Dr. Phillips Community Park is one of the best parks in Central Florida for families. The park features both a large playground and a splash pad – a wonderful way to beat the Florida heat! The playground has equipment for both young and school-age children. The ground is mostly covered in foam flooring to help with falls. There are picnic tables around the playground and some are covered to provide shade. The splash pad is available year-round, but is most widely used during the hottest months. During the summer, there is a $1 charge per person and is free during the winter months. Toddlers through middle-schoolers love running through the sprinklers. Even adults have fun getting soaked with their kids on a hot day. There are two different areas of water activities to keep the kids busy. In addition to these areas, there is a fenced-in dog park, a soccer field, a baseball field, a basketball court, and walking or running paths. Open pavilions with picnic tables, electrical outlets, and water are available for party rentals. The entire park sits next to Sand Lake, which gives a beautiful breeze and a beautiful view. Dr. Phillips Community Park also offers outdoor movies one evening a month and an after-school program. It is definitely worth packing up the kids and spending a few hours here! To find other great places, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Children’s Fairyland is a relic that has been rejuvenated over the past couple of years. With a great urban location, this wonderland is a hit with the under 7 age set. With rides for even the smallest tykes, and animals that all toddlers can appreciate, this colorful amusement park has undergone a facelift to include some new features, freshly painted scenes and an excellent puppet theatre. The shows for the puppet theatre start every couple hours and last about 25minutes. The puppets are exquisitely done and the shows are based on traditional fairytales from all over the world. The food is cheap and most of all, kid friendly. Memberships come with free cotton candy and some drinks – I’ll take it. During Christmas, it is even great for the older kids since they do a wonderful Christmas wonderland. The whole place is magically lit and a very believable Santa comes every night and gives each child a great deal of attention. Then he leads a parade through the park. Watch out for his helper, who is a cat though, as my kids weren’t expecting this addition and were a little freaked out. They also host summer camps, birthday parties and acting classes for slightly older kids. They can be a bit pricey, but Fairyland is a non-profit so they charge only what they need to in order to stay afloat. Avoid paying for parking on the weekends by parking on Grand Avenue and walking across the street. Avoid wasting time with the phonebook by using globalYP.net, yellow pages that are online.

Café Play in the Oakland Hills is a lifesaver for anyone in the area with small children. The play space is rich and diverse, with activities for make believe play, dress-up, a ball pit, a train set, a separate classroom with quiet puzzles and games. The inside area, while full of plenty to keep your kids busy, is close and cozy so you can sit at a table, enjoy a magazine and still be close enough to chat with your kids about the pizza they are “making” in the separate kitchen. Of course, they also have free wireless so you can get some work done, or just catch up on email. They have a full menu for both the adults and the kids – they offer a variety of sandwiches and salads. I had a great ham and gruyere panini and my little one had the fruit, cheese and cracker plate, she loved it!  There is a small entrance fee for the little tykes, each visit is $6.  Every time we come we find playmates and activities to keep them busy for up to four hours! I can engage with my daughter when its appropriate and she can play with her friends when that works! If you are willing to drive up Keller Ave, you will be rewarded with great owners, plenty of parking and a good steady crowd to keep your kids entertained. To find other great places for you and your children, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Want to make your Valentine’s Day especially memorable this year? Celebrate your Valentine’s Day weekend this year with a slate of romantic activities at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. On Saturday, February 13, the San Antonio Botanical Garden is hosting their annual Chocolate Day event from 10am-2pm. Couples or chocoholics can indulge in free chocolate samples or learn how to prepare chocolate ganache, a decadent and creamy dessert topping. If you’re bringing the whole family along, there will be a separate children’s area featuring sweet-themed crafts and games, including card-making, a scavenger hunt, a chocolate trivia contest, and the creation of a Mayan pyramid made from sugar cubes! You can also treat your loved one to a romantic meal at the Anne Marie Carriage Bistro House, the Botanical Garden’s restaurant. On Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14, the Bistro House will be featuring a “create your own crepe” brunch special, or you can choose from an array of other savory menu items. General admission, including to the weekend activities, is $7 per adult and $4 for children under 13. The San Antonio Botanical Garden is open from 9am to 5pm on Valentine’s Day weekend, and the Carriage Bistro House is open for brunch only from 9am to 2pm. To find other romantic activities and restaurants for Valentine’s Day, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

I love the Museum of Science. I live in the Boston area and have gone to it numerous times throughout my life. While some exhibits have not changed over the years, the temporary exhibits and the IMAX theater definitely make the Museum of Science a must for anybody visiting Boston, or for families in the area who want to do something local on a rainy day. For locals, a tip I might give you is that some local libraries hand out passes to the museum at a much cheaper price than the actual museum charges; while it does not cover IMAX and special tickets like that, it will significantly lower the price. What I love the most about the Museum of Science is the hands-on activities that are in the museum. The museum consists of typical exhibits, but The Museum of Science also has several interactive exhibits. There are free shows with audience participation, animal shows, dissections and the like in the Human Body Connection, demonstrations throughout the museum… you name it, the museum has probably done it at one point. This museum is great for kids. All the interactive exhibits allow kids to take an active part in science, rather than a passive role. The IMAX theater is by far my favorite thing at the museum. The films that are shown can range from under the sea all the way into outer space. The Museum of Science in Boston is an interactive museum great for kids and adults of all ages. To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

The Coliseum in Camp Hill, PA offers a unique and exciting opportunity for friends and family alike to gather in a fun environment and enjoy some arcade games. Located in Central PA, this establishment is similar to Dave & Buster’s but more convenient for residents in the area than taking a trip to Baltimore or Philadelphia. Upon entering the Coliseum, you’ll have the option of going three different ways. To the left, stairs lead to a downstairs area which houses a bar and bowling alleys along with plenty of televisions for all your sporting needs. Straight ahead there’s the main attraction of the Coliseum, which is the arcade. To the right, there’s a restaurant with a typical fare of American cuisine waiting for visitors to come relax and grab a bite to eat. Since this is mostly a family centered environment, you’ll see a lot of kids running around enjoying themselves on a Friday or Saturday night. If you are older and want to have fun minus the crowds, going on a weekday would be the best solution. Several arcade staples are found at the Coliseum, such as Dance Dance Revolution, Skee ball, and Basketball games. There are also more up to date games such as Guitar Hero, a roller coaster simulator where the seats actually rumble to mimic a real roller coaster, and a Trivia game which is easily the most popular new game. For roughly ten to twenty dollars, a family of four can purchase enough tokens to last a couple of hours, which is very inexpensive compared to the cost of going to a movie nowadays. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and the restrooms are well maintained. On a busy night the restaurant portion of the Coliseum can get pretty crowded, as well as the bar when there is a major sports game going on. The downstairs bar is a great place to hang out and watch the playoffs when they are on. If you’re looking for a new experience, or to cure some winter blues, head over to the Coliseum, and be prepared to want to come back over and over again. Head on over to globalYP.net and find tons of local business listings available online.

If you are in the Chattanooga, TN area on a family vacation, you will definitely want to consider visiting The Creative Discovery Museum, located in downtown Chattanooga. The Creative Discovery Museum offers unique and educational family fun, even if you are on a budget. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket desk in the museum for $9.95 per person. Don’t let the fact that it is a children’s museum fool you, it offers plenty of fun activities for adults as well. One of the permanent exhibits is Riverplay, where you can learn how the river works and the importance of the Tennessee River to the city of Chattanooga and other cities and towns. The Corner Clinic allows a realistic look into a doctor’s office and some of the tools and equipment used in modern medicine. The Bee Garden is a full size honey bee observation hive where you can study how a bee hive operates. Be sure to also visit the Lookout Tower, which provides a bird’s eye view of the city of Chattanooga and if you are traveling with little ones (ages newborn to four years) check out The Little Yellow House, which offers The Creative Discovery Museum experience to babies and toddlers at a pace which they can understand. The Creative Discovery Museum is sure to have something for everyone! GlobalYP.net has local business listings available online, so see what else is out there.

Toys and Candy On The Park (known to locals as just “On The Park”) is a traditional toy lover’s dream. It’s not like a typical toy store full of mass produced, overly commercialized plastic gimmicks. Instead, On The Park is full of toy treasures ranging from wooden toy castles, unique figurines, plenty of stuffed animals that accurately depict their inspiration, cute puzzles, interesting and fun educational toys, and so much more. It’s a fun store that reminds many adults of their childhood, back before every toy has a computer chip and batteries, back to when toys were about expanding the imagination and cultivating talents. On The Park is the perfect store for parents and grandparents to shop for gifts as you’re sure to find something exciting that the recipient doesn’t already have. Another advantage about On The Park is the candy section. Candy stores aren’t as common in the south as they are up north (it’s hot in Houston hence all of the ice cream shops). On The Park is a rare mixture of toy store and candy shop. They carry a lot of gummy assortments, plenty of colored candies, some rare and hard to find varieties, and the amazing custom-made chocolate section; which are displayed in the glass check-out counter. Overall, On The Park is a delightful toy store and candy shop. A real gem in Kingwood, Texas, which is in the north end of Houston, right off 59. To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

AHA – Hand On Adventure – Children’s Museum in downtown Lancaster, Ohio is a delightful place to spend some time with your kids. I would recommend it for ages 1-8. My sister, who lives in Lancaster, invited me with my two small kids a couple summers ago. My then three year old had so much fun, I literally had to drag him out and promise a return visit. There are many different interactive exhibits for kids to play in. My son enjoyed the walk-in house that has a frame in place and you put blocks inside it to build the structure around you. He also had fun with the grocery store station. My niece and nephew, who are a little older, loved putting on performances on the stage with karaoke mike. There was a dress up station, a cool beehive to crawl around in, and many more fun things to do. I think my son could spend an entire morning, afternoon, or evening here. It would be a fun place for grandparents to take kids or for parents to hang out. They have a place to lounge while your kids are playing around you. It’s a great place to spend a rainy day or snowy day or hot day. It’s colorful, playful, interesting and fun.  It is $5 per person to get in, which isn’t bad. My sister had a membership which would pay off if you live close by and use it frequently. My neighbor’s son’s preschool class took a field trip there and loved it. To find other great places for you and your kids, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

The Red Hat Thrift Store is a wonderful place for cheap, quality clothes in good condition. All the sales profits go to support the Emergency Support Shelter for Women and Parent’s Place (a safe place for parents and children of all ages). All the clothes are in good condition, some are even new. The Red Hat store contains mostly women’s and children’s clothes, but they also have men’s clothes, bedding, and kitchen/home products. The kitchen and home products are always in good shape and at a wonderful price. The bedding is usually in short supply, but in good shape too. They also carry a small supply of movies ranging in rating. The selection on women’s and children’s clothes is wonderful. They have all sizes and colors. It’s almost like shopping in a normal store. I shop at the Red Hat store quite often. My 3 year old daughter loves to shop there too. I can go in with $20 and leave with an outfit or two for myself and four or five for my daughter. I love to shop at the Red Hat Store because I get so much for so little money and I am helping good causes that have helped me in my times of need. When you need to find something in the phonebook, try using globalYP.net, an online directory, instead.