The Lollipop Road

Posts Tagged ‘kids activity’

Last fall a local pottery shop came to our son’s school to help them make a decorated pottery plate for Thanksgiving.  It was a great project and he was so proud of his accomplishment that he wanted to use it all of the time.  Enter his one-year-old brother (aka Hercules)…and before long the plate had been destroyed. 

That gave us a great excuse to venture into the shop with the entire family, partly to re-create the plate destroyed by Hercules and also to work on a new project that we could create together.  So, we headed out to Art Attack in Flemington, NJ with much anticipation.  I was shocked to see the extensive collection of pottery items waiting for a young decorator’s touch.  In addition to the simple (plates, bowls, cups), there were also more advanced projects like banks, racing cars, vases and even holiday ornaments.  This place is a crafters dream! 

Projects start at just $5 and you’ll also find a markdown shelf with slightly imperfect items.  We were able to make two plates for less than $28 including tax.  There are no studio charges, so you’ll only pay for the pottery. 

After we chose our plates, we decided on a theme from the idea books and then chose colors accordingly.  The staff member helping you will dispense your chosen colors into small trays and provide paintbrushes, sponges and lots of paper towels to keep your little ones clean.  We were ready to go! 

The first step was tracing some designs on our plates.  Again, if you’re a novice, the crafter on duty will be more than happy to help you get started.  Now, you’re ready to start painting – you can use your thumb (as we did for the turkey), a brush or one of the many other application methods.  Our turkey had the kids making lots of thumb prints before applying the trim with a sponge.  Daddy carefully painted some legs and eyes and the masterpiece was finished. 

Our Easter plate was a bit more complicated, but the kids had a blast lending their thumbs and dotting paint here there and everywhere.  Once you’re done, it’s ready for firing.  You’ll have to part with you’re special creations for a week or so, but when you return, you’ll have a shiny glazed masterpiece that is food and dishwasher safe!  This really was an awesome way to spend an afternoon together as a family.

If you’re in the area, Art Attack is open Wednesday-Friday from 12:30PM-5:30PM, Saturday 10AM-6PM and Sunday 11AM-5PM.  No appointment is necessary.  Weekdays before 3PM are the quietest and you’ll receive the most help and attention from the staff.

If you are not in the area, you can easily find similar shops in your area through a simple Google search (try – pottery painting “my state”).  That was easy – the kids will be thrilled to know that there is a great shop just 12 minutes from our new home…hooray! 

If you enjoyed these photos and would like to see more, visit Photo Friday at Deliciousbaby.

Disclosure

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

If you’re cruising the Caribbean or Bahamas with Disney Cruise Line, you’ll probably be making a stop (or two) at their private retreat – Castaway Cay.  This beach like resort is absolutely huge and has an amazing amount of activities, but is bigger always better?  We’ll see as we take a critical look at what they’ve done right and what they could have done better.

As we docked at Disney’s private pier at Castaway Cay, the morning sun was quickly rising in the sky and the cool ocean breeze was disappearing, leading off what would be a hot and humid day in this secluded paradise.  We waited a bit to go ashore, which was a big mistake.  By 11AM, there was not one beach chair to be found, let alone an umbrella or any semblance of shade.

Upon disembarking, the first stop that you’ll want to make is to load up on some towels.  Take a couple, even if you don’t intend on swimming as you may need it to sit on the beach or wipe the sweat from your brow.  Shortly thereafter, you’ll come upon the Castaway Cay Post Office, where you can mail your postcards with the special Castaway Cay postmark.  They offer Bahamian stamps (50 cents to mail a postcard) and are open until 4PM.

Continuing down the path about 500 feet, you’ll have two options – take the tram that runs to Scuttle’s Cove or continue another 1/3 mile or so down the path to Scuttle’s Cove.  I recommend waiting for the tram because there is no shade along the route, although, there is a photo opportunity with a shipwreck in the distance.  If you’ve signed up for a boat charter, glass bottom boat tour or parasailing, the boat dock will be on your left before the tram station.

Update – The Flying Dutchman is being taken apart and removed due to deterioration. We have no information on plans to replace it.

In true Disney style, there is a full kids activity program on the island.  The Scuttle’s Cove Youth Activities Area offers lots of open space with plenty of sand toys and an enclosed play area with a walk-in playhouse, slide and other child sized plastic play-on toys.  There is also a family area called Monstro Point where you can participate together in a whale dig…not many takers on this particular day.  Staffed with the youth counselors from onboard the ship, the land based program provides continuity as well as security.

Unfortunately, although there is an attempt at providing some shaded areas (see photo) it is inadequate, especially in the blazing summer sun.  The restrooms have also been “under construction” for two years.  Although the staff has been promised they would open this summer, in the meantime, counselors have to walk the kids to the restroom outside of the secure area.  Disney definitely could have done a better job here.  On the upside, they are adding a water feature to the area that will open later this summer, so perhaps we can provide a better review the next time we visit.

Update – Both restrooms and the water park have been added, which results in a significant improvement to this area.

The main attraction on the island is clearly the Family Beach.  Located just past the Sports Beach, which offers water equipment rental as well as a volleyball and soccer area, are beach chairs and people for as far as the eye can see.  At 11AM, just 1 1/2 hours after docking, the beach was packed with families and there was not one chair to be found.  The first area that you’ll come to is reserved for snorkeling, which shrinks the area for swimming considerably.  There were nearly as many snorkelers as swimmers, so there wasn’t really any area to enjoy the water without bumping into other passengers.  Unfortunately, this limited (crowded) beach and swimming area (that had little shade) was another negative for Castaway Cay. Fortunately, this issue has been resolved – see our update below.

Update – The Family Beach has been expanded by incorporating the former Teen Beach, making space more plentiful for Magic and Wonder passengers, but still making it a bit crowded for Dream and Fantasy passengers.

The upside is that there is also an adults only beach called Serenity Bay.  Reached by another tram departing from the Palm Central Tram Station (a bit of a walk from the Scuttle’s Cove Station), Serenity Bay was quiet and serene, so if you’ve dropped the kids at Scuttle’s Cove, head to Serenity Bay and skip the other beaches.  You might even want to get a massage in one of the cabanas overlooking the beach.

There are no complimentary watersports, so you’ll have to pay a small fee if you’d like floats, tubes (each $6/day), bicycles ($6/hr) or snorkeling gear ($25 adult/$10 children 5-9) in addition to any excursions you reserved. The water slide is already open, but it is a bit of a hike, so I’m not sure that many families made it that far.

There are a couple of cool value priced tours.  Disney offers their very own stingray adventure, which is not only interesting for kids, but also a bit cheaper than those you’ll find elsewhere in the Bahamas ($35 adult/$29 children 5-9), so you may want to have a look.  There is also a teen only tour called The Wild Side that combines snorkeling, kayaking and a scenic bike ride for $35.  Also exclusively for teens is The Hangout, located inland a bit.  Castaway Cay is a great place for teens to hang out!

The family can come back together for lunch at Cookie’s BBQ.  Offering a good variety of grilled foods, ribs, ample drinks and even ice cream, this spread far surpasses that offered by other cruise lines on their private islands.  There is plenty of covered seating as well as picnic tables with umbrellas in the shade, so munching without roasting shouldn’t be much of a problem; although you don’t want to leave your tray unattended for too long as the sand flies or seagulls will have a feast.

You’ll also find three bars strategically placed around the island, live music, sun adult activities and plenty of time to relax.  After a long day in the salt air, you’ll find outdoor showers to help rinse off and cute gift shops with more of the same to stock up on souvenirs before heading back onboard.  Disney characters are also available throughout the day to pose for photos and the lines were shorter than on the ship.

Overall, Castaway Cay was a great stop for the kids.  There are certainly some improvements that can be made, but the additional enhancements made this summer have addressed most of the issues.  Live as a castaway for a day and enjoy!

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

If you enjoyed these photos and would like to see more, visit Photo Friday at Deliciousbaby.

Disclosure

Jen ( a mom of 4) over at TravelKiddy has generously donated a basic TravelKiddy to be given away to one of our lucky readers!  She really has put together some teriffic activity kits that give you lots of flexibility when traveling with kids of all ages;  although, these aren’t just for travel.  You can take them to restaurants, the doctor’s office or use them at home on a rainy day.  They also make great birthday gifts and you can even buy refills!

Jen has also sent along a Classic TravelKiddy (ages 3-6) for us to review in the coming weeks as we embark on the final cruise in our Cruise Views Marathon.  We’ve taken a sneak peek at the kit and we’re excited to be able to have our 4 year-old take it for a test drive.

Okay, so on to the giveaway details…pretty simple – find the hidden Mickey  on one of our pages or in one of our posts and be the first to send us an e-mail telling us exactly where you found it.  It really is that simple!  Once you’ve found it, send you’re e-mail to cvm@thelollipoproad.com.  Only households with a US address are eligible.  If you are the first to respond with a correct answer, a brand new Basic TravelKiddy (you choose the age range, 3-6 or 6-9) will be shipped directly to you from the generous folks over at TravelKiddy.  This contest is open until Saturday, May 22, 2010 and the winner will be announced on Monday, May 24, 2010.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

This post is part of our Cruise Views Marathon.  Please see special event information for details on how to enter our giveaways.

Disclosure