Madison Beaches and Goodman Pool Open This Weekend

Grab your water wings and pail and shovel and don't forget the sunscreen because school's out and Madison's beaches are officially open. Goodman Pool and Cypress Spray Park are open starting Saturday too.

The Goodman Pool has 2 water slides, a big shallow area with easy entry for the little kids and spray areas for the to play in. The daily rate for residents is $4.25 for adults and $2.75 for kids 1-18. It's $4.75 for each non-resident adult and $3.00 for each non-resident child. You can get season passes as well. The beaches and Cypress Spray Park are free.

There is also a splash park at Lakeview Community Park in Middleton.

[via madison.com]

Madison, WI Beaches
http://www.cityofmadison.com/beaches/

Goodman Pool
325 Olin Ave.
Madison, WI 53713
(608)264-9292
http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/pool/


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Cypress Spray Park
902 Magnolia Lane
Madison, WI
http://cityofmadison.com/parks/major/cypressspraypark.html


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Free Soccer Camp this Summer in Middleton, WI!

This is a cool way to introduce soccer to your kids: the Middleton Youth Soccer Club is offering free soccer camp sessions at July 27-30 for U4-U10 and U10-U18. Parents can register their kids at http://www.mysc.us/

[via madison.com]

The Middleton Youth Soccer Club
2711 Allen Blvd
Middleton, WI 53562
608-831-8694
http://www.mysc.us/

Kids Eat Free at Perkins

We took a road trip to northern Minnesota last weekend to see family. 350 miles provides lots of opportunities to get hungry. We discovered that just about every Perkins restaurant has at least one, if not two, days a week with times when kids eat free with an adult meal between Madison, WI and Duluth, MN. A google search for "Kids eat free at Perkins" shows that it's most Perkins across the country. The Perkins web site doesn't have the times for any of the franchises so you have to call or drive past your local Perkins, but some restaurants have "kids eat free" days during the weekend.

Kids eat free between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Tuesdays at the east side Madison, WI Perkins.

Perkins on the east side of Madison, WI:
Perkins Restaurant
4863 Hayes Rd.
Madison, WI 53704
608-241-9123
Open 24 hours
http://www.perkinsrestaurants.com/

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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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Eplegaarden in Fitchburg, WI

Eplegaarden is a farm just south of Madison. There are several pumpkin patches and an apple orchard for picking apples. We had a good time picking out pumpkins on a beautiful October afternoon. Unfortunately, we didn't bring a lot of cash or our checkbook and had to leave three of them behind since they don't take credit or debit cards. The hours also are different depending on the day. The hours on the web site are not the same hours that were posted at the farm. The farm pretty much closes at 5 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday according to the web site although the sign that was posted said they are open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays the week we were there.

Eplegaarden
2227 Fitchburg Rd
Fitchburg, WI
(608) 845-5966
eplegaarden.com

Splash Park at Lakeview Community Park in Middleton, WI

Today, the girls and I tried out the new splash park located in Lakeview Community Park in Middleton. We had such a good time! There's plenty of room to run around in the sprinklers and get wet. There's also enough open space between sprinklers, so if you want to stay dry, you can. Plenty of benches to sit and take a break and have a snack. The splash park is free, which is especially nice. Lakeview Park itself is a wonderful park. It has a great shady playground area, a pond and paths to walk. Fantastic place! Wish we had discovered it earlier in the summer.

Splash Park @ Lakeview Community Park
6300 Mendota Ave
Middleton, WI 53562

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

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!)

Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, WI

Olbrich Botanical Gardens is one of my family's favorite places to go, all year round. Last week we went to see their spring flower show entitled "Springtime Skyline: An Urban Oasis". A rooftop garden is all set up with beautiful flowers, including daffodils, tulips, violas and hydrangea. It was wonderful to step out of winter and into spring, if just for a little while. The show is free but a $2 donation is suggested. Here's a link to the spring flower show, if you would like to read more about it:

http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/Olbrich/special%20events/Spring%20Show/spring_show.htm

We also wandered through the Bolz Conservatory, which is like stepping into a tropical rainforest. It is so warm and balmy, it helps you beat your winter blues. There's a waterfall, which falls into a goldfish and Koi pond and stream, which always captivates my girls. Sophie loves running around in the rain forest. The Conservatory is $1 per person, kids 5 and under are free. It is also free to Garden members.
In the spring, summer and fall we like to stroll (or run, as Sophie does!) through the beautiful outdoor gardens. It's a great place to wander through and enjoy the flowers and plant life. A fabulous place to be outdoors.

Olbrich Gardens does have a special events. Our favorite is Blooming Butterflies. It starts in the the lobby, where they have butterfly displays set up to enjoy, then the conservatory where they house live butterflies!! It's an amazing sight! Then out to the gardens to collect stamps to fill your Butterfly Passport. Find butterflies in their native habitat throughout the gardens, and earn a custard cone from Michael's Frozen Custard! Who can beat that!!
Make sure you check out the Olbrich Gardens website, which is listed below. A great family outing.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens
3330 Atwood Ave
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 246-4550
ci.madison.wi.us/Olbrich/

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

Build-A-Bear Workshop in Madison, WI

My girls and I recently attended a birthday party for a friend of the girls' at Build-A-Bear Workshop at West Towne Mall. It was tons of fun. The girls each got to pick whatever animal they wanted, a sound to put inside the animal, and an accessory for their new friend. They helped put the stuffing in and then chose a heart to put inside their animal before it was "stitched" up. They have all kinds of cute outfits to go with the animals, of course, that you can purchase extra. We got a pink Sleeping Beauty dress, as we are going through the princess stage right now. Then, a name was picked, a birth certificate was printed and they were sent home in their own special "house". A very cute idea for a party. I would consider hosting one there.

Build-A-Bear Workshop
50 W Towne Mall
Madison, WI 53719
(608) 833-0200
buildabear.com

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, WI

We took a ride on the annual "Snow Train" from the railway museum last weekend. Our son loved it - the train was filled with lots of small children, there was a lot to see, and the ride was the perfect length. Fifty minutes was long enough that it was still fun for the kids, but not so long that they got too squirrely.

"Conductors" and "Engineers" walk around in full regalia, which is also fun for the kids. It's relatively inexpensive, and there's a decent gift shop where you can buy a wooden train whistle. Even in the winter, the steam heat kept the cars toasty. The museum itself is sort of in the middle of nowhere - they have many old trains on the grounds, and a larger museum that we didn't duck into. We just wanted the train ride. If you've got kids who are even mildly interested in trains, check out their daily rides this summer.

Mid-Continent Railway Museum
E8948 Diamond Hill Road
North Freedom, WI 53951
midcontinent.org

(Thanks for the review Honkus!)

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

The Village Green in Middleton, WI

Traditional Sconnie table fare can be had at the Village Green in downtown Middleton. This is a very kid-friendly place with two exceptions: they're not open on Sundays, and the bar allows smoking, hence the 4 stars.

The staff is attentive yet laid back, while the clientele is also relaxed and typically family-friendly. There are lots of yummy foods like fried cheese curds for the kids, and there are also a couple of video games. The interior is decorated with trains, trains, and more trains. Best of all, they serve great burgers on sheets of waxed paper and have Capital seasonal on tap! The bathrooms are small, so change your young 'uns before you go if possible.

The Village Green
7508 Hubbard Ave
Middleton, WI 53562
(608) 831-9962

(Thanks for the review Honkus!)

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!)

East Towne Mall in Madison, WI

Most malls have places to take kids or find things for your kids. East Towne Mall has a couple: Cyber Station, a video arcade, and Pawsenclaws, a make your own bear store that also hosts birthday parties. East Towne also has Gymboree and Children's Place to get clothes and nice Barnes and Noble (with coffee shop of course) where kid's can look at books.

One of the cool, free things that kids can do at East Towne Mall is play several mini-games projected on a 4'x6' floor. The projector detects where the kids are moving and then the game reacts. The games aren't very long or complex. There is hockey, soccer, a mouse maze, and a soon to be classic stomp the ninja monkey game. Some of the games are creative too. One game consists of kicking paint blobs around. We spent the good part of an hour watching the girls play.

Parents shouldn't underestimate the indoor mall as a place to shake off cabin fever during the short days of winter. It's free, and you can push the stroller around with a good cup of coffee without trying to wrap a ski glove around your latte.

East Towne Mall
89 E Towne Mall
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 244-1387
shopeasttowne-mall.com

Chazen Museum of Art in Madison, WI

The Chazen Museum of Art is located on the east end of the UW-Madison campus. Children and adults can go through the museum in a couple of hours and cover 2000 years of art from ancient Greece to 20th century New York. Artists in the permanent collection include Gauguin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Andy Warhol. The Chazen usually has two exhibitions in addition to the permanent collection.

The museum's size makes it a very intimate setting to view art. It is probably most age appropriate for children who can stick with the "look with your eyes, not with your hands" rule. Parents of children who are not old enough to be aware of museum etiquette should keep it in mind though for a weekend when the babysitter is available and they want to get reacquainted with culture.

Entrance to the Chazen is free. There are also free concerts in the museum on most Sunday afternoons between September and May.

Chazen Museum of Art
800 University Ave
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 263-2246
chazen.wisc.edu

The Mattel Toy Store at American Girl in Middleton, WI

Mattel just recently opened a Mattel Toy store in their American Girl headquarters in Middleton. It's a fabulous place to go for some great deals on Mattel toys, including Fisher-Price, Matchbox cars, Barbie, Hot Wheels and others. They have a lot of great specials, many 50% off. They have 50% off clearance sections, where the boxes are a little banged up or damaged, but the toy is fine. You can get some great deals!! You never know what you're going to find as their stock rotates weekly. So if you see something you want, don't wait! It will most likely be gone the next time you come back. They not only carry toys, but also Fisher-Price baby items, such as infant swings, bouncers and bathtubs at discounted prices. If you haven't yet finished your holiday shopping and have kids on your list, you NEED to check this place out! Oh, and they have some fantastic coupons on their website, too.

The Mattel Toy Store at American Girl
8400 Fairway Pl
Middleton, WI 53562
(608) 836-4848
mattel.com/matteltoystore/

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

Chuck E Cheese's in Madison, WI

Chuck E. Cheese only slightly resembles the Chuck E. Cheese pizza parlors from the early 80's arcade era. The singing robots are still there as well as the ticket dispensing Skee Ball machines. The video games are for younger children. They still cost only one token (each token costs 25 cents or less) to play and they all dispense tickets now. The tickets can be traded in for prizes at the counter. Another big difference from 20 years ago is that there is a large climbing structure and a smaller one for toddlers so they can burn off some calories after eating pizza. There are also rides besides the games and play structure.

We were there for a birthday party. Each guest received tokens to play, pizza, drinks, and cake. At the end of the party the kids also received a goody bag full of small toys, candy, stickers, and a coupon for 10 free tokens.

It was a great way to spend and afternoon during the middle of winter. They got to run around, play games, and win prizes. Everyone took a long nap when we got home.

Chuck E Cheese's
438 Grand Canyon Dr
Madison, WI 53719
(608) 829-2659
chuckecheese.com

Capitol Kids in Madison, WI

Capitol Kids is a fabulous store in Madison for kids. Located on the Capitol Square, it's a convenient spot for anyone to get to. They have a great toy selection for kids of all ages. A nice place to find a holiday gift for that special someone on your list. They have beautiful clothes for kids there, too. Some really cute stuff! You should stop in and check it out. Don't miss it this holiday season.

Capitol Kids
8 S Carroll St
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 280-0744
capitolkids.com

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

Next Generation Hair Salon in Madison, WI

The Next Generation Hair Salon does nothing but cut kids hair. There are two areas that children get their hair cut. The front has two cars to sit in and two animals that the children can "ride" and watch cartoons while they are having their hair cut. There is also a room in the back with regular chairs. It has a door which came in handy when our daughter screamed the whole time through her first hair cut. The stylist handled the melt down like the professional she was and our daughter got a nice haircut. We will be taking all our kids there for their haircuts until they are too big to sit on the animals.

The salon was a little tricky to find the first time. It is in the shopping center behind the Pizza Hut on University Avenue across the street from Hilldale Mall.

Next Generation Hair Salon
4062 University Ave
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 238-5437
http://www.dianejonsalon.com/nextgeneration.asp