Austin. Mom. Blog. » Events for Kids

Sky Ridge Plaza Pumpkin Fest

Dianna — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:23:33 +0000

We are definitely checking out the Sky Ridge Plaza Pumpkin Fest in Round Rock tomorrow. I just confirmed the plans. The festival will still take place if it rains. There will be tents set up. This will be our third year to participate in the event. The event is totally free. The link I provided will give more detail on what will be there. http://www.skyridgeplaza.com/pumpkinfest2010.html

I confirmed that the costume contest will take place at 5:00 p.m. and will be judged by three categories. They will be judged by the most scariest, cutest, and most original. The festival is from 12 to 9. I’m sure it will be as much fun as it has been in the past.

Fall Fun Festival at Old Settlers Park

Dianna — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:39:30 +0000

October is filled with fun events. I love this time of year. It’s the beginning of all the holidays and nice cool weather. The one event I will definitely take my four year old to is the Fall Fun Festival in Old Settlers Park located in Round Rock, Texas. It’s on Thursday, October 28th from 9 a.m. to 11:30. We have attended this event for three years in a row. My six year old has outgrown the event since it’s geared toward preschoolers and toddlers. Fortunately Andrew (my six year old) will be in school and won’t realize he’s missing out. It’s a free event that includes treat bags, games, a hay ride, a chance to see a fire truck up close, and refreshments. They encourage the children to come in costume. It’s also encouraged to bring a canned item to donate to the Round Rock Serving Center. I’m a little sad that this will be my last year of getting to participate in the event. My little boy is growing up. I will just have to treasure it.

Hairy Man Festival

Dianna — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:28:18 +0000

What a crazy name for a festival! The Hairy Man Festival is held every year in Round Rock rain or shine. I know that first hand since last year we went while it was raining. It was still fun, but I would have rather been without the rain. I’m hoping this year it’s not a muggy, rainy, and very muddy experience. The festival included performances by local schools, food booths, and a lot of games. The entry fee is two perishable items or $2 each person. The festival also includes a contest for the hairiest man. Fortunately, we never stick around for that. But hey, maybe that’s fun for some people. We can’t wait to go this Saturday, September 25th from 11 to 6. We like to go right when it opens at 11 so we aren’t fighting too many lines or crowds. My oldest son, Andrew enjoys the cake walk the most. Collin, my youngest enjoys the train ride. I hope they are both there this year. Either way, we will be there.

My Boys on the Train Ride Last Year

A Game Finding Toys in a Haystack

The KidFish Experience

Dianna — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:41:26 +0000

Saturday morning I woke up the boys early so we could be at Lake Pflugerville by nine. I wanted to be there when it first started because I didn’t know what to expect. When we arrived it wasn’t too crowded. We turned in our registration form and then proceeded to get poles and bait. KidFish provided both. The bait was chicken liver. We weren’t allowed to start fishing until nine. The objective was to catch a fish, bring it to their measuring station and then hope your fish would be the biggest one at 12. We stayed for almost two hours and didn’t get one nibble. Unfortunately noboby did either. I’m not sure how the rest of the day played out, but Andrew had a blast. He wanted to stay until 12, but Collin got restless after two hours. I am very pleased Collin lasted that long. We all had a great time and will definitely go again the next opportunity we get.

KidFish at Lake Pflugerville

Dianna — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:34:45 +0000

There will be a “KidFish” at Lake Pflugerville this Saturday, June 5th from 9 to 12. Our family hasn’t had the chance to experience this event, but I will definitely let everyone know how it goes. From what I read, the idea behind “Kid Fish” is for children to appreciate the sport of fishing. Also, they hope that children respect the environment and its natural resources. On the city of Pflugerville’s website there is a registration form that needs to be filled out to participate in the event. The form is to be taken to the event on Saturday. It is a free event, but I was told by the recreation department of Pflugerville that if you make a donation, the participant can receive a t-shirt or trophy. I wasn’t told how much the donation had to be. So, my guess is if it’s $100, I will have to pass. Either way it sounds fun and since Andrew loves to fish, we will definitely be there.

Free Family Summer Movies

Dianna — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:07:03 +0000

Last year I was informed of free family movies during the summer. Fortunately, Regal Entertainment Group is providing the same this summer. On specific dates Lakeline Cinemas, Westgate 11, and Arbor @ Great Hills are offering families to attend free movies at 10 a.m. It’s a great way to fill in the calendar with things to do. The movies are not new releases, but it’s a great way to try out the theater experience with the kids. That was my thought last year. I wanted to see if my boys would sit still through a movie. Collin (which was 3 at the time) had a hard time. I had to bring reinforcements. I brought a lollipop. We only went once last summer, but plan to try out more this year. So, if you’re like me and want to get out of the Texas heat every once in awhile, this whole “free movie” is worth it.

Movies in the Park

Dianna — Sat, 29 May 2010 14:24:25 +0000

We have never got to experience a movie in the park yet, but plan to on Friday, June 4th. In Round Rock at Old Settlers Park there will be a showing of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” Activities start at 7:30, but the movie will start at dark. According to the Round Rock website there will be a concession stand. The movie and parking are free. I do not know how much the snacks at the stand will be. I will definitely write about how our experience was.

Deutschen Pfest

Dianna — Wed, 19 May 2010 02:20:02 +0000

On Saturday we went to the Deutschen Pfest in Pflugerville Texas. The boys and I had a great time. The only reason we left after a few hours is because I ran out of cash. I will keep in mind to bring more next year. We started Saturday morning by joining the Children’s Parade on Main Street in Pflugerville. We only walked four blocks with other children, but it was totally worth it. The boys thought it was pretty cool to be waving to onlookers. I pulled them in our red wagon and we all wore our t-ball Dodgers shirts. I wasn’t aware that the kids get ribbons. Every participant got a green ribbon. They also judged the parade and to my surprise we placed second and also got a ribbon for that. Way cool! After the Children’s Parade we stayed on the side of the road and watched the Main Parade come through. The boys got tons of candy and even received a popsicle. The popsicle was a huge hit since it was hot and humid. We headed to the festival afterwards. I thought it would be a good idea to check out the booths for something to eat so we ate in the festival. The boys ate hot dogs. Each one was two dollars and they were so overwhelmed with everything around them, they only ate half of it. So, for next year I will try to feed them lunch before we go into the festival. We went directly to the children’s activities after lunch. There were inflatables (free), a petting zoo that cost $2.00 for ten minutes per person, a train ride that cost $3.00, horses to ride for $3.00, face painting (free), and a clown making balloons (free). My boys still had the same interests as last year. Andrew’s favorite was the petting zoo and Collin’s favorite was the train ride. Since I only had a few dollars after all the activities, I allowed for each boy to pick one game to play. They both chose the paintball game. For five paintball shots it cost $1.00 and then they got to choose a prize. There was still so much we could have done, but my cash flow ran out. There were plenty of food booths that had ice cream, funnel cakes, kettle corn, cotton candy, fajitas, hamburgers, barbecue, and so much more. A funnel cake kept crossing my mind. The Deutschen Pfest also had carnival rides and games. I didn’t even walk that way with the boys since the cash was out. I definitely know for next year to bring a lot more cash and to make sure my husband is off of work to enjoy the festival with us. We had such an entertaining time and can’t wait to go back next year.

Andrew Holding a Rabbit at the Petting Zoo

Collin on the Train Ride

Deutschen Pfest in Pflugerville

Dianna — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:11:57 +0000

There’s an annual festival in Pflugerville called the Deutschen Pfest this weekend. We plan to go if the weather permits. We went last year and the boys had a lot of fun. My youngest son Collin loved the train ride and Andrew (my oldest) liked the face painting the most. The petting zoo (which I hope they’re having) is always a big hit. For the first time we will participate in the Children’s Parade. We will walk with other families on Main Street in our wagon. I’m really hoping the weather will clear out overnight. Rain or shine, the festival will still go on. I’m just not sure if I want to take the boys in rain. We will just have to wait and see how this Texas weather pans out.

Mother’s Day

Dianna — Wed, 12 May 2010 03:12:47 +0000

I’m hoping every mom had a great Mother’s Day. I certainly did. My two sons covered me with cards, hugs, and kisses throughout the whole day. With the boys getting older they have a better understanding of what holidays are about and it is truly special to see it through their eyes. We relaxed for the first part of the day, but from 2 to 4 my oldest son (Andrew) and I got to enjoy a Mother’s Day Workshop at Young Chef’s Academy in Round Rock. My youngest son Collin is very active and I didn’t foresee him sitting through a two hour class. Once the workshop was over my predictions were absolutely true. Fortunately Collin had a great time with his uncle and aunt while Andrew and I cooked sweet potato bread, truffles, and strawberries dipped in white chocolate. Young Chef’s Academy went out of their way to make us moms feel special. When we first arrived they made each mom a large construction paper hat with a flower to attach. Afterwards we went into their cooking class rooms and made delicious sweets. Not only was it fun, but we got to eat everything we made. To my surprise the academy had a small plant pot to decorate for our dipped strawberries. It was a unique keepsake. I’m hoping to do the workshop again next year with the whole family. After the workshop we celebrated with my mom’s family and we always have a great time with them, so the day ended in pure bliss. I’m truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and treasure being a mom.

Austin’s Park and Pizza

Dianna — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:30:19 +0000

Recently we visited Austin’s Park and Pizza. I know it as Austin’s Park and Pizza, but its website states Austin’s Park. Either way we had a blast. To celebrate with just our immediate family (the four of us) Andrew decided to go to Austin’s Park. We only visit once a year due to the price. Overall I believe the price isn’t horrible, but when you pay for four it adds up. It’s $22.95 per person and doesn’t include tax. They have specials during the week to get it cheaper, but we always try to look for the coupons with buy one admission, get one free. It makes it a lot more reasonable. Our visit this past week was perfect. We went on a Tuesday from 3 to 8. There were no crowds or lines. We basically shared the whole facility with 20 people. Since we last visited, there were changes. The admission price used to include golf and unlimited video games. This isn’t the case anymore. It did have two good changes. The admission price included a soft drink now. Also, in the gameroom they added a moonwalk jump and a moonwalk double slide. My two sons definitely got use of the moonwalks. Being there five hours, we definitely got to participate in everything. First we ate. The buffet includes pizza, pasta, a salad bar, apples, bananas, and pudding. We definitley do not go to Austin’s Park for the food. This is strictly my opinion, but I believe the food is not good. Next we went on the go-carts. My youngest son Collin finally got to ride in one. On this visit, he was finally tall enough. The smile on both my sons faces were priceless. Both boys aren’t tall enough to ride on their own so their dad and I drove. After the go-carts we went to the bumper boats. My now six year old son was tall enough to drive his own boat and loved squirting water on Collin and I. I think the main goal of the boats are to soak your opponents. We were all smiling afterwards. Video games came next. With all the different games they had to offer, we stayed in this area for at least two hours. We tried laser tag next. We put on all of the gear, but when we went inside the area to start the game the boys were frightened. It was too dark and loud for them. So, the game lasted a total of five minutes. There was still the train to ride on, a rock wall to climb, a playscape to play on, and a ride called Little Shot to go on. So, even though we didn’t play laser tag there was still so much to do. Unfortunately Collin was too short and too light to do the rock wall climbing, but Andrew loved it. The train ride made Collin happy. Collin has been into trains (especially Thomas) for two years now. Finally it was inching 8:00 and I could feel the tiresome in all of us. We absoulutely had a great time and it was a perfect way to celebrate Andrew’s birthday.

The entrance to Austin's Park

The Moonwalk Jump

The Moonwalk Double Slide

Ready to ride the go-carts

Bumper Boats

Laser Tag

Little Shot Ride

Andrew Rock Wall Climbing

Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas

Dianna — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:11:46 +0000

Our family loves Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas. We have been there a total of four times now. Our last visit was this past Thursday and Friday before Easter. The lodge was 75% full. We have been when it’s 100% full and 20% full. We absolutely loved it when it only was 20% full, but even when it’s full capacity the lodge can handle it. We don’t have to wait two hours to ride something. It’s the perfect vacation for our two boys. Andrew is five and Collin is four. Great Wolf Lodge’s main attraction is an indoor waterpark with tube rides, waterslides, a wave pool, and a huge treehouse with water overflowing each way you look. Since I’m a huge water fan myself, I also love it. There are several places you can dine at when you visit. They include Pizza Hut Express, Bear Paw Sweets and Eats (where we enjoyed ice cream), Starbucks, and Loose Moose Cottage (a restaurant). Inside the waterpark is a snack bar where you can buy small pizzas, hamburgers, fries, and miscellaneous snacks. We purchased a hot dog, a chicken burger, and fries. It was actually pretty good. The prices were typical. A hot dog cost us three dollars, the chicken burger was six dollars, and the fries were two dollars. I believe Six Flags prices are much higher. The lodge has so many activities for kids including a cub club with painting, coloring, or decorating items. Some items may have to be purchased. There’s also an arcade, a kids’ spa, and a game called MagiQuest where you have a wand and go through the hotel to conquer challenges. The game can last hours so this last time we didn’t purchase the game, but we will next time. Our boys were disappointed, but since we only stayed one night, time wasn’t in our favor. Our next visit we will stay two nights. When you visit Great Wolf Lodge, you are able to start enjoying the park as early as one o’clock and can stay until it closes the next day at nine. You have to check out of your room by eleven, but can still stay to enjoy the lodge. We always take advantage of staying. We all were truly exhausted after visiting Great Wolf, but we can’t wait to go back. It is truly a kid friendly, family friendly hotel.

Andrew and Collin Loving Great Wolf Lodge

Indoor Waterpark

Spring Break Continues

Dianna — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:06:35 +0000

I am finally getting the chance to finish our spring break vacation details. The last time I wrote, we had finished up with the zoo. We still had a lot of time on our hands for the rest of the day, so we decided to go to Six Flags. Our plan was to go the next day, but we decided to go both days. We arrived at 5:30. It was perfect. There were not any lines for the season pass processing center or hardly any lines for the kids’ rides. We left at 8:30 since we were going to come back the next day. We didn’t want to drag it out too long and have the kids exhausted. Wednesday arrives and we head out to Six Flags again. The time is 11:30 a.m. and we are in stop and go traffic to proceed through the gates of Six Flags. It took us one hour to go through the gates and park our vehicle. During the wait, my husband decided to go in and check out how long the lines were for the rides. It was ridiculous. The rides we rode the day before would now take us an hour to get on. It just wasn’t worth it. We decided not to park and head home. Luckily, we have season passes and could easily come again another time. I am happy we went the night before and got to enjoy the park for a little while. I’m not sure why it wasn’t busy that night, but I honestly believe we will not attempt to go to any theme parks another spring break. The boys were pretty disappointed we didn’t go, so we decided to visit Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. By far, this is our favorite zoo. It’s the perfect size for Andrew and Collin. Andrew is five and Collin is four. It’s not so big where it’s overwhelming. The zoo has a new area that is called Asian Forest. It includes orangutans, tigers, and komodo dragons. It included a play area for the children to climb on or hang from ropes like an orangutan. We have been to the Cameron Park Zoo before, but the Asian Forest hadn’t been opened yet. We finished touring the zoo in two hours and finally headed for home. I love being on vacation, but there’s no place like home.

Cameron Park Zoo

Six Flags Season Pass

Dianna — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:24:54 +0000

Well, we finally decided what we are doing for spring break. We are heading to Dallas, Texas. On our way we will visit Fossil Rim and Dinosaur Valley in Glen Rose, Texas. We have been to Fossil Rim before and we were fascinated by it. The boys were a little young when we went, so I’m hoping this time they will really enjoy it. Dinosaur Valley will be new territory for us. We will then stay in Dallas for two nights and visit Six Flags Over Texas and the Dallas Zoo. For the rest of the week we will take it easy and we might go to the rodeo. Well, I really wanted to inform everyone about the Six Flags season pass we purchased. Usually we purchase it from H-E-B, but when I called guest relations at Six Flags they informed me of an “outer market season pass.” It’s a discounted season pass for people who have to travel more than 100 miles to visit their location. Since we do live more than 100 miles, we got our season pass for $49.99 instead of the rate of $59.99. So, if there is anyone who is looking to purchase a season pass at Six Flags I would first try online at sixflags.com to see if you get a discount. When you choose the option to purchase season passes it will ask for your zip code. If your zip code qualifies for the discount the “outer market season pass” will show up as an option to buy. If it doesn’t show up, you do not qualify. I really thought this was some useful information for anyone wanting to visit Six Flags. For the past two years, we weren’t aware of this discounted season pass and paid normal prices. I’m just glad we know now.

Inflatable Wonderland in Lakeline Mall

Dianna — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:51:46 +0000

Since I love to shop people usually think I’m heading to the Lakeline Mall to do that, but for the past year it’s either to visit Build-a-Bear or go to Inflatable Wonderland. We often go to Inflatable Wonderland on a Tuesday or Thursday. Their prices are half price. That makes the price $5.50. I think it’s totally worth it. Considering the boys ages I wouldn’t pay full price. I believe after a good two hours they are done. That’s what makes the half price days worth it. Inflatable Wonderland consists of several inflatables with age limits on each of them. Adults are not allowed to play on the inflatables with their children. That makes it a little hard for parents that have small children. Fortunately there is a small designated area for toddlers. They have some toys and large blocks laid out. For some reason my four year old loves the toddler section. He really isn’t allowed in this area because of his age, but likes to sneak over when he has the chance. I’m not sure exactly how many inflatables they have, but I know at the least they have eight. It definitely keeps the boys running to and from each one. They also have a snack bar with reasonable prices with a variety of snacks. It includes hot dogs, a variety of popsicles, chips, drinks, and slushes (my boys favorite). They probably offer more, but that’s all that comes to mind. One of my favorite things about Inflatable Wonderland is their washing station. I love the fact that they have several sinks, soap, and towels in an open area to get your hands clean. They even leave out step stools for the kids that can’t reach. I’m that mom that always carries hand sanitizer wherever we go. It’s nice to not have to carry it here. We always have fun here and try to go when we can.

Spring Break Vacation

Dianna — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:24:24 +0000

Well, it’s only four weeks until Spring Break vacation and we still have no plans. Time is going by fast and we need to make some. Believe it or not, I actually had the nerve to call my travel agent to see if we could get on a Disney cruise during spring break. Everything, and I mean everything was booked. I guess when the time is right, we will go on the Disney cruise. We’re looking into going to Houston and purchasing the city pass. It’s a discounted pass that allows you to go to six different attractions. It’s $39 for adults and $29 for kids. The main attractions that interest me are the NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the Children’s Museum. I thought it might be fun and not so far to travel. I would also like to stay one night in Galveston since it’s so close to Houston. These are just some ideas and I will post soon what we have decided and then comment later on our experience. Wish me luck!

Pump It Up

Dianna — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:30:14 +0000

This morning I had the opportunity to take my youngest son Collin to Pump It Up in Round Rock, Texas. It’s a place that has inflatables. I always thought this was a place that only parties were held, but I was wrong. They have a time frame that has open play time. The time frame was 9:30 to 11:00. The cost is $6.38. That includes the tax. I think it was worth it. During the open play time they have one room that is open to use and consists of four inflatables. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but for the amount of time you are there it’s plenty. I was impressed on how clean everything was and how I was able to keep a good eye on Collin. Since this was our first time there, I’m not sure on how busy it gets, but this morning there were only four of us parents there. It was nice to not have a crowd and have the kids fighting their way through. We will definitely like to go again.

Not Feeling Well

Dianna — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:05:08 +0000

We have been out a lot, but for the past few days I have been ill. As soon as I feel better I will post as much as I can. One thing to quickly mention is that we went to the Austin Children’s Museum. My boys always enjoy it and love when we take them. On Wednesdays from 5 to 8, it is entry by donation. The only downfall is parking. Once you finally find the parking space, it’s fun from that point on. It’s a nice family place that our family really enjoys.

Chuck-e-Cheese vs Chuck-e-Cheese

Dianna — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:06:39 +0000

In the past week our family has been to two Chuck-e-Cheese locations. We went to the one located in Round Rock and the one located on North Mopac in Austin. By far, we enjoyed the one on North Mopac a lot better. We visit the Chuck-e-Cheese in Round Rock a lot more since it is closer to our home. After visiting the location on North Mopac, we will try to visit their location more. Each time we have visited Round Rock, there are broken games. On North Mopac there was not one machine broken. Also, we have to continue to get staff to check out why the tickets aren’t dispensing or why a machine took our coins. That wasn’t the case at the North Mopac location. The whole time we were at North Mopac, we saw an employee checking the machines and walking around to make sure everything was in order. Overall, we had a pleasant and fun experience at the North Mopac location a whole lot more than the Round Rock location. We won’t stop going to the Round Rock Chuck-e-Cheese, but we definitely prefer the North Mopac Chuck-e-Cheese.

Jungle Java

Dianna — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:58:17 +0000

Today both my boys were invited to a party at Jungle Java in Round Rock, Texas. I need to start off with saying that my sons had a great time. However, if we weren’t invited to the party, there would be no way I would take my kids there on a Saturday. It was pure craziness. I’m the kind of parent that likes to be able to see my kids while they are playing. There were certain points I couldn’t even tell who my kid was. Overcrowded would be the best word to describe the place. In my opinion, Jungle Java is a huge playscape with different obstacles to overcome. They have several slides, a zip line, a small basketball area, and different levels to go up and explore. Jungle Java also has a menu with a variety of items. It’s not your typical chips and a coke. They have items from a muffin to coffee. We have been there before this party and had a much better experience. We went when it wasn’t crowded. I would recommend going there at least once to get your feel for it. I would just try to go during the week on an unbusy day.