Holiday Trains & Winter Fun for Kids

Four years ago when my oldest son was in day care, their November newsletter included some winter activities for kids. One was the holiday model train display at The Garden Factory. Since "train" was one of the most frequently used words in our one-year-old's vocabulary, we decided to check it out. And we've been back every winter since then.

The Garden Factory is located at 2126 Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY 14624. Sure, they have plants, shrubbery, garden accessories, holiday decorations, and Christmas trees. But from late November through late December, it's a train mecca for kids.

Just walk in through the main entrance and keep going straight to the back of the store. Go through the doors and into the greenhouse, and step into the winter wonderland. The model trains run from 12 - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There is no admission fee to see the trains. Yes, it's free. Yay!

The model train display is huge, and there are several platforms around the display so that kids can get a better view. Of course, they will want to try each platform to see the trains from every side.

On weekends from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. there are rides ($0.50-1.50 each), crafts ($1-2.50 each), games ($2.50 each), a holiday light show ($2 per person; ages 3 and under are free), and pictures with Santa (prices vary). Be sure to check the schedule for other activities which may include reindeer, alpacas, or other animals, as well as food vendors, and Thousand Islands Winery. A link for the schedule can be found by clicking on "Seasonal Events" on the home page, and then on "Holiday Family Fun."

Weekends only, kids can ride a train...

...or a spinny-ride...

...or feed some animals...

...or climb through a fun house...

...or ride down a giant slide.

You can also get a great holiday family photo for your Christmas cards at The Garden Factory. There are pre-lit Christmas trees on display, plus tons of holiday decorations around - - you're sure to find a perfect backdrop for your photo.

The Garden Factory is stroller-friendly and there are indoor restrooms. While the trains and the activities are all indoors, the greenhouse is not heated. We usually keep our coats, hats, and gloves on while inside. There are food vendors available on weekends; during the week I would recommend bringing your own light snacks.

I hope you and your family have fun at The Garden Factory! As always, thanks for reading.

Power's Out/ Rainy Day/ Snowy Day Ideas

While I am not a professional teacher today, the of the most important thing I learned from my student teaching experience applies everyday with my own kids: change the stimulus every 15 minutes or you'll lose them. All day I've been struggling to figure out what to do after the current 15 minutes is up. With both school and the YMCA closed, and the threat of the storm rekindling this afternoon, we've been keeping busy indoors today.

Thankfully, we have power and there is no flooding in this area. I know many who were not so lucky. To everyone who lost power, suffered water damage, or was forced to relocate thanks to Hurricane Sandy, we hope your family is safe and warm and that your lives are restored to normalcy as soon as possible.

Now, what to do with those kiddos?!? Of course there are books, board games, and puzzles. But those will only last so long. I poured over Pinterest today, took out the craft supplies, and hoped for the best. By the way, these don't require electricity...so keep them handy for the next power outage, too.

RELEASING THEIR INNER PICASSO

• Read some books, then try acting them out or ask the kids to think of craft projects that could go with the books. For inspiration, check out these ideas to go along with Laura Numeroff's "If You Give A..." series
• Play Doh + cookie cutters = always a favorite!
• Coloring books + crayons
• Random art supplies: stickers, feathers, pom poms, glue sticks, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, etc.
• Make a Paper Chain to count down to a birthday, the next holiday, or another special occasion
• Special Watercolor Paintings: try drawing a picture with white crayon on white paper, then brush over with watercolors to reveal the image. OR paint with watercolors, then sprinkle table salt on the wet paint, and/or use clear or white craft glue to drizzle additional designs on top. Watch what happens!

• Build with dominoes, LEGOs, and blocks

• Make sock puppets, paper-bag puppets, or paper-plate puppets, then put on a puppet show. Or decorate the house.

GETTING THE SILLIES OUT
When they're stuck indoors, kids still need to move around and get some physical activity. Here are some fun ways to make that happen:

• Go Fish! Place alphabet magnets in a bowl, then grab a pole (toy sword, wrapping paper tube, etc. We used the pole from our marble run set.), string or ribbon, a paper clip, and masking tape. Tie one end of the string to the pole and secure with tape; tie the other end to the paper clip and "fish" for letters. 

• Obstacle Courses - arrange furniture, toys, plastic cups, you name it and have kids go under, over, around, or through. Sometimes we also add in a toss element: set up an empty mixing bowl and a basket full of soft toys such as stuffed animals, and require one to land in the bowl before proceeding
• Crepe Paper Laser Beams - you'll need crepe paper/party streamers (or toilet paper) and masking tape or painter's tape; this could be part of an obstacle course, or its own game; kids take turns going under and over without touching the "laser beams."

And sometimes they end up all wrapped up in the lasers...

• Cards n' Motion - take a regular deck of 52 cards and spread them out on the floor. Assign a motion to each suit (e.g., hearts = jumping jacks, diamonds = twist side to side, spades = march around the room, clubs = windmill your arms). Each player takes turns flipping a card and performing the motion for the number on the card. For example, a player who turns over the 8 of hearts does 8 jumping jacks. You could assign special activities for Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces: Jacks pass the activity to the next player, all the girls do the activity for Queens, all the boys do the activity for Kings, and Aces are all-play. Depending on the age of the children, you could create more or fewer rules. (e.g., collect two Aces during the game and you can change a motion such as change march around the room to crawl around the room; collect a pair and do the activity backwards; etc.)
• Wild Things - each player takes turns calling out an animal; everyone else must walk like that animal & make the sound of that animal.
• Play Simon Says
• Fashion Show - use Halloween costumes, dress-up clothes, or even some of your clothes. Let the kids dress up and then strut their stuff down the "runway". Don't forget the camera. (Boys like to dress up as much as girls! Especially when they get to try on dad's shoes, clothes, and baseball caps.)
• Hop Scotch - use masking tape or painter's tape on your floor to make the hop scotch board, and use a balled-up sock to throw. You can recreate any game subbing masking tape for the chalk you would normally use outdoors: bullseye bowling, tic tac toe, etc. For a Halloween twist, check out the Spiderweb Game.
• Toy Hunt - all but one player leaves the room, and this person is It; the player who is It must hide objects around the room (toy cars, Barbie dolls, large blocks, etc.). Be sure to count the objects before hiding so you know how many to find. Once everything is hidden, the person who is It calls everyone back to start the hunt. The person who finds the most objects is the next to be It.
• Play Balloon Volleyball 
• Play Catch with a balled-up sock, a silk scarf, small stuffed animal, or a Koosh-type ball 

I hope this list helps you stay sane during the hurricane this week. Or that it comes in handy on the next snow day or rainy day. Stay safe! As always, thanks for reading.