McDonald's - Huntersville I-77 Exit 25

So, we have all been to McDonald's, and this McDonald's is really not so different from the rest, but N, J, and I LOVE it for the HUGE indoor play area. The play area features multiple slides, a tunnel, an large area that N calls the "bouncy place", as well as several vehicle like pods to climb in...nothing short of fun! What sets this play area apart (besides being indoors of course) is that it features lots of tables and booths for eating lunch, catching up with buddies, and supervising the climbers. Not the most creative of destinations, but definitely a lot of fun!

Fun for preschoolers? - Oh yes, lots of fun!
Fun for toddlers and babies? - The play structure is only accessible via large steps. Problematic for the under 2 year old group. Enough room in the play structure for a parent to climb up and rescue a child, but not spacious enough to play alongside a child.
Food - The usual McDonald's fare.
Bathrooms - In addition to the regular restaurant bathrooms, there is a small single bathroom in the play area.
Safety - Only one entrance to the play area from the restaurant. Average level of cleanliness.
Best Time to Visit - A little before or after regular meal times. Crowded on the weekend.
Notes - No shoes allowed so be sure to bring socks!

Monkey Joe's - University

N and I discovered Monkey Joe's in the University area shortly after the birth of J in June. July and August were hot, hot months, and with a 2 year old and new baby in tow, we were looking for good, clean, uncrowded, and airconditioned activities. A friend suggested Monkey Joe's, and it fit the bill perfectly.

Monkey Joe's - University is located in an older strip mall a few hundred yards off of 485 at the University City Blvd. exit. This puts MJ's at around 10 minutes past Concord Mills Mall if you are coming down the back way from Lake Norman. There is plenty of parking right in front of the building. Here is the exact address and contact number:

Monkey Joe's

10215 University City Blvd # C
Charlotte, NC 28213-1801
(704) 549-1588

The day we went we arrived right at the opening time of 10am. We had the place mostly to ourselves for the duration of our visit (we stayed around an hour and a half). 

The price is $5.99 for those 2 and under, $9.99 for 3 and up, and adults are free. While we were there we noticed advertisements for 1/2 price Wednesdays.

Monkey Joe's features many large inflatable bounce houses, slides, obstacle courses, etc. The inflatables are arranged in a (mostly) linear fashion in the building, which I found to be quite nice. Less cross traffic and confusion! MJ's features two smaller bouncing / climbing areas for the little bitty kids, as well as a modest non bouncing toy area for toddlers. There is also a small arcade area (not separated from the inflatables), party rooms, and a some sitting chairs for adults. N had lots of fun on all of the inflatables with the exception of the HUGE slide...I had to climb up and rescue him on that one! N particularly liked the inflatable at the very back of the building that featured a bridge / tunnel that looked down on Mom!

Fun for Preschoolers - Lots of fun! Most 2's and older seem to be able to navigate most of the inflatables on their own.

Fun for Babies / Toddlers - Limited things to do, but lots of things to look at! Plenty of chairs / benches for moms to sit with little ones while keeping an eye on the bouncing kids!

Food - Limited snacks, drinks, pizza available at the ticket counter. There is a Wendy's in the parking lot.

Bathrooms - Spacious and clean. Centrally located.

Safety - Seems quite safe and clean. Only one entrance / exit so it would be hard for little kiddos to escape!

Best Time to Visit - Weekday mornings seem to be the least crowded. I have heard of large crowds on the weekends and school holidays. Also, this is the kind of place where little ones could get inadvertently trounced by even the best mannered big kids, so I would think it best to visit during regular school hours.

Notes - Be sure to bring socks. All kids / adults must have socks to play.

Carrigan Farms - Pumpkin Picking in October!

N and I visited Carrigan Farms last week for a pumpkin picking outing. Having visited nearby Patterson Farm several times over the past two years, we were looking for something new. Carrigan Farms did not disappoint. Last month I sent an email request to the farm's website asking for more info about their preschool age group outings. I quickly received a response from none other than Kelly Carrigan. We set up an event in no time flat, and before I knew it, N, myself, and a dozen of our closest buddies were standing in the parking lot of the farm next to the produce stand ready to get to picking pumpkins.

Our outings started with a freestyle romp around the farm stand. The kiddos were all quite interested in the gorgeous orange pumpkins, spotty squash, and other farm novelties. After our group was fully assembled, a super nice farm employee led as on a tour of the honeybee hives located behind the farm stand. After the bees, which N was quite (surprisingly) fascinated with, our group made our way over to our own hay filled trailer to be pulled by a real farm tractor. We took a slow, wonderful ride through the farm over to the pumpkin patch. All of the kiddos (and the moms too) loved the ride. ALL of the kiddos loved it...amazing!

Situated next to the pumpkin patch was a small fenced in enclosure containing many farm animals including pigs, ponies, bunnies (are they farm animals?), and chicks. Kiddos loved all of this.

Then they were off into the pumpkins. Note: Carrigan Farms is a real pumpkin patch. As in, pick the pumpkins right off of the vine. Fun! It is a large patch with great space to run around and select just the right pumpkin to take home. Loved it...

Then back on the hayride for a leisurely trip back to the parking lot where we were met with fresh apple cider. A great trip all around! We will be back next year for sure (and maybe even again this year)!

Cost: $8.50 per person
Length of trip: from when we pulled into the parking lot until when we left ~ 1 1/2 hours
Crowd: we were the only ones there
Need for a reservation? Yes, if you plan on going with a group...however, I believe that the hayride and pumpkin patch are open to the public on certain days...check the website for more info.
Notes: there are no permanent bathrooms at the farms...
Also: the farm has a lovely pond featuring fire pit areas which can be reserved for hot dog / s'mores parties...fun idea!!!

Grade: A

http://www.carriganfarms.com/