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November Family Friendly Activities 2015

November 1, 2015 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

November Family Friendly Events 2015

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever.” – Psalm 136:1

November is upon us once again. Our focus turns towards the holidays and family time. Below are some great Family Friendly Events for November. Take a look through the calendar and find some fun things to do while you have family visiting.

Be sure to take a look at some of the other posts on my blog too. Find some crafts or stories to share with the children you have in your home during the holidays. I would love to hear what you did and how everything worked out. Please stop by the Love to Laugh and Learn Facebook page and share any comments or pictures of your fun times together.

Have fun making turkeys from your child's hands and feet. — Have fun making turkeys from your child’s hands and feet.

November 27
Friday

Santa’s Arrival at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis!
While the rest of the family is running around (just missing the Black Friday specials) and getting frustrated with the crowds and lack of inventory, sneak off with the kids to greet Santa as he arrives at the Children’s Museum. There will be special activities such as face painting, a Jolly Day’s photo booth and a sing-a-long. Santa will arrive in a special Indy race car. The car will be driven by the 2013 and 2014 Indianapolis 500 Pole Sitter, Ed Carpenter. Santa will make his grand entrance down the Yule Slide as the museum opens at 10:00 a.m..
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
3000 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208-4716
Festivities start at 8:30 a.m.

Opening Day for Christmas at the Zoo
This is such a magical time of year at the zoo. Stop by and enjoy the beautiful displays of Christmas lights and some of the cool weather animals. You will be able to see animals in action that usually don’t do much during the hot summer months. Enjoy seeing the polar bear, seals, walrus, tigers and brown bears playing in the cool weather.
Indianapolis Zoo
1200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46222
The zoo is open Wednesday through Sunday. Although it opens at noon, there are special holiday activities from 5:00 – 9:00 each night.

Circle of Lights
Head downtown to enjoy the activities and the lighting of our huge “tree” on Monument Circle. Entertainment on the Circle begins at 6:00 p.m. with the lighting of the tree at approximately 7:45. Santa will make his appearance to help switch on the lights. You will be able to enjoy the decorations and many activities all through the holiday season but you won’t want to miss watching the lights come on.

November 28
Saturday

Shake, Rattle & Roll – for ages from the Womb to 36 Months
Shake, Rattle & Roll is for the little ones in your family. You are never too young (or too old) to get your groove on. All materials, instruments & drums will be provided by Bongo Boy Music School and REMO.
Bongo Boy Music School
8481 Bash St. Suite 1100
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(Located in the Castleton Area about .3 miles north of 82nd street on Bash St.)
9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
$5.00 per child, $10 max per family (Parents are free)

Move and Groove for Ages 3 – 5 yrs old
Move & Groove is a fun rhythm and movement program for kiddos ages 3-5. Children will get to discover their own rhythm while experimenting with different drums and other percussion instruments. Parents must stay with their children and are encouraged to participate. All materials, instruments & drums will be provided by Bongo Boy Music School and REMO.
Bongo Boy Music School
8481 Bash St. Suite 1100
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(Located in the Castleton Area about .3 miles north of 82nd street on Bash St.)
10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
$5.00 per child, $10 max per family (Parents are free)

Family Drum Circle – Ages 3 to 8 years old
Children will explore rhythm making and rhythm making games. Older kids and parents play supportive rhythms while younger kids explore rhythm on various instruments. Parents must stay with their children and are encouraged to participate. All materials, instruments & drums will be provided by Bongo Boy Music School and REMO.
Bongo Boy Music School
8481 Bash St. Suite 1100
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(Located in the Castleton Area about .3 miles north of 82nd street on Bash St.)
11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
$5.00 per child, $10 max per family (Parents are free)

Free crafts for kids every Saturday at the Lakeshore Learning Store. This Saturday your child will be able to create their own nature picture frame. Lakeshore is an Educational Store that has wonderful toys and craft supplies for use at home or in the classroom.
1300 E. 86th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46240
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Free

Christmas at the Zoo
This is such a beautiful time of year at the zoo. Stop by and enjoy the beautiful displays of Christmas lights and some of the cool weather animals. You will be able to see animals in action that usually don’t do much during the hot summer months. Enjoy seeing the polar bear, seals, walrus, tigers and brown bears playing in the cool weather.
Indianapolis Zoo
1200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46222
The zoo opens at noon but there are special holiday activities from 5:00 – 9:00 each night

November 30
Monday

Free Community Drum Circle for Special Needs at Bongo Boy Music School
This event is open to families, music and recreational therapists & their clients, and organizations working with children and adults with special needs. It is a requirement that caregivers/therapists stay with their family members/clients and that the ratio stay at one caregiver to two family members/clients. This is so the instructors can more easily lead the group and keep things fun and moving. Drums will be provided by Bongo Boy Music School and REMO. So beat a path to Bongo Boys Music School, on Monday, for a drumming good time.
Bongo Boy Music School
8481 Bash St. Suite 1100
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(Located in the Castleton Area about .3 miles north of 82nd street on Bash St.)
6:45 – 7:30 p.m.
Free

Be My Neighbor Day

October 5, 2015 by Mama Carmody 12 Comments

Be My Neighbor Day

WIPB sponsored Be My Neighbor Day, in Muncie, Indiana. My daughter and I decided to travel the hour, from Indianapolis to Muncie, so Keagan could see one of his favorite PBS characters, Daniel Tiger.

When we left Indianapolis it was a beautiful sunny day. As we entered Muncie, this was what the sky looked like.

As you can guess, it soon started raining. We sat in the car for a while, hoping the storm would pass. According to the radar, it looked like it wouldn’t last long.

As it got closer to 1:00, it was still raining but not too hard so we thought we would walk down to the event. Although the weather wasn’t very welcoming, the event was.

We entered the tent and received a bag to carry Keagan’s goodies in. It all ready had some stickers and other fun things in it. We walked through the rain to check out the stage. They were still doing some sound checks because it wasn’t quite time to start (and it was still raining).

The next thing we did was walk over to the Trolley. Keagan was very excited to see the Trolley. It was full so we didn’t climb inside but we got a couple pictures outside (did I mention it was raining?).

At this point it started to rain a little harder and an announcement was made that the opening would be delayed. My daughter asked Keagan if he wanted to go to the car or stay and see Daniel Tiger. Keagan immediately said, “Car!” Understand that Keagan just turned 2 years old and he usually repeats the last thing said to him, so the fact that he said car instead of Daniel Tiger, meant he was ready to go.

We walked back to the car, in the rain, and the car wouldn’t start. This day was getting to be more fun than we could handle. After we had the car jumped and a short discussion, we decided to go get some lunch and then see what the weather was doing. As we drove away from the event, we could see blue sky and white fluffy clouds headed our way. By the time we finished lunch, the rain had stopped and the sky was beautiful. So we headed back to WIPB’s Be My Neighbor Day.

We pulled the trusty “neighborhood” map out of our bag of goodies and headed for the fun. There was an interesting activity to accomplish at each booth. Once finished with the activity, one of the “neighbors” at that booth would check or initial that you had been there to visit. After visiting all the booths you could go back to the welcome station and receive a certificate stating that you were a good neighbor.

Keagan participated in several of the activities but since he is only 2, and it was way past naptime, he ran out of patience, so we didn’t get around to all the booths. Here are some of the fun things we did.

The Humane Society had some adorable kittens and a puppy for a little hands-on experience.

Kittens and Puppy at Humane Society Booth

Keagan was able to draw at several of the booths. He wrote on a chalkboard, made a card and was able to draw a picture. He can’t draw much yet but he sure does like to use crayons and chalk.

One really cute activity was helping to decorate Daniel Tiger’s sweater. The children pressed their finger or thumb onto an inkpad and then pressed their finger to his sweater. It resulted in the cutest pattern.

Be My Neighbor Day: Daniel Tiger's Sweater — Be My Neighbor Day: Daniel Tiger’s Sweater

Keagan loves music so when he got to the Good Morning Starshine booth, he planted himself there for a while. He enjoyed using the shakers, listening to the guitar and singing. Although this picture is a little blurry, you can tell he is having fun singing along. Can you guess what song he is participating in? I will give you a hint: “with a moo, moo, here…”

Be My Neighbor Day: Good Morning Starshine

Keagan had the opportunity to dig in the dirt and plant some sunflower seeds. What little boy doesn’t love digging in the dirt?

Daniel Tiger was the only actual character at this event but Keagan was just as excited with the cut-out displays of his favorite characters.

Be My Neighbor Day: Super Why! and Buddy

There was free face painting. Although the woman doing the face painting was very nervous about it, she did a great job. She said she was a chef and didn’t know anything about face painting. This was Keagan’s first time to get his face painted so we weren’t sure what he would think or how he would react. They ended up being a great match for each other. She painted some simple whiskers and a nose on Keagan and he sat really still for her. He was just thrilled that he looked like Daniel Tiger.

At this point, Keagan was just getting too tired and grumpy. It was almost time for the event to be over so we headed over to the stage for the farewell. Well, that took care of his grumpiness. As I said before, he loves music so he really enjoyed this part of the day. Ruditoonz was performing on stage. Keagan had a blast singing, dancing and jumping along with the other children.

Last but not least, Keagan had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Daniel Tiger. He was so excited.

As the event came to an end, Daniel Tiger had to leave. Keagan waved good-bye and we headed back to the car.

Be My Neighbor Day: Good-bye to Daniel Tiger

Although the day started out kind of rough, it definitely got better. The event was geared for the little ones to have fun and from what we experienced, it was a success. If we have another opportunity to attend a Be Your Neighbor event, I’m sure we will.

Ugga Mugga

October Family Friendly Events 2015

October 1, 2015 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

October Family Friendly Events 2015

Here come the October Family Friendly Events 2015. October is my birth month and it’s also my blog’s birth month. My blog is celebrating it’s fourth year….me?….well, I’m a little older. Thanks to everyone that follows me. I hope that I am giving you some of the help you are looking for while enjoying the children in your life.

Fall has arrived and, with it, many autumn activities; apple picking, choosing a pumpkin, jumping in leaves and so much more. Below are listed the activities I have found, for the Indianapolis area, for you to enjoy with your family. Be sure to check back often because I will add things as I find them. Follow Love to Laugh and Learn on Facebook for reminders and please feel free to leave comments and suggestions of things you would like to see me cover.

I’ve listed several of the orchards and pumpkin patches that I am aware of for our area. Just click on the name of the orchard or pumpkin patch and it will take you to their site to learn more about their activities for this month. If you aren’t from the Indianapolis area, please leave a comment about the pumpkin patch or orchard that you enjoy visiting during the fall. And if you are from the Indianapolis area and you realize I have missed a special place please let me know.

Fun Places to Go in October:

Beasley’s Orchard & Gardens Danville, IN
Kelsey Farms Whiteland, IN
Lark Ranch Greenfield, IN
Piney Acres Fortville, IN
Smith Family Farms Pendleton, IN
Stony Creek Farm Noblesville, IN
Stuckey’s Farm Market Sheridan, IN
Tuttle Orchards Greenfield, IN
Waterman’s Family Farm 2 locations: Indianapolis & Greenwood, IN

More Fun Things to Do:

October 29
Thursday

Indianapolis Children’s Museum’s Pirate’s Revenge Haunted House
IPL’s Lights On Hours
Recommended for children who scare easily.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
3000 N Meridian St
Indianapolis, IN 46208
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Indianapolis Children’s Museum’s Pirate’s Revenge Haunted House
Defender Direct’s Frightening Hours
Recommended for children who dare to be scared
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
3000 N Meridian St
Indianapolis, IN 46208
3:30 – 8:30 p.m.

October Family Friendly Events 2015: Bongo Boy Music School

Free Community Drum Circle for the Whole Family
Sharing musical experiences, with the family, can be so much fun. Bongo Boys Music School (not just for boys) gives your family an opportunity to find the rhythm of the beat together, every Thursday evening. It’s a free community drum circle and all ages are welcome. No experience necessary. Drums will be provided by Bongo Boy Music School and REMO.
Bongo Boy Music School
8481 Bash St. Suite 1100
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(Located in the Castleton Area about .3 miles north of 82nd street on Bash St.)
7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Free

October 30
Friday

It’s time to enjoy Snow White at Beef and Boards. Are you ready to introduce your child to the wonderful world of live drama? Beef and Boards has an awesome children’s program. The classic fairy tale of a princess that is poisoned and falls into a deep sleep, until her Prince Charming awakens her with a kiss. The show is one hour long with no intermission. A drink and snack are included with your admission.
Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre
9301 Michigan Road
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Showtimes: 10:00 a.m. (doors open 30 minutes prior to show)
$15.50 per person

Indianapolis Children’s Museum’s Pirate’s Revenge Haunted House
EMC2 Xtreme Scream
This is not for the faint of heart. Only the super brave should attempt this feat.
Youth under age 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
3000 N Meridian St
Indianapolis, IN 46208
8:30 – 11:00 p.m.

October 31
Saturday

Kid’s Rhythm Club – Shake, Rattle & Roll – for ages from the Womb to 36 Months
Bongo Boys Music School has added a new event! Shake, Rattle & Roll for the little ones in your family. You are never too young (or too old) to get your groove on. All materials, instruments & drums will be provided by Bongo Boy Music School and REMO.
Bongo Boy Music School
8481 Bash St. Suite 1100
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(Located in the Castleton Area about .3 miles north of 82nd street on Bash St.)
9:30 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.
$5.00 per child (Parents are free)

Kid’s Rhythm Club – “Jam as a Fam” for Ages 3 – 8 yrs old
Do your children love beating on pots and pans?…using your end table as a drum? Check out the Kid’s Rhythm Club at Bongo Boy Music School every Saturday. Children will explore rhythm making and rhythm making games. Recommended ages are for kids 3-12 but all ages are welcome. Older kids and parents play supportive rhythms while younger kids explore rhythm on various instruments. Parents must stay with their children and are encouraged to participate.
Bongo Boy Music School
8481 Bash St. Suite 1100
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(Located in the Castleton Area about .3 miles north of 82nd street on Bash St.)
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
$5.00 per child (Parents are free)

It’s time to enjoy Snow White at Beef and Boards. Are you ready to introduce your child to the wonderful world of live drama? Beef and Boards has an awesome children’s program. The classic fairy tale of a princess that is poisoned and falls into a deep sleep, until her Prince Charming awakens her with a kiss. The show is one hour long with no intermission. A drink and snack are included with your admission.
Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre
9301 Michigan Road
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Showtimes: 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (doors open 30 minutes prior to show)
$15.50 per person

October Family Friendly Events 2015: Peanut Butter & Jam Concert Series

Peanut Butter and Jam Saturday morning music series at the Palladium.
You and your child will be able to explore a multitude of musical genres. You will get to experience 30 minutes of music and then get 15 minutes to explore and play with the musical instruments. These performances are specially geared for children ages 1 to 7 years old. Today your child will have some Halloween fun with Ruditoonz. Dress the kids in their Halloween costumes and come expecting a spooktacular time. We’ve had the pleasure of singing and dancing with Ruditoonz at a couple of events this past summer. Come and experience the fun yourself. Two adults get in free with the purchase of a child’s ticket. There is limited seating for these events. To purchase tickets, call the Box Office at 317-843-3800.
Palladium (in the Robert Adam’s room)
355 City Center Drive
Carmel, IN 46032
10:30 a.m.
$10 for child (2 adults get in free with each child’s ticket)

Free crafts for kids every Saturday at the Lakeshore Learning Store. This Saturday your child will be able to make a spooky spiderweb. Lakeshore is an Educational Store that has wonderful toys and craft supplies for use at home or in the classroom.
1300 E. 86th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46240
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Free

Visit Peewinkles Puppet Studio for a little Halloween fun. Let Witch Gertrude introduce you to her ghoulish friends on strings. Lots of laughs for the whole family.
Peewinkles Puppet Studio
25 E. Henry Street
Indianapolis, IN 46225
Tickets: $12, Under two, free.
Optional post show workshop $3 (purchase in studio after show)
6:30 p.m.

Whale of a Sale Children’s Consignment Event

September 15, 2015 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

Whale of a Sale Children’s Consignment Event

Do you like a deal? Do you like consignment shopping? Then you are going to LOVE this! It’s a Whale of a Sale….no really, it is! I don’t promote many sales on my blog but when I see something that can help parents out, especially with saving money, I have to share it.

I have been able to attend a couple Whale of a Sale events. I was very impressed with how well organized everything was. The items were clean and in wonderful shape. You will be able to find brand name items at excellent prices.

As well as clothing, you will be able to find toys, puzzles, DVD’s and other items that would make wonderful Christmas gifts.

I have purchased items for my grandson and great-nephew at a Whale of a Sale event. I just found out that I have a granddaughter due in January. I guess it’s back to Whale of a Sale to buy some frilly items.

This year’s event will be taking place at Five Seasons Sports Club:
1300 E 96th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46240

Here are the times Whale of a Sale will be open to the general public:

Friday, September 18th:
9:00 a.m. New/Expecting Parents and Grandparents Pre-Sale – Register Here
10:00 a.m. Facebook Friends Pre-Sale
12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Open to the Public

Saturday, September 19th:
9:00 – 4:00 p.m. Open to the Public

Sunday, September 20th:
Half Price Day
11:00 – 3:00 p.m. Open to the Public – REDUCE on the tag indicates half price deal

*Disclosure: I was in no way compensated or asked by anyone to do this review. All opinions are mine. I have done this to help my readers find great deals.

Shake Rattle and Roll at Bongo Boy Music School

July 22, 2015 by Mama Carmody 8 Comments

Shake Rattle and Roll at Bongo Boy Music School

Shake Rattle and Roll is not simply the title of a song from the early ‘50’s; it’s also a fun musical experience at Bongo Boy Music School. This particular class is geared for the little ones; birth to 36 months. There is another class for 3 to 8 year olds, called Jam as a Fam.

Today, I’m going to share with you about the fun we had at the Shake Rattle and Roll class. This will be our third trip to Bongo Boy Music School. Our first trip was in March of 2014, when we took our 32 month old, great-nephew. We were able to make a second trip when our grandson came to visit from Texas. He was 8 months old at the time. Both of them really enjoyed their time at Bongo Boy.

Shake Rattle and Roll at Bongo Boy Music School

Just recently, we were able to take our grandson back for a visit. He is almost 2 years old now. He had every bit as much fun as he did on his first trip.

Our grandson is still enjoying Shake Rattle and Roll at Bongo Boy Music School.

The class is set up to allow the children to experience music and rhythm through several different mediums. During the time we were there, we used the drums, some shakers, scarves, “quackers” (a percussion instrument that sounds like a duck’s quack) and our bodies. I say “we” because everyone is encouraged to join in. It’s very important for the adults to set the example. The little ones are always watching you.

Several energetic songs were used to encourage participation. One of my favorites is “The Freeze” by Greg and Steve. I used that song in my preschool classes when I was teaching.

Besides the fun with rhythm and music, there are some important secondary lessons that happen during Shake, Rattle and Roll. One of them is sharing. There is plenty of equipment for everyone but sometimes a little one likes to wander and play on another drum that someone is already at. The other lesson is cleaning up. At the end of the session all of the instruments need to be put up. Miss Colleen (our instructor) tells us what needs to be brought to her and the children take the items up and put them in the bin. On all of the occasions we have been there, the children have been very excited to help with the clean up. Miss Colleen makes everything fun!

The very last thing we did on this trip, to Bongo Boy Music School, was get up and move our bodies. As you can see in the following video, our grandson really enjoys moving his body.

As you can see, we really enjoyed Shake Rattle and Roll at Bongo Boy Music School. We will definitely be heading there again before my grandson and daughter head back to Texas.

Bongo Boy Music School offers several family friendly events:

On Mondays – Free Community Drum Circle for Special Needs at Bongo Boy Music School
On Thursdays – Free Community Drum Circle for the Whole Family
On Saturdays – Shake Rattle & Roll – for ages from the Womb to 36 Months & “Jam as a Fam” for Ages 3 – 8 yrs old

Do you have a music school or drum circle that your family enjoys? We would love to hear about your experiences with music!

November Family Friendly Events 2015

November 27 Friday

November 28 Saturday

November 30 Monday

Be My Neighbor Day

October Family Friendly Events 2015

October 29 Thursday

October 30 Friday

October 31 Saturday

Whale of a Sale Children’s Consignment Event

Shake Rattle and Roll at Bongo Boy Music School

November 27
Friday

November 28
Saturday

November 30
Monday

October 29
Thursday

October 30
Friday

October 31
Saturday