real emergency to stay safe.

The drill lasted only a few minutes, after which we headed back out to the mall.  I stopped to check my phone messages in the atrium, and happened to be right next to this:

Tom Burnett, a Minnesota resident, was one of the passengers on Flight 93, and after the lockdown drill, which has certainly stemmed at least in part from 9/11, I found myself next to his memorial.

So before I accepted the offer of free tickets to the game, I called the Lynx office to see if peanuts are sold at the games.  Yes, they sell peanuts, I was told, but for Timberwolves games they have a peanut-free section, and for Lynx games they can usually find a safe area.

I said yes to the tickets, but asked that some care be taken that we were in a peanut-safe area.  The Lynx came through for us in a big way, placing us in a suite that had been specially cleaned and labeled “peanut-free zone.”

A suite?  “Sweet!” said my six-year-old, fully intending the pun.  And so it was that we got to live the suite life at a Minnesota Lynx game.

We arrived at Target Center just as the doors opened, and each of us received a free poster as we entered the arena.  We made our way up the escalators and showed our tickets to be allowed access to the suite level, then found our home for the evening.

Our suite had a sofa, four chairs, a bar with a sink, and a rest room inside (perfect for our state of potty-training!), and outside the sliding glass door there were twelve stadium seats for us to sit in as we watched the game.  The suite was stocked with plates, flatware, napkins, cups, and ice, as well as a coffee table, so my next stop was the concession stand.  We got some stadium food (and I was relived to see they weren’t selling peanuts at the suite concession area) and munched while we watched the warm-ups.

We had arrived an hour early, but there was plenty to keep us entertained pre-game.  A dance line and various antics by the team announcer and mascot were interwoven with the players’ warm-ups.  Before we knew it, it was time for the national anthem and the beginning of the game.

I had forgotten how entertaining a game can be.  The last time I went to a professional basketball game was the first year the Timberwolves played in the Target Center, in the early 90′s.  It was fun to watch all of the things going on during the time-outs and other breaks–the dunk team, the dance contest where a guy from Minneota, Minnesota, rocked it out, the seat upgrades, and all the other shenanigans kept us entertained when there was a break in the game action.  All of it was family-friendly and fun for both parents and kids.

Then, of course, there was the game itself.  It was a fun game to watch, with the Lynx winning 100-95 and breaking two WNBA records–most points in the first half, and most three-pointers in a no-overtime game.  The crowd cheering, the music and clapping, watching the shots go in–all of these were exciting and kept the kids involved in the game.

By the end of the night, my five-year-old was tuckered out and promptly went to sleep on the sofa, but the other three were still watching the game, excited to see of the Lynx would make it to 100.  And they did!  The night was a success all-around.

If You Go

While I’m sure not every peanut-safe request is met with a suite, I would be comfortable returning to Target Center after calling ahead to make arrangements for a peanut-free area.  I was impressed with their awareness of this concern.

Most regular tickets for the games were $10 or $15, but on many nights they have a meal deal that includes a $10 ticket, a hot dog, chips, pop, and yogurt for $13.  That’s not a bad price for a game and some food.

After doing some checking on the Lynx website, I found that a suite like ours runs $350 per game.  This includes 22 tickets and two parking passes, bringing the price per ticket to just over $15 if you use all the seats.  For a group of friends or large family outing, this could be a fun way to see a game, and it was less expensive than I expected.

Arriving to the game early was fun since there was a lot going on from the minute the doors opened until the game started.

The Downside

Of course, few things are ever perfect, and there’s always something that can be improved.  While we had a great time once we were at Target Center, navigating our way to and from the arena was a bit of a trick.  We parked in the recommended B ramp.  We had trouble finding signs in the skyway pointing us to the Target Center, so we ended up taking a long and frustrating route to find the arena.  Likewise, when we went out of the arena, the signage to the B ramp wasn’t great.  Even more difficult was finding our way onto 394; because of construction, the usual 394 exit from the ramp was closed.  Some additional signage in the skyways, and in the construction detours, would be helpful for people who don’t visit the Target Center often or aren’t familiar with navigating downtown Minneapolis.

The Bottom Line

I had forgotten how much fun a pro basketball game is.  A visit to the Lynx game is family-friendly fun at an affordable price.

Reader Special:  $8 Seats

Would you like to see a Lynx game for just $8?  The WNBA and Ticketmaster have teamed up to offer $8 tickets to a Lynx game.  To learn more go to http://www.ticketmaster.com/Minnesota-Lynx-tickets/artist/805970 and enter code: WNBABLOG.

Disclosure:  We received free tickets for the game and some gift bags from the Lynx organization.  My assessment of the experience is honest and based on my personal experience.

Related Post:

• Target Center Tour

We hit the jackpot on Father’s Day, when we asked the kids for outing ideas and our six-year-old asked if the Twins were playing at home.  A quick check of the schedule, a few phone calls about tickets while en route, and we were on our way.

It turns out that seeing a Twins game on a Sunday this summer is one of the best family values in town.  With each adult ticket purchased for the Home Run Porch or Cheap Seats, two kids under 14 can get in for free.  For us, that meant the six of us saw the game for $16.  We paid $6 for parking and $11 for shared snacks.  Tickets to minor league games like the St. Paul Saints or the Mankato Moondogs would have run $25-$30 for our family, so the Blue Bunny Kids Day promotion is a great deal.

We sat way up high, so we couldn’t see the players all that well, but our purpose was the entire Metrodome experience.  Smell the popcorn, see the big screens, feel the wind as you enter and exit the building, hear the organ, sing at the seventh inning stretch, do the wave with the other fans–this is what’s fun about going to the dome.  After the game, we went down on the field where the kids ran the bases.  They loved it!

The Twins lost their Fathers’ Day game, but we had a great time at the Metrodome as a family.  Next summer we’ll have to try to see the Twins at their new ballpark.

The tour begins with some history of the musical before heading down to the stage. Guests can step inside the set buildings and see how they move around the stage, then go down to the dressing rooms and out back for a good view of the elk on the hill before heading to their seats.

The Behind the Scenes tour offers a cast member’s view of the amphitheatre. It was interesting for me, but I think the kids liked it even more. They’re still talking about going into the set building, and they recognized costumes during the show that they had seen backstage.

Admission to the tour can only be purchased if you’re also seeing the musical, and it’s an extra $4-$6 per student or adult. (Preschoolers are free.) The tour was well-done, and I’d recommend it for families attending the Medora Musical.

Note:  We received complimentary admission to the Behind the Scenes tour.  This does not affect my assessment of the program.

The Medora Musical has been running annually since 1965, and I remember attending the musical as a child.  Back then, it had bench seating and lots of stairs.  Several years ago, the outdoor amphitheatre was revamped; now it includes stadium seating for 2852 people, as well as an escalator, concession stand, and welcome center/gift shop.

Since Medora is on Mountain time and the musical doesn’t start until 8:30 p.m., I was a little concerned about how my kids would manage after a day of sight-seeing.  I shouldn’t have worried; the musical’s singing, dancing, and featured Chinese acrobats kept them ooohing and ahhhing throughout the show.  My five-year-old fell asleep on my lap for the end of the show, but the boys were entertained until the end.

The cast of the musical comes from around the country, and the kids were excited that we had seen some of them in downtown Medora during the day, so there were some familiar faces to watch.  They also enjoyed the entrance of Medora’s Cowboy Lyle on his horse.  Cowboy Lyle has been a part of every show for the past 35 years.

During the musical, there’s a song where the children are invited down on the stage, and the kids thought this was great.  Because we attended on a Wednesday, which includes free admission for kids to the musical as part of Medora’s children’s day program, there were quite a number of kids in attendance.

One fixture of the show from year to year is a bit of Theodore Roosevelt woven into the story.  Theodore Roosevelt plays a large part in the area’s history, and is always included in the musical.

After the show, I asked my daughter what her favorite part was.  “Everything!” was her response.  And as we were walking out, my eight-year-old son asked, “Mom, if they do a Medora Musical another time, can we come again?”  Two weeks later, they’re still asking to go back, and my six-year-old recently renamed his souvenir stuffed buffalo from “Buffy” to “Buffalo Dale,” the name of the musical’s host.

Before you go to the Medora Musical, there are some things you should know:  the performance begins at 8:30 p.m. and runs for about two hours, including intermission.  The outdoor air gets cool in the evenings, so dress warmly and bring a blanket.  (Don’t worry, you won’t look silly;  many people bring blankets to the show and they’re the ones who aren’t shivering at the end of the evening.)

If you’re heading to Medora, North Dakota’s #1 tourist destination, the Medora Musical is something you won’t want to miss.  It’s a family-friendly show that your kids will enjoy.  My kids tell everyone it was their favorite part of our North Dakota vacation.

Note: We received complimentary tickets to the Medora Musical.  This does not affect my assessment of the show.
This post has been included in Family Friday at HomemakerBarbi.

I’d heard about Old Log Theatre many times but had never been there before. I was surprised at how easy it was to get to; like other things in Excelsior, it’s off the highway but not by much. We got there quite early, so we took the kids for a walk on the trail that runs adjacent to the theatre; this helped get some of the wiggles out.

Tickets for the production are $15 each but I had a coupon that took $5 off each. There were no Ticketmaster fees, so the face value of the ticket is exactly what we paid. I was impressed that there were no hidden fees.

The theatre is spacious but not so big that you’d have a bad seat anywhere. During the summer weekday performances, there are many school and camp groups that visit, but the first two rows are kept available for families who want to see the production. We sat in the front row and it was nice for the kids to be close to the action.

Thankfully, the seats were not so springy as to make a clunky noise if a child stood up. My girls were a bit fearful of the dimmed stage and pirates, so they spent much of the show on my lap. It really wasn’t very scary, and I wouldn’t hesitate to take children three and up to the show.

The play was 70 minutes long and included one audience sign-along song which gave the kids a chance to move around a bit. The singing and dancing kept the kids entertained, and there was just enough humor to keep me laughing. The acting was professional and it was easy to hear everything. It’s been a while since I read Treasure Island, so I don’t know how closely the play follows the story, but for a piece of entertainment, it was enjoyable for kids and adults alike.

You can bet that the Old Log Theatre children’s show will be on our annual summer to-do list. With its reasonable price, family-friendliness, and excellent show, it’s a winner for introducing kids to the theatre.