Family Fun This Weekend

Once again, here is your guide to fun for this weekend. But first, a look at the bizarre things to celebrate over the next few days:

Did you know that today, Friday, March 22, is National Goof Off Day? Be sure to relax and do something fun!

Grab your favorite tortillas and salsa (or kettle chips and onion dip) because Saturday, March 23 is National Chip and Dip Day.

Make a yummy snack mix on Sunday, March 24 for National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day. Throw in some dried fruit, mini pretzels, and of course some chocolate-covered raisins.


ONGOING
  
Race: Are We So Different?
Daily through Sunday, April 28, 2013
Rochester Museum & Science Center, 657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY
Explore the stories of race from biological, cultural, and historical points of view. This new exhibit features hands-on activities, 3-D animation, and more. Included with regular museum admission.

LEGO Travel Adventure
Daily through May 12, 2013
National Museum of Play at The Strong, One Manhattan Square, Rochester, NY
Hands-on LEGO and DUPLO building stations, racing ramps, tons of LEGO displays by LEGO Master Builders, and even a spot to take a photo of your own creation and email it to yourself or friends and family. Included with regular museum admission. Check out the ROCmomma review here.

FRIDAY

Game Night
Friday, March 22 from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. (repeats on Fridays through June 14, 2013)
ArtsROC, 3462 Monroe Avenue, Pittsford, NY
Kids ages 5-12 can enjoy movies, Wii, Xbox, Minecraft, tons of LEGOs, and a pizza party for $25 at ArtsROC. Call (585) 218-9125 or email info@artsroc.net for more information. Or click here to register.

Free Family Night: Family Kickball
Friday, March 22 from 5:30 - 9:00 p.m.
YMCA- Southeast, 111 East Jefferson Road, Pittsford, NY
The Adventure Center is open until 9 p.m. (remember your socks!), enjoy pizza in the Lobby at 5:45 p.m until it runs out ($1/slice), join in a Family Kickball Game at 6:15 p.m., and swim in the pool until 9 p.m. Free and open to the community.

SATURDAY

Easter Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast 
Saturday, March 23 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
YMCA Camp Arrowhead, 20 Arrowhead Road, Pittsford, NY
Enjoy a yummy pancake breakfast, meet the Easter bunny, play games, make arts & crafts, and more. There will be two separate egg hunts - one for ages 5 and under, and one for ages 6 - 12. Register online or at the Southeast YMCA (111 E. Jefferson Road, Pittsford, NY) up until March 22nd; $7.50 per person or $32 per family (up to six people). Registration at the event is $12 per person or $45 per family (up to six people). Children under age two are free and should be included in the family count. This event is open to the community; you do not have to be a member of the YMCA.

Easter Party

Saturday, March 23 from 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Created by Us Ceramic Studio, 3 Railroad Street, Fairport, NY

Join the Easter Party for an Easter Egg Hunt, pottery painting, and cookie decorating. Open to ages 5 and up for $20 per child. Younger children welcome with an adult. Reservations required: (585) 223-8210.

5th Annual HUGE Easter Egg Hunt Benefit

Saturday, March 23 at 11:00 a.m.

Bloomfield Elementary School, 45 Maple Avenue, Bloomfield, NY

Three indoor Easter Egg Hunts for ages 0-3, 4-8, and 9 & up, with over 4000 eggs and 3 prize baskets per age group. All participants win a prize bag filled with goodies. Take pictures with the Easter Bunny,  play in the bounce house, or stop by the bake sale, carnival games, crafts, and face painting.  Admission is a $3 donation per child; donations benefit the Patrick Parrish Memorial Scholarship Fun in memory of a local student.

Meet LEGO Easter Bunny

Saturday, March 23 from 12 - 3 p.m.

ArtsROC School of Art, Music, & Language, 3462 Monroe Avenue, Pittsford, NY

Bring your 5-cent recyclables to ArtsROC to help support Catherine's Peace Team with your donation. You'll have a chance to get your picture taken with LEGO Easter Bunny, take home a free LEGO chocolate, and help build a LEGO Easter scene. 

Open Gym & Extreme Sports Practice Night
Saturday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. (repeats Saturdays through May 25)
Sports Academy of Victor, 6385 Route 96, Victor, NY
Have fun with mats, sports equipment, tumble track, foam pit, turf field, batting cages, spring floor, and inflatables. Instructors are available to help. For ages 6 and up; cost is $10.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY 

Maple Weekend

Saturday, March 23 - Sunday, March 24, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Various Locations Throughout New York State (use the zip code search to find a location near you)

Enjoy a pancake breakfast, or just find out how maple syrup gets from a tree to your table, at one of the many Maple Weekend celebrations in New York. Several locations also have activities for kids, such as  Genesee Country Village & Museum. Check out ROCmomma's review of Maple Weekend 2012 here.

Meet Martha at Literature Live

Saturday, March 23 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 24 from 1 - 5 p.m.

National Museum of Play at The Strong, One Manhattan Square, Rochester, NY

Meet Martha the Talking Dog, and enjoy story time featuring Martha books. Don't forget your camera! Included with regular museum admission.

SUNDAY

Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Castle Creek Farm, 3760 Rush Mendon Road, Mendon, NY

Sunday, March 24 from 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Easter Egg Hunt from 12 - 12:30 p.m. is held in the indoor ring and outdoor facilities (rain or shine). Get your picture taken with the Easter Bunny, go on a pony ride, make arts and crafts, enjoy face painting, and check out the farm and petting zoo. Homemade baked goods and snacks will be available.  Admission is $8 per child, or $5 per child for families with 2 or more children.

Salseros
Sunday, March 24 from 12 - 3 p.m.
Rochester Museum & Science Center, 657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY
Experience Hispanic culture through dance with the University of Rochester's Spanish and Latino American Student Association. Included with general admission.

Family Movie Day: Wreck-It Ralph
Sunday, March 24 from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Rochester Public Library (Central Library), 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY
Families are invited to come to the Children's Center of the Central Library to watch Wreck-It Ralph (rated PG). This program is free, so bring the whole family. No registration required.

Have a great weekend! As always, thanks for reading.

Easter Egg Hunts in the Rochester Area

This Easter season, there are plenty of egg hunts, and even a bunny hunt, for the kids to enjoy. We have participated in the egg hunt at Camp Arrowhead for the past few years, so I can highly recommend that one. (details for other events are at the bottom of this page)

SATURDAY, MARCH 23
The Annual Camp Arrowhead Easter Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast will take place on Saturday, March 23 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at YMCA Camp Arrowhead, 20 Arrowhead Road, Pittsford, NY.

The yummy pancake breakfast buffet is held in one of the camp shelters. Grab a table, load up your plate, and dig in! After breakfast, kids can enjoy crafts and games. If the weather cooperates, the playground and giant sandbox provide lots of entertainment. Older kids (8+) can even climb the alpine tower.

There are two separate hunts: one for ages 5 and under, and one for ages 6-12. The hunts take place in the fairy tale forest, with adorable little play houses.

I like the candy house the best.

Kids have a blast filling their bag (provided) with eggs.

If you are lucky enough to find the golden egg, you can win a free week of camp! No such luck for us, but we don't mind.

After the hunt, kids turn in their eggs for a goodie bag filled with door prizes.

Above, my little one is pulling off an Easter bunny mask, which was in his goodie bag.

    

Family Fun Hot Spots This Weekend

Wondering what to do with the kids this weekend in Rochester, NY? There are Easter egg hunts, model trains, and Berenstain Bears, oh my!

Family Fun Friday: Easter Egg Hunt at Southeast Family YMCA
Friday, March 30 ~ 4:30 - 10 p.m.
111 E. Jefferson Road, Pittsford, NY
4:30 - 9:00 p.m. - Adventure Center is open
5:45 - ?              - Pizza, $1/slice (Lobby)
6:00 - ?              - Easter Craft (Lobby)
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. - FREE Healthy Snack (Lobby)
6:30 - 8:00 p.m. - Games, crafts & Easter Egg Hunt (Gym)
7:05 - 10:00 p.m.- Family Swim (Pool)

Easter Egg Hunt at Camp Arrowhead
Saturday, March 31 ~ 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
20 Arrowhead Road, Pittsford, NY
An event for the whole family! The event includes a pancake breakfast, 2 separate Egg Hunts (for ages 5 & under and ages 6-12), arts & crafts, games, entertainment, door prizes, Alpine Tower (ages 8+), sandbox, playground, and much more. Find the golden egg and win a free week of camp. Register by 4 p.m. on March 30th to save on registration; day-of registration is a bit more.

Easter Egg Hunt at Castle Creek Farms
Saturday, March 31 ~ 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
3760 Rush Mendon Road, Mendon, NY
The Easter Bunny has hidden over 500 eggs all over the farm for children to find. The event features pony rides, hay rides, and a petting zoo. There is a fee for children; adults are free.

Edgerton Model Railroad Open House
Saturday, March 31 ~ 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Edgerton Recreation Center, 41 Backus Street, Rochester, NY
Take a free "tour" of historical Rochester through the four seasons: summer in the city, fall in Letchworth State Park, winter in the mountains, and spring in the countryside. These four model railroad layouts were created in 1950 and are only open on the last Saturday of each month.

Literature Live: Sister Bear at The Strong National Museum of Play
Saturday, March 31 ~ 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sunday, April 1 ~ 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
1 Manhattan Square, Rochester, NY
Do your kids love the Berenstain Bears books? Then they will love the chance to meet Sister Bear and take a picture with her. Included with general admission.

Opening Day & Free Ice Cream at Wickham Farms
Sunday, April 1 ~ 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
1821 Fairport Nine Mile Road, Penfield, NY
Be sure to Like them on Facebook, and you'll be able to print out the coupon for your free ice cream, or just show it on your smartphone. Besides ice cream, enjoy miniature golf, batting cages, a jumping pillow, large sandbox (bring your own sand toys, or rent them in the barn), slide & play set, and farm animals.

April Fools' with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Sunday, April 1 at 2 p.m.
Performance Hall at Hochstein, 50 North Plymouth Avenue, Rochester, NY
Have the whole family enjoy a program of fun pranks, musical jokes, and a good time with great music performed by the RPO. Purchase tickets online or at any Rochester-area Wegmans.

Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's 
Tuesday, April 3 ~ 12 - 8 p.m.
5 South Main St, Pittsford, NY or RIT, 139 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY
Stop in for a free scoop of your favorite flavor!

I hope this helps you plan your weekend. Don't forget to mark your calendar for some ice cream onTuesday, too. If you know of any other fun events this weekend, please post them in the Comments section. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend.

#1 Sane-Parent Tip: Join the Y

I can't speak for all YMCA branches in the country, but if you have pre-school or school-age kids in the Rochester area, you must join the Y. The exercise classes, the child watch room, and the programs will make the monthly fee well worth it. We belong to the Southeast Branch but we've also utilized the facilities at Eastside as well as Camp Arrowhead.

What's In It For Mom & Dad? (or Mom & Mom, or Dad & Dad, or Baby Momma & Baby Daddy...)

With the warm weather finally here, many of us are dreading squeezing back into last year's shorts and swim suits. The Y can help! Around this time last year, I lost 16 post-postpartum pounds at the Y after I started going to step aerobics on Tuesdays and kickboxing on Thursdays. That was enough to finally start dropping the baby weight. This year I'm still going to step aerobics every week, but due to a scheduling conflict I replaced kickboxing with Body Combat and added a session on the treadmill once a week. Now I'm almost at my pre-first-baby weight.

There are so many great classes offered at all hours. If you prefer a solo routine, the indoor pool and the wellness center (treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bikes, etc.) are excellent. Plus, the child watch and infant rooms are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays at the Southeast Branch; you might want to check the web site of your local facility for details. The child care service is included with family membership, and can be utilized for two hours per day per child. The staff members are wonderful with children; they will soothe the criers, read stories, play games, and even initiate sing-alongs to keep everyone happy. Your child(ren) will be in great hands while you workout.

In addition to your new sexy body, you can also gain a little me-time beyond your workouts. Our branch offers a Drop & Shop program where those with a family membership can reserve a time to drop off their kids at child watch and leave the facility for an hourly fee. The current rate is $7 per hour per child. This has made it so much easier for me to schedule appointments for me - doctor, dentist, hair cut, etc. When I was working, my oldest son attended child care and so I made those appointments for my lunch hour and didn't have to worry about him. When I became a stay-at-home mom, it was a struggle to schedule things for myself before I discovered the wonderful joy of Drop & Shop. I keep meaning to reserve a Drop & Shop time so I can actually shop or do something fun...but that's another story.

What's In It For the Kids?

The Y definitely fosters the development of social skills. When I first started bringing my youngest son to the child watch room, he was eight weeks old and didn't fuss. Several months later, he began crying every time I left him. It broke my heart, but I'd peek in the window after a few minutes to see him smiling and crawling toward some toys. Little stinker! Now he's two and I refer to him as the Mayor of Child Watch. He knows the names of the other regulars, he knows the names of the staff members, he knows which toy belong to which child. When we walk into the building, staff will greet him by name and he usually knows who they are as well. It cracks me up.

My four-year-old attends pre-school at the Y three days a week and he loves it. His teachers are wonderful; he gets so excited to see them each school day. They are so patient and have an endless supply of energy and creativity. This week he happens to be the VIP - the line leader in the hall, first to do activities, and the teachers will read to the class a book all about him that we filled out. The classes have a swim lesson one day a week, plus play time in the gym and in the Adventure Center so there's plenty of activity in addition to learning.

On nice days, we stay at the Y after school to play outside. It's like a social event for the kids and the parents. There is a playground in the back, but most of the time my boys want to play on the little slide, balance beams, and hop-scotch stones out front because that's where the most children are playing. Or we'll head to the side of the building where there are two trees that are perfect for climbing, and that also attract a crowd of kids. I pretty much have to bribe them to get them to leave, or wait until their little tummies are grumbling for lunch.

When it's rainy, snowy, or too hot to play outside, we head to the Adventure Center at the Y. It's basically a padded room where the kids can literally bounce off the walls. There are over-sized blocks to make towers and forts, there are slides, and even a tunnel. We go there to "get the sillies out" before dinner time.

During the summer, we utilize the outdoor pool and spray ground at Camp Arrowhead. They're open in the late afternoon during the week and a fellow ROCmomma had a great idea - she brings her two kids on Friday afternoons, and her husband picks up a pizza after work and meets them there to eat dinner and play.

Yes, it's a terrible photo but I couldn't bring myself to publicly post my husband or me in a swim suit. Above is the spray ground; the rainbow in the background has water showering down from each arc, and my husband is carrying our son through a spray coming up from the ground. There are all kinds of structures that get you soaked, but zero depth so you don't have to worry about little ones in a pool. Personally, I prefer spray grounds to pools any day of the summer.

What's In It For the Family?

The programming at the Y rocks. There are Family Fun Fridays with pizza for $1 per slice, free healthy snacks, crafts to make, family swim time in the pool, the Adventure Center is open, and a different activity in the gym every week. This month the activities have been rollerskating, fast fitness stations, family Zumba, and there's still movie night and an Easter egg hunt to come.

In December there is a candy cane hunt and in the Spring there is an Easter egg hunt at Camp Arrowhead. Both start with a pancake breakfast, followed by some crafts and indoor activities (December) or outdoor activities such as a bounce house (Spring). Then there is the hunt in the woods. We've been to both and had so much fun! Below is last year's candy cane hunt, followed by the Easter egg hunt (even my brother and his girlfriend joined the festivities). We'll be heading out for some pancakes and Easter eggs again on March 31st at Camp Arrowhead.

So if you live in the Rochester area, you have kids, and you want a little more sanity, my number one tip is: join the Y.

Thanks for reading! Please utilize the comments section - what do you like best about the Y? What's your #1 tip for staying sane? What do you do to be a fit & healthy ROCmomma or ROCpoppa?...