Kids

Day Out with Thomas in Phillipsburg, NJ

When I heard about 'Day Out with Thomas', I thought it sounded fun, but, this event completely exceeded my expectations. 

Here's what I expected:

Ride the Thomas train with my family and buy some Thomas merchandise.  Take lots of photos in front of the 15-ton replica of everybody’s favorite #1 engine.

Here's what it was really like: 

We first spotted the huge welcome banner hanging high at the entrance of the festival area. There was a gigantic tent set up with Thomas merchandise (as expected). But, to my surprise, there was also a water sprinkler set up so the kids could cool off in the summer heat, and two large moon bounces for the kids to bounce around.

We wandered down the hill towards the railroad tracks and my children's eyes lit up.  It was like a mini village set up with various kid-friendly activities.  There was spin art, coloring areas, a stamping station, temporary tattoos, train tables and megablocks for the kids to play with.  This was just one tent!

There was also an area with farm animals for the kids to pet and admire. Another tent gave kids a chance to get their photo taken with Sir Topham Hatt.  You could also get your photo taken with the real train conductors. We also saw a juggling performer at another area. There was a good variety of food and drinks for sale. 

Riding the train was warm (no A/C), but still lots of fun. Each child received an official certificiate to commemorate their big day out.

From a mom's perspective, I was really impressed that they had a hand washing station and ample potties. There were tons of volunteers and employees to help out.  Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. 

So, when they say "Day out with Thomas" they really mean it.  You could spend hours at the event and always be doing something different. It was an afternoon filled with non-stop entertainment and we really had a fantastic day in Phillipsburg, NJ.  

My kids had their grandparents along for our big Day out with Thomas, so our train ride was extra special. It was so nice seeing my boys enjoy this fun-filled day with their Mom-mom and Pop-pop.

Memories of a lifetime in the making!

For more information about Day Out with Thomas check here for details.

Minor League Baseball Games are Fun for Kids

Last night, I went to my first ever Minor League Baseball game in Wilmington, Delaware.  If you've never taken your kids to one of these games, you have to go!

My boys are 3 and 5, so sitting through several hours of baseball can be tough. That's why a Minor League game is perfect.  The venue was much smaller than a Major League stadium, so everyone there had good seats. The crowd was full of families with young children.  There was a moon bounce, a clown, on-field entertainment throughout the game to keep the kids entertained. My boys couldn't get enough of these dog riding monkeys who were at the game last night, too. Parking was free.  And, the tickets were a fraction of what it would have cost to go to a Phillies game.  To top it all off, at the end of the game their was a beautiful fireworks display right over the field, which was the perfect way to end the night.

Our spontaneous night out to see the Wilmington Bue Rocks was a success.  Especially since my kids were so exhausted that they both slept in their beds all night and didn't wake up once. : ) 

So, Minor League Baseball gets two thumbs up from this mom!  If you're looking for an entertaining night out with your family, you should definitely consider going to a Minor League Game.  It's extremely family friendly, affordable and FUN!