The South Florida Adventure Pass is one of the best deals around!
The Adventure Pass offers unlimited admission for the whole summer to Flamingo Gardens plus 6 other top attractions in South Florida! Visit Everglades Alligator Farm, Flamingo Gardens, Jungle Island, Patricia & Phillip Frost Museum of Science, Perez Art Museum Miami, Sawgrass Recreation Park, and Young at Art Museum as often as you like from May 15 through September 30, 2016.
South Florida Adventure Pass is just $50 for Adults (ages 13+) and $40 for Children (ages 3-12). Flamingo Gardens Members can purchase the pass for only $30.00 per adult and $20.00 per child! Passes may be purchased at the Flamingo Gardens Ticket Booth or at any of the 7 participating attractions. Save time and download this form to fill out in advance.
There is an App for that! I am a geek, I know! I have been obsessed with all things educational & technological! So what about Piano Lessons? Yup, There’s an app for that too! Piano Marvel is a completely online piano course that uses a midi interface with your piano to give you instant feedback on what you know! I have been using it to brush up on my extremely old skills and to supplement my child’s lessons! I am LOVING IT! I also negotiated a Coupon Code for you try it for free! If you buy a subscription you will get a discount too! You won’t believe what you get for about a quarter of the price of piano lessons!
The calendar is filling up quickly! Please make sure that we don’t miss your next event and submit your event today!
Let us know and we will place your Summer or Spring Break Camp information on our Find a Camp page!
How you can help keep this site running.
If you have found this site helpful and want to keep me writing please use the Donate Button on the right side of this page. This helps us pay for our domain, ip address and hosting, maybe even a cup of coffee as I sit at Panera searching for more free events. Some sites require membership fees in order to pay for their site. We really want this information to be free and available to all. Thanks for your support!
If you would like to learn more about our partnership opportunities Contact Us today!
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Have you ever had a pet that just seemed to cause havoc at every turn? Has your cat ever knocked over glasses, hidden your keys or generally created chaos for no apparent reason? Have you ever wondered what on earth your pet could be thinking? Baby Girl the Rogue House Cat explains all her crazy and funny actions in her new diary. Her journey to become a good house cat will help explain why cats do some of the things they do. I hope you enjoy her antics as much as I do.
If you have found this site helpful and want to keep me writing please use the Donate Button on the right side of this page. This helps us pay for our domain, ip address and hosting, maybe even a cup of coffee as I sit at Panera searching for more free events. Some sites require membership fees in order to pay for their site. We really want this information to be free and available to all. Thanks for your support!
If you would like to learn more about our partnership opportunities Contact Us today!
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If you read this blog regularly you know that I am always on the search for the most educational types of recreation for the kids. I have once again posted and updated some of my favorite Holiday Websites. All of them have at least a nominal amount of educational value. Well may not the Elf Yourself site, but it’s the Holidays and you gotta have some fun too.
Still looking for a last minute gift that won’t rot your kids brains? This is the One BookEvery Young Reader Needs. You’re going to want one too! The best part, Minecraft is not involved!
The calendar is filling up quickly! Please make sure that we don’t miss your next event and submit your event today!
Have you ever had a pet that just seemed to cause havoc at every turn? Has your cat ever knocked over glasses, hidden your keys or generally created chaos for no apparent reason? Have you ever wondered what on earth your pet could be thinking? Baby Girl the Rogue House Cat explains all her crazy and funny actions in her new diary. Her journey to become a good house cat will help explain why cats do some of the things they do. I hope you enjoy her antics as much as I do.
If you have found this site helpful and want to keep me writing please use the Donate Button on the right side of this page. This helps us pay for our domain, ip address and hosting, maybe even a cup of coffee as I sit at Panera searching for more free events. Some sites require membership fees in order to pay for their site. We really want this information to be free and available to all. Thanks for your support!
If you would like to learn more about our partnership opportunities Contact Us today!
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With the Holidays in full swing, South Floridians, tourists and coastal dwellers everywhere will be spending more and more time at local beaches.It is important to make sure that this is a safe and fun event for the entire family. By checking the warning flags and following these five tips beach goers will be able to make the most of a day at the beach with the family.
Tiip # 1:Only swim at guarded beaches. Chose a beach with a Life Guard and locate your family’s spot near them. Fort Lauderdale has two-miles of Ocean Rescue Tower Guarded beaches from 1014 Seabreeze Boulevard to 1200 N. Atlantic Boulevard. Palm Beach County has thirteen guarded oceanfront and inlet parks from Tequesta to Boca Raton. According to Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue “Most water-related fatalities occur in unsupervised settings distant from lifeguard towers.”
Tip # 2: Make sure to know what flags are flying. Ocean Rescue fly flags at the beach to help beach goers avoid hazard.
GREEN FLAG – Low Hazard: Conditions are calm; normal care and caution should be exercised. YELLOW FLAG – Moderately Hazardous Conditions: Moderate currents and/or surf are present; use extra care. RED FLAG – Very Hazardous Conditions: Rough surf and/or strong currents exist; swimmers are strongly discouraged from entering the water. DOUBLE-RED FLAG – Closed to the Public: The water and/or beach are closed to the public due to severe currents and/or surf, water pollution, the threat of lightning, or the presence of predatory fish. PURPLE FLAG – Marine Pests: Jellyfish, man-of-wars, and/or sea lice are present. This flag may be flown along with any of the other flags.
In addition, the Surf Report can help you make sure that you will have a great day at the beach. The surf report will tell you the size of the waves hitting the beach so that you make sure that the waves are ones that your family can handle.
Tip # 3: Sun protection and hydration are key. Drink plenty of water, slather on the
sunscreen and wear a hat. In an article written by American Academy of Dermatology Amanda Friedrichs, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in private practice in Sycamore, IL states “People who get sunburned usually didn’t use enough sunscreen, didn’t reapply it after being in the sun, or used an expired product.” The moral of the story here is not to be stingy with the slather, instead load it on!
Children are particularly susceptible to dehydration and will not always notice when they are thirsty so they must be reminded to drink often. This is especially true when they are wet on the beach, they may not think about needing to drink the way we would.. There is some great swim gear that has built in SPF available now. These suits are a little more expensive but are well worth it and they are an easy way to stay protected. Don’t forget the hats. Hats that tie under the chin are more likely to stay on the child’s head and can even be worn in the water, giving extra sun protection to those precious and sun sensitive eyes, face & ears.
Bringing umbrellas or small kids tents offer the kids a way to play in the sand and get out of the sun a little bit. Staying out of the intense midday summer sun is also a good idea. 10:00 to 3:00 is the hottest part of the day so hitting the beach before 10:00 am or after 3:00 can go along way to keeping beach goers more comfortable and safer.
Tip # 4: Know what to do in a rip current. This is so important, most locals are familiar with rip currents. However many people have no idea of how dangerous they really are, especially vacationers.
A rip current is a powerful narrow current that can pull swimmers away from the beach. Swimmers caught in one of these currents can become exhausted trying to swim against it and drown in the process. Experts recommend swimming parallel to the beach and out of the rip current. The swimmer should then be able to swim back into the beach.
The United States Lifesaving Associationestimates “that the annual number of deaths due to rip currents on our nation’s beaches exceeds 100. Rip currents account for over 80% of rescues performed by surf beach lifeguards.”
I cannot stress enough how important it is to understand the power and danger that rip currents represent to swimmers. The combination of no lifeguard and rip currents makes things even more dangerous. A 15 year old has already died this June (2013) when caught in a rip current at John U Lloyd State Park. According to the Miami Herald red flags were flying, however the beach is unguarded.
To learn more about Rip Currents check out this article from the Miami Herald.
Tip # 5: Be aware of Jelly fish. Jellyfish can be a serious hazard for beach goers. Jellyfish stings can be anything from uncomfortable to severe and can require immediate treatment. So unless you are allergic they may not be deadly, but they will certainly take the joy out of a trip to the beach in a hurry. Anyone who has experienced a sting, knows that they are really not fun.
According to WebMD, victims of these floating menaces should rinse the inflicted area with ocean water not fresh water. Fresh water can and will increase the pain caused by the sting. Pour vinegar or rubbing alcohol on the inflicted area. More severe reactions will include difficulty breathing and intense pain. Ocean Rescue are trained to deal with emergencies like these and this is yet another reason for beach goers to visit a Guarded beach. Remember that you can be stung long after the animal is dead, so where rubber soled water shoes while walking on the beach and use caution when digging in the sand near the water line.
Family outings to the beach in the summer are the part of our childhood, where we make memories for a lifetime. With a little care, these memories are sure to be a little more idyllic for everyone.
Halloween Weekend! WooHoo! There are dozens of fun activities on the calendar for the next couple of week! We headed up to Bedner’s last weekend to get our pumpkin! It was crazy busy but always a good time!
I wanted to share some fun news! I finally published a book! It’s little and a bit silly, but I think it’s cute. (My 7 year old likes it for what that is worth.) This project is certainly a learning experience! It is available on Kindle US and Kindle Europe now and I am working on the print version at the moment. The print version should be available for purchase within the next 3 weeks.
Have you ever had a pet that just seemed to cause havoc at every turn? Have you ever wondered what on earth your pet could be thinking? Baby Girl the Rogue House Cat explains all her crazy and funny actions in her new diary to help explain why cats do some of the things they do. I hope you enjoy her antics as much as I do.
If you have found this site helpful and want to keep me writing please use the Donate Button on the right side of this page. This helps us pay for our domain, ip address and hosting, maybe even a cup of coffee as I sit at Panera searching for more free events. Some sites require membership fees in order to pay for their site. We really want this information to be free and available to all. Thanks for your support!
If you would like to learn more about our partnership opportunities Contact Us today!
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The Calendar for October is coming along nicely, thanks to all of you who helped out by Submitting your Community Event to our Calendar. As always, Free Community events can be submitted at no charge! City Recreations departments with minimal charges are also free! I am pumping up the list as we speak on the search for the best Fall Festivals, Halloween and Pumpkin Patches around! If you know of one, let me know! I really think that we have the biggest list ever!
The Fall events kick off this weekend with one our favorites! The Scarecrow Contest at Flamingo Gardens! It looks like we will be having a cool front (South Florida Style) meaning that the humidity will drop and the warm weather will feel great! Check out the big Half Price discounts for admission this weekend!How you can help keep this site running.
If you have found this site helpful and want to keep me writing please use the Donate Button on the right side of this page. This helps us pay for our domain, ip address and hosting, maybe even a cup of coffee as I sit at Panera searching for more free events. Some sites require membership fees in order to pay for their site. We really want this information to be free and available to all. Thanks for your support!
If you would like to learn more about our partnership opportunities Contact Us today!
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We would like to thank our sponsor Flamingo Gardens for their continued support as park of the Keeping Up With Kids Family
Flamingo Gardens
We love Flamingo Gardens! This tropical paradise in Davie offers visitors the chance to wander through 60 acres of of amazing botanical gardens, orchards and an animal sanctuary.
Flamingo Gardens is home to over 90 species of mostly rescued Florida native bird and animals. It is a wonderful place to learn about the diverse populations, both plant and animal, that are found here in Florida and no where else in the world.
Spoonbill at Flamingo Gardens
My daughter loves the half-acre free flight aviary that has over 250 wading birds in it. We went so often when she was still in a stroller that she can name many of them! Nothing is funnier than a two year old trying to say spoonbill!
Scarecrow Contest at Flamingo Gardens
I have two favorite events at Flamingo Gardens that I have written about a lot over the years. The first is the Christmas Lights event they do every year! The second is the Halloween Scarecrow Contest.
Flamingo Gardens offers many great events throughout the year, but some of my absolute favorites are coming up soon!
favorite park in the deep summer because there is not a ton of shade here. Being that it is going to be in the 50’s this week, that won’t bother anyone at all this weekend.
How you can help keep this site running.
If you have found this site helpful and want to keep me writing please use the Donate Button on the right side of this page. This helps us pay for our domain, ip address and hosting. Some sites require membership fees in order to pay for their site. We really want this information to be free and available to all.Thanks for your support!
Special Thanks to our sponsors for making this site possible!
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We are getting ready to replant our garden now. I decided to go the community garden route again, however we got a bigger plot this year. I am hoping that we are able to grow a few more things than we managed last year. The crazy alien looking carrots were fun, however our tomatoes were pretty sad. I love how my kids thinks it is the best thing on earth to eat the things that we grow. Keep your fingers crossed for us that we do a little better this year.
If you go to our Events Calendar and click on the advanced setting you can search by category. Choose Holiday to see all the fall festival and holiday activities that are coming up starting in October.
The Let me know if you have any Holiday events that need to go on the list!
How you can help keep this site running.
If you have found this site helpful and want to keep me writing please use the Donate Button on the right side of this page. This helps us pay for our domain, ip address and hosting. Some sites require membership fees in order to pay for their site. We really want this information to be free and available to all.
Scarecrow contest and Festival at Flamingo Gardens
I haven’t got much to report this week! I will tell you I have been pumping up the list this week. There are so many great fun looking things coming up in the next few weeks. I am also super psyched about Halloween and Fall Festivals. I know Halloween is still a month away, but I am digging up all the Holiday activities that I can find! The nearest one is a tradition for us, We always go to the Scarecrow contest and Festival at Flamingo Garden! With any luck it will cool off a little before the beginning of October!
The Let me know if you have any Holiday events that need to go on the list!
How you can help keep this site running.
If you have found this site helpful and want to keep me writing please use the Donate Button on the right side of this page. This helps us pay for our domain, ip address and hosting. Some sites require membership fees in order to pay for their site. We really want this information to be free and available to all.
Thanks for your support!
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