Nicki M.'s recommendations:
Elegant farmer - great places for picking apples, or to buy an amazing pie baked in a bag
EAA Airventure Museum (OshKosh) - airplane museum on an airfield, great museum with displays that are interesting enough for adults, yet plenty of interactive exhibits for kids, worth the drive.
John Michael Kohler Arts Center - free art museum with fantastic craft room for kids to make a mess that you don't want in your house
Urban Ecology Center
Sprecher Brewery Tour
Palermos Pizza Tour - see how frozen pizzas are made, ends with lunch
Harley Davidson Museum
Jelly Belly Factory - "factory" is a loose term, you get to ride a kiddie "train" through a warehouse and watch a movie about making jelly beans, kids always love the tour
Kenosha Public Museum - free muse that is kid-friendly, on the lakefront, can purchase trolley ride during the summer in nearby lot
Organ Piper Pizza - a silly, creepy, funny, eclectic Wisconsin experience, not amazing food, but a fun slice of Wisconsin
Possibility Playground (Port Washington) - park the size of a football field, includes pirate ship, tunnels, police car and lighthouse
Fox Brook Beach - paddleboat rental, Fox Brook is a great park with a lovely kid-friendly beach with a playground on the beach
Lapham Peak - beautiful hike to tower that overlooks lake country (western Waukesha county)
Cushing Memorial Park (Delafield) - great park for kids, includes safe walk along pond/river
The Family Farm (Grafton) - has tour of farm animal petting zoo, nature walk, wagon rides
Pike Lake - amazing hike to tower that overlooks Washington County
Holy Hill
Pewaukee Lake - charming lakefront, kid friendly beach across the street from sub and ice cream shop
Strawberry/Raspberry/Pumpkin picking - Basse, Barthel Fruit farm
Cedar Springs Trout farm - fun trout farm, can go fishing or just go feed the fish
Cake and Bake (Menomonee Falls) - excellent source for buying cake making supplies, have excellent classes, love cake decorating clinics at Easter and Christmas, have all the fun of making a messy cake with your kids without the mess in your kitchen
Amy's Candy Kitchen ( Cedarburg) - best caramel apples ever, fun to walk around Cedarburg area
Heather P.'s recommendations:
Living in the great state of Wisconsin presents some amazing opportunities!
-Parks, Playgrounds, Beaches...
A FREE and fun way to spend time together
visit your local municipality's website to find fun places to play in your local community.
The county websites are also great for finding these kinds of places:
www.milwaukeecounty.gov
www.waukeshacounty.gov
Retzer Nature Center is one of the parks on the Waukesha county website. They have a variety of family friendly activities that are nature focused.
Don't be afraid to visit the State of Wisconsin's website and venture a few hours to lovely State Parks such as Devil's Lake, Governor Dodge, Random Lake, etc.
-Mitchell Park Domes
The domes is always a fun idea, especially when they have special attractions in the Show Dome.
Some upcoming events:
Very Fairy Princess Day April 13
Green Living Festival April 26
Dinos Under Glass May 3-Nov. 2
More information can be found on the Milwaukeecounty.gov website in their parks section as noted above.
-Storybook Gardens/Bookworm Gardens
In just a short day-trip, you can visit the Storybook Gardens for FREE in Sheboygan
Bookworm Gardnes is a vibrant, playful children's garden that enhances literature, the natural world, and the imagination. The two acre garden offers the young and the young in heart the opportunity for free, instructed play in a beautiful and secure environment.
www.bookwormgardens.org
-Indoor Playgrounds
Kids in Motion - New Berlin
very reasonably priced
they allow you to bring in your own food
you can stay as long as you want
unstructured playtime
Monkey Joes - Waukesha
About $5 - $10 per child depending on age
inflatable slides
bouncy houses
games
food may be purchased on site
Flabbergast - Sussex
About $5 - $10 per child depending on the ages of your children
inflatable slides
bouncy houses
games
3 yrs and under play room filled with age appropriate toys and books for those little ones who need a break from the noise and sensory overload
food may be purchased on site
-Milwaukee County Zoo
One of the country's finest zoological attractions, will educate, entertain and inspire you! Visit over 2,000 mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles in specialized habitats spanning 200 wooded acres. Explore educational wildlife shoes, fun attractions and enticing special events.
They allow you to bring in your own food
www.milwaukeezoo.org
- Betty Brinn Children's Museum
Adults and children over the age of 1 yr. $8
Seniors (55+) $7
Children under the age of 1 are FREE
Great place for hands-on play and learning under grown-up supervision
Snacks available for purchase
www.bbcmkids.org
-Kinder Konzerts by Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Lasts about 1 hr.
A storyteller along with the orchestra, tell beautiful children's stories
They even have an "instrument petting zoo" where children can touch and learn about all the different instruments played by the orchestra
Sharon Lynn Wilson Center
Offers a variety of performances and events that the whole family can enjoy! They strive to provide arts education opportunities and creative experiences for all members of the surrounding communities.
Some events include:
Tales by the Fire Series: kids arrive in their PJs alone with their banks, pillows, stuffed animals, and interact with amazing storytellers by the fireplace in the Grand Hall
Family Films: Create a fun family tradition! Enjoy feature films on the Big Screen in the Harris Theater, complete with concessions
Beyond the Classroom Series: Vividly enriches student's classroom experience with programs by outstanding national and local performing art companies...bringing the textbook to life.
For more information on family Programming, call 262-373-5037 or visit their website
-Libraries
Many libraries are now in the "cafe" system which allows you to check out a book at one library and return it to another.
All libraries have story time and other fun activities to enhance your child's love for reading.
Additional Ideas:
Visit a local farm
See what your local park and rec dept has to offer
garden
jump in leaves
make a craft (walmart has $1.00 craft section with children's projects)
Hike
picnic
swim
paddle boat
camping
bike
botanical gardens
indoor waterparks
take 5 minutes to give your child a ride on the little car or train machine at the grocery store
read books together
go on a rock hunt
find bugs
visit a lighthouse (milwaukee has a couple and there are others within 1 hr)
visit a local festival
attend a local parade
cook together
Alissa Q.'s recommendations:
Brewers games
Admirals games
Miwaukee Bucks games
Other ideas mentioned:
Manitowoc Maritime Museum
House on a Rock - Dodgeville
Prewitt's nest - Devil's Lake
Feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments below. We'd love to add them to our list!
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