Fun For Kids in ATX

I have really enjoyed writing this blog. It started out as an assignment, but it helped me spend some time with my son exploring the city. There are still a lot of places we have to show you all. I would like to add more things such as a photo gallery and also make my posts on the same day and at the same time so people can expect them. This experience is sure to benefit me in the future in showing my son all the memories we have made. That being said, I hope you take the time to make your own with your kids.

WordPress has been fantastic and really easy to use. The widget setting has to be my favorite because it allows you to see my Twitter timeline in case you were trying to find me on there. I would definitely use this in my future career. Now I know more about the blogging experience and see the whole work that goes on behind the “camera”.

I was excited to get some likes and follows on here as well! Not to mention some shout outs on Twitter from some of the places we visited. My most popular week was in October, I got 21 views! Yay! I was honestly surprised that many people had gone in to read it, and also that eight people liked it. My most popular post was the Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt one, it got 11 views and I think it was because I promoted it on Twitter and their account replied and retweeted it. I hope you all have enjoyed my blogs, thanks for reading! And feel free to follow me on Twitter.

Hop N Happy is an indoor inflatable playground. It has a variety of bounce houses designed for all ages. Some are specifically for children five and under, while others are for all ages. There are about 5 different ones in the facility. It is indoor, so it’s the perfect place to take your kids during this cold winter!

This spot is open seven days a week and the best part about it is that the pass lasts ALL day! It is very well kept and clean, as well as colorful for the kids. The bounce houses are perfectly inflated, unlike I’ve seen at other places, so the kids won’t keep sinking in them. You can easily keep an eye on your kids and relax because the place is just the right size, not too big. Admission:

• Children five and under: $7.75
• Children five to 10: $9.50
• Adults and babies enter free
• Save $2 on admission from Monday through Thursday from 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
• Hours:
  • Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
  • Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
  • Sunday: 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
• Remember, passes last all day!

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Bounce houses for children five and under include a zoo theme with animals and a basketball hoop and slide. The others are for all ages and they’re a variety of obstacle courses where you can climb and slide down and a foam pit. You can also bring snacks if you plan to stay all day or leave to eat and come back. You can plan a birthday party here too! So, if this sounds like something your kids might enjoy and would like more info, make sure to check out their website. I’m sure you’ll both enjoy a nap after bouncing all day!

Winter is known for its holiday light tradition. I know everybody likes to see the city decorated, even if it’s just your neighborhood. The nice thing about this tradition is that the whole family gets involved decorating and visiting places. Not only will you spend time together, but you’ll also be able to take tons of pictures and make great memories.  However, there are a few places around town designated especially for this, including:

• Winter Wonderland at Circuit of the Americas
• The Trail of Lights in Downtown Austin
• Downtown Round Rock

Winter Wonderland:

COTA’s theme this year is the Chinese Lantern Festival. Winter Wonderland has recently been added to the traditional light shows, it is now its second consecutive year. But, it is sure a favorite, who doesn’t love ice skating?! They also have a petting zoo, camel and train rides, carnival rides and much more. To see all the activities, visit their website.

•  Tickets are $16 for adults and kids older than five.
• Children five and under enter free.
• There is free parking in lot A, with a shuttle that will drive you to the entrance. Parking in other lots is $10.
• It will be open from December 13-30
• Friday and Saturday from 6:00 p.m.- 11:00 p.m.
• Sunday-Thursday from 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Trail of Lights:

Monday will be the grand opening and general admission will be free from December 10-13, after that it will be $3 per person. There are less activities than at Winter Wonderland, it is more walking while enjoying the lights and eating from different food trucks. You can park in the street, but it is difficult to find a good and close spot, so arrive early. The lights start at 7:00 p.m. and end at 10:00 p.m. They will be open from the 10^th-23^rd. So, check out their calendar  to plan and get tickets before they sell out!

Downtown Round Rock:

Main Street is now decorated for the holidays too! There is also a display and Christmas tree in front of the library. There is a parking garage around it, so you can park there, take pictures and walk around downtown. You can eat at one of the restaurants around. Check out more events in Round Rock.

Head out around the city and enjoy the beautiful holiday lights!

The holidays have started and I will be adding more posts of holiday spots you can visit. Meanwhile, check out my video for our favorite things to do this season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu-1vX2qcy4

Rabb Park, or Play for All Abilities Park, is located at 151 N A.W. Grimes Blvd. It is a great place to spend time with your kids, one of the best parks I have ever been to in the city. It has different pods and activities for kids. The best part is that the park designed for all children to play, including children with disabilities. It is fairly new, therefore, it’s kept in great shape and always clean.

Some of the pods around the park feature different activities. Every playground is accommodated for children with disabilities, ranging from swings to spinning games. There’s a train slide, a tree house, different kinds of swings, sand boxes and musical games. But the coolest part of all is the mini-city area. It is built specially for kids, and they can ride their bikes around H-E-B, Wag-a-Bag, the city library, car wash, among others.

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Your kids will never want to leave this awesome park, so be prepared to be here for a few hours. Even you will have fun trying the zip line swings. Not only is the park fun, but it includes educational games, such as the musical ones, that will help your children develop their senses. There is also a trail, so you can take a walk before or after. Go have some fun while learning with your kids, or race in the speedway and check out their page for more information!

Speedway. Photo by Ana Ramos

Fire Station in the mini-city. Photo by Jessica Ramos

Educational content. Photo by Jessica Ramos

Police car. Photo by Jessica Ramos.

Get Chik-Fil-A on your bike! Photo by Jessica Ramos.

Kyle Maxwell at the mini-city. Photo by Jessica Ramos.

Brushy Creek Lake Park is a great family spot with many activities and vegetation to be explored. The park is located at 3300 Brushy Creek Road. It includes a lake and entrance is free. However, some activities are charged, such as renting canoes or kayaks. Other things to-do include:

• Cycling
• Hiking
• Running
• Fishing
• Playgrounds
• Splash Pad
• Volleyball

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The park is interconnected with three other parks by a trail.  The other parks are Champion Park, the Twin Lakes YMCA Park and Brushy Creek Sports Park. People can always be seen running and riding their bike throughout the four parks, as well as playing baseball, football, soccer and skating in the fields. Each park has different playgrounds and sand boxes, except the Twin Lakes Park. But, you can feed the ducks and geese, as well as hike to another park from there.

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Enjoy some of the nice weather out with you family at any of these beautiful parks. Get away from work and electronics to spend quality time. You can even have a birthday party in one of the pavilions. Workout or play together, but check these out and enjoy the views!

Other blogs…

I found another blog that’s similar to mine and had to check it out. Trekaroo is awesome because they include fun places for kids in Austin too, but they also have guides, distinct destinations in various countries and help with booking trips. They summarize each place shortly, but efficiently, to make you want to go. So make sure to check their blog!

For this week’s blog, I visited my favorite burger place- Phil’s Ice House. This place has the best burgers in town! They have many kinds of burgers in their menu, but they also serve:

• Chicken sandwiches
• Hot dogs
• Corn dogs
• Grilled cheese sandwiches
• Original and sweet potato fries

They not only have delicious burgers, but an awesome playground outside as well. The playground has slides, a little house and spinning games, along with tables to eat outside while keeping an eye on the kids.

Their awesome playground

More fun for the kids!

And if you’re still hungry for dessert, Amy’s Ice Cream is Phil’s neighbor. Only a glass door stands between your entree and dessert. Amy’s ice cream flavors frequently rotate, but a town favorite is Mexican Vanilla. Other flavors include:

• Sweet Cream
• Belgian Chocolate
• Coffee
• Strawberry
  • Guinness (for parents)
  • Brandy Alexander (for parents)

iFly is also next to Amy’s and Phil’s, adding on to the fun. So, if you like to support local places, make sure to check them out. They also sell merchandise, including cool shirts and inflatable jumping cows. Your kids won’t want to go anywhere else for dinner!

Rain has been nonstop the last couple of days, which sets the perfect mood for my favorite place. Catch Air is an indoor play area for children ages one through 16. I love this place because it is so clean and full of colorful games, that even I end up playing.

Admission (Goes up $3 on weekends):

• $7 for children two and under,
• $11 for kids three to 16
• Two adults get free entrance for every child they bring.

It is worth every dollar because you can spend hours here and I can almost guarantee nap time for your kiddos when you leave.

There are a bunch of fun activities, including:

• Ball pit
• Light up dance floor
• Cannon Ball
• Distinct play structures for different ages
• Inflatable slide
• Interactive screens with various games
• Party room reservations

Some Shots I took from the inside

There is free Wi-Fi, so parents are free to sit and work while their children play. They even have massaging recliners! But if you have younger kids like I do, then you can get your work-out in while following them around.  And don’t worry about bigger kids bothering the small ones, there are height requirements for certain areas to prevent this.

There are random dance parties, the lights are dimmed and laser lights come up, sometimes they add bubbles! The play structures include electronic elements as well, so it’s not just still slides.

They recently changed their hours of operation and now open at an earlier time during weekdays. Promotions include:

• If you visit this month before 10 a.m., you get 50% off your admission!
• 50% off on birthday parties booked in September and October on certain days
• A chance to win a free pass if you post a picture/video on Instagram and tag them @CatchAirAustinTx

So make sure to check out their website at CatchAirParty.com to sign up for e-mail promotions, different locations and all the details!