Ah-ha! Petco...I needed dog food anyway...and as a bonus there are animals to look at. It's like a free zoo. (Except, of course, for the 30 lb. bag of dog food). He LOVED it. We spent lots of time staring at the fish. Lots of happy noises ensued. Then we met another kid in front of the reptiles. He was a little older and was teaching A all about snakes and geckos. A listened intently!
But the best part - the birds...I think A was just about as excited as I'd ever seen him. The birds answered his excited squeals, it was so very cute. So my new find is...
1. The pet store :) - sort of like a zoo?
Other great options that we have come across
2. Duck ponds (yes, A likes birds!)
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| Duck ponds are so entertaining! |
3. Libraries - books, big teddy bears, little people sized chairs and hand puppets galore!
4. "First 5" Classes - if you are lucky enough to live in CA, in many communities there is a program called "First 5" - which offers free classes (like Mommy and Me) for kids 5 and under. All FREE.
5. Parks! Local parks, county parks, even some National parks (like Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area) - are free! A loves to be outdoors and I try to get him out as often as possible :)
Not only can National Parks be free...but apparently there are lots of great dog/coyote statues for kids to play with...who knew?
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| Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area |
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| The National Mall in DC |
That national mall picture kills me! So cute. Great ideas.
ReplyDeleteHe had so much fun at the mall - loved the cute little dog :)
Deletewhat a great and simple list! ~deirdre
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThe pet store is a great idea! And I didn't know about the "First 5" classes in CA. Going to check out the website now. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHope they have them in your area...free 45 min of entertainment every day ;)
DeleteLOVE the pet store idea! (I've seen a couple mom's participating in TAT suggest that, but it never would have occurred to me!) I'm also going to look into the First 5 stuff, that would be SO AWESOME if there were some near me!
ReplyDeleteI wish we had a duck pond around here!
ReplyDeleteI love all of those activities. Although I don't think I've ever seen so many ducks before! That is awesome!
ReplyDeleteMy son is 13 years old and we STILL love going to the pet store to see the animals! ;)We used to go to Petland just to take the puppies out to play with them because we felt bad for them. :( We only buy rescues though...
ReplyDeleteMy 6 month old daughter already loves dogs, so I am sure she is going to love the pet stores too when she is a little older. :)
Great list! These are definitely excellent places to entertain toddlers, and budget friendly too! :)
ReplyDelete