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Anyone else have no entertainment in town?

eilatan&nhoj88eilatan&nhoj88 member
in Stay at Home Moms
I see everyone posting about taking their Lo to the zoo, museums, playgroup, etc. We have a park but with a 32 month old and 6 month old, its almost impossible to go. It's all big kid slides and stuff with gaps in high up places. The nearest zoo and museums are 3 hours away. There is no playgroup. My question is, if anyone else lives in an area like this, what do you do with your Lo? We've taken my son to a bounce house once and a discovery playhouse once, but that stuff gets expensive.
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Re: Anyone else have no entertainment in town?

  • alicatt79alicatt79 member

    I normally just lurk here but I've got some ideas that might work so I'll come out for a minute.

    Do you have a library nearby?  Most libraries offer activities and readings for LO's at least once a week for free.  Also, have you tried taking nature walks?  The 6 mo old could ride in a stroller while the 2.5 year old walks and collects pine cones, acorns, leaves, etc.  Also have you checked Meetups.com to see if there was a group in your area?  Surely some other mama is as frustrated as you!

    I'm sorry you're getting frustrated!  I hate days when I'm cooped up in the house with both of mine.  No fun!

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  • swimiz500swimiz500 member

    I live in an area like this! I don't do a thing with her, and I just hate it. I have been looking all over for play groups, get togethers, something, but it just doesn't exist. We don't even have a Local Bump Board for my area- the closest local board is more than 3 hours from here! (Which incidentally is also where the zoos and museums are).  

    I would love to hear suggestions too!  

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  • alicatt79alicatt79 member

    We've also been known to wander around pet stores (bonus if you can find one that has employees who don't care if you pet and hold everything), feed ducks at the lake, plant flowers and veggies in the yard (with no expectations of the things surviving), and we go to all kinds of carnivals and festivals around town.

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  • Newt69Newt69 member
    I live in a small small town and we have a zoo (of sorts) but it is only open memorial day to labor day and I have yet to go (no baby yet, due in sept). We have a local library in the next town down and a few carnivals and fairs here and there. The local school has a playground but you can not access it during school hours (understandably). I guess its good I will be having LO in Sept because by next summer he will be old enough to take to these places and hopefully we can enjoy them.
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  • AndrewsgalAndrewsgal member

    Our bounce house and play places are cheaper then our zoos or museums, so I guess even if you had those they would be out.

    You can create your own play groups. I did when we lived in a small town. Go to the library, or play grounds at schools. 

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  • PurpleDrewbie5PurpleDrewbie5 member

    imageeilatan&nhoj88:
    I see everyone posting about taking their Lo to the zoo, museums, playgroup, etc. We have a park but with a 32 month old and 6 month old, its almost impossible to go. It's all big kid slides and stuff with gaps in high up places. The nearest zoo and museums are 3 hours away. There is no playgroup. My question is, if anyone else lives in an area like this, what do you do with your Lo? We've taken my son to a bounce house once and a discovery playhouse once, but that stuff gets expensive.

    This is us. Our library has story hour but that's it. It's also 3+ hours to a major city, no bounce house or anything. We have a YMCA and I am seriously considering membership. My little one loves the water. We also have a handful of smaller parks but it has been mid 100's here lately and 55% humidity at least...way too hot to be out. :-( 

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  • pastaladypastalady member

    Start a playgroup on meetup.com and/or put notices up at the library, stores etc. Do you have a community association? That's a good place to start. Mine has a few weekly meetings for SAHM's and playgroups.

    I agree the bouncy house stuff can get expensive. However to me it's worth it. DD has a favorite one we go to weekly. I have met many moms there too!

    Our YMCA has a daily toddler drop-in gym. Lots of fun and free with membership. Do you have a mall? Does it have a play area?

    I guess I'm lucky there are so many things close to me and DD!

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  • Que*SyrahQue*Syrah member
    I drive to get to stuff. I absolutely cannot be home all day or both DS and I go crazy, and all we have are parks and the library and that gets old. So we drive anywhere from 30-45 minutes to get to stuff. Works great for us, but maybe not for others.
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  • superchixorsuperchixor
    Ditto the library. We live in a pretty small town but our libraries have story times 3X/week for free. They also have a lot of stuff throughout the day for older kids(toddlers/teens/tweens). I do that once a week and 1-2 times a week we walk around stores. Like today we went to a party store, OfficeMax and Petsmart.. It let us be out for over an hour. Yesterday we hit up Goodwill to donate and looked around inside, Dollar Tree and Walgreens. Another 1-2 hours. You don't have to spend money to get out of the house. Just go walk around the stores.
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  • eilatan&nhoj88eilatan&nhoj88 member
    Well to be a little more specific, we are a one car family. My husband works an hour away and stays gone almost all weekend so most things out of town are not an option unless I borrow my mom"s car. We have a library but they no longer have storytime. The only playgroup I found on meetup is 50 minutes away. It's also 4550 minutes to a mall or pet store. There is no Y or YMCA in our area. We have a fair once a year, but that's where a lot of bad people hang out so we don't go.
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  • PurpleDrewbie5PurpleDrewbie5 member
    imageamy052006:
    imagePurpleDrewbie5:

    imageeilatan&nhoj88:
    I see everyone posting about taking their Lo to the zoo, museums, playgroup, etc. We have a park but with a 32 month old and 6 month old, its almost impossible to go. It's all big kid slides and stuff with gaps in high up places. The nearest zoo and museums are 3 hours away. There is no playgroup. My question is, if anyone else lives in an area like this, what do you do with your Lo? We've taken my son to a bounce house once and a discovery playhouse once, but that stuff gets expensive.

    This is us. Our library has story hour but that's it. It's also 3+ hours to a major city, no bounce house or anything. We have a YMCA and I am seriously considering membership. My little one loves the water. We also have a handful of smaller parks but it has been mid 100's here lately and 55% humidity at least...way too hot to be out. :-( 

    The Y can be good besides swimming, too.  dS starts gym class there this fall, the gym has a drop in daycare, etc. 

    Thanks. I will have to look into that. I'm not sure if ours has that but maybe they have something?

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  • Que*SyrahQue*Syrah member

    imageeilatan&nhoj88:
    Well to be a little more specific, we are a one car family. My husband works an hour away and stays gone almost all weekend so most things out of town are not an option unless I borrow my mom"s car. We have a library but they no longer have storytime. The only playgroup I found on meetup is 50 minutes away. It's also 4550 minutes to a mall or pet store. There is no Y or YMCA in our area. We have a fair once a year, but that's where a lot of bad people hang out so we don't go.

    Oh, that's tough. If I didn't have a car, there is literally nothing I could do. We don't even have a park within walking distance.

    Is there any way he can take public transit? Or can you drop him off/pick up a couple days a week so you can have the car? 

    Or maybe you can find a cheap beater car that he can drive to work?

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