Ice Skating at Tenney Park in Madison, WI

The Tenney Park lagoon, on Madison's near east side, is great for ice skating. The warming house was packed, but the lagoon is so big that two hockey games could be played while the rest of us could skate, or fall down, without worrying about being run over. The ice was a little rough in a couple of spots, but nothing that needed to be avoided. You can rent skates, check out hockey sticks, and the ice skating trainers that look like walkers too.

The rental rates from the park's web site are:
Adults/1st hour $6.00
Additional Hours $2.00
Children 14 and under $3.00
Additional Hours $1.00

And the hours from the web site are:
Mon-Fri 2:00 p.m. - 9:30p.m.
Sat-Sun 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Elver and Vilas parks also have ice skating and rentals in the warming shelter. Goodman, Garner, Olbrich, Warner, and Westmorland parks also have skating and warming shelters, but they don't rent skates according to the web site.

Tenney Park
1338 Sherman Ave.
Madison, WI 53703
http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/parks/winterAct2.html


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Hands On Art Studio in Fish Creek, WI

The Hands on Art Studio is a very cool paint-it-yourself ceramics studio out in the country near Fish Creek in Door County. The studio is in an old barn. There were all kinds of projects large and small to choose from. Our family picked a large platter, a fairy, and a cupcake container for about $40 with an additional $7 per person sitting fee. There was plenty of room for our group of 30 and the other customers. The staff handled all of us with a smile. Just a hint for when you pick up your pieces the next day: put an initial or mark someplace inconspicuous on your pieces so you can tell which ones are yours.

There are real artists working in other parts of the property which was inspiring to those of us whose calling is not in the arts. There is a small snack bar, and goats and horses that the kids can feed.

Hands On Art Studio
3655 Peninsula Players Rd
Fish Creek, WI
(888) 868-9311
handsonartstudio.com

Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) in Madison, WI

MSCR offers a wide variety of programs for kids as well as adults. We have taken a few classes including Pre-Ballet, Parent/Child Art and currently, our three year old is enrolled in a swimming class called Shrimp Dip. It is a parent/child class, which means a parent or other adult needs to go in the water with her and participate. Basically, you are your child's teacher. She is loving it and will even let me pull her hair back for class, which is a MAJOR accomplishment!! The classes are reasonably priced (I think swimming was about $30 for 8 weeks). A new MSCR guide comes out every season. I think I may enroll myself in an exercise class. It's something you should check out. They have something for everyone.

Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR)
3802 Regent St
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 204-3000
mscr.org

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

Flat Top Grill in Madison, WI

The Flat Top Grill stir fry bar is a healthy alternative to burger and fries. The menu lists combinations of ingredients from the stir fry bar to create the different dishes in it. You walk up to the stir fry bar, fill your bowl with the ingredients, and add different colored sticks to let the cooks know what options you would like. They fry it up and then it is brought back to your table. The only tricky part of the whole experience is how to pick out the food, put it in a bowl, and carry it and a squirmy baby over to the cook.

Overall, it's a pretty inexpensive lunch and the food was fairly healthy and tasty. Kids under 10 eat free all day on Mondays.

Flat Top Grill
534 N Midvale Blvd
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 236-0500
flattopgrill.com

Portrait Innovations in Middleton, WI

If you are looking for a place to get your kids pictures taken, this is the spot. I've taken my girls there numerous times and have had wonderful results each time. I just had them in for our baby's one year pics and some Valentine's pics of both of them, and they turned out adorable. The photographers spend a nice amount of time taking pictures on different backgrounds. There's no sitting fee, and you can add as many people that you want to the pictures. So if you want to get a couple taken of you with your kids, you can do that for free. They also encourage you to bring a change of outfits for your kids. You get to see and pick your picks immediately and receive your pictures that same day. Plus, the cost is VERY reasonable. I spent much less on these sets of pictures than I did on my first child's one year pics that were taken elsewhere. Much less. There is a lego table in the waiting area to keep the kiddos occupied while you're picking pictures. My oldest loves it. I highly recommend Portrait Innovations!! It's a fabulous place.

Portrait Innovations
1701 Deming Way
Middleton, WI 53562
(608) 824-8720
portraitinnovations.com

Vitense Golfland in Madison, WI

This place has two outdoor mini-golf courses, a rockwall and batting cages outside. Inside, there is another mini-golf course and a few chuck-ee-cheese type games (skee ball, etc).

The courses are all pretty fun, and going inside here to play games in the winter doesn't have that same overwhelming feeling that chuk-ee-cheese gives me.

There's a snack bar too.

(they also have a par 3 golf course and a driving range for adults)

Vitense Golfland
5501 W Beltline Hwy
Madison, WI 53711
(608) 271-1400
vitense.com

(Thanks for the review Anne!)

Beerntsen's Confectionary in Manitowoc, WI

Beerntsen's Confectionary is a fabulous little candy and ice cream shop that I have frequented since I was a little girl. Beerntsen's is located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and has been around since 1932. My parents used to take my sisters and I there for home made sandwiches, sundaes and, of course, their yummy candy. My parents still live in the area, and when we go to visit, we always make sure to stop at Beerntsen's. Our daughter's love it as much as we do! It's a great tradition.

Beerntsen's Confectionary
108 North 8th Street
Manitowoc, WI 54220
(920) 684-9616
beerntsens.com

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

Playthings in Madison, WI

Playthings is a toy store with high quality toys, not the kind of toys that have television cross promotions with six restaurant chains.

Playthings carries costumes for dressing up, dinosaurs, dolls, sailboats, and science experiments pretending to be toys. They also have more recognizable characters like Thomas the Tank Engine and a huge Playmobil selection. You can't go wrong giving a kid a toy from Playthings.

Playthings
702 N Midvale Blvd
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 233-2124
playthingstoystore.com

Fireman's Park in Verona, WI

This is the best swimming beach close to Madison. It's a converted quarry, not a natural watershed destination, so there is no significant residential or agricultural fertilizer runoff that makes most of the other lakes algae-ridden.

It's a little pricey for non-Verona-residents ($4 for adults, $3 for kids), but it has a concession stand, lifeguards, a diving board, two water slides (a big one and a little one) and a playground.

Fireman's Park
570 Bruce St
Verona, WI

(Thanks for the review ChrisDolan!)

Wingra Park in Madison, WI

Wingra Park is a Madison city park on Lake Wingra. Through a private company, they rent canoes, kayaks, pedalboats and sailboats and offer concessions. They have a large field for soccer, etc. plus basketball hoops and a playground. They recently removed all of the swings (except two baby swings) from the playground -- I have no idea why.

It does not have a public shelter, so it's not considered a "major" park.

Wingra Park
2425 Monroe St
Madison, WI
(608) 233-5332

(Thanks for the review ChrisDolan!)

Ginza of Tokyo in Madison, WI

If you have kids who are somewhat adventurous with food, I recommend Ginza of Tokyo restaurant. A Teppanyaki-style establishment, if you sit at one of the large hibachi tables, they prepare the food in front of you with a fair amount of theatricality. (My kids are especially delighted when they make an onion volcano while cooking.)

The hot meals they make on the hibachi are good, and if you want to supplement it with some sushi, it can add just the perfect adventurous touch.

For sushi for kids, my kids recommend the following varieties:

Good starter sushi:
- Smoked salmon (tasty, and smoked, so not really raw.)
- Tamago (egg sushi, cooked like an omlette)
- Philadelphia Roll (smoked salmon and cream cheese.)

And for the more daring children, some really tasty sushi made of things that might make other kids go "ewww!".
- Ikura (Salmon caviar, very salty.)
- Unagi (Cooked Eel in barbecue sauce, very yummy.)

And finally, for someone who just has to try something raw:
- Negihama (raw yellowtail fish with green onions in a roll.)

Ginza of Tokyo
6734 Odana Rd
Madison, WI 53719
(608) 833-8282
http://www.ginzaoftokyo.net/

The restaurant has other locations in Madison as well:

Ginza of Tokyo
4802 E Washington Ave
Madison, WI
(608) 661-8890

Ginza of Tokyo Inc
122 State St
Madison, WI
(608) 251-2171

(Thanks for the review Media Ninja!)

Little America in Marshall, WI

This is an amusement park with child-friendly rides - bumper cars, merry-go-rounds, bumper boats, etc. There are also a couple of roller coasters (the wooden one is surprisingly very fun), a mini-golf course, and go-karts. You can buy a wristband good for unlimited rides and mini-golf for $20.

There is a special section for littler kids too (under 4 maybe).

We went on a Friday afternoon and there were short or no lines for the rides. Overall, a very fun day.

Little America
700 E Main St
Marshall, WI 53559
(608) 655-3181
littleamerricka.com

(Thanks for the review Anne!)

Original Wisconsin Ducks in Wisconsin Dells, WI

The "Ducks" are boats with wheels that were used to move troops during World War II. Nowadays they are used to take tourists through the woods of the Wisconsin Dells and up the Wisconsin River. Other than a few uncomfortable minutes where they try and sell you a book and postcards in the woods, the rest of the hour long ride is a nice change from waiting in line at the other attractions in Wisconsin Dells.

It is about $20 for an adult, $6 for kids, and young children are free.

Original Wisconsin Ducks
1890 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
(608) 254-8751
wisconsinducktours.com

Burke Park in Madison, WI

Burke Park is a nice, shaded park with a climbing gym that has a toddler section for the little ones and a more challenging area for the older kids. It also has swings, a teeter-totter and a train sandbox. There is a covered picnic area when the kids need a snack or lunch. Wonderful park. It's worth the drive to the town of Burke.

Burke Park
5365 Reiner Road
Madison, WI

(Thanks for the review julie!)

UW-Madison Arboretum in Madison, WI

The Arboretum has over 1000 acres of plant life and includes wetlands, forest, ornamental trees, prairies and more. The best part about the Arboretum is its countless and varied hiking paths. We go there dozens of times each year, and we always seem to find new trails to explore. Some go through deep woods, others cross an open plain. Some are hilly, some are flat. Some go by water, and some traverse sandy stretches. There's even a boardwalk that extends over a marsh. We put our little one in a front carrier and let our preschooler lead the way. We're so happy to see our kids enjoy the Arboretum, and it's especially fitting since it's where we first got engaged!

UW-Madison Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway
Madison, WI 53711
(608) 263-7888
uwarboretum.org

(Thanks for the review Triple_M!)

Monty's Blue Plate Diner in Madison, WI

Monty's is a diner on Madison's near east side. It has some diner fare, but it also has some really tasty vegetarian twists like the "Sheldon", a vegetarian reuben, or "Sloppy Faux" - a sloppy joe with seitan. Incredible breakfasts are also served all day.

We went there on a Tuesday night and it was packed. The reasonable prices and the good food ensure a wait just about anytime you go. The staff keeps an amazing attitude with customers especially children. One of the wait staff even attempted to do the pretend ice skating routine that was being given.

Just to add to the heaps of praise: get pie there. It is awesome.

Monty's Blue Plate Diner
2089 Atwood Ave
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 244-8505
foodfightinc.com/montys.htm

Sheraton Bloomington Hotel in Minneapolis, MN

A few weekends ago, we went to Minneapolis for a family reunion. We stayed at the Sheraton in Bloomington, MN. The price was extremely reasonable the weekend we were there. It was right off 494 so it was only 10 minutes to Minneapolis for the reunion, but more importantly IKEA and Mall of America.

The hotel was full of families attending a conference. Yet it was fairly quiet in the rooms. When you opened the door there was always someone crying, yelling, or running up and down the hallway, but inside our room, you couldn't hear anything unless they were right outside. We did hear a girl crying a little bit, but it was so quiet that if we didn't have super parent-of-a-baby hearing, we probably wouldn't have noticed.

We were supposed to have a crib, but when we asked they told us "rooms are reserved, not cribs". We had a Pack and Play with us so it wasn't a big deal, but it might have been for someone else who was traveling lighter.

A hotel's pool comes in a really close second to not hearing every little thing that your neighbor does there. The pool was a good size and accommodated the large number of kids swimming and jumping in the pool. There weren't any steps so our three year old daughter couldn't get out of the pool easily and getting in to take a baby for a dip it out of the question since it would be really hard to climb up and down the ladder and hold them. The pool area tile was also super slippery.

The hot tub was really generous and there had to have been twenty people in there at one point. It was easier to get in and out of carrying a child and our daughter could get out herself if she needed to.

There was also a small Little Tikes playset area for smaller children near the pool if they didn't want to get wet or you have to motivate them to get out of the water.

There was a restaurant, bar, and a TGIF nearby, but it didn't seem like much else to walk to.

Overall, the rooms were good size and the staff was extremely nice. The pool was alright, but for taking a dip with smaller children go to the hot tub. There is a lot to do nearby if you drive.

Sheraton Bloomington Hotel Minneapolis South
7800 Normandale Blvd
Minneapolis, MN 55439
(952) 835-7800
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1493

Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay, WI

Bay Beach Amusement Park is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. My parents would take my sisters and I here every summer, and we looked forward to it every single year. There are a ton of rides for kids of all ages and there's no admission fee, plus at twenty five cents a ticket, the price just can't be beat! Most rides cost only one ticket, a few like the carousel, the bumper cars and ferris wheel are two tickets. Plus, there's a train that takes you for a little ride around the park. If you have kids, you MUST check out this fabulous place!

Bay Beach Amusement Park
1313 Bay Beach Road
Green Bay, WI 54301
(920) 448-3365
http://www.ci.green-bay.wi.us/geninfo/baybeach_web/baybeachhome.html

(Thanks for the review julie!)

Madison Children's Museum in Madison, WI

The Madison Children's Museum is a fun place to take your kids. They have many exhibits and play areas where kids can really get involved, whether it's pretend play, making music with instruments or brushing a cow. They also have many programs for toddler, preschool and school-aged children. If you live in the Madison area and have kids, I would highly recommend purchasing a yearly membership, because if you attend any of the weekly programs for kids, your admission is then free. Definitely worth it! It does get crowded because of it's popularity, so I recommend going early in the a.m.

Madison Children's Museum
100 State St
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 256-6445
madisonchildrensmuseum.org

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

New Zoo in Green Bay, WI

Green Bay, Wisconsin has a new zoo and it's called The NEW Zoo! The NEW Zoo has many animal exhibits, including a Snow Leopard, a Red Panda, and my personal favorite, the penguins. The most incredible spot at the NEW Zoo has to be the Giraffe lookout tower where, twice a day, you can get an eye-level view of the giraffes and actually hand-feed them! It's amazing!! I have never had a cooler experience at a zoo.

New Zoo
4378 Reforestation Rd
Green Bay, WI 54313
(920) 434-7878
thenewzoo.com