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The Best Family Activities for December

The Best Family Activities for December- December is such a wonderful month full of cheer, giving, and family. It’s also full of baking and movies and music and pretty sparkly lights! The number of activities your town hosts is likely overwhelming each year. Some years we only add 1-2 new activities but my kids still want to do the same ones from the past so it ends up that we’re doing 4 events per week and it’s the end of December before we can blink.

This list of the best family activities for December is a list of things you can do to slow down this month. No matter what your family looks like, there should be items on this list for everyone to enjoy.

Holiday Lights Night Walk

Where we live, it doesn’t get snowy and slushy until January. We’ve been taking advantage of the clean sidewalks by taking a family walk after dinner to look at the Christmas lights. Each night we take a different way and let the kids choose where to go. We make sure to say hi to all of the blow-up figures and blow kisses when we leave. It’s very sweet and a way to have our kids feel like they have the responsibility of where we’re going.

the best family activities for december

Baking for the Neighbors

Who needs holiday candles when you can just bake?! We love making a few classic treats like peppermint bark and peanut butter kiss cookies along with a new recipe each year. I’ve learned to buy a few tins/tubs after the holidays when they’re on major sale and throw them in with the decorations when we put them away. The following year we’re already set to bake when we have the urge and run them around to the neighbors (which is also super fun for the kids).

Make reading special

Build a cozy fort, have a hot chocolate, or read by the fireplace. Make reading your holiday books or winter books feel extra special and cozy. Sometimes we’ll get all the stuffed animals together and read to them by the Christmas tree as well. TIP– This makes for a really cute photo!

Make cheesy crafts

I always loved making holiday crafts with tons of pom-poms, sequins, toilet paper tubes, and handprints. There are so many great options on my Pinterest page! Since we homeschool, we’re doing one week of Christmas School before the break. Each day we’ll do holiday-themed worksheets for math and writing. We’re also doing a few science projects and a cheesy craft each day. It’s a great way to just keep out the craft supplies all week and make a ton of fun crafts we can send to grandparents.

Learn a new hobby

December is a great time to try out a new skill like sewing, cross-stitch, macrame, or crochet. Even young kids love doing string crafts. One of my daughter’s favorite gifts was this sewing kit I made her.

Preschool Sewing Kit DIY perfect for young sewers just beginning. Fine motor skills, patience and focus are all used for this project.

With your new hobby, make some gifts for friends

Buying gifts off of someone’s Amazon wish list will guarantee that they like it. But will they be touched, inspired, and delighted by the gift? Try making them a gift. It will likely be one of the favorite things they receive this holiday season.

Movies, duh.

You could watch a new holiday movie each day and still not get through all of the wonderful films this holiday season. Between all of the classics, the fun kids movies, and the Hallmark movies, there’s something wonderful for each person in your family.

What other traditions and family activities does your family do during December?? I’d love to know how you make this month special for your family.

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The 6 Best Family Activities for October

6 of The Best Family Activities for October. October is right around the corner and with it comes cool temperatures, colorful leaves, apple cider and lots of outdoor fun. For our family, October is as busy as December with lots of birthdays and fun fall activities. We’re big into Halloween too so we’re definitely ready to celebrate October.

I want to preface by saying that we will not be doing everything on this list this year because of the pandemic but are excited about being able to do them again in the future. Here are the best family activities for October.

Piney Acres Farm- Indiana

1. Visit a Pumpkin Patch

I don’t remember a year where I didn’t visit a pumpkin patch. Even without kids, we’d visit the pumpkin patch a couple times each year. With the kids, I love finding the pumpkin patches that have one fee to enter and you’re able to stay and play on on the games as long as you’d like. A favorite around Indy is Piney Acres Farm where they have TONS of games, a corn maze, hayrides, and lots of beautiful pumpkins to bring home.

2. Watch Halloween Movies

Both my daughter and I watch Halloween and Christmas movies year-round. However, starting October 1st, we start the Halloween Movie Marathon where we watch at least one Halloween movie per week. I rounded up our favorites for kids 6 and under in this post. Lots of ‘kid-friendly’ lists seem to have scary movies or movies that may not be appropriate for younger kids, which is why I made this list.

3. Make Fall or Halloween Crafts

We have a couple tubs of Halloween decorations for when October rolls around but fall brings out the craftiness in me. I’m happy to light a fall candle, open the windows, throw on a sweatshirt, and get in some good crafting on the weekends. Some of my favorites have been this Halloween Street Sign, Fall Pumpkin Flower Arrangement, Fall Felt Leaf Garland, and this year’s Fall Mickey Pumpkin.

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

4. Bake some Fall or Halloween Treats

Nothing is better than sweats when the air gets cool. Which means treats are totally fine. All the pumpkin spice is super nice but I especially love baking with my kids. There’s just something about sharing our love of sweet themed treats that really brings us together. My all-time favorite Halloween treat is Candy Cookie Pizza. I used to ask for it as my birthday cake growing up because I love it so much. I also love this round up if you’re going to be Booing neighbors or going to a Halloween party.

5. Visit Local Fall Attractions

Where I live, you could easily fill each weekend with fall activities all over the city. Each year we try a new place but we love all the other traditions so much that we end up just adding more each year. Most of the places around Indy have their events free for members which is an awesome way to be able to have lots of fun without spending any extra before holiday shopping.

Some of our must-dos are Conner Prairie’s Headless Horseman, ZooBoo at the Indianapolis Zoo, The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites (tons of different locations and events), and the Haunted House at The Children’s Museum. Not to mention all of the haunted houses, corn mazes, and amusement parks that celebrate Halloween.

family activities for october

6. Go Camping and Hiking

Fall has always been my favorite time to camp. The foliage is beautiful and the temperatures are perfect for all-day hiking and warming up with s’mores by the campfire at night. Growing up, we went to Spring Mill around Halloween and it was my favorite camping trip ever. Everyone decorated their sites with Halloween decorations and there was a hayride and a spooky ghost walk through the old mill. We’re so excited to incorporate these traditions into our own family and we’re starting this year with an October camping trip in our newly renovated popup camper The Popup Jungle. Brown County State Park is another awesome place to camp this time of year.

And if all else fails, visit Disney World. October is our favorite month to visit the Happiest Place on Earth and I am so bummed that we had to cancel our first family trip this year due to the pandemic. Thankfully, we still have lots of things to do (some from this list are still very safe). Let me know what your best family activities for October are for this year!

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Christmas Nights of Lights Holiday Family Event in Indianapolis

Indy’s holiday events game is so strong. You could easily do a different event or attraction every night in December. The best part, they’re all awesome! This past week we were invited to check out the Christmas Nights of Lights display at The Indiana State Fairgrounds. Not only has it been added as a definite must-see but we’ll be going back to see it again this year.

Our entire family was singing along and pointing out our favorite parts throughout the 30-minute drive-through experience. Thankfully Triton Light Shows has a multi-year commitment to return to the Indiana State Fairgrounds again and again!

Tips for Christmas Nights of LIghts

Before you go:

  1. Make sure you know how to turn off your headlights. There is plenty of light for you to see to drive through the paths marked with signs and orange lights. You don’t want to ruin the experience of the car in front of you by having your lights on.
  2. Know your radio. There is a specific radio station that plays the music that syncs with the lights. You’ll definitely want to be able to tune to their FM station.
  3. Go to the bathroom before you head out. The show is about 30 minutes and the only restrooms are the port-o-potties at the very start.
  4. Bring your own hot chocolate. We made the anticipation exciting by making puppy chow to take along with us. At the last second, I wanted hot chocolate so we took that instead and it was well worth it!
  5. Make it a tradition. You can get a carload of people in (up to 9 people) for $30! There were families with huge vans and their sliding doors open so everyone could see!
  6. Make sure to use Gate 12 off 42nd Street. 42nd Street is off of Evanston Avenue which is a light where you’ll turn right.

The Details

Dates

November 8, 2019 –
January 1, 2020
Dusk to 10:00 P.M.
Extended hours on weekends.

Location

Indiana State Fairgrounds 1202 East 38th Street Indianapolis, IN 46205

Pricing

$7.00 per person Children Age 3 & Under: FREE!
OR a Carload Special $30 (up to 9 passengers)

Group Rates:
10 – 15 Passengers $50
16 – 35 Passengers $75
35+ Passengers $100

Plan Your Visit

During our busier hours, you may experience a bit of a wait. To avoid the crowds, we recommend guests plan their visit on a weekday or weekends after 9 P.M. Any cars still in line at the time of closing WILL be permitted to enter and enjoy the show.

Let me know what you think once you’ve gone! Personally, we think it’s well worth the money. There are so many different songs you could go a few times in the season and see different shows!

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Summer Concerts at the Indianapolis Zoo

The Indianapolis Zoo will be the place to shake a tail feather when two family-friendly concert series return this summer. Zoolapalooza presented by Teddy Grahams and Animals and All That Jazz will offer 11 evenings of live music, specialty menus, extended Zoo hours and even more wild fun from mid-June through early August.

The Zoo’s concert season will kick off with Zoolapalooza, offering performances every Friday night from June 21 through July 26. Now in its ninth year, this popular series will feature a new band each week, including several returning Zoo favorites along with a few newcomers for six unique performances. Guests will enjoy a range of music styles, from rock classics to today’s pop hits plus R&B and even some bluegrass — all with a toe-tapping energy to get attendees out of their seats for a spin around the dance floor.

spring xZooberance at the Indianapolis Zoo

The 2019 Zoolapalooza series will feature:

June 21: The Band, etc. … June 28: Tim Brickley & THE LIST
July 5: Todd Harrold Quartet July 12: My Yellow Rickshaw
July 19: MIXTAPE July 26: Protocol

The smooth sounds of live jazz will keep visitors cool as the summer heats up. Offering a distinctly different music experience, the 32nd year of Animals and All That Jazz will begin July 4 and continue every Thursday through Aug. 1. One of the Zoo’s longest-running events, this series will showcase a diverse lineup of musicians from across the Midwest, covering jazz genres from classic to contemporary and smooth soul to blues, even blending in the more modern sounds of pop and R&B.

The 2019 Animals and All That Jazz series will include:

July 4: Tad Robinson July 11: Everett Greene
July 18: West Central Quartet July 25: Cowbell Jazz featuring Yvonne Allu
Aug. 1: Clint Breeze & the Groove

All performances will take place from 5:30-8:30pm under the Bicentennial Pavilion. Located near the Zoo’s entrance, this stunning space offers an open-air atmosphere as well as weather protection. A perfect place for attendees to relax for an evening of music, rain or shine.

Indianapolis Zoo: Team Sloth or Team Snake
Check my review of the sloths here

Food

Enhancing the concert experience, each night will feature a new food menu, in addition to regular Zoo fare. Adults can also enjoy a cash bar as well as craft beer sampling from a rotating list of Midwest breweries. Beer sampling is provided by Zink Distributing. Tables and seating inside the Bicentennial Pavilion are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In addition to the music, there will be plenty of animal exhibits nearby and rides available until 7pm so that guests can enjoy the full Zoo experience without missing a beat.

Tickets

Summer concert events are free for Zoo members and included with regular admission, so visitors can stay late for the concerts after enjoying a full day at the Zoo. Guests can purchase discount tickets at Indiana Members Credit Union locations or by visiting IndianapolisZoo.com to plan their night out.

About the Indianapolis Zoo

The Indianapolis Zoo empowers people and communities, both locally and globally, to advance animal conservation. Located in White River State Park downtown, the Indianapolis Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums as a zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. Visit IndianapolisZoo.com

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Indianapolis Zoo: Team Sloth or Team Snake

Indianapolis Zoo: Team Sloth or Team Snake opened this weekend. We had a chance to go check them out during their member preview before it opened to the public and it was so fun! Whether you’re fond of cute and cuddly or sleek and slithery you’ll find new facts and interesting animals to swoon over.

These exhibits opened just in time to start your summer off with some fun at the zoo. PRO TIP: Bring your patience. These two exhibits are going to be very popular which means long wait times. I suggest bringing two adults and having one stand in line while the other gets ice cream or heads to the playground with the kids. There were a lot of hot tired kids in line while we were there. Once you get to MISTery Park there are misters that help keep you cool and you’ll fell like you’ve stepped into a rain forest in south America! It it such an amazing experience. You’ll never have known you’re standing where the splash pad was with all the plants, mist and forest sounds from Costa Rica.

Indianapolis Zoo: Team Sloth or Team Snake
Indianapolis Zoo: Team Sloth or Team Snake

Team Sloth

You’ll have the chance to get up close and personal with the sloths while you’re there. Although you can not handle these cuddly cuties you can get some great selfies! There are 5 sloths total at the Indianapolis Zoo and they will have two out at a time to allow them time without being with people. These two toed sloths keep a gentle pace to help them go unseen by predators, such as harpy eagles and jaguars, who watch for moving prey when they hunt. But these adorable animals take leisure to the next level, moving slow enough for algae and fungi to grow on their fur, creating micro-biomes of life.

Team Snake

The snake exhibit is just as popular as the sloth exhibit! They’ve completely renovated the back area of Desserts and added new habitats for all their new friends. Desserts has remained the same but in the back area they’ve added the most deadly snakes in the world. Size, Speed & Venom: Extreme Snakes will feature more than 20 incredible species, including some of the largest and most dangerous snakes on the planet. The reticulated python is one of the world’s largest snakes, growing to nearly 30 feet in length with exquisite patterns.

For more information on these awesome exhibits go to the Indianapolis Zoo website or call (317) 630-2001 for more information.

Indianapolis Zoo: Team Sloth or Team Snake

Check out more fun Zoo trips like xZooberance and Fairy Gardens.

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