Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in austin, TX

Places to Make a Wish

by Nicole Basham

July 07, 2009

Hope you are back in the swing of things after the 4th of July! Since today is Tuesday, it's List Day here at Savvy Source, and I'm sticking with the activities-in-close-proximity-to-water theme. So for today's List, here are some suggestions of Places To Make a Wish:

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Wild-Connections Butterfly Farm & Nature Center

by Nicole Basham

May 24, 2009

It seems as though our weekends fill up quickly with birthday parties, spending time with my parents and errands, so it seems a rare weekend that we take advantage of the events I write up for Thursdays' Out and About feature. This three-day weekend finally afforded us a chance to visit a place I had been curious about for a while: Wild-Connections Butterfly Farm & Nature Center.

Wild-Connections was created in 2004 to reconnect children with their natural environment, in hopes of instilling a love and interest in protecting it. The property has a nice shady area with ponds and native plants for picnicking, an education center, hiking trails, a gift shop, and of course, the Butterfly House. Until the end of May, Wild-Connections is open 10-4 Tuesday-Saturdays. Then it will re-open in late September. Admission is $4 (plus tax) per person for everyone over 2. Group tours for 15 or more are available by reservation.

 

We headed out on Saturday, hoping to get there around the time they opened. The farm is located a few minutes from the Nutty Brown Cafe (not too far past the turnoff for the Austin Zoo), off 290 heading towards Johnson City. It took us about 20 minutes to get there from North Central Austin.

You check in at the gift shop, and the Butterfly House is only a few minutes walk away. Cut up cantaloupe is near the door to entice the butterflies to feed, but we didn't have any luck (doubt that my son stood still long enough for that, anyways!) The House is pretty amazing and teeming with all sorts of butterflies. The flora is impressive and we also spotted some caterpillars. I have been to some hot/humid indoor butterfly exhibits, so this was nice in comparison, although it is not shaded, so I can see why they close during the summer.

 

 

 

There are also a few turtles in the House, and while we were there, one laid eggs and spent a long time painstakingly covering them up!

 

 

 

We then checked out one of the hiking trails, but by then it was pretty warm and my son had no interest in walking, so we headed back to the Education Center. One room had some wildlife samples out for viewing and some stamps and crayons out for crafts. It might have been an age thing, but my son was most interested in trying to play with the toy insects in the gift shop. And after hearing the owner stress the importance of kids being out in nature, I felt just a little sheepish!

Had we been more prepared, a picnic on the grounds would have been pleasant, or even a stop at the Nutty Brown (we haven't been) or another eatery on the way back in town. But we headed home, and will look forward to visiting again next year, when my son will be another year older and more interested in all that Wild-Connections has to offer.

 

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Austin Landmarks, Courtesy of My Preschooler

by Nicole Basham

May 12, 2009

Isn't it funny what preschoolers will remember about a place? You take them someplace new, and they will remember the strangest and least expected details! Also, my son will rattle off names of parks, but he is still not able to recall actual names for many other places (although he's got Costco and Red Robin down!)

Since Tuesday is List Day here at Savvy Source, for today's List, here are my son's favorite Austin landmarks (in his own words):

The Gorilla - Featured on the home page of the Keep Austin Weird website, this statue just HAPPENS to be on the way to his grandparents' house in Clarksville. From time to time, the Gorilla is adorned in garb fitting of the season (there was even a run with a yellow jersey when Lance Armstrong was competing in the Tour de France).

The Museum - Located near "the big buildings" aka downtown, the Children's Museum was a regular stop for us, until we let our membership lapse and my husband stopped working downtown, so no possibilities for lunch afterwards. Although we have been to other museums, this is considered by him to be "the" museum.

The Bat Bridge - On Sundays, my husband and son (and sometimes I) run on Ladybird Lake, and our turnaround point is often the Ann Richards Bridge on Congress. As you probably know, underneath the bridge is the largest urban colony of Mexican free-tailed bats. Even during the morning, you can see and hear them. We have yet to try seeing them come out at night with my son, but we are planning to this summer.

The Dog Park - Also in Clarksville, West Austin Park has two great features: 1) a nice park for kids with a playscape, swings, kickball field and basketball court; and 2) a fenced in dog park. Our pup is not quite ready for Auditorium Shores, so this is a nice compromise when we want an outing for the entire family. There is even a tiny veggie garden I assume was set up by the neighborhood or the nearby elementary (Mathews).

Central Market North - This used to be called "restaurant park" when we had a repertoire of only a few places to go for dinner and playing. Now, we seem to go less often, but it's a nice standby. Now my son remembers to ask for a balloon at Customer Service and gleefully holds onto it for two minutes until he remembers again about the playground.

Pump It Up - This warehouse full of bouncy houses, slides, etc. has become a favorite for my son and one of his best buds. Hidden north of the intersection of Burnet & 183, it's is open Mondays and Thursdays for Pop In Playtime from 9:30-11 for $6.

What are your preschoolers' favorite Austin landmarks?





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Beat the Heat at Hamilton Pool

by Nicole Basham

May 11, 2009

Remember those amazing Spring days we had? Unfortunately, it appears those are gone and we are starting our LONG summer. Luckily, there are plenty of ways in Austin to beat the heat, and we visited one of them last week: Hamilton Pool.

I hadn't been in ages, and certainly not since my son was born, and I wasn't sure if we'd see any impact from the construction runoff that polluted the Pool. I'm glad we made it out, as it was a great morning. Do call ahead before you go, especially after a rainfall, to make sure high bacteria levels haven't closed the Pool.

We made the trip on a Friday morning, and it was about an hour's drive from our house in North Central Austin. We arrived at 10:00, and we were the third car there (it is an $8 charge per vehicle). There is a compost toilet by the parking lot, but it does not have running water, so you need to bring your own. The trail down to the Pool is 1/4 mile and suitable for a preschooler (and downhill). We did pass another set of portable toilets closer to the Pool.

The pool has a large shallow area where kids can wade and see the bottom. There are fish, shells, and the ground is pretty rocky (my son didn't mind, but adults might want to bring water shoes). There is some shade provided by the limestone outcropping, but not a lot. We had a great time splashing, "swimming", and pretending we were various water animals.

 

There is also a trail which goes underneath the outcroppings which is short and easy for a preschooler to take. My son pointed to several spots on this walk which he said were "caves" and he suggested that maybe bears lived inside. There is certainly a lot of opportunities to talk about earth science here!

 

 

 

We weren't prepared to picnic, but it would be a great place to bring a lunch. Instead, we headed to the Salt Lick (we had an out of town guest in tow, so great excuse!), ate our fill, and were home at 2:00, in time for nap!

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Where Mamas of Two Get Four Thumbs Up

by Nicole Basham

April 21, 2009

Tuesday is List Day here at Savvy Source, and for today I compiled a list of places to go where two kiddos can be entertained. That said, as you might have gathered, I only have one child, so I relied on my awesome mama friends for suggestions. Thanks to Lori, Heidi and you others (you know who you are!) for sharing these great tips! Here goes...

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How Sweet It Is: Strawberry Picking at Sweet Berry Farm

by Nicole Basham

April 06, 2009

Now that I'm a parent, I find I am discovering some of the coolest places in Austin. One of these places is Sweet Berry Farm, billed on its website as a "Pick Your Own Berry Patch". If you have any free days coming up and time to drive to Marble Falls, you and your preschooler/s are bound to have a great time!

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A moo moo here...and a moo moo there at Crowe's Nest Farms

by Nicole Basham

March 30, 2009

If there is one thing cuter than a (human) baby, it might be a baby farm animal. We got to check out lots of baby, mommy and daddy animals last week at Crowe's Nest Farm. 

Crowe's Nest is located in Manor, about thirty minutes east of Austin. The 100-acre working farm is a non-profit with the mission of fostering public appreciation, knowledge, and wise stewardship of both the agricultural and wildlife resources of Texas. Tours are available by appointment only (M-F at 10 and 11:30) and the farm is also open on weekends for parties and group tours of 20 or more.

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Twice the Fun!

by Nicole Basham

March 17, 2009

Wow, talk about a 180 in terms of the weather, huh? Hope you are enjoying your Spring Break so far! For ideas of things to do around town this week, you can check my Monday post.

Tuesday is List Day here at Savvy Source, and today I'm bringing you some ideas for "two-fers": two places relatively closeby you can visit in the course of a morning or afternoon.  Read more...

99 Things To Do With Your Little One in Austin Before Kindergarten

by Nicole Basham

January 27, 2009

As you may be noticing, Tuesday is List Day here at Savvy Source.  In keeping with the month's theme of Resolutions and Reflections, here are 99 Things To Do with Your Preschooler before Kindergarten (in no particular order): Hike to the top of Enchanted Rock Pick strawberries at Sweet Berry Farm Go to a UT game (try soccer, basketball, or baseball if you don't want to shell out the dough  Read more...

Keeping Austin Weird one Light at a Time on 37th Street

by Jonathon Morgan

December 23, 2008

Tuesday is list day here at Savvy Source, and today my charge is to suggest the best decorated neighborhoods. Being an Austin native, and having seen my fair share of displays, I'd have to say West 37th Street wins hands down as the best place to take your preschooler. It's centrally-located and is the embodiment of our fair city's now-famous tag line, Keep Austin Weird. The street  Read more...

No Batteries Required: Give a gift of Austin this year

by Jonathon Morgan

December 16, 2008

Stuff...everywhere! That's how most of my mom friends describe their houses post-kids. If you are looking for an alternative to more stuff for your kids this holiday season, here are some ideas to give the gift of Austin this year: Austin Children's Museum : take advantage of 10% off new memberships and renewals, through 12/31. One thing I really like about having a membership is that  Read more...

Peace on Earth

by Jonathon Morgan

December 11, 2008

The hardest part about the holidays for me this year is being "present" during our family time. It seems nearly impossible to sit down for a meal or to help my almost-three-year old son with an activity without shifting my attention, and instead thinking about the gifts I need to make & send, how I still need to get that flu shot, or that I MUST renew my drivers license before our  Read more...

Skating and Singing and Lights...Oh My!

by Jonathon Morgan

December 04, 2008

My email is being flooded with all kinds of fun things to do with the little ones, so I thought I'd quickly list some of the events we're considering on our social calendar for the coming weekend. Have a wonderful weekend! Gingerbread House Workshops at the Austin Children's Museum downtown $28/$33 Member/Non-Member per gingerbread house (3 people per house; includes  Read more...

Playing ball with the big boys: mixed-age mayhem

by Julie Holden

September 29, 2008

Recently, I read Ariel Levy's lengthy profile of Cindy McCain in the September 14 issue of the New Yorker . I didn't know a thing about her at that point, so it was then that I encountered the controversy McCain has created by referring to herself as an only child. It piqued my interested because I frequently refer to my own daughter as an only child, even though she has two half-siblings, one  Read more...

Just moved to town?

by Nicole Basham

June 23, 2008

For a while there, it seemed like I was living in a new city every 2-3 years. I know the upheaval, the travel, and all the new faces can be disconcerting at first -- but on the bright side, Austinites are the friendliest group of people on the planet, and will usually go out of your way to make you feel at home. That said, the city is still small enough that finding information on family  Read more...

What to do when grandma and grandpa come to town

by Nicole Basham

June 16, 2008

Chances are, if your kids are still in preschool, your parents haven't reached an age when they need to opt out of the more physically demanding parts of chasing tireless toddlers. However, if they're coming in from out of town, instead of heading to the pool or running around the park, use their visit as an excuse to help them (and your kids) get to know the city. The Congress Avenue bats  Read more...