Grand Rapids Children’s Museum

Oh It's ON!

May 26, 2010 By bigbinder 1 Comment

Summer, I mean. And the air conditioning; for a few days anyway until some Canadian air mass blows in and cools things off. I tell you what, being in Michigan is hard work. We are constantly assaulted, if it’s not Canadian air, it’s Asian Carp by way of Chicago. Good thing we can still get together and celebrate our Michigan-ness. Have you read the comments and posts (you have to click on that “McLinky” thing)? Wonderful stuff!

The kids and ended up making Michigan pancakes instead of cookies.

And also, a lizard.

My husband is from Arizona, and since I don’t have an Arizona cookie cutter he made a lizard in that state’s honor. He’s very fair-minded, that A.P. Although, thinking back - how hard would it have been to free-hand the shape of Arizona?

Well, I’ll let a blogger from that state answer such pressing questions. On to weekend fun.

It’s Memorial Day weekend, of course. Here are my picks for where frugal, family-friendly, and interesting intersect:

May 31 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM Coopersville Rail Road Troop Train – Free for vets, everyone else over 2 years old is $7.50 (it’s usually $10.50).
Various parades around town as compiled by GR Now.
Farmers’ Markets are starting to pick up a bit; use this listing from the Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council to find one near you.
If you have a Grand Rapid Children’s Museum or a Meijer Gardens membership, this is the last week for the cultural exchange between the two. We went to the GRCM last week on a sunny afternoon and it turned out to be accidental genius. No one else was there.
It’s also the last week for the Big, Big, BUGS! exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. We liked the exhibit, but not the planetarium show.
Check out a Whitecaps Baseball game (but be sure and read my tips here first to see if you can save on tickets!).
Relax. This is it before open houses, weddings, camps, and the hectic lives we lead in the summer making sure we enjoy every minute.

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Filed Under: Things to do Thursday Tagged With: Baseball, children, farmers' markets, Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Children's Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum, kids, Meijer Gardens, Memorial Day, Michigan Week, things to do, Whitecaps

Things To Do

March 2, 2010 By bigbinder 1 Comment

It’s a little early for the “Things to Do” post, but there are two contests for Playhouse Disney Live tickets to Saturday’s show and I wanted to give you all a fighting chance. Head over to GR Kids and Stacey Says to find out more and to enter. Good luck!

The Zoo reopened Monday after a winter and budget induced three month closing, but there is a Grand Re-Opening Bash on Saturday. Personally, I’m going to wait until the weather is a little warmer. I know what you’re going to say. The animals are more active when it’s cold. Here’s the problem with that: I’m more cold when it’s cold.

The Home And Garden Show runs all weekend and while it isn’t exactly a kid’s event but they have a lot of kid-specific activities planned this year. I’m glad to hear that, because last year there were some professional sand castle builders who were very intense and serious about their craft, and a mob of kids who wanted to play in the sand and it got kind of ugly. There is nothing worse than getting the stink eye from a Sand Castle Builder.

The Grand Rapids Symphony presents Ferdinand the Bull Saturday. If you can’t go to one of the school performances, this is worth going on the weekend. It’s a fantastic book and your kids will love it.

Blandford Nature Center’s Sugarbush is back. This is a fantastic and unique learning opportunity you will be hearing more about from me next week. I love me some maple syrup and need an entire post dedicated to it’s harvest.

On Sunday, a warmer, free-er event is happening at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. The Target Free Sunday series wraps up. Get it while it lasts, folks.

Meijer Gardens brought back its butterflies. Personally, they freak me out but I go every year. For the children. We have a membership, but you can win tickets from GR Now too (hurry and enter by Wednesday!) Or, check out the Circulating Membership for a free pass from the Grand Rapids Public Library.

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Filed Under: Things to do Thursday Tagged With: Blandford Nature Center, Circulating Membership, Ferdinand the Bull, Grand Rapids Children's Museum, Grand Rapids Symphony, John Ball Park Zoo, Meijer Gardens, Playhouse Disney Live, Sugarbush, Target Free Sunday, West Michigan Home and Garden Show

Happy Thursday (I think)

June 18, 2009 By bigbinder 1 Comment

I just had to laugh for a minute because I couldn’t remember what day it was when I sat down to write this. That is my definition of summer. My computer is taking a summer vacation too. What it doesn’t know is that I am shopping for a new computer. One that doesn’t tease me, and let me create some nice posts, and calendars, and then abruptly shut down so it can’t even hear me scream at it for making me waste so much time.

The bike weekends are over. My husband reminded me that he could be one of those guys who hunts, and is gone for weeks at a time. He’s right. What he doesn’t know is that he’s about to get a list of what I could be doing for my own personal entertainment that would make his life rough. Just in time for Father’s Day!

The kids and I saw Up! (meh), and Willy Wonka at the Civic (awesome). We also saw Mufaro the Story King at the library and have been reading like fiends so as to collect upon our Reading Program Swag. No I haven’t forgotten to compile the program information for y’all. My computer ate part of it and I have to re-do it.

I do have some goodies to tell you about. First, the Kalamazoo Air Zoo has free admission all summer. This is amazing – and is definitely on our list of things to do this summer. I read about it at Grand Rapids Tightwad. The press release is on the Air Zoo’s website, which has further details about the cost of rides.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is also making entertainment a little less expensive this summer. According to REVUE, they are having “71 Days of Fun” and dropping admission prices to $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. I don’t know if this eliminates free admission for GR residents on Monday or not though.

While you’re checking that out, hang around REVUE a minute. They have some contests with pretty sweet odds. I know this because I won a gift certificate to GRPD (Grand Rapids Pizza Delivery).

It’s not on the John Ball Park Zoo’s website yet, but there is information on the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum site about “Monkey See Monkey Do” on July 16th. It’s a trolley that shuttles you and your kids around to the three locations. We’ve done the Penguin Express, the Lions (I REALLY went to town on that; read about it here), and are totally looking forward to the monkeys. I love a good theme and am currently working on reading materials, crafts, and snacks to augment the experience. Tickets go on sale June 22 – get them at the Zoo or Douglas J.

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Filed Under: Things I Love Thursday Tagged With: Douglas J Aveda Salon, Free Admission Air Zoo, Grand Rapids Children's Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum, John Ball Park Zoo, Monkey See Monkey Do

The Best News Since Hockey Season Ended

May 28, 2008 By bigbinder 4 Comments

I know a few of you took advantage of the great deal my friend Jill told me about - the one where you could trade in a used Griffin’s ticket for a free service at Douglas J Aveda Institute.

An event called, “The Mane Event”, brings back free haircuts for doing fun things with our kids. According to GR Now and Grand Rapids Family Magazine, this event will be held Thursday, June 18 from 11:00am-3:00pm. **Correction: This is Thursday June 19th from 11:00am-3:00pm.**

You can go to the Zoo and see the new lions exhibit, which is brought to you by Bissell in case that fact somehow managed to escape you (but I doubt it…)

You can also visit the Douglas J. Aveda Institute for face painting and fun ”mane”-styling for kids, and a little pampering for grown-ups. Also, you can play at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and make a Lion Mane Mask to take home.

There is free parking at the Zoo and a trolley will be running between all 3 locations with snacks and prizes. Here is the best part – receive a gift certificate for a complimentary haircut from the Douglas J Aveda Institute so kids and adults can come back and get their “manes” tamed!”

I hereby award Douglas J. Aveda Institute the Big Binder Community Involvement award. I hereby award myself the right to make up awards as I see fit.

Tickets are $8 per person ages 2 years old and above. Children under 2 are free. John Ball Zoo and GRCM Pals members receive $2 off. That’s a lot for six bucks. Advance tickets are available. Call John Ball Zoo at (616) 336-4300 or visit the Douglas J Aveda Institute at 138 Commerce Ave. SW in downtown Grand Rapids.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Douglas J, Grand Rapids Children's Museum, John Ball Park Zoo, The Mane Event, Trolley

What to do?

July 21, 2007 By bigbinder Leave a Comment

If you are looking for something to do on Thursday nights, I have a great suggestion. The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum has family night from 5:00-8:00 and admission is only $1.50!!

The way we do it at our house is just head down after an early dinner. That way, we don’t have to pay for parking and the kids aren’t crabby from being hungry.

We just pay our tiny little admission fee and let the kids play with bubbles, dress up like firefighters, and check out the bee hive until they are completely worn out. They are ready for bed by the time we get home.

Anything that is inexpensive and makes bedtime easier is a welcome activity. The fact that Thursday nights at the Children’s Museum is both makes this very worthy of a Grand Rapids Great Deal Saturday!