Vintage Indiana: Even fun for those under 21

Posted on May 18, 2012 by gotchababy

Summer is gearing up in Indianapolis, and my head is swimming with 101 things to do with the family this summer. I don’t know if it will equate to 101 posts or not, but seriously, there is a LOT going on in the month of June around town.

To kick things off, the Vintage Indiana Wine and Food Fest is happening on June 2. In the past, when I’ve heard radio spots for this event, I’ve wistfully wished to attend. Having children makes that hard- after paying for a babysitter, how much would be left to spend on food and wine?

IT TURNS OUT THERE IS A KIDSZONE.

How awesome is that? Kids 5 and under are free, kids 5-20 (heh) are $5, designated drivers are $10, and full-on grown-ups-there-for-wine are $22 in advance/$25 at the gate.

What kind of things will there be in the KidsZone? Go check it out. It sounds like there will be face-painting, balloons, an ice cream stand and more. There’s also live music for the whole family, and lots of local yummy food to be eatean….which all sounds good to me!

Think your family is ready to venture down to Military Park and experience it for themselves?

Take a chance and enter to win free tickets! All around Indy’s-Internet, Indiana’s Family of Farmers Ambassadors are holding giveaways for event tickets. Go leave some comments and maybe a pair of tickets will come your way!

Giveaways are currently being hosted at:

Good luck!!

Conner Prairie is Open for Springtime Fun

Posted on April 16, 2012 by gotchababy

Rounding up the sheep at Conner Prairie

Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Indiana’s only affliated Smithsonian Institution, opened it’s outdoor areas for the 2012 season on March 31,2012. The spring calendar is filled with special events and standard on-the-prairie fun. We were able to enjoy our first outdoor visit of 2012 this past weekend.

The Fox practices his camera skills on this mama and her lamb.

April is Animal Extravaganza month, and during our visit, it was all about the sheep during their sheep-to-blanket weekend. We saw sheep herded by border collie, an ewe being sheared ,and that fleece being spun into wool. The whole process was fascinating, and the Kahuna kids appreciated being so close to the action.

We also finally got the chance to check out the 1863 Civil War Journey, and I am so glad we did. This is the newest area in the park, and it uses technology in an innovative way. The kids loved the new indoor/outdoor play area (at the DuPont General Store), and I learned a lot about Indiana during the Civil War. MaM and I also had fun learning how to send a telegraph (it’s not as easy as it sounds).

Awesome Advice: My advice to you is if you are there with young children and more than one adult, let the kids play while the adults take turn experiencing the General Store and the Raid presentations. (These presentations are loud and unnerving, especially to young kids)

Montessori Moment: Learning Morse Code at the schoolhouse will interest kids learning to read and write. Go hang out in the Animals Encounters barn to get up close and personal with all kinds of animals!

Admission: Youth (2–12) $9 \| Adult (12-59) $14 \| Senior (65+) $13
Hours: see website for current hours (will vary with season)
www.ConnerPrairie.org	@connerprairie	www.facebook.com/ConnerPrairie
13400 Allisonville Road, Fishes, IN 46038		(317) 776-6006

See our Conner Prairie info page for more events at this location.

Disclosure: My family was given free passes to visit Conner Prairie this month in exchange for this blog post.

Tips for Bowling with Kids (Plus Royal Pin Giveaway from Eversave)

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Just Heather

When I saw this week’s Royal Pin deal on Eversave, I was super excited! Bowling is already an inexpensive, fun family activity. With this week’s Save, you’ll receive 3 games of bowling for two plus shoe rental for just $15. Buy two Saves, and you can take the whole family for $30.

That’s half price, and I just couldn’t resist!

It will be an afternoon of fun and laughter—especially when the girls manage to beat me at bowling! Now, the hubby is actually pretty good at bowling. And, the girls? Well, they rock at Wii bowling so it’s always fun to see how that translates to real life.

Here are a few tips to make bowling with kids a little more fun:

Use Bumpers: Constant gutter balls are frustrating for kids who are learning to bowl. Request the bumpers to keep them more interested in the game.
Request a Lightweight Ball: On the shelves, you’ll find bowling balls as low as 8 pounds. Behind the counter, most places offer 5- or 6-pound bowling balls.
Location, Location, Location: When bolwing with younger children, request a lane near the restrooms. Also, consider if you want to be near the arcade and concession stand or out of sight.
Teach Courtesy: Avoid irritating other bowlers by teaching even young children to take their turn. Right of way is always given to the bowler on the right. Remind your kids that other bowlers will be waiting for them to have a turn as well.
Dress Appropriately: Mostly, this means don’t forget the socks! We keep socks in the car for spur of the moment trips to bowling alleys, bounce houses, and indoor playgrounds.

The Eversave deal is good through Monday, but we have one to give away right now! To enter, simply leave a comment here, and tell us what your family likes to do for fun.

You can earn additional entries by:

Following JustHeather on Twitter
Following @EversaveIND on Twitter
Liking Family Fun in Indy on Facebook
Writing about this giveaway (blog, forum, public Facebook note)
Tweeting about this giveaway: Looking forward to family fun at Royal Pin, thanks to @JustHeather and @EversaveIND! http://bit.ly/GRgmOs

For tips on more bowling deals and another chance to win, check out Inexpensively!

For your extra entries to be counted, be sure to leave an additional comment directing us to your entry. Only one additional entry per method (i.e. While multiple tweets are appreciated it, only one will count as a drawing entry.) The contest runs until March 26th at 4:00pm est. One winner will be notified by email on March 26th and receive a Royal Pin voucher from Eversave. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

I was provided with a Royal Pin voucher to facilitate this giveaway. All opinions (and bowling inadequacies) are 100% mine.

Riding the Steel Ponies

Posted on March 21, 2012 by gotchababy

The Fox testing out a new ride

My family is enjoying a complimentary membership from the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art this year, which includes admission to several special exhibits, including this springs Steel Ponies exhibition.

Steel Ponies features historical and custom bikes that will educate and enchant. The Kahuna kids saw bikes ranging from primitively motorized bikes to customized bikes featured on the show American Chopper. We’d never seen anything like them before, and the photos and art work on the walls around the exhibit compliment them. Anyone who likes things that go will find something to like about this exhibit!

Awesome Advice: Note the music in the parking garage as you walk through, it’s motorcycle themed!
Montessori Moment: At the end of exhibit, take some time to explore the motorcycle guests are welcome to climb on. Kids will enjoy learning the names for different parts of the motorcycle.

Admission: Adults $8, Seniors $7, Children 5-17/full-time students with ID $5, children 4 and under are free, members are free, IUPUI students free
Hours: Monday- Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday noon-5pm
www.eiteljorg.org	@EiteljorgMuseum	Facebook.com/Eiteljorg
500 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204		317-636-9378

Dora’s Pirate Adventure Live at Beef and Boards

Posted on March 18, 2012 by gotchababy

MaM, Diego and Swiper after the show

This past weekend MaM and I took in the Pyramid Player’s production of Dora’s Pirate Adventure at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre. The Pyramid Players put on two children’s shows per year, priced and designed for families with young children. We went with friends of ours, and it was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Dora’s Pirate Adventure is a Dora episode come to life. All of the major characters make an appearance, and Boots steals the show. The costumes are not the fully masked, larger than life costumes that often scare toddlers, rather these costumes show faces and make the characters less overwhelming.

Our table loved the show, and all the audience participation kept the girls engaged the entire time. The snack of juice and Rice Krispie treats hit the spot, and the girls really enjoyed the character meet and greet after the show.

Awesome Advice: Be sure to use the restroom before the show begins!
Montessori Moment: Kids can practice their conversation skills with their favorite characters during the meet & greet after the show. Be sure to bring a pen for autographs and a camera for photos!

Admission: $14 per person
Hours: 10 am and 1pm shows, see website dates
www.beefandboards.com	@beefandboards	Facebook.com/BeefandBoards
9301 N. Michigan Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46268		317-872-9664

Cache the Big Game: Superbowl Geocaching Fun

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Just Heather

Do you geocache? The hubby and I went geocaching on a date last year, and I’ve been meaning to take the girls as a family fun outing. It’s a great way to learn about the city by becoming treasure hunters in your own backyard. We love to exploring the parks & trails near here.

Usually, I prefer to do my treasure hunting in warmer weather, but all the Indy Superbowl activities are just too much fun to resist! There will be special caches hidden in Hamilton County parks, outside the city for Cache the Big Game (pdf).

Plus, there’s a friendly competition going. I mean, it’s all about the big game, right?

There will be a special Superbowl cache in two parks within each participating Park & Rec department, with a special code in the logbook. Collect a code from each location, then log your find on geocaching.com and email sfix@westfield.in.gov with all eight codes, your name and address.

The first 100 people will receive a commemorative pathtag. I don’t know what that means, but I want it.

Participating parks departments include:

Photo Credit: Flickr

Family Friendly Superbowl Village Events & Activities

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Just Heather

I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am about Indy’s Superbowl activities! It’s a once in a lifetime experience that I can’t wait to share with my girls.

We won’t be going to the big game, of course ($12,000? Really?!), but Indy will play host to plenty of fun activities for the 10 days of Superbowl Village. It’s just so unbelievably exciting to have it all happening right here in our city.

There are several free Superbowl events, and a few with an admission charge. Some will be geared towards adults, but several are family friendly. I really am super excited to take the girls to Superbowl Village!

NFL Experience: The NFL Experience is billed as an NFL theme park. It will feature interactive games, attractions, kids’ football clinics, autograph sessions, and a huge memorabilia show. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for kids 2-12 (kids under 2 are free).
Superbowl Roman Numerals: The 30-foot numerals will be on display through the Superbowl. I can’t wait to get the girls’ picture in front of the giant Superbowl Numbers! When will we get a chance like that again?
Zipline: The US’s longest temporary zipline will run down Capitol Avenue. The ticket presale has ended, but there will be a standby line for those who still want to experience zipping over downtown Indy. Tickets are $10 per person, but I could not find any information on minimum age requirements.
Super Dash: Giant hamster wheel of awesome. True story. Fans of each team can run on the wheel to produce energy that will be measured in a fan power competition. Which team will be crowned the victor on February 5th?
Kinect NFL PLAY 60 FanDome: Kids love video games, and we’ve been dying to try out the Kinect. Kinect plus 360 degree inflated dome? Yeah, that’s awesome.
Ice Gurus: The Food Network’s Ice Brigade will create ice sculptures live in the Superbowl Village. My girls are going to get such a kick out of this! (And, don’t worry—while it will definitely be cold enough to maintain ice sculptures, Superbowl Village is also full of portable heaters to keep visitors warm.
Super Cars: Nothing says Indianapolis like Indy Cars, and the city will be showcasing several NFL-themed cars in the heart of downtown. Every time we see one on display, it’s surrounded by kids. This one will be a big hit.
ESPN Broadcast Studio: Kids will love seeing a real television broadcast. Several popular sports shows will be produced in the Pan Am Plaza. They will be open for public viewing through Superbowl week.
Nightly concerts: I’m not sure how many of the more than 60 performers on the Pepsi Stage (hosted by Zuri Hall and Mike Epps) will be family friendly, but it’s worth looking into—especially since they’re completely free. Check out at the Superbowl events calendar for details. There will be more free concerts, from Univision, VH1 and CMT at the convention center and Indiana State Fairgrounds, as part of the Pepsi Fan Jam. Get your free tickets in advance.

Awesome Advice: Be sure to locate the Super Care Clinic before you go, just in case. Physicians & nurses from several health networks will be on site to provide urgent care and first-aid as a fee-for-service walk-in clinic. It will also include the first ever lactation station, a fully equipped facility for nursing mothers.
Montessori Moment: Consider the Park & Ride, if your kids have never experienced public transit. My girls haven’t, and I’m feeling a bit like a helicopter mom now that I think about it. IndyGo will be free during Superbowl weekend, plus shuttles will run from several Super Celebration Sites outside of Indianapolis.

Win a Family Membership to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art

Posted on January 19, 2012 by gotchababy

Edited: This giveaway is now closed- thanks for playing!

(This post includes a giveaway- keep reading to find out more!)

I’m an avid seeker of things to do in and around Indianapolis. One of my favorite places in the city is the westside of downtown, home to White River State Park. This unique state park includes multiple attractions and museums, including the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.

The Eiteljorg sits just east of the Indiana State Museum, right along the canal. It houses special exhibitions and permanant collections, all centered around the history of Native American people and art of the western United States. It’s part art museum and part natural history museum. It’s interactive, and it’s thought-provoking. It’s also a great place for the family to spend the afternoon.

Young children love all things bright and colorful, and the Art of Native America contains just that. Families can see on display the clothing and every day pieces used by Native Americans throughout history. Young children also love animals and cowboys, and plenty of those are on display in the Art of the American West Gallery.

There’s also the R.B. Annis Western Family Experience, a place where children can experience the west first-hand. There’s a stagecoach to ride, a sod house to play in, and many other activities to explore.

It sounds like fun, doesn’t it? It is. The Kahuna kids love going to the Eiteljorg any day, and especially like going when special exhibits like Jingle Rails are there. I’m planning on taking MaM to Josefina day at the museum, since she’s just starting to show interest in the American Girl dolls. This spring, both kids will be revved up to the see the Steel Ponies ( to be honest, the Mr. and I are geeked to see them as well). They also offer preschool play date classes, each with a special theme related to nature, the west, and Native American culture.

I’m excited to offer a yearlong membership to the Eiteljorg Museum to one lucky Family Fun in the City reader. Membership benefits include free admission for household members, free parking in the garage when you visit the museum, a discount at the museum store and more.

To enter to win a year long family membership, please leave a comment below and tell me one place around the city you’ve heard about but never visited. Be sure you enter your best-contact email. For an extra entry, go like the Family Fun in The City Facebook page & leave a comment telling me you did so. For a third entry, go check out some of the other blogs hosting giveaways (see below)- enter some giveaways, subscribe, follow on Twitter or like a few Facebook pages in support of your central Indiana bloggers, then come back and leave a comment telling me you did some of the above. Comments will be open until Friday, January 27, 2012 at 11:59pm. I’ll email the winner from there! Good Luck! (comment moderation is on, so there may be a delay in seeing your comment, but it will post, I promise!)

This giveaway is part of an Indianapolis Museum giveaway bash that’s running all week! Please visit the following local blogs to enter to win other exciting memberships:

The Average Parent Columbus’ KidsCommons Children’s Museum (Such a fun place- we’ll write a post on it at some point!)

Chaos is Bliss Conner Prairie Interactive History Park (we’ve been there & blogged that)

GOODEness Gracious The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (we’ve been there too!)

IN Good Cents Indiana Historical Society (another place in town that needs a post from us!)

BasilMomma Indiana State Museum (we’ve been there!)

The Average Parent Rhythm! Discovery Center (we need to go there- have you been?)

Disclosure: Thanks to Rebecca at the Average Parent for including Family Fun in the City in this event. In exchange for blog post and giveaway, I received a complimentary membership to the Eiteljorg for my family. The content of this post, and the opinions of the museum are completely my own.

What to Do in Indianapolis: No School Monday

Posted on January 10, 2012 by gotchababy

Monday it is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day and it’s a school/bank/government/library holiday. Children all over the city are thinking, “Yes! No school!”, and parents all over the city are looking to see if maybe they have the day off, scrambling for childcare and planning a day one way or another.

Luckily, the city of Indianapolis has you covered. Several venues are offering free admission in honor of Dr. King and as service to families everywhere. Take your children, or send your babysitter with your crew- it’s free!

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis That’s right, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the world’s largest children’s museum is free on Monday, January 16, 2012. Whether your children are three or thirteen, there’s something for everyone to do at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Be sure to ride the historic carousel, take kids 6-12 on the rock climbing wall, and catch a planetarium show while you are there!

Conner Prairie Interactive History Park Conner Prairie, Indiana’s only Smithsonian Institution Affiliate is free for visitors on Monday, January 16, 2012. Discovery Station, the Science Lab and Craft Corner will all be open and ready for you…as well as the Conner Homestead, the Lenape Indian Camp and the Golden Eagle Inn! If your family loves tromping the Conner Prairie grounds, Monday is the day to do it (the grounds are typically closed until late April)! See a more detailed list of events here. Donations of canned goods are being accepted to benefit Third Phase food bank.

The Indiana History Center Visit the Indiana History Center for free in honor of Dr. King on Monday, January 16, 2012. Experience You Are There 1968 : Robert F. Kennedy Speaks, learn about the Civil Rights Era, and make some special crafts. While you’re there, be sure to pop into the Cole Porter room to hear some smooth tunes.

White River State Park Attractions: All attractions are offering free admission with the donation of a canned good (to benefit Gleaners Food Bank) on Monday, January 16, 2012. You can find details here, and see below for event highlights.

Attractions Include:

The Indiana State Museum Live music, poetry, and performance art will all be taking place in honor of Dr. King. See Indiana history up close and personal. If it’s nice, when you’re done, take a walk along the canal out back! The IMAX is also showing free movies on Monday!

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art Children will love the vibrant colors and beautiful displays at this museum. Downstairs is the R. B. Annis Family Experience, one of Indianapolis’ best kept secrets.

The Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens See the animals on exhibit, a dolphin show and all the zoo has to offer!

NCAA Hall of Champions I’ve never been here before- maybe Monday we’ll go check it out!

What are your plans for this Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday? If you head out, will you report back here to let us know how your experience was? Was it super crowded? Were there special activities not mentioned here or on the venue’s website? There’s no way the two of us can get to all of these places ourselves, so we need your help!

Family Friendly New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Indy

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Just Heather

New Year’s Eve is a totally different holiday, once you have kids—but Indianapolis has plenty of celebrations for families. I have fond memories of NYE balls, parties and glamorous celebrations of long ago, but for the last 14 years, we have celebrated the new year as a family.

We’ve developed a few traditions of our own to say goodbye to the current year and ring in a new one. Our favorite tradition is homemade pizza — it’s a fun project for the evening, and an easier dinner than fighting crowds on a busy holiday.

The girls enjoy sparkling cider while the grownups toast with our favorite champagne. And, while our days enjoying When Harry Met Sally are behind us, we often enjoy a late night movie marathon with the kids. Sometimes they fall asleep as the long night wears on—and that’s okay.

During the day, we take advantage of the amazing family fun in Indy. Last year, it was ice skating at the Pepsi Colosseum. This year, we’re squeezing in a visit to Gingerbread Village with our new Conner Prairie membership (thanks, Mom!). There are just so many amazing things to do in Indy—especially for kids! We have all the details for Indy’s best family-centered New Year’s Eve fun below.

Awesome Advice: Celebrate as a family during the day, then tuck the kiddos into bed at their usual time. If you really want to ring in the new year with the kids, don’t be afraid to let them get some sleep first. You can wake them up in the last hour to enjoy the countdown together.

Gingerbread Village at Conner Prairie

New Year’s Eve is the final day for Conner Prairie’s annual Gingerbread Village. You will not believe the amazing display of gingerbread houses on display. Check them out before it’s too late!

Admission: Free with general admission ($6)
Hours: through December 31, 2011 10am–5pm
Gingerbread Village	@ConnerPrairie	Facebook.com/ConnerPrairie
134000 Allisonville Rd, Fishers, IN 46038		317-776-6006

See our Conner Prairie info page for more details & events at this location.

Family New Year’s Eve at Indiana State Museum

Celebrate the new year at the Indiana Museum with face painting, stilt walkers and music. The highlight of the evening is the balloon drop at 8pm.

Admission: $6 per member \| $11 per non-member
Hours: December 31, 2011 6-9pm
Family New Year’s Eve	@IndianaMuseum	Facebook.com/indiana.state.museum
650 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46204		317.232.1637

See our Indiana State Museum info page for more details & events at this location.

Countdown to Noon at Children’s Museum

Visit the Children’s Museum for Jolly Days, and be sure to hang out in the atrium for the countdown to noon at the water clock. It allows young children to experience the excitement of a countdown—and still be in bed at a reasonable hour.

Admission: Free with general admission (Youth (2–17) $11.50 \| Adult (18-59) $16.50 \| Senior (60+) $15.50)
Hours: 10am-5pm (Countdown at noon)
Countdown to Noon	@TCMindy	Facebook.com/childrensmuseum
3000 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN, 46208		1-800-820-6214

See our Children’s Museum info page for more details & events at this location.

Family Fun In The City

Miles of fun in the Circle City