Family Friendly Atlanta

We Are Back – And Ready To Splash!

andrea — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:02:58 +0000

It has been a busy two months here at Family Friendly Atlanta, and while the blog has been neglected our Facebook page has not, and hope if you aren’t a fan already you become one!

In the meantime we have written a review of the recently opened Wiggles Water World at Six Flags White Water over at Field Trips With Sue, and you should check it out to see what we thought of the newest water attraction in Atlanta!

Check Us Out!

andrea — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:01:31 +0000

A big shout-out to Sue at Field Trips With Sue who has given us a guest spot on her popular blog!

This blog has been quiet this past week, with a big trip coming up for us here at Family Friendly Atlanta, so if you want more up to date info please become our fan on Facebook!

And keep coming back, because we will have much more coming up in this spot!

Day Out With Thomas

andrea — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 23:04:44 +0000

If you don’t have tickets yet and you have a little one who knows the difference between Henry and Percy, you have to check out Day Out With Thomas in Chattanooga! We went today and it was fantastic – limited tickets are still available for next Saturday and Sunday!

From meeting Sir Topham Hatt to riding Thomas himself, everywhere you turn there is something your train lover will choo-choo about. And beyond the Thomas overload there are multiple other trains to check out, which makes the Tennessee Valley Railroad a great place worth driving around 2 hours for!

Tickets are $14-$18 (plus service charges) per person to ride the train, and the train goes every hour for 25 minutes.

Weekend Activities April 23-25

andrea — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:37:09 +0000

Another busy weekend in the ATL! Check out some of the following for some fun things going on around the city, and even some outside of Atlanta!

Zoo Atlanta’s Party For The Planet:

April 24, 10 am to 5 pm, With Zoo Admission – bring in your old cell phone for recycling and get $3 off general admission for up to 4 people!

Join Zoo Atlanta for a wild, green bash for that poster planet for wildlife preservation and resource conservation – Earth! Recycle, reuse and re-imagine your view of our world with fun family activities, crafts and special exhibits. Includes an earthworm dig, an appearance from Wild Thing from Where The Wild Things Are, make your own fossils, and so much more!

Inman Park Festival:

April 24-25, 2010, Inman Park; 11 to 8:30 pm Saturday, 11 to 7 pm Sunday

The 39th Annual Inman Park Festival, Atlanta’s biggest street market, is back! Come and enjoy everything from antique furniture to handmade wares to local bands to multiple children’s activities! Don’t miss the infamous parade on Saturday, the 24th at 2 pm!

Peace, Love and Bugs Earth Day Festival at Atlanta Progressive Preschool:

April 24, 10 am to 2 pm, Free; 1911 Cliff Valley Way NE, Atlanta, GA 30329

Live Music, Grilled Food, Beer and Cold Drinks, Local Farmers Market, Environmental Groups and Demonstrations, Silent Auction, Bounce house and Earth Center Games and Crafts for the kids.

Day Out With Thomas:

April 23-25, Chattanooga, See link for prices

25 minute ride with a full size Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hatt, storytelling, live music and more will make this your Thomas fans best day ever!

Chick-Fil-A at North Druid Hills:

April 24, 11 to 2, Free

Earth Day Celebration – come join our green celebration as we make recycled paper, yard art and plant new flowers!

Taste of Decatur:

April 24, 11 to 6 pm, $10 tickets, price of food varies

The Taste of Decatur is an experience that highlights the eclectic cultural experience that local Decatur businesses have to offer the entire Greater Decatur and Metro Atlanta community.

Bremen Museum Family Fun Thing One:

April 25, 1 pm, members – $18 per family, non members $36 per family

Dr. Seuss is on the loose! Be sure to come and play. Lots to do for everyone — It will be a fun-filled day!

Taste of Marietta:

April 25, 11 to 7, Free Admission

Cobb’s largest food festival, with over 70 restaurants and caterers selling their tastiest, along with entertainment, kids games and live music!

Puppet Show at Leapin Lizards:

April 25, 1:15 and 4:30, RSVP at link below

The Public Puppeteer is coming to Leapin’ Lizards to present a unique Earth Day puppet show . This educational and interactive show will keep your child captivated while teaching them to recycle and take care of our planet.

Earth Day Activities, April 22

andrea — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:45:15 +0000

Atlanta Botanical Gardens:

April 22, 9:30 to 12:30

Atlanta Botanical Gardens is offering a buy one get one free deal tomorrow, April 22, in honor of Earth Day! From 9:30 till 12:30 there will be a variety of events, including children’s storytime, a ladybug release, garden tours and frog talks with an amphibian specialist.

Pottery Barn Kids:

April 22, 11 and 3

With earth friendly stories and activities, as well as a surprise your kids can plant at home!

Earth Day Storytime at Little Shop of Stories:

April 22, 7 pm

Listen to readings of books about gardens and farms, conserving water and protecting the earth, and plant some flowers , too!

Musical Mondays

andrea — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:39:43 +0000

The weekend has passed us by and Monday is almost done, so we figured we would give a shout out to another one of our favorite bands for kids! And why not mention Atlanta’s very own Laughing Pizza! They started as an indie band and now the family trio is rocking out all over Atlanta – and all over the US! 2010 has brought the release of their new CD “Let’s Go Play!”, a DVD “It’s Pizza Time!” and a new tour, which is supported by Little Bean, their record label.

This March, Laughing Pizza kicked off their “Let’s Go Play!” tour with dates nationwide including Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Jose, Raleigh, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Columbus, OH. Check www.laughingpizza.com for upcoming tour info!

Weekend Events, Part Two

andrea — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:35:13 +0000

If big festivals just aren’t your thing – and trust me, if you have a child like mine who, at 2, has decided that strollers are no longer his thing then we totally understand – check out some of these ‘smaller’ events going on this weekend!

Atlanta History Center Sheep 2 Shawl Festival:

Saturday, April 17, 10:30 to 4:30; Free to members, non-members pay the price of admission

Come and join us at our annual Sheep to Shawl festival. Enjoy live demonstrations of sheep shearing, open-hearth cooking, blacksmithing, candle making, and much more on the Tullie Smith Farm. Listen to stories and music that will immerse you in what farm life was like in the 1860s. Enjoy tours of the historic farmhouse as well the Quarry Garden. During the festival, enjoy old fashioned games, music, stories, and hands-on activities.

Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church Fun Fair:

Saturday, April 17, 10 to 2; Free, tickets are .50 each, Games are 1 to 3 tickets each

It will be a day of delights at the Wonderland ECS Fun Fair 2010 (just beware of mischievous mad hatters and toothy cheshire cats!). Please join us for the Early Childhood School’s Sixth Annual Fun Fair from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. We will have great food, games, inflatables, pony and train rides, plus much, much more!

The Chastain School Spring Fling:

April 17, 10 to 2; Adults $5, Children $15, Under 1 free

With activities including Touch-a-Truck, petting zoo, train rides, moonwalk, pluck-a-duck, bake sale, face painting and more, there is something for kids (and grownups!) of all ages!

Lemonade Days at Brook Run Park:

Thursday evening, April 15 through Sunday, April 18; Times vary; $20 for full day of rides

Annual fund raising event by the Dunwoody Preservation Trust. Lemonade Days is a four day event featuring a carnival, rides, food, rides, games, and family activities.

Peachtree Road Farmers Market Children’s Workshop:

April 17, 9 to 11; Free

Happy and healthy plants start with good soil, so bring your kids to get the dirt on composting and worm bins. Feel wiggly worms, see other critters that help make compost, smell the fresh scent of good dirt and go home with your own compost-powered seed to grow. And buy some great produce while you are there!

Callanwolde Family Storytime: Emerging Voices:

Friday, April 16, 7 pm; Tickets are sold at the door. $3 General Admission, $1 Children

Celebrate the power of storytelling as Callanwolde showcases the South’s best stories, storytellers and storytelling traditions. Organization of DeKalb Educators night featuring ODE president David Schutten as emcee, Rowland Elementary School tellers and performers from Stepping Stones Academy. Audiences of all ages will enjoy this evening.

Weekend Events, Part One

andrea — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:01:08 +0000

So Atlanta is being inundated with events this weekend, ranging from Freaknik (anyone old enough to remember the chaos that caused in the 90s?) to the Dogwood Festival to numerous Earth Day activities (see below!). For the next few days I will revisit some of the activities so you can make your plans accordingly!

SweetWater 420 Festival:

Saturday, Noon to 10; Sunday, 12:30 to 8; Candler Park

$5 to get in, free for the under 21 set and those who choose not to drink

While a beer festival typically conjures up images of drunken chaos the 6th Annual SweetWater 420 Fest is a family event, with an impressive line-up of bands, eco-friendly activities for kids and adults, arts and crafts vendors, and of course award-winning SweetWater beers! Partial proceeds of the $5 wristband sales will go towards a walking path, with the help of Park Pride, for residents and visitors to enjoy!

Earth Day

andrea — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:36:26 +0000

With Earth Day coming up it is a good time to remind ourselves, and teach our kids, about how we can make a change in the World. And why not have fun while doing so? Check out some of the many activities going on around Atlanta in celebration of this years Earth Day!

Earth Day Kids Fest at Chattahoochee Nature Center:

Saturday, April 17, 10 am to 3 pm; 9135 Willeo Road Roswell, GA 30075

$8/adults, $5/children, 2 and under free

The Captain Planet Foundation is teaming up again with the Chattahoochee Nature Center for the 8th Annual Earth Day Kids Fest! This event is a unique and exciting hands-on, environmental education experience where youth are encouraged to take the first steps in becoming environmental stewards. Through engaging activities and performances, kids are energized with empowering information, allowing them to lead the way in preserving and protecting our biological diversity and natural resources. Includes performances, live animal presentations, a giant inflatable slide, healthy snacks and more!

Earth Day in Decatur at Oakhurst Garden:

Sunday, April 18, 12:30 pm; 435 Oakview Road, Decatur, GA 30030

Free!

Join us for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and a great chance for members of the community to come together and participate at the city’s official Earth Day Party!

The celebration will kick off with a parade that will go from Harmony Park to the Community Garden site, beginning at 12:30 pm. We have an exciting array of events planned for children, youth and adults including crafts, music, live raptor show, t-shirt contest, cake contest and more!

1st B-earthday Party at Hippo Hopp:

Thursday, April 15, 10 am to 6 pm, Free for Facebook Fans (mention at check in); 1936 Briarwood Ct, Atlanta, 30329

Hopping fun all day long, with a special appearance from 10 to noon by Farmer Floyd Keisler from Moss Hill Farm, helping each child to plant their very own organic veggie plant and learn how choosing organically can help save our planet! Join us as we celebrate with activities and birthday cake!

Elachee Nature Science Center Earth Day:

Saturday, April 17, All Day,$5/adults, $3/children, Under 2 and members free; 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, 30504

Celebrate our planet and its wonders with service projects, outdoor exploration and activities. Participate in preserve maintenance, guided hikes, and learning about our natural world through live animal and nature discovery programs.

Lakeshore Learning Free Craft Day – Earth Day Bags:

Saturday, April 17, 11 am to 3 pm, Free; 4287 Roswell Road, Marietta, 30062

Come in and decorate a free Earth Day bag, teaching all of us to clean up after ourselves by having a little fun!

Earth Day at Beanhead Toys:

Saturday, April 17, 10 am to 1 pm, Free; 220 Johnson Ferry Road, Sandy Springs, 30328

Come and enjoy many Earth Day activities at Bean Head Toys such as a R3 (reduce, reuse, recycle) Art Project, earth friendly games, prizes, refreshments, and so much more. Shop using a cloth bag and receive 10% off your purchases all day(excluding Playmobil, Lego, gift cards).

Zoo Atlanta’s Party For The Planet:

Saturday, April 24, 10 am to 5 pm, With Zoo Admission – bring in your old cell phone for recycling and get $3 off general admission for up to 4 people!

Peace, Love and Bugs Earth Day Festival at Atlanta Progressive Preschool:

Saturday, April 24, 10 am to 2 pm, Free; 1911 Cliff Valley Way NE, Atlanta, GA 30329

Live Music, Grilled Food, Beer and Cold Drinks, Local Farmers Market, Environmental Groups and Demonstrations, Silent Auction, Bounce house and Earth Center Games and Crafts for the kids.

And The Winner Is…

andrea — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:42:59 +0000

Mommara! Thank you all SO much for entering the contest, and stayed tuned for more giveaways and chances to win Atlanta-friendly gifts!