10 Tips for Taking Kids to the Fair

fair

  Fairs are a fun activity to do with families, but they can also be a lot of work. Rides, animals, food…so much fun!  Here are 10 tips for taking kids to the fair. 

HOW MANY RIDES WILL YOU DO?

Decide before you get there how many rides you are going to allow them to go on.  Some fairs have unlimited rides but others require individual tickets and that can cost a fortune.

   MINIMUM HEIGHT REQUIREMENT

Nothing is worse than having your kid wait in line only to find out they are one inch too short to ride.  Save the tears and have them check the height requirements first.  There is usually a place to measure your height right at the entrance. 

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Summer 2021 Bucket List

Summer 2021 Bucket List

 

Happy first day of summer!!!

Summers are short and sweet in New England so we always make the most of them. We try to spend our days outside and make every moment count.  A Summer Bucket List helps keep us on track and creating one lets us daydream of days to come.  Last summer was a crazy one, but it did let us fill our days with family time.  Here is our list for 2021!!

Go to a drive-in movie

Sunset dinners at the sandbar

Watch all of the X-Men movies 

Go to Lake Fest, a summer concert on the water

Make our own gelato with fresh fruit

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10 Tips for Taking Kids to a Drive-In During COVID-19

10 Tips for Taking Kids to a Drive-In

Although the word is full of unknowns, we can’t stop having fun and making memories.  We simply need to figure out how to do it safely.  One good thing about social isolation, is it brought back some nostalgic activities…like baking bread, family game night, and movie nights.  Every summer we do something that screams nostalgia…DRIVE-IN MOVIES! Do you know there are less than 350 drive-ins left in the US? I wasn’t going to let anything stop us from doing it this summer.  Here is an article I wrote last summer, but I’ve added some tips for safely doing it during COVID-19. Enjoy!

One fun thing to do during summer is take your family to the drive-in.  Not only is it cheap (It was only $28 for a car of 4 people), but it’s a fun nostalgic thing you can do together.  Many drive-ins run throughout late summer/early fall in New England but in many parts of the country they are lucky to have them run year-round. 

Here are 10 Tips for Taking Kids to a Drive-In:

 BEACH CHAIRS/CAMP CHAIRS

 Most people don’t sit in their cars like I had expected.  Cars get hot and the windows can get foggy so it’s best to find a spot in front of your car.  Bring a chair you can comfortably sit in for 2 hours.  One family even brought bean bags for their kids! (Many drive-ins are operating at 50% capacity and making you leave space in between cars.  Practice social distancing by always keeping 6-feet away from others and wear a mask if you’re near others.)

 THINK COZY

 There’s no one to impress, so dress code is all about being cozy.  This is the time to bring out the yoga pants or sweats.  Even better…best things for kids to wear to the drive-in are their PJ’s! 

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10 Tips for Going to the Beach During Covid-19

Summer for our family always includes trips to the beach to build sand castles, go boogie boarding, read, and play games in the sand.  Last summer we thought we might miss out our summer tradition, but we made it. We hadn’t gone ANYWHERE all summer, so it was a hard decision to make. With a little planning, we spent an amazing day at the beach and can’t wait to go again this summer.

Here are 10 tips for going to the beach during Covid-19:

GET THERE EARLY

The early bird gets the worm…as well as the best beach spot.  They may be limiting the number of people allowed in, so it’s a good idea to get there before the crowds.

STAY 6-FEET APART

By now you know…6-feet apart is the new norm, and at the beach I would suggest WAY more than that.  No one wants people sitting close to them (even when there’s not a pandemic going on…lol), so make sure you are far enough away that everyone feels comfortable.  You also want to be respectful and stay away when you are playing games, going on walks, and collecting shells around others.

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Pineapple Ketch Sailboat, Kennebunkport

All aboard…

Your adventure starts when you arrive at the gorgeous Nonantum Resort

and head down to their docks towards the amazing 1976 Pineapple Ketch sailboat.

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Blue Lagoon with Kids: 10 Tips

When many people imagine Iceland they immediately think of the Blue Lagoon.  Pinterest is flooded with pictures of this amazing man-made geothermal pool.  It is a great way to start or end your vacation since it is so close to the airport and the whole family will have fun there. 

Here are 10 tips on doing the Blue Lagoon with kids:

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25 Ultimate Gifts for Kids

As winter approaches, many schools are reverting back to remote learning.  In fact, many schools around us are going remote right after Thanksgiving.  This year, my guide for kids is made up of gifts they can use in the home.  This is a perfect time to create family memories, build their creativity, or learn a new skill. Here are…

25 Ultimate Gifts for Kids

DIY BATH BOMBS

Essential Oil Bath Bomb DIY Kit:  This kit includes everything they need to make 15 luxurious, all-natural bath bombs. The pre-measured ingredients, and a no mess clean-up make this the perfect gift for everyone.  By following their step-by-step instructions, they can make their own bath bombs from scratch in the comfort of their own home.

GRAVITY MAZE

ThinkFun Gravity Maze Marble Run Brain Game:  This kit contains 60 challenges from beginner to expert, a game grid, 9 towers, 1 target piece, and 3 marbles.  They can play their way through the challenges, build spatial reasoning, and planning skills. It is partly an engineering and building toy that provides a great stealth learning experience for young players

BUG CATCHING KIT

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Smolak Farm

Smolak Farm

North Andover, MA

Smolak Farms is a working farm that combines agriculture, education, and entertainment in a unique way!

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Pineland Farm

Another beautiful farm I visited was Pineland Farm, in New Gloucester, Maine.  I visited this farm when I was staying in Freeport for the night.

Pineland Farm

New Gloucester, Maine

Pineland Farm is a 5,000-acre working farm that welcomes visitors to enjoy its beautiful rural landscape.

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Wolfe Neck Center (Fall Visit)

Wolfe Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment

Wolfe Neck is a nonprofit farm with 626 oceanfront acres and 4 miles of Casco Bay shoreline that is open to the public every day. A few years back I was given a tour of the farm.  Take a peek at my post about it.

This fall, I decided to bring my bike to the farm and spend a relaxing morning riding along its gorgeous views of the coast, visiting the animals, and breathing in that coastal air!

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