Countdown to Summer Fun!

If you have school-age kids, no doubt you have been counting down the days till summer break! In our household, we're down to single digits which is both exciting and terrifying. :) It will be awesome to have a break from the early morning routine of school, but at the same time...so many hours to fill! 😌 My kids love school and so I am probably more excited than they are at the break from school routine for a few months. But with four kids ages 5-9, I also know it's important to keep routine to our summer as well.  Summer is a great time to schedule less, hang out more and enjoy fun activities together. I am excited to use pghsummer18.org as a resource for our family this summer. We chose not to do many summer camps and will be traveling a bit throughout the summer, so this website is going to be the perfect resource for me to find daily activities on our free days.

We say a big thank you to Mayor William Peduto, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, the United Way’ of Allegheny County's Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST) and all the various child-serving organizations who are teaming up for Summer18 Dream! Explore! Do! The youth-centered campaign will provide thousands of local children, grades K-12, with fun, educational learning activities. 

I love that summer is a time to experience new activities, check out new (or new to us) venues, and most of all, have all the art projects done outside my home! (#amiright? 😅)

What is on your summer bucket list? Ours includes:

• Activities from the PghSummer18 Calendar
• The roving art cart
• Free movies in the park 
• Free indoor movies 
• Hiking at Fall Run Park 
• Free Super Summer Sports Camp
• Swimming at Raccoon Creek Beach
• Checking out new (to us) parks
• + much more! 

{Don't forget that kids under 15 can swim for free at Pittsburgh city pools when you register for a Recreation Center Membership pass.}

So here is to many happy summer memories! I hope you and your family have a great summer and find fun, unique and creative ways to enjoy our great city! Don't forget to stay updated with the PghSummer18 calendar for great ways to engage with your kids.

This post sponsored by the Summer 18 campaign. All opinions remain my own as I do not endorse venues that my family does not love!

#PGHSummer18

Family Get-Away in DC

A few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised when the George Washington Mt. Vernon organization reached out to me to come for a visit! Since our family is always up for a road trip and we weren't able to be with our out-of-state families over Thanksgiving, we decided it was the perfect time for a little family get-away. If you've been to DC, you know it's an awesome spot to take your family because of all the free venues! DC is only about 4 hours from Pittsburgh, so it makes a great weekend destination. 

We had never taken the opportunity to visit Mt. Vernon, so this was a special chance. And it was extra fun to do the candlelight tour! 

Visiting Mt. Vernon was a great opportunity to teach our kids about some pieces of American history. It was fun to see how the Washington's home operated and learn about all the entertaining they did, how their household functioned and even see their original bed! Fun fact: they never lived in the White House as it was still under construction during his presidency. 

You'll see characters on site including the blacksmith, cooks, house manager and Martha Washington. You can even learn to square dance!

The tour concludes with seeing George Washington's camel, hot cider, cookies & Christmas carols!
We were bundled up for the evening and it was a fun family night. If you're looking to do a DC road trip, it's definitely a great stop on your list. You can make reservations ahead for the Mt. Vernon Inn Restaurant to add to your evening tour as well. Go here for more info on the candlelight tour.

Besides visiting Mt. Vernon, we then had the hard decision of what else to pack in for our 2 day visit. So many choices! The Museum of Natural History was our kids favorite stop on a previous trip. We also really want to visit the new African American History Museum, but find it's very hard to get tickets since it's opened! But top of our list was the DC Zoo since we had never before been to this venue. It did not disappoint!

We were lucky to get a 60 degree day and so it was perfect for walking around the zoo! Staying hydrated is important obviously, and whatever was in these kids drinks we brought with us was totally gross!! 😆 

It was fun to see some animals that our local zoo doesn't have on site. 

We made a brief stop at the National Air & Space Museum - also a previous favorite for our kids! 

Another new one to us that a friend had recommended was the National Postal Museum. We learned about our national postal system from the time of the Pony Express to the current mail-sorting system of today. It was fun, informational and hands-on for the kids!

They loved being able to make stamps with their picture and then getting it emailed to us.

Checking out all the stamps ever made. And they got to choose 6 stamps to take with them!

So here's my mom-to-mom disclaimer for taking kids to DC. 😊 We waited until our youngest was 5 to do a significant trip here. There is a LOT of walking and if it's too cold or too hot.....well you know that WHINING comes out in full force. 😮 Kids of all ages can definitely enjoy the city and learning more about American history through all the beautiful monuments, memorials, museums + more. But when you go, know your kids limits and plan accordingly, so that it doesn't become full of stress and fussing.

With a family of 6, we often first look to Air B&B for accommodations, but the lure of the pool and free breakfast for the family made a hotel win out this time!

My son's one request was playing football at the Washington Monument, so that's how we ended our final evening.

Thank you, Mt. Vernon, for inspiring our fun, family get-away to DC! We look forward to more weekend trips in the future!

Disclaimer: Mt. Vernon provided us with tickets and compensation to share about their venue. We don't share venues that don't pass the test of our family for fun! 

Pittsburgh Light Up Night

It's one of our favorite family nights in Pittsburgh! Bundle warm, pack some snacks and head out to enjoy our city at Light Up Night!

We love stopping at Fifth Avenue Place because it's a great place to warm up in the cold, there's fun activities for kids, indoor bathrooms (🙆) and a food court so you have multiple options. Not that anyone's kids might have a difference in opinion for dinner. 😜

Here is what's happening at Fifth Avenue Place:

Friday, November 17

   Light Up Night

The Shops and Food Court will be open until 9 p.m. with select eateries open later

5 – 9 p.m.         Fifth Avenue FREEZE  Liberty Avenue & Stanwix Street

Visit Pittsburgh’s very own Winter Wonderland at the Fifth Avenue FREEZE!  Discover a shimmering display featuring Arctic Ice Animals welcoming the Holidays!  Get up close and snap photos with our Ice Polar Bear, Reindeer, Arctic Dog Sled and more.  And enjoy live ice carving shows by award winning master ice carver Rich Bubin of Ice Creations.

5 – 9 p.m.         Family Fun & Festivities  Fifth Avenue Place

·         Catch up with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and create your own Northern Lights Landscape to illuminate your way throughout downtown.

·         Show your holiday spirit with a commemorative Airbrush Tattoo.

·         Enjoy festive balloon art.

·         Get in the holiday spirit with live musical performances by the:

Roger Barbour Jazz Quartet                 4:30p – 6:30p

Cross/Current                                       7:00p – 9:00p

7 – 7:15 p.m.    Unity Tree Lighting  Corner of Penn Avenue & Stanwix Avenue

Join one of Pittsburgh’s best known neighbors, Mr. McFeely, for a traditional countdown & splash of fireworks to kick off the official lighting of the historic UNITY TREE!

Ever since we moved in Pittsburgh in 2009, enjoying festivities in Downtown Pittsburgh has always been one our family's highlights! Holiday KidsPlay, Free horse-drawn carriage rides, the ice rink, Gingerbread House Displays, Peoples Gas Holiday Market and Santa's House are all part of the fun!! Go here to find more light up night events. Fireworks will end the night at 9:30PM!

Whether you are able to attend Light Up Night or not, there will be plenty of other times to enjoy the holiday festivities!

Saturdays November 18 – December 23

& Friday November 24

Every Saturday              FREE Fifth Avenue Place Holly Trolley

11 a.m. – 5 p.m             Discover all the sights and sounds of the holiday season in downtown Pittsburgh aboard the FREE Fifth Avenue Place Holly Trolley.  Hosted by Santa’s little helpers, trolleys circle downtown each weekend picking up at stops approximately every 15 minutes

Visit www.downtownpittsburgh.com in early November for a listing of all trolley stop locations.

Saturdays, November 25 – December 16

            Creation Stations - FREE Family Fun with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

Saturday, November 25

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.            Holidays in Paradise

Yes, there really “is” a Santa Claus and you’ll find him at Fifth Avenue Place.  Stop by after the parade, meet Santa in person straight from the North Pole and receive a special Surprise!  One of Santa’s favorite helpers, The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, will be on hand with holidays in paradise workshops where children can craft their very own holiday colored leis and pineapple pine cone ornaments.  Display the colors of the season with creative face painting.

Saturday, December 2

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.            Under the Palms

Reflect upon the warmth of the holidays under the palms with The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh by creating a palm tree Christmas tree and tropical leaves wreath.  Visit for story time and enjoy holiday classics as read by Mrs. Claus and be amazed as magician Chris Handa brings holiday magic to life!

Saturday, December 9

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.            Surf’s Up Saturday

Join cheerful elves for surfs up Saturday from the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and design surfboard Christmas trees. Showcase your talent and create your very own flip flop ornament.  Capture the seasonal spirit with a keepsake caricature.

Saturday, December 16

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.            Flamingo fun

Design one-of-a-kind flamingo snow globes and finger puppets with The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.  Show off your holiday spirit with a fun face painting and catch up with everyone’s favorite elf for creative balloon art.

Friday, November 24 – Friday, December 22

Monday – Friday            Holiday Lunchtime Concerts

12 p.m Daily                  Live musical performances from some of Pittsburgh’s favorite artists bring the sounds of the season to life during the always entertaining Lunchtime Concert Series.

           

Friday-November 24:   Featured performer The Roger Barbour Jazz Quartet

12p-2p

Friday, November 24 – Saturday, December 23

After 4 p.m. Weekdays  Holiday Parking Validation

All Day Saturdays          Enjoy FREE Parking with any $20 Fifth Avenue Place retail purchase in the Fifth Avenue Place Garage on Evenings(enter after 4pm) and Weekends.

See Stores for Details • Limit: One Per Person

This post sponsored by Fifth Avenue Place. All opinions remain my own. I don't endorse activities that my own family doesn't love! 

Remake Learning Days: 350 Innovative Events

We have many great opportunities here in Pittsburgh for our kids to excel and learn in a variety of ways. One of those great opportunities is the second annual Remake Learning Days. Last year, more than 30,000 people attended the events noted as The world's largest open house of hands-on learning. This year, Remake Learning Days will host more than 350 fun and mostly free events from May 15-26, 2017.  Parents, families, and kids are invited to experience hands-on, technology infused, engaging learning experiences in neighborhoods across southwest Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The 5 Main Themes include:

• Arts
• Maker
• Science
• Technology
• Outdoor Learning
• Youth Voice

These 350 events will be hosted by local schools, museums, libraries, companies, recreation centers, and community-based organizations. Each day will feature a specific theme. From coding and gaming to inventing and making, every young person will find events connected to their own passions and interest.

The Kickoff is a free family-friendly, drop-in event featuring dozens of fun and creative hands-on activities along with light refreshments. It will be a one-of-a-kind showcase of the future of learning for kids of all ages in the Pittsburgh region! Please register here for the Remake Learning Days Kickoff. 

Honorary co-chairs are Grammy-award winning singer Daya and hip-hop artist Jasiri X!

Other Remake Learning Days highlights:

• Across the key themes, there are 89 maker events, 83 arts events, 77 technology events, 40 science events, 30 outdoor learning events, and 27 youth voice events

• The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host 25 events across its branch system, featuring a robot raceway, virtual reality, Labs workshops for teens, the Labsy Awards Art Show and more

• Innovative corporations such as Duolingo, Schell Games, Inventionland and TechShop Pittsburgh will host open houses for the public to gain insights into the latest technology and their work

• Many museums and arts organizations will host hands-on learning sessions for youth of all ages, including the Heinz History Center, Carnegie Science Center, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Manchester Craftsmen Guild, and more

• Across the Pittsburgh region, 29 school districts are hosting showcases and events for Remake Learning Days

• A partner committed to reducing the Digital Divide, Comcast encourages all families who qualify for the National School Lunch program to explore its Internet Essentials program, which offers low-cost internet

• There will be 45 professional development opportunities across the region for educators to explore “remake learning” on a deeper level.

It's going to be an exciting week of events in our city! Head to their website for all the details and to view the full schedule.

Follow Remake Learning Days on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @remakelearning or #RemakeDays

This post sponsored in collaboration with Remake Learning Days.

Ticket Giveaway: EQT Children's Theater Festival

One of our favorite Pittsburgh family events of the year is just a month away! The EQT Children's Theater Festival is a 4 day event with live performances, free activities, outdoor fun + much more! Affordable tickets make this a great option for family fun on Thursday, May 18 - Sunday, May 21, 2017.

Located in the Downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District, this year's EQT Children's Theater Festival includes:

• Professional theater performances from around the world
• Over 40 FREE hands-on educational and cultural activities!
• Family-friendly gallery installations, public art and interactive art!
• FREE outdoor pop-up performances featuring local and regional artists!
• Frog Stop Scavenger Hunt throughout the Cultural District featuring a free, fun prize!

Festival Grounds

The festival grounds will include a variety of food options and vendors, visual art programming at local galleries, pop-up green spaces, free hands-on activities, and free outdoor performances coordinated with Youth Express. 

Festival hours 

10:00am-2:00pm on Thursday, May 18 and 10:00am-6:00pm on Friday, May 19, through Sunday, May 21, 2017.

Featured Performances

MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS by Dallas Children’s Theater
United States 
Ages 5-11 | 65 minutes
Venue: August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Avenue
When Mufaro learns that a great African king wants to meet the most worthy and beautiful women in order to choose a wife, he decides that both of his daughters should go.  During their journey to the King, Mufaro’s beautiful daughters Manyara and Nyasha encounter mysterious situations that test their courage, kindness and strength of spirit.  Celebrate goodness, generosity and love with traditional chanting, rhythmic drumming, and glorious African song in this beautiful Zimbabwe-based Cinderella tale based on the 1988 Caldecott Honor Award book by John Steptoe.  The story was adapted for the stage by Karen Abbott, with music and lyrics by S-Ankh Rasa.

THE WAY BACK HOME by Teater Refleksion and Branar Theater

Denmark and Northern Ireland

Ages 3-6 | 40 minutes
Venue: Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Avenue
When a boy discovers a single-propeller airplane in his closet, he does what any young adventurer would do: he flies into outer space!  Millions of miles from earth, the plane begins to sputter and quake.  The boy makes a daring landing on the moon where he realizes he’s not alone up there.  Based on the book by Oliver Jeffers, The Way Back Home explores the boundless imagination of children through puppetry, wonderful music, and creative wordless storytelling. 

WE BUILT THIS CITY by Polyglot

Australia
All Ages | 30 minutes
Venue: 7th Street & Penn Avenue, Outdoor interactive installation, with partial tentThe whole family will enjoy building the cities of their dreams in this giant cardboard construction site.  Thousands of cardboard boxes take over in this interactive performance where children build entire cities and towns of skyscrapers, tunnels, and sprawling estates that reflect the time and place of their immediate culture.  With a rocking soundtrack and Polyglot Theatre artists roaming the site, We Built This City is one of the happiest projects you will ever experience.  We Built This City is made possible in-part by the Maranne P. Welch Family Endowment.  Established in 2015, the Maranne P. Welch Family Endowment supports adventurous theater for young audiences.

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ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE’S WE ARE IN A PLAY!

The Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on Tour

United States
Ages 3-8 | 60 minutes
Venue: Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street
Elephant Gerald and Piggie sing and dance their way through plenty of pachydermal peril and swiney suspense in Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!  This vaudevillian romp of a musical is based on Mo Willems’s beloved, award-winning, best-selling children’s books.  Together, these best friends face fundamental questions like: What do you wear to a fancy pool costume party? Should you share your ice cream? And how can two friends play with one toy? Backed by the nutty backup singers The Squirrelles, the duo even gets the audience involved in the action. You’ll be doing the “Flippy Floppy Floory” dance all night long!  This performance is also part of the 2016-2017 Citizens Bank Children’s Theater Series.

*Sensory Friendly Performances, which will include interactivity, rhythm, repetition, reduced sound levels and gentle lighting are scheduled at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, 2017.

SIMPLE GIFTS by Cashore Marionettes

United States
Ages 7+ | 60 minutes
Venue: Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Avenue
Experience a series of touching and poignant scenes from everyday life told through a beautiful and skillful manipulation of marionettes.  Set to music, this theatrical and artistic program will provide an entertaining and sensitive vision of what it is to be human.  This performance is also part of the 2016-2017 EQT Bridge Theater Series.  

PULSE by Teatro al Vacio

Mexico
Ages 0-2 | 30 minutes
Venue: Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue
Carefully designed for the youngest of theatergoers, Pulse uses soft textures and lively games to invite infants and toddlers into a safe, positive, and friendly environment that will stimulate their sense of creativity. Actors create an extraordinary space ready for exploration, connecting with simple materials to transform their surroundings into a world of play.  This event is a U.S. premiere.

Sensory-Friendly Performances Schedule

Sensory-friendly events during this year’s festival include ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE’S WE ARE IN A PLAY! taking placed at the Byham Theater, 101 6th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Sensory-friendly performances will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, 2017.

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Tickets and Information

Tickets are $9 for features performances. Multi-show packs are available and offered for as low as $6 per show! Flex Vouchers from the Citizens Bank Children’s Theater Series and EQT Bridge Theater Series are honored for all ticketed events taking place during the festival. Visit www.TrustArts.org/PGHkids, call (416) 456-6666, or pick up tickets in person at Theater Square Box Office, 655 Penn Avenue. For groups of 10+ call (412) 471-6930, or visit GroupSales@TrustArts.org. 

Ticket Giveaway

We are excited to give away two sets of tickets to two lucky families!
(Tickets can be redeemed for any show EXCEPT Elephant and Piggie's We Are In A Play.)
Click link to enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Getting Around Downtown

Here are some ways to make your trip to the Festival easier!

• Reserve parking in advance with vouchers for the Theater Square Garage. Learn how here.
• Visit ParkPGH.org for real time parking availability in over 20 Downtown parking garages.
• Visit the Port Authority website for bus and trolley schedules and routes to the Festival. 

This post sponsored by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. If I don't love it, I don't endorse it. ❤