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Zoolapalooza Review

July 13, 2015 by Mama Carmody 22 Comments

Zoolapalooza Review

Zoolapalooza is a concert series at the Indianapolis Zoo. It takes place on four consecutive Fridays. On these evenings the zoo stays open a little later.

Last Friday night we decided to take our daughter and grandson and check it out. The concerts are free with admission and since we have a zoo pass, we didn’t have to pay a thing to get in. The concerts take place under a big tent so they happen rain or shine. Which was a good thing on this night because it looked like the sky would open and dump on us at any time. It never did but we were safe it it had.

We arrived early enough to check out a couple of the animals before we headed to the concert. We always have to stop and say hi to the seals. They were barking their greetings this particular evening.

We also stopped by to see the orangutans. Several of them were awake and moving around. One in particular seems to be smitten with my husband. It makes eyes at him every time we go….must be a female.

Enjoying the orangutans and Zoolapalooza.

The animals get to stay up a little later during Zoolapalooza. They don’t have to go to bed until 7:00. The rides also stay open until 7:00. As an extra bonus, members receive free access to a different ride each night. The night we were there the free ride was the carousel, which made me very happy. That’s my favorite ride. Someone else is beginning to enjoy the carousel as well.

We decided to enjoy dinner while we listened to the music. They offer a different specialty menu during each concert, as well as the regular zoo options. This night the theme was Americana. There was a full salad bar as well as Zoo-liders. My husband asked what Zoo-liders were. I told him they were sliders made from zebra…don’t panic! I made that up just to tease him. They were sliders but they were made of chicken, beef or BBQ pulled pork. You could choose two Zoo-liders. You also received freshly made potato chips and either potato salad and coleslaw for $8.99. You could include a soft drink for $9.99.

My husband and I chose the Zoo-liders and my daughter chose the pizza, which is one of the regular food options at the zoo. My grandson chose to eat one of my Zoo-liders and some of his mom’s pizza. He really enjoyed dinner accompanied by music as you can see here:

Music was provided by Jayne Bond and the Pink Martinis. We had a lot of fun. There was quite a bit of dancing as well as singing along with the band. Besides the music, there were a couple of stations set up to help entertain the little ones. I was VERY thankful for that because my almost 2 year old grandson was constantly on the move. The two stations helped keep him in the vicinity of the music.

One of the stations was sponsored by Indiana Credit Union. They had a basket full of dress-up clothes. There were items suitable for boys and girls. There were some great props like guitars and microphones too, as well as a backdrop where you could take your own pictures.

The other station was sponsored by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. I loved their sign.

My grandson really enjoyed “petting” the instruments.

I was very thankful for the two stations because my grandson kept me running between the stations, the dance floor and the table we were at. We really enjoyed our evening and will definitely be returning.

I’m sorry to say that the Zoolapalooza concerts have concluded for this year but do not fret, more musical fun awaits. The Animals and All That Jazz concerts have started. They happen on Thursday evenings through August 6th. They run on the same concept as the Zoolapalooza concerts. There will be a different group performing each Thursday night, with specialty food offerings and a free ride for members.

Just like the Zoolapalooza concerts, Animals and All That Jazz concerts are free to Zoo members and included with regular admission. Visitors can save $2 at the gate by bringing an empty Dean’s milk carton to the Zoo to be recycled. Advance tickets are also available at IndianapolisZoo.com or concert goers can find a coupon on the Zoo’s Facebook page that’s good for $4 off admission at the gate after 4pm on the night of the event.

Here is a list of the remaining concerts for this year. Pick a date (or two), pack up the family and plan for an evening of fun, food and music. I just might see you there.

July 16: West Central Quartet

From classic to contemporary, this high-energy foursome showcases an eclectic mix of music that reaches across multiple jazz genres. Their unique approach to entertaining is sure to get crowds up on their feet.
• Menu: “Taste of Summer” with beer can chicken, salad bar and apple dumpling a la mode.
• Featured ride: Carousel

July 23: Mina and the Wondrous Flying Machine

Featuring an adventurous mélange of styles, this group offers a fresh approach to jazz music. A multi-talented singer-songwriter leads their piano-driven sound, which is highlighted on their new album — with the Zoo-appropriate name — Tigers.
• Menu: “Pan Asian” with pan fried noodle bar, salad bar and root beer float.
• Free member ride: Kōmbo Roller Coaster presented by Outback Steakhouse

July 30: Appalatin

Bridging the music traditions of Latin and American folk, this band’s foot-stomping, hip-swinging sounds have been in the spotlight on festival stages around the Midwest.
• Menu: “Night of Havana” with Cubano sandwich, salad bar and build-your-own ice cream sundae.
• Free member ride: White River Junction Train

Aug. 6: Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra

What better way to close out the series than with a rare performance by this incredible 17-piece orchestra. This veteran ensemble bring decades of experience to the stage along with a song list of familiar tunes from many big-name jazz musicians.
• Menu: “Mediterranean Night” with kabobs, salad bar and ice cream sandwich.
• Free member ride: Carousel

Have you been to Zoolapalooza or Animals and All That Jazz? Please share your experience with us? If you haven’t been in the Indianapolis area for one of these events, do you have something like this where you live?

Watching orangutans climb during Zoolapalooza.

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Community Day
Fun with Music
Review: Rhythm Discovery Center
Bongo Boy Music School Review

PBS Kids in the Park Review, 2015

June 21, 2015 by Mama Carmody 15 Comments

PBS Kids in the Park Review, 2015

Saturday, June 13th was, once again, PBS Kids in the Park. The event was at Military Park in downtown Indianapolis. I had attended two years ago but this year was extra special. My grandson and daughter were able to attend with me.

Keagan won’t be two years old until the end of July so I wasn’t sure how much he would enjoy this. My daughter said that he watches most of the characters so we thought there would be some interest. I believe my daughter was more excited than anyone. Well, that is until the characters started to appear. Once he starting seeing the characters, this was the expression we received:

He can hardly contain his excitement once he sees the characters.

Needless to say, he was ecstatic. He must have yelled, “Super Why!” 50 times over the course of the day.

My favorite part of the day is the character parade. It is the first thing to kick off the event. My suggestion is to get there early and find a place to the left of the stage. (That is left as you are facing the stage.) This is the best advantage for the children to see the characters. The characters march up from the left side of the stage and across it, then down the other side. One of the reasons I like to get to the left of the stage rather than right in front of it is because the kids can stand or sit in their strollers and easily see the characters. We weren’t having to lift him up so he could see up on stage.

Here were some of the pictures of the parade. I believe I have the names of all the characters this time; thanks to my daughter and a couple of Facebook friends. Check out my post from two years ago: PBS Kids in the Park Review. It was pathetic. I only knew a couple of the characters and I didn’t get much help from anyone so they went nameless.

This is Daniel Tiger. His show is a spin-off of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Starting at the front of the parade (the right side of the picture), that is Buddy from Dinosaur Train, next is Word Girl. Most of you are probably familiar with the next character, Curious George and the last character is Chirp, from Peep and the Big Wide World.

PBS Kids Day in the Park: Character Parade

Again, starting from the front of the parade (the right side of the picture), the first two are Migel and Mia. They are brother and sister. I’ve loved the next character since I was a little girl. That’s Clifford the Big Red Dog. He doesn’t seem to be quite as big as he was in the storybooks. Behind Clifford is Wonder Red.

PBS Kids in the Park: Sid the Science Kid

This is Sid the Science Kid. I’m not familiar with him but I loved science so maybe I should check him out.

PBS Kids in the Park: Super Why and Princess Pea

These two characters are on the same show. It’s one that my grandson simply loves. This is Super Why and Princess Pea. The dog in the picture below is Woofster. He is also from the same show.

This purple bird is Digit. He is one of the characters on Cyberchase. It is a fun children’s show that incorporates math in their adventures.

The above characters are Peg and Cat, which come from the show by the same name. Cat stopped to show us a few of his dance moves. He is definitely a groovin’ cat.

And last, but definitely not least, is Alpha Pig. He is also a character on Super Why!

Meeting the Characters

If you miss the parade you do have opportunities to meet the characters throughout the day. They each have their own tent and schedule. The only problem with this is that the wait can be very long. We were lucky enough to get in the beginning of the line for Super Why and only had a 20 minute wait. Daniel the Tiger was in the other half of the same tent but it was going to be an hour and a half wait from the time we finished with Super Why. We were going to come back and get in line later until we realized that people were already lining up. We made the decision to go ahead and get in line. My daughter and I took turns taking Keagan to enjoy other activities while one of us stayed in line. As I talked with other people I found out that most of them came with a strategy. One of the people I talked to had several adults in their group. They would split up and sit in the different lines while someone else shuffled the children from spot to spot. Since it was just my daughter and me, we only waited in the two lines. Here are the pictures of Keagan meeting Super Why and Daniel Tiger.

PBS Kids Day: Meeting Super Why and Daniel Tiger

Please don’t misinterpret the pictures. Keagan was thrilled to meet the characters. He ran up to them, gave them high fives and hugs but he was NOT thrilled with us for making him turn around to get his picture taken.

Other Activities

There were several other activities besides meeting the characters. Keagan made a colorful butterfly and was able to climb and jump at the Gymboree tent.

He raced Hot Wheels and played in a sand table at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis tent.

Children's Museum Booth — Children’s Museum Booth

There were bubbles to blow at the Child Care Answers booth.

Blowing Bubbles at Child Care Answers Booth

We stopped by the main stage a couple of times to enjoy the shows that were taking place there. Keagan loves music so this was especially fun.

There was so much more to enjoy but it was getting really hot and Brittany and I were worn out. Some of the other activities we saw were a bounce house, a fire engine that the kids could go through and so much more.

My suggestions for a great day:

*** Get there early and station yourself to the left of the stage.
*** Take extra adults with you to hold places in the lines of the characters you really want to see.
*** Bring extra snacks and small toys to entertain your child if you do have to sit in a long line with them.
*** Most of all have a magically fun day.

PBS Kids in the Park Review, 2011

Big Splash Adventure Review

November 30, 2014 by Mama Carmody 4 Comments

Big Splash Adventure Review

Disclaimer: I was given 4 day passes to Big Splash Adventure in order to conduct my review. However, I was not influenced by the promotional materials. All opinions and insights are my own.

I have been trying to get to Big Splash Adventure, in French Lick, Indiana, for over a year now. This past weekend we loaded up our 3 year old great-nephew and headed out on our adventure.

It was rainy and dreary outside, so I didn’t get any outdoor pictures, but it was warm and inviting inside. The lobby is decorated with children in mind.

There are a couple of activities for the children to participate in while registering.

It’s was the weekend before Thanksgiving so they had all ready started decorating for Christmas. Children could even get their pictures taken with Santa Claus during special hours. We got a little busy with our activities and forgot to stop by and get Jeremiah’s picture taken.

Big Splash Adventure: Christmas at the water park

While you are registering, make sure everybody stays close because each person will need to come to the counter and have their special bracelet put on them. This was my first experience with this type of system and I loved it. The bracelet not only got us into the water park but it was also our room key and our ticket to the free breakfast buffet.

Our hotel room was clean and spacious. This was Jeremiah’s first stay in a hotel and he wasn’t really on board with the idea at first. He was worried about our home without us there. The things he comes up with just makes me smile.

Jeremiah was aware that we were there to go to the water park so he was ready to get his trunks on and head to the Adventure. We had taken him to a water park just a few weeks prior to this trip but it was nothing like Big Splash Adventure. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so let me just show you some of the awesome water activities you can enjoy.

Buccaneer Bay

This is a three story structure with ten platforms and nearly 50 interactive play features.

Buccaneer Bay has two slides. There are no height restrictions for this area so everyone can enjoy it. This was Jeremiah’s favorite section.

Big Splash Adventure: Jeremiah's favorite slide — Big Splash Adventure: Jeremiah’s favorite slide

Splish Splash Pool

This area is for the little swimmers. Children must be less than 40″ tall to play in here. There is a slide and some really fun tree bouncers for the little ones to relax in.

Lost River

One of my favorite spots was the Lost River. I didn’t get to spend nearly enough time in there. Jeremiah wasn’t too crazy about it. He was small enough that he had to wear a life jacket. For smaller children on the Lost River, there are special tubes that have bottoms in them so they can basically sit on top of them as they ride around.

Pirates Plunder, Scallywag Scuttle & Silver Beard’s Revenge

These 3 slides were too big for Jeremiah and my husband and I are not that adventurous anymore so we didn’t go down them. Although, they look like they they would be a lot of fun. You can learn more about each of them by clicking on their names above.

You can bring your own towels, if you would like, but Big Splash Adventure has towels right there for you to use. That was a great amenity because now all I had to worry about was getting wet suits home not wet bulky towels too.

Right outside, and connected to the water park, is a snack bar and arcade. As a matter of fact, you have to pass through the snack bar to enter the water park. You could order burgers, hotdogs, pizza and other items. It was convenient because you could order and eat in your swimming suits. You could take the food back into the water park and eat poolside or sit in the snack bar. It’s a bit noisy in the water park, with all the running water, so we chose to stay in the snack area. You can only carry food and drinks you bought at the snack bar into the water park but if you have one of their hotel rooms you could keep your own food in there. The hotel, water park and a couple of dining areas are all connected so you never have to leave the building once you enter.

We decided to go for a bit more substantial meal on Sunday so we visited the Boatyard Restaurant. It sits on the main floor just off the lobby. Pat and I shared a ribeye steak, baked potato and tossed salad. Jeremiah chose a grilled cheese sandwich and applesauce. We were all very pleased with our meals. The waitress was very sweet and the atmosphere was quite relaxing.

Big Splash Adventure: The Boatyard Restaurant

Between the lobby and the Boatyard Restaurant is a little gift shop called the Seaside Market. It has a lot of cute little water and beach themed trinkets, as well as souvenir t-shirts. If you forgot and left the kids swimsuits at home, you can pick up some of those too.

As soon as Jeremiah’s feet hit the floor, Monday morning, he was ready to head to the water park. We insisted on breakfast first, both for nutrition and energy. Although, Jeremiah does not lack energy! The breakfast buffet is included in the price of the hotel stay. In case you have any preconceived ideas, this is NOT one of those “continental” breakfasts you find at other hotels. This is an honest to goodness breakfast buffet. Items on the buffet included biscuits and sausage gravy, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, crispy fried potatoes, pancakes, french toast sticks, oatmeal and toast. There was also a line with dry cereals and fruit. We had orange juice, white milk and chocolate milk to drink, which was served by our waitress. The total of our breakfast bill came to $0 but we were sure to leave our waitress a tip for taking care of our drinks and checking on us.

I thought that the prices seemed kind of high for staying in the hotel, but when I was breaking down all you get, it’s actually an awesome deal. There are several packages that include 2 days at the waterpark and the free breakfast buffet for 4 people. If you figure what it would cost to go to the park for 2 days ($21.95 per adult per day) and I estimated what a breakfast buffet would cost elsewhere (approx. $8 a person), you would be spending next to nothing for the actual room.

Big Splash Adventure has many special activities and pricing throughout the year so keep an eye on their website. We happened to catch special pricing on a Sunday/Monday stay which included the ability to purchase tickets for the Polar Express Train Ride. By the way, I had all ready checked the Polar Express website and found out that they were sold out for this year. The only tickets available were through some of the local hotels, which included Big Splash Adventure. You will hear more about that part of our weekend in a future post.

In summary, our weekend was a blast. Everywhere we went things were clean and tidy. The staff was polite and friendly. If you are planning a vacation, to Indiana, or a staycation, I would recommend checking out Big Splash Adventure and all the great things the French Lick area has to offer.

Indy Island Aquatic Center Review

November 20, 2014 by Mama Carmody 5 Comments

Indy Island Aquatic Center Review

November 1st, 2014, Indianapolis Indiana, we were heading to the Indy Island Aquatic Center at Raymond Park. The high this day was 43 degrees. That sounds like perfect weather to think about going swimming doesn’t it. And isn’t this the way you envision being dressed to head to the pool?

Indy Island Aquatic Center: Early November and we want to go swimming.

My secret is out. I love the water. I grew up in the water, my kids grew up in the water and now it’s time for the next generation. It has been many years since I was last at Indy Island. We used to take the kids there when they were young. A couple of them have winter birthdays and Indy Island was a nice alternative for a party place.

The indoor facility is open year round with heated pools. We thought the water and air temperature, in the facility, was a little cool, the day we visited, but it was tolerable.

The kid-sized pool goes from a zero entry level depth to 3 feet. There is a water playhouse with a slide and lots of water spraying in different directions. Jeremiah spent a lot of time in this area. I spent a lot of time at the foot of the slide watching him come down.

There is a large water slide for people at least 48” tall. There is a separate 3 lane lap pool that goes from 3 ½ feet to 6 feet. There is a spa for adults only and tons of deck chairs.

It’s not like one of those huge water parks with tons of attractions but considering the admission price, it’s an awesome deal.

The indoor pool is open Wednesday and Friday from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.. Saturday and Sunday, it’s open from noon until 5:00 p.m.. The cost is extremely reasonable. For 3 to 17 years, it’s $4 during the week and $5 for weekends and holidays. Adults are $5 during the week and $6 for weekends and holidays. Senior Citizens (ages 55+) are the same as the youth. Children 2 and under are free.

Birthday Parties

If you are looking for a fun place for a birthday party, you should check out Indy Island. For $80, your child can celebrate their birthday with 7 of their friends. This price includes 2 adults. You will get the party room for 55 minutes. Indy Island will cover four tables with tablecloths and set 10 place settings for your party. You can bring your own decorations, if you want, but you won’t be allowed in the room early. This means you will be using part of your child’s party time to decorate. My suggestion would be to let Indy Island do their thing. If you really want to bring something, make it a few balloons and/or simple centerpieces you can quickly place on the tables that they have prepared. You can not bring outside food or drink, other than the cake and ice cream. They provide 2 pitchers of punch. After the party, head to the pool for some fun. The pool is included in the price. For $100, they will also serve hotdogs and chips. If you have more children or adults that you want to invite, additional children are $5.00 and adults are $6.00.

Whether you are looking for a way to beat the winter chill or an alternative site for a birthday party, be sure to check out the fun at Indy Island Aquatic Center at Raymond Park.
Located at:
8575 E Raymond Street
Indianapolis, IN 46239
Phone:(317)862-6876

*Disclaimer: I was not asked or compensated, in any way, to do this review. I chose to do it simply to help families find affordable fun activities to do together.

LEGO® KidsFest Review

November 8, 2014 by Mama Carmody 2 Comments

LEGO® KidsFest Review

Disclaimer: I was given 4 tickets to attend LEGO® KidsFest, however, I was not influenced by the promotional materials. All opinions and insights are my own.

I have been so excited for the opportunity to review LEGO® KidsFest Indianapolis. I am always amazed at the things people create with LEGO® building blocks. Tonight was no exception!

I’m sure my adult niece and I were more excited about this event than Jeremiah was. Of course, Jeremiah was a virgin to Lego building blocks. He turned 3 in July and doesn’t have any at home, and he also said he doesn’t have any in his preschool classroom.

This is the view we encountered as we entered the exhibition hall.

My niece and I were in awe and couldn’t decide which way to go first. Directly in front of us were several statue size creations so we headed toward them. I find it absolutely incredible the things that people create with Lego building blocks. My favorite piece was Lightning McQueen. It was as big as a real car.

LEGO® KidsFest: Jeremiah and Lightning McQueen edited

Jeremiah’s favorite piece was the Hulk.

LEGO® KidsFest: Jeremiah and the Hulk edited

There were several pieces that were created especially for great photo opportunities, like the man-eating-shark and King Tut.

We then headed to Creation Nation. Here you can use LEGO® building blocks to make a creation to be added to the basketball-court sized map of the United States. Remember I said earlier that Jeremiah had never played with LEGO® building blocks before. I was interested to see what he would do. We gave him a base and he started creating. It didn’t take him long but the fact that he figured out how to make anything, as quickly as he did, surprised me. Can you figure out what he made?

LEGO® KidsFest: Jeremiah's first ever Lego creation — LEGO® KidsFest: Jeremiah’s first ever Lego creation

It’s an airplane. He was very proud of it and actually, we were pretty proud of his first LEGO® creation. For participating, he was given a LEGO® sample set to take home.

There were many, many opportunities for playing and building with these popular little building blocks. A couple of fun, unique, play experiences were the brick piles. There was one huge pile that children were walking on, building with, and even getting buried under. There were also a couple of smaller piles in the DUPLO® area. Jeremiah was a little unsure about getting into the pile of building blocks but like his mom pointed out, that was probably because, at this age, he is cautioned quite often NOT to be stepping on his toys. He did finally get in there and started digging and playing.

We enjoyed playing, building and creating in several different areas. Jeremiah enjoyed playing with the little pieces and using his imagination in the LEGO® Friends area, as well as, the Disney Princess (yes, boys can love “Frozen”) and the Hero Factory areas. In the Hero Factory is where Nicole and I realized we have a LOT to learn about these building blocks, if we are going to attempt to stay ahead (or at least keep up with) this little guy and his budding interest.

The three of us joined, as a team, in the LEGO® Challenge. They would take up to 6 people at a table. They then gave us a challenge of something to build with the building blocks at our table. Our challenge was to build a magnifying glass. Jeremiah wanted wheels on it. We were all recognized as winners and everyone received a prize of a Lego sample set.

It was getting late so we hurried through the Star Wars and Super Heros exhibits. We skipped the Master Builders and Mindstorms® exhibits since Jeremiah is so young. I have a feeling we will be hitting those in the future.

For our family, $22 a person is a little steep but this event ends up being a better value than I anticipated. With all of interactive exhibits and the free sample sets, that they give away at every turn, it makes for a much great value. For a video-free, family interactive, fun time, head to the nearest LEGO® KidsFest!

Zoolapalooza Review

Zoolapalooza Review

July 16: West Central Quartet

July 23: Mina and the Wondrous Flying Machine

July 30: Appalatin

Aug. 6: Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra

Related Posts

PBS Kids in the Park Review, 2015

PBS Kids in the Park Review, 2015

Other Activities

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Big Splash Adventure Review

Big Splash Adventure Review

Buccaneer Bay

Splish Splash Pool

Lost River

Pirates Plunder, Scallywag Scuttle & Silver Beard’s Revenge

Related Posts

Indy Island Aquatic Center Review

Indy Island Aquatic Center Review

Birthday Parties

LEGO® KidsFest Review

LEGO® KidsFest Review