Toddler Tip Tuesday: Take Advantage

My toddler tip for today was inspired by a trip to our local library. The Tip: Take advantage of FREE things to do in your community.

I only intended on signing up for a card and checking out a few books on potty training. As it turned out, we got there just in time for Toddler Story Time, so we joined in the fun! We all gathered in a room where the nice librarian read us a story. Then we sang a few songs, which included a few toddler classics such as The Wheels on the Bus, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and If You’re Happy and You Know It. As if that wasn’t enough FREE fun, we were brought to another room to do a craft project that went along with the story that was read to us! SO AWESOME! Ben absolutely loved the whole library experience. I have heard of these types of programs and always thought, “Yea, that would be fun” and just never did it. I avoided it mainly because Ben is an absolute terror 90% of the time we are in public, but he was so well behaved I seriously felt like a "good parent" for while there (you know the feeling!). I left on a little "mommy high" because I conquered an outing with both kids all by myself without any meltdowns [insert pat on the back here]. I really encourage you to check out what your library has to offer!

Another free activity we partook in was a craft for kids that Lakeshore Learning Store has every Saturday from 11-3pm. The store just opened up in Indianapolis! For the store nearest you, visit: http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/general_content/store_locations/storeLocations.jsp?f=m

Finally, a great thing to keep your eyes peeled for is restaurants where kids eat free. They often vary by location, so just be aware of that. Ask your waiter the next time you are visiting your favorite restaurant. Otherwise, there is usually a blurb in the kids menu, or in the kids section of the adult menu, that tells if/when your kids meal is ‘on the house.’