Kid Baltimore | Family Activities with Children in Baltimore, Maryland

Clark's Elioak Farm and the Enchanted Forest

In 1955, a storybook theme park opened in Ellicott City. Generations of Maryland kids enjoyed visiting Humpty Dumpty, Mother Goose and Cinderella, to name a few, for over 30 years at The Enchanted Forest. The park was closed in the late 1980's, and a part of history was gone. Maybe the park was no longer slick enough for the crowds, but the charm this place had was undeniable. I wish I had a chance to visit in its original site. Fortunately, a number of the attractions have now been restored and moved to Clark's Elioak Farm for everyone to enjoy. Bit by bit, volunteers are repairing the attractions. Last year's restorations included Humpty Dumpty, Merry Miller's House and Little Toot. There is also a new white Enchanted Castle entrance. This year, look for new characters including a dragon for the Enchanted Castle, and Baby Bear and Goldilocks for the Three Bear's House.

There is also a good petting zoo here (but no way am I petting that emu) and pony rides. Opening day for 2008 is April 1st!

410-730-4049

Clark's Elioak Farm
10500 Clarksville Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042

MapQuest Directions

Ultimate Play Zone

Sometimes, they just need to bounce, bounce, bounce, especially when it's cold and rainy outside. I considered installing a moonbounce in my living room, but since I can't find one that goes with the decor, I haven't yet.

Lucky for me, the indoor playground Ultimate Play Zone opened a few months ago. It's big and clean and filled with good places to bounce, climb and slide. They have Pop-in Play time scheduled frequently throughout the week and it's limited to kids age 6 and under. Family night, on Monday is open to all ages.

If you are fortunate enough to have a 1:1 parent/kid ratio, you'll do well here. With twins, I found it tough to keep up with both of them. In the end, I still left with the same two kids I came in with, but not without a mini moment of panic when I lost track of my son for a couple minutes. Boy, those rascals move quick.

There are attendants dressed as referees monitoring the play and I have to say, they helped me out more times than I would care to admit. I watched one of them make a spectacular dive over the side of an inflatable wall to rescue my daughter when she got stuck. Thanks, referee guy!

410-628-7529

Ultimate Play Zone
10626 York Road, Suites J-L
Cockeysville, MD 21030

Mapquest Directions

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

I spent a strangely large amount of my childhood peering into dye pots with skeins of yarn bubbling away inside. That's what happens when you have an art teacher mom. So when Kate Shatzkin at Charm City Moms mentioned naturally dyed Easter eggs, I just had to give it a try. The basics are simple:

beets = purple
tumeric = yellow
red cabbage = blue

There are lots of other things you can try to make natural dyes, but this group provided a good range of colors.

The basic idea is to grate your dye ingredient (if needed). Cover it with water and boil for a few minutes. Add a tablespoon or two of vinegar. Strain the liquid into a glass and wait for it to cool enough for those little fingers to handle. Submerge boiled eggs until you get the desired color. Oh, and if you are like me, you'll try and sneak in a few lessons about color theory while you wait.

The beets are a must and produced a strong color with lots of speckles. The tumeric and red cabbage dyes needed more time for the color to develop fully, but after 15 minutes or so, the results were good. But most importantly, the kids had fun and they are now all a lovely shade of purple.

For the complete recipe see recipetips.com.

Towson Town Center - Family Fun Day

Grab a carpet remnant and get comfortable. On Fridays, there is no easier toddler entertainment than a trip to Towson Town Center for Family Fun Day. It's free, it's short, and did I mention it's free? Miss Julie, the host of the show, opened with songs and announcements. Miss Julie is a local legend in the preschool world. She leads story times and sing-a-longs at a number of area malls. Kidsinger Jim was the star of the show today. He got the crowd jumping right away. There is something about a group (or is it a gaggle?) of toddlers dancing that always makes me laugh. Kidsinger Jim sang "Zoo in My Room", "Stickers", and a bunch of other songs as he mingled with the crowd. The performance schedule changes weekly and is posted on the Towson Town Center website here. Upcoming performances include Mayhem's Magical Circus and Gigglesmith Puppet Productions.

410-494-8800

Towson Town Center
825 Dulaney Valley Road
Towson, MD 21204

MapQuest Directions

Homemade Books

 

 

 It all started with 2 sheets of cheap copier paper. How was I to know they would become works of art that I would want to keep until the end of time? Days later, my daughter handed me her first completed book. It was titled "If My Mother Were A Panda". It was brilliant (I'm sure I'm not biased at all). Unfortunately, the marker drawings bled through the cheap copier paper and I spent hours scanning and retouching the book in PhotoShop so we could print copies for every friend, relative, and teacher on earth. Hours, I tell you.

At least I learned from my mistake. No more cheap copier paper. I bought a stack of recycled 70# cover from French Paper, but any cover weight paper will do. I also "borrowed" the big long stapler from work. It's mine now and boy has it gotten a workout. "If My Mother Were a Panda" started a huge series of books. The animals kept getting more and more obscure as my daughter worked her way down the list of endangered species "If My Mother Were a Three Toed Sloth"... "If My Mother Were a  Leadbeater's Possum"... "If My Mother Were a Hispid Hare"... You get the idea. 16 books later, she decided to end the series.

We haven't retired the stapler, or the good paper though. I always have a blank book on hand for long car trips.  What I like about having kids make books is that there is an obvious beginning, middle and end. It sets a goal. 

My library of handmade books has grown and I keep it like a miser keeps gold. Hands off. It now includes cookbooks and fictional pieces, some of which she co-writes with her cousin. The non-fiction books are more detailed now with title pages, glossaries and indexes.

As for my little author, she's continues to amaze me. Now she's working on her first novel.