Kids Earth Day Event at Schenley Plaza + Meet Up

Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. There are several going on around Pittsburgh (you can view more on our event calendar). 

This event at Schenley Plaza is extra kid-friendly and we are even going to make it as our Pgh Momtourage playdate this month! (Go here for meet up details and to RSVP.)

Go here for directions to Schenley Plaza.

Mother Earth’s Kids Corner & Eco-Art Fair

Pgh Yoga Collective 11am
La Vida Yoga

Kick off the morning with Yoga for Tots at 11AM with a FREE Pittsburgh Earth Day Yoga in the Park class for little ones taught by Pittsburgh Yoga Collective.
 A FREE class for Adults will take place at 1-2PM with teacher from a new studio in Highland Park, La Vida Yoga, and another FREE Adult class with Pittsburgh Yoga Collective from 2-3PM.
Fresh from the Farm Juices will be on-site to hydrate guests throughout the afternoon too!
(All Pittsburgh Earth Day Yoga in the Park events are weather dependent.)

Enjoy a live performance by The Josh & Gab Show at Noon.

Crafts by Most Wanted Fine Art and ZipCar will have a vehicle on-site as well as an interactive booth and corn hole games. Kids can step onto a Port Authority of Allegheny County Biodiesel bus parked on Schenley Extension in front of the Carnegie Library for Books on the Bus, a children’s book reading at the top of every hour 11AM-2PM. There will be more exciting vendors along Schenley Extension including: Clothing Drive with Goodwill of Southwestern PA, Pittsburgh’s mobile boutique the Style Truck will be selling fashionable clothing, and Commonwealth Connections Academy is bringing along their mobile classroom too!

4/22 Pop Up Dance Party

DJ Nugget will be spinning under the tent at Schenley Plaza from 2-4:20PM.

Then get ready for a surprise DJ performance at 4:22PM! A pop up dance party all afternoon. Keep posted with hashtag #PGH422

http://pittsburghearthday.org/events/

Top 5 / September 1-6

September? Well, hello!

This time of year, many people seem to be crying "pumpkin spice lattes, jeans, boots, & scarves (and I love all those things). But my mind also tends to drift to "no more flip flops, the jacket battles are coming, we'll be stuck in the house, help!" :) So we will squeeze in all the outdoor fun we can while we still have these warm days.

 

Here is my Top 5 list for the week - most of these family-friendly venues are open every day which make it flexible for scheduling day, evening or weekend visits!

Park of the Week: North Park's Black & Yellow Playground. Located next to the North Park Community Pool, it has 3 playgrounds, with the Black & Yellow one being the largest one.  It has new updated equipment which includes an assortment of swings, slides, ladders and tunnels that are also suited for children with disabilities. Located at S. Ridge Drive / Hemlock Dr., McCandless Township, PA 15101.

 

Library Fun: For the month of September, the West End & East Liberty Carnegie Libraries are starting (free) Family Playshops. It combines play, early childhood education, parent support, and innovative library services in an exciting program for children 6 months - 4 years old. Space is limited and you must register ahead of time. More info on dates & times here.

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Playdate: Join the Pgh Momtourage at E2 Toys to Try this Thursday!  There is an indoor & outdoor playspace and lots of fun for kids of all ages! Bring your lunch and we'll eat at the outdoor picnic area.  More details and RSVP here. 

 

Beat the Heat: The Carnegie Science Center has a new fantastic indoor exhibit called BLUE! and it is one of my favorites! It's an immersive, hands-on exhibit featuring molded foam blocks of all shapes and sizes. It encourages lots of imagination in kids and kept my kiddos occupied for a long time. Now is also the perfect time to hit the museums between kids going back to school and not as many field trips at the beginning of school. :)

Family Fun: If you've never been to Living Treasures Wild Animal Park, this is a great time of year to go! There are 2 locations - Moraine & Laurel Highlands. LT is an amazing interactive zoo where you can get closer to animals than you can at most other zoos.You can purchase food on-site to feed to the animals where it is allowed.  Feed the giraffes from the palm of your hand, ride a pony or camel, hold a baby kangaroo, and reach out and touch wildlife! My only downer about these parks is that the paths are gravel, so they aren't great with strollers that don't have the jogging stroller-type wheels. But definitely worth the trip!

 Enjoy fun in Pittsburgh this week!

Top 5 / August 18 - 23

Looking for something to do in Pittsburgh this week?

My Top 5 list for the week - most of these family-friendly venues are open every day which make it flexible for scheduling day, evening or weekend visits!

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Park of the Week: It's always a good time to check out Pittsburgh's famous Blue Slide Playground. Bring your cardboard box and experience this fun & unique playground! A castle-themed playground occupies the lower level of the playground, ascending to the Blue Slide, and then finally to a climbing structure where kids can see the downtown Pittsburgh skyline. At the corner of Beechwood Boulevard and English Lane, there is free on street parking.

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Family Fun: If you're considering eating out this week, try Walnut Grill (Wexford). Monday night is family night and a big screen movie is set up in the banquet room along with other kids activities. Kids also eat free with each purchase of an adult entrée! You can see our full list of Kid's Eat Free here.

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Water Fun: Join the Pgh Momtourage at Troy Hill Spray Park this Wednesday.  One of our favorites and one of the largest spray parks in Pittsburgh. FREE water fun that kids of all ages can enjoy. We recommend having kids in water shoes/sandals and bringing buckets and water toys to play with in the water. Bonus: there's a playground right next to the spray park! RSVP here. 

Beat the Heat: The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is one of the best kid-friendly destinations around town. This is the perfect time to stop by because throughout the month of August they are running big discounts & deals!! Daily deals include Member Mondays, T-Shirt Tuesdays, Weather Wednesdays, Throwback Thursday,  Costume-Themed Weekends, + more!  See complete details here.

Weekend Fun: The Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival opens this weekend!

10:30 am - 6:30 pm / Rain or Shine / No Pets / FREE PARKING

Opening weekend: "An Adventure to the Past" August 23 & 24 

Join in a celebration of music and dance as they put out the royal welcome mat for King Henry and Queen Katherine’s arrival at the castle. Meet the new cast of villagers, enjoy first-class entertainers and revisit old favorites. See the full line-up of entertainment here. Best of all, take advantage of the “Buy-One-Get-One Free” offer this first weekend only - BOGO tickets ONLY available at participating Wendy’s Restaurants!

*Children's Weekend: "Prince, Princess & Pirate Party" August 30, 31 & September 1 

 Throughout this weekend dedicated to young lads and lasses, children ages 12 and under experience the Festival for FREE with a paying adult. Special activities including the Prince, Princess and Pirate Costume Contest, the Royal Quest, knighting ceremonies and photos with the King and Queen. Also, be sure to enjoy medieval rides and games of skill!

Open each weekend through the end of September (+ Labor Day). You can purchase tickets ahead online for a better deal and they are also available at the best discount at all Walgreens locations. Kids under 5 are free!

 

Enjoy fun in Pittsburgh this week!

 

 

In Review: Round Hill Park + Exhibit Farm

At our recent Mom's playdate planning session, we decided that Round Hill Park definitely needed to be one of our summer destinations! It's a bit of a drive (Elizabeth, PA) for many of us, but everyone seemed to think it was worth it. This past week, my family & I headed out to see why so many moms have raved about this spot. Yep, we definitely found out - it's an awesome space!

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When you first turn into the farm, you will see a pond with ducks & geese. You may want to bring bread or one of them may chase your entire family. Just say'n. :) 

From there we went on the self-guided tour through the farm. It is a beautiful space with wide paths, so strollers would have no problems. 

The animals that are out may vary by season. We saw a cow hooked up for milking, (baby!) sheep, pigs, goats, chickens & rabbits. 

Toward the end of the path is a beautiful herb garden. And if you're lucky enough, sometimes the grapes are in season! 

 Behind the white fence you may spot horses, cows or sheep!

Thirsty? A well fountain pump is there for a cold thirst quencher. 

After the farm tour, you can choose to drive to either the spray park or playground parking lots. 

The spray park opens Saturday, May 31st! 

There is a fantastic playground with several surrounding picnic tables. 

I would suggest bringing: 

• Chairs or a blanket to sit on at the spray park as there are not a lot of surrounding seats. 
• Cups / buckets for the kids to use at the spray park. 
• Bread to feed the ducks. You are not allowed to feed any of the farm animals.
• Picnic lunch. There are lots of tables / spaces to eat. Although, a picnic blanket is a good idea as well. 
• I also was told that the Red Caboose, a quaint little restaurant nearby, comes highly recommended. They mostly sell hot dogs / hamburgers / fries. And it's super cheap!

Well done, Round Hill Park. Thanks for being such a great family destination!
651 Round Hill Road  Elizabeth, PA 15037
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The Pgh Momtourage will be heading there for an official playdate in July! Join us there - details & RSVP here. 

College Nannies + Tutors | South Hills Pittsburgh

College Nannies + Tutors | South Hills Pittsburgh recently contacted me about offering their services for free for one of our playdates! I was definitely in. So we have an upcoming "Mom's Morning Break" planned where they will be watching over our kiddos in one play area and the moms will get to hang out in a separate area all to themselves!  See those details here. 

College Nannies + Tutors | South Hills Pittsburgh: Serving Bethel Park, Canonsburg, Mt. Lebanon, Scott Township, Upper St. Clair, Washington and surrounding areas.

College Nannies + Tutors | South Hills Pittsburgh has been Building Stronger Families^® in South Hills, PA and surrounding communities since 2010. Locally owned and operated, we are part of your community, here to serve your family. Whether your family needs the quality care that comes from one of our role model nannies or the one-on-one attention from one of our College Tutors, we are committed to helping you with a customized solution to your specific needs. 

They have a lot of great options if you are looking for reliable childcare including On-Call Nannies, Part-Time Nannies, Full-Time Nannies, Summer Nannies, After-School Nannies, & Parent's Night out.  

They also offer a full range of Customized Tutoring and College Prep Services including College Test Prep, Study Skills, Homework Help, Math, Science, and Reading & Writing.

But here is extra exciting news for Momtourage followers:  while they normally have a $149 initial enrollment fee for those interested in on-call babysitting, they are waiving that fee for the first TEN families that sign up and mention they heard about them through the Pgh Momtourage! So,  now is the time to sign up! We all get in the bind where we need a sitter and can't find one. Having one a phone call away is so good.

Contact them here:

Phone: (412) 346-1444

Email: sohillspittsburghpa@collegenannies.com 

 

And come join us for Mom's Morning Break and get the chance to experience them for yourselves!

The Seesaw Center: Indoor Play Center

 The Seesaw Center is a nonprofit indoor play center for children of all abilities, from infancy through kindergarten age. Open to all communities, The Seesaw Center offers parents and caregivers a safe and fun place to take children to play during the long winter months. It is a great place for parents and caregivers to spend true quality time with their children. A wide variety of unique toys provide wonderful stimulation for all children. Open from October through April.

The Seesaw Center is located in the Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, at 935 Pine Avenue in Castle Shannon, PA 15234. 

Daily Membership $5 per Child
Seasonal Unlimited Family Membership $75 per family
We have Birthday Party Packages Available on
Saturdays from 1 until 3pm.
 Call 412-773-2859 to schedule your party.

We are thrilled to be holding our end of the year Momtourage Christmas party at The Seesaw Center!

RSVP here to join us.

 

Playdate ~ Ballocity

Because of potential rain during this week's playdate, we will have to postpone the pool date!
Instead we will be heading to Fun Fore All in Cranberry Township to check out Ballocity!

When: Wednesday, June 23rd, 3:30 pm.
Cost: $5.00 per child (adults accompanying a paid child are free)
Directions & info: - http://www.funforeall.net/arcade.php

Ballocity is the areas most amazing kids play area. It’s three stories of fun for the whole family. Each level has something different that adds up to over 30 interactive things to enjoy.

Some of the features of Ballocity:

• air cannons shoot foam balls
• “Ballcano” - blasts foam balls high into the air
• four story slide!!!

There is something for all ages to enjoy, even parents!! And it’s big enough for adults to get in on the fun also. There is also a separate toddler area for the little ones.

Playdate @ the Zoo!

Our next playdate is this Wednesday, June 9th @ the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.

We will meet just inside the pay booth at 10 am. Be sure and bring your lunch (or you can purchase one as well).
Current Zoo Admission Rates
Adult $13
Seniors (60+ years of age) $12
Children (ages 2-13) $11
Children under 24 months Free
Parking Free

Please RSVP so we know to look for you, hope to see you there!

Playground Playdate!

 Wednesday, May 26th

Squaw Valley Park & Playground

Squaw Valley Park is the Township's most popular park featuring a fishing pond, two picnic shelters with electric & water, restrooms, two ballfields, two tennis courts, a playground, hiking trails & the Gazebo. Squaw Valley is located along Fox Chapel Road, between the O'Hara Township Municipal Building and Delafield Road.

We will meet at 10:30 am @ the playground. Feel free to bring along lunches!

Playdate - Tyke Hike

Our next playdate is led by Venture Outdoors, so all we do is show up & follow their directions. :) Please note: this one is on Tuesday!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - Tyke Hike @ Frick Park.
Location: Frick Park - Directions here.
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Cost: $5.00 family
Organization: Venture Outdoors - http://www.ventureoutdoors.org/

Tyke Hikes
Come and Join us for a Tyke Hike! We welcome Parents or Caregivers with children-newborn to 8 years old. We will explore nature, touch the trees and look for little critters. Adults & Children can make new play date friends! Hikes will be easy and trail friendly for strollers, slings, child-carriers or on foot. Strollers must be able to manuever off road. Children on foot should were tennis shoes. We provide snacks after the hike! Weather permitting. Cost is $5.00 per family (up to 4) and $3.00 for each additional person. No pre-registration is required.

Playdate - 4/28

Wednesday, April 28
10:30 am
Stroller Walk/Picnic Lunch

We will meet at Riverfront Park (near Southside Works). The link for the map is here. When that pops up, click on "directions" right under where it stays Soutside Riverfront Park. This will allow you to put in your address to take you right to the park. The directions end with "18th St. which becomes Merriman", just stay on that road and it will lead you straight into a parking lot. That's where we'll be!The path is wide, paved, and stroller-friendly!!

We'll follow up our walk with a BYOF picnic!

Playdate ~ Stroller Walk & Picnic

Our next playdate is this Wednesday, March 24th.

We will meet at North Park @ 11 am. We will start with a stroller walk and walk to a picnic shelter where we will stop to eat lunch & play at the playground. Then we will head back! I can't give you an exact end time, we'll stay as long as the children are happy. :)

Email us at pghmoms@live.com for more details.

Playdate 3/10

Playdate time again!
This week's playdate will be on Wednesday, March 10th @ 3 pm.
Held at Redeemer Community Church - 5515 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh.

We will be having storytime with guest storyteller, Ms. Becky. Then we will have a short craft, followed by general playtime with fun toys. Something for all ages!

Please RSVP so we know how many to plan for!

Playdate @ the Symphony

Momtourage is headed to the Tiny Tots Concert at the Pittsburgh Symphony this week!

Wednesday, February 24th, 11:30 am

Directions are here.

This concert is free, but we did have to reserve our tickets a while ago. However, I do have 2 extra tickets if anyone else is interested in joining us. Email us at pghmoms@live.com if you are interested.

Playdate @ the Toy Lending Library

[Trying again for] this week's playdate!
Wednesday, February 17th, 11:30-12:30 (or whenever!)

at the Pittsburgh Toy Lending Library.

This is an amazing toy city with something to do for every age from small infant to 5 years old!

It is located at the rear side of the First United Methodist Church on the corner of Centre/Liberty in Shadyside.

5401 Centre Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15232-1621
(412) 682-4430

Parking is a little tricky - their driveway is across the street from Panera and faces the Wendy's.

There is also parking in the front of the church facing S. Aiken Street.

Your first ever visit to the Toy Library is free!

Children under age 1 are always free.

The per-visit fee for non-members is $5 per child, with a maximum of $10 per family.

Adults are free. Children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.

There are also high chairs and tables for eating lunch if you need to while you are there. (I personally will probably go early and feed my little guy there first).

For more information, check out their website here.
Hope to see you there!

Playdate @ the Children's Museum

Going to the Children's Museum!

This week's playdate is Wednesday, January 27th, at 3 pm. We will meet at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.

Children under 2 are FREE!!

Ages 2-18 - $10

Adults - $11

(You can get $1 off your admission with a Giant Eagle Advantage card)

Find out more about parking/directions/admission and any other info here.

Parking is $5.

Please email us to rsvp!

Storytime........

This week's playdate will be held at Border's on Centre Ave (also known as Penn Circle). Map is here. (It is right down from Whole Foods).
Thursday, January 14th at Noon. (please note date/time change from original plan)
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Border's was kind enough to offer to provide another special storytime just for Momtourage!
Please rsvp so we can let them know how many to expect.
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Hope to see you there!

Playdate - 12/16

Our last playdate of 2009 will be

Wednesday, December 16th from noon - 1:00!

We will meet at the Pittsburgh Toy Lending Library. This is an amazing toy city with something to do for every age from small infant to 5 years old!

It is located at the rear side of the First United Methodist Church on the corner of Centre/Liberty in Shadyside.
5401 Centre Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15232-1621

(412) 682-4430

Your first ever visit to the Toy Library is free. Children under age 1 are always free.
The per-visit fee for non-members is $5 per child, with a maximum of $10 per family. Adults are free.
Children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.

For more information, check out their website here.

Hope to see you there!

Christmas party fun

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it to the Christmas party!
Thanks to Happy Harry for making all the children happy. :)
Hope you enjoy your gift certificates & other gift items!

Christmas party!

Our Momtourage Family Christmas Party is this Saturday, December, 5th, 11:30-1:30. If you have not received an invitation and would like one for all the details, please email us at pghmoms@live.com.

We have lots of great prizes to give away, including restaurant gift certificates, products from Babyland, & a special Christmas item, to name a few!

Come for great food, amazing prize give-a-ways & games for the kids! We look forward to meeting some of the dads for the first time!

Don't forget, Happy Harry will be bringing some special fun as well!

Hope to see you there!