Kynna's Tips Austin

The Harlem Globetrotters

2011-01-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

A night at seeing the Globetrotters is a perfect outing for my family because there is something for everyone. I have two children that couldn't be more different. My youngest is crazy about sports, particularly basketball. My 3rd grader is very theatrical and loves comedy. The Globetrotters athletic skills are memorizing and we love hearing our kids belly laugh at all of their antics. My girls love that they take the time to sign autographs after the game. They offer a Fan Club membership for $14.95-$20 that gets your kids front of the line access for some of the more popular players like Big Easy & Flight Time. This can save quite a bit of time and perhaps heatbreak if the line is really long. It also offers some discounts and other benefits. For more information go to http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/fanzone/fanclub/

The Austin Symphony Children's Halloween Concert

2010-10-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

This event marks the beginning of the Halloween Season for our family and is a key event to premier our costumes. We have attended with both grandparents and great grandparents and they had a fantastic time too. It is the perfect introduction to the symphony for kids age 3-12. Younger children enjoy seeing all the colorful costumes and get a kick out of the special effects and props. Older children enjoy hearing the themes to their favorite films like Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Pirates of the Caribbean. The seating is general admission so it is worth getting there early. Before the show they let some children get up on stage for a photo.

Pollyanna Theatre Company

2010-05-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

My children both experienced live theatre for the first time at a Pollyanna Theatre Company production. Years later we still see every show we can. I love the fact that they take the time to talk with the children about theatre etiquette such as "Why do we clap at the end of a show?" and "Why is it important to save your comments to the end?" in a way that makes sense to them. The most precious thing I have taken away from these plays where adults are playing children is perspective. It gave me insight to the motivation behind the behavior and helped me remember what how a child thinks. It is such fun to share a laugh at the silly moments and they have offer so many opportunities to talk to my children about tough subjects such as when our feelings are hurt by someone we love, feeling different and alone, and when life doesn't seem fair.

When we left the production of WonderDog which dealt with the feelings behind loosing a loved one my girls were chattering about how funny the play was and giggling all over again at the silly moments. The next day a family pet had died and the first words out of my 5 year olds mouth was "Wonderdog said it was OK to feel sad."

At less than $10 a ticket their shows are such an affordable way for families to fit in quality entertainment. Check their website for two upcoming summer productions!

http://www.pollytheatre.org/

TheatriKids

2009-08-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

I grew up in Drama Club and in a theatrical family so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when my daughter was begging to be in a musical. She announced one day that it has been her "Lifelong dream to be on the stage." Also she wanted to be in Hairspray. Of course my response was "then someday you will be dear." and left it at that until I found out about the TheatriKids I Love Musicals camp. Not only did it fulfill her dream, they were willing to take my 5 year old Diva!

Every morning she stood at the door ready to go 30 minutes early script in hand with such joy in her eyes. Every afternoon she bubbled over with stories of the games they played and the funny things that happened in rehearsal. I loved hearing about how the kids worked together an that it was a true team effort. They all participated in the casting and the costume selection.

The final show was very impressive and it was obvious how much work they did and how much the kids respected each other. This is a testament to the instructor Erin who set clear expectations of the kids while keeping a fun creative environment. I of course loved watching my baby perform but what I loved most was seeing her work so hard at something she loved.

Even my older daughter who is very nervous about going on stage and tends to be shy asked if she could take a TheatriKids camp next year because it looked really fun.

Back to School Fashion Show

2009-08-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

I am one of those people who buys most of the families clothing at the end of the season clearance sales guessing that my kids will be one size up the next year. I'd much rather spend $2-$3 on a pair of shorts that will end up with a popsicle stain in them the first day than $10-$15. I'm lucky enough to have two girls so if a clothing item never fits one child there is a good chance it will fit the other. The hardest part is getting the kids to try on a bunch of clothes all at once rather than each time we buy them. Plus they still have to try on last years school clothes.

I tried letting them watch TV while they tried them on, I attempted to make it a race, I even asked them to try on only one a day but nothing worked until I instituted the "Fall Fashion Show" last year. Now my kids are begging to try on clothes and put together outfits for the show. It doesn't take much. We slide the couch back a bit to make a runway, put on some music, and cheer as each outfit comes down the catwalk. Its fun, it helps the girls develop their own sense of style, it makes getting ready in the morning much easier, and it is another way to get excited about the new school year!

Storyteller Bernadette Nason

2009-07-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

I can't say enough about the wonderful programs our libraries provide for our families but this summer one really stood out for us. We were fortunate enough to catch a storytelling by Bernadette Nason as part of the Austin Public Library's summer reading program this week. It was really wonderful. She was so engaging and had a sense of humor both the children and adults could enjoy. It is always nice to see someone who genuinely enjoys the children as much as they enjoy watching her.

She only has two presentations left this summer.

Tuesday, July 14
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
“Storyteller Bernadette Nason”
Old Quarry Branch7051 Village Center Dr., 78731; (512) 345-4435

Wednesday, July 22
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
“Storyteller Bernadette Nason”
Windsor Park Branch5833 Westminster Dr., 78723; (512) 974-9840

If you have a chance to go you'd be in for quite a treat!

Her website is:
http://www.bernadettenason.com/

Volunteer as a Family.

2009-05-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed getting involved in community projects and when I had babies and toddlers in the house volunteering was a great way to escape the Mommy bubble we all find ourselves in. Now that my kids are older and have school, playdates, and activities the last thing I want to do is give up the precious time I have to be with my kids. Plus I want them to grow up feeling that they can have a positive effect on the world and that being a responsible citizen does not have to be a burden.

This summer we are going to start a volunteer journal where we will log the things we do as a family to better our community. Whether it's collecting soap for the homeless, picking up trash in the park for an hour, or making cookies for the Fire Fighters we will track and document the activity so they can see how two little kids can make the world a better place.

If you are looking for ways your family can volunteer together these organizations can give you a head start:

Austin Parks Foundation: Phone: (512) 477-1566 Web: http://www.austinparks.org/

Many of the projects include work too strenuos for children but they could volunteer to fill water bottles for workers or do clean up at a work site. My kids loved helping prep a picnic table to be painted.

Volunteer Match www.volunteermatch.org/search/

If you refine your search and choose great for Kids at the bottom you can find some great projects.

Kids Care: http://www.kidscare.org/

NEW Little Helping Hands: This amazing organization creates oppourtunities for younger children to lend a Helping Hand! The spots fill up very quickly so don't hesitate, just go for it! http://www.littlehelpinghands.org/

Chez Zee at Easter

2009-04-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

First off I have to admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for Chez Zee because my husband and I were married in their Gallery. The reason we choose that location was because they were the first place not to have an awkward pause when we mentioned there would be a lot of toddlers at the wedding. Instead they told us they can have sidewalk chalk and coloring pages for the kids on the porch and we were welcome to bring some toys to keep them occupied. Great!

This is the first year we haven't had our annual Easter Egg Hunt and party since my daughter was 2 and I really wanted to find something to do that would be relaxing for us adults ,including my parents, without sacrificing on fun for my two girls. We decided to go back to Chez Zee for their Easter Brunch Buffet and it exceeded our expectations. As we waited to be seated there were several clowns doing Face Painting and Balloon Twisting including a family favorite Miss Jellybean. They had games and coloring pages for the kids and coffee and muffins to hold the adults over until the table was ready.

My 7 year old was excited to discover that the music was coming from a live piano player in the corner of the room who played a few melodies that were very familiar to her. My 4 year old beamed when a man in a bunny suit gave her a chocolate egg. Everyone had an enjoyable meal and we all love the Creme Brulee French Toast. The service was quick and I loved that they spoke directly to my children. Their eyes lit up every time the waiter referred to them as Miss.

They topped the whole thing off with an egg hunt in the front garden! It was a day the whole family could enjoy and we look forward to celebrating many other occasions at Chez Zee.

More things to do with kids in Austin at www.kidevents.com (updated daily)

Trains

2009-04-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

My little girl had just turned two and I was racking my brain trying to find a party solution that met my budget and would be suitable for kids of varying ages. She has friends that range in age from 8 months to almost 7 years. She loves the bouncing places but I always take her when the “big kids” are in school so she doesn’t get trounced. I considered many options but found most did not include adults in the fun.

Finally I came up with a solution… a train ride! She loves trains and everyone could share in the fun at the same time regardless of age or size.

This is when I discovered the Cedar Rock Railroad! The train is really cool, the ride is about 15 minutes, long enough to be a relaxing adventure and short enough to enjoy without a major potty crisis.

I rented a huge, very clean pavilion for $25 ($20 extra for electricity). It had a separate parking lot to the main park so we felt like we had the place to ourselves. The train made a special stop at the pavilion, was decorated with birthday banners and took us all for a 1.3 mile ride around the park for $56.

There was plenty of room at the pavilion to picnic, have a small inflatable, and bubble area. There are two grills and they had a newly lined trash can for us. We had such a nice hassle-free time that we are considering renting it again for group outing.The only downfall is that the restrooms are a bit of a hike but, not a deal breaker for us (our four year old, who tends to wait until the last minute made it ok).

The other reality to face is that you should bring bug spray. It wasn’t horrible, but the ants did come marching in.

If you are interested in renting any of the pavilions contact:Benita Bonner Williamson County Administrative Park Scheduler Planner 350 Discovery Blvd., Suite 207 Cedar Park, TX 78613 512-260-4283 FAX: 512-260-4284 bbonner@wilco.orgFor more info an the Cedar Rock Railroad go towww.cedarrockrailroad.com or call Ken Knowles at (512) 413-1705.