Lunar Mini Golf

The kids and I were looking for a way to kill a Saturday afternoon while Rich was away at a conference, so we wound up at the Cincinnati Mills Mall, where we haven't been in ages. It's a little disconcerting to see that so many of the stores there are now empty. Still, it's a fun place for little ones to burn off some energy indoors. There's a PBS Kids playground, which is good for 20-30 minutes of jumping around. The big draw, of course, is the Wonder Park, a Chuckie Cheese-like place with pizza, tons of video games (most of which cost at least 50 cents to play), and kiddie rides that range from $1 to $3.
But what really got the boys excited this time was Lunar Mini Golf. Right next to the Wonder Park, we discovered an indoor mini-golf course that offered so many things my boys enjoy: sticks, balls, and stuff that glows in the dark. The indoor course isn't fancy -- there aren't windmills or hippos bathing in waterfalls -- but there are two courses with 18 holes each that are challenging but not too frustrating for children. The gimmick is that the entire operation takes place in the dark, except for blacklights that set off the fluorescent course in an otherworldly sort of way. (In fact, SH thought we were playing "Alien Hockey").
Kids 5 and younger can play up to three rounds for only $3 (the man behind the counter let SS, age 2, "play" for free). Kids 6-12 pay $6 and adults pay $8, but there's no requirement that the adult has to play. SH, SS and I spent a really fun hour knocking little glowing golf balls around, all for three bucks. I highly recommend it.
What: Lunar Mini Golf
Where: Cincinnati Mills Mall. Take 27 to I-275 E. toward Dayton. Take the Winton Rd. Exit, #39. Turn left. The mall will be on the right. Takes about 40 minutes from Oxford.
When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday

*Holiday Drive-In Movie Theater*

I can still remember the first time I went to a drive-in movie: The Muppets Take Manhattan. I still think it's genius. There is food, and often multiple movies, merged with the joy of being under the stars. As a mom, the really appealing part is that I don't have to worry about ruining the movie experience for someone else when one of my kids gets cranky.

So we were ecstatic to discover the Holiday Auto Drive-In Theater in Hamilton. http://www.holidayautotheatre.com/
It is actually about 2 minutes from Hanover park, so it is maybe 20 minutes from Oxford. We have been twice, once with the kids and once on a date. We dream of going every time we get our e-mail update about what's playing, though! They were both great experiences. The coolest thing was the intermission snack commercials between the movies, complete with classic cartoons. We felt like we were blasted into the past as the singing hotdog did a song and dance on how "weiners" will fix friendships and make everyone happy...wouldn't you like to have a weiner?

The Drive-in just went under new ownership that has started "Retro Wednesday and Thursdays." These are school nights, so we are eagerly awaiting summertime. A good example of retro night was when they did John Hughes and showed "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" and "Breakfast Club." They've also had Alfred Hitcock and other cool movies. RETRO prices are only $5.00 for adults, $2.00 for kids ages 4-11, and free for kids under 4. Box office opens at 6pm with a 700pm showtime.

The new ownership has also been doing more triple features on weekends, which is cool. During the winter, they are only open daily until Jan. 1st. Last year they closed for the cold months, and reopened in the spring. I would check out the website to see what's going on!

Admission Prices...Adults: $8.00, Children under 11: $5.00, Children under 4: FREE!

The only down-side, is that the movies run late (8pm-Mid, or 1am). So, if you think you're kids will sleep in the car, you'll have it made. Ours didn't which is why we don't go as much as we'd like to.

Tips: Bring lawnchairs if it's warm out! And they have Wi-Fi, so you can bring your laptop and get high speed. You can buy an outside food permit, to allow you to bring your own food (it's $5.00), but otherwise outside food will get you thrown out. I would arrive early on nice, summer, weekends. We've been past on nice summer nights and the traffic was aweful.

***Sign-up for their e-mail list and you'll get weekly updates on what is playing and all their special events.

Directions: Take 27 south, out of Oxford. Turn left at the second (out of town) light, Old Oxford Road. This will take you past Hanover park and the water company. The Drive-in is on your left (2-3 minutes past Hanover park).

Sledding in Oxford!

With our second snow of the season (where did our road go?), I felt inspired to blog some great sledding locations. If you have any additions of little known sledding hills, please leave a comment or e-mail me and I'll add it on!

The very best unofficial sledding hill I have ever seen is next to the horseman's area of Hueston woods. In fact, I hesitate to post it because we love it when it's not crowded:) The hill is close to parking, well monitored on clear, busy days, and REALLY big and fun. 3-4 year olds would be okay (if you maybe didn't go to top), but older kids (including parents) would especially have a blast.

Directions: From Brown Rd. Take Brown road out of Oxford to the end. Turn left at the "T." Drive past the Nature area turn, over a small creek bridge, and turn left at the bike rental booth. We always get this turn mixed up with the camping ground turn, but I think it's the left turn after the camp grounds (before the sign in the picture that says "Tours Rentals"). You'll curve to the right, and there is the horse area on your right almost immediately. Turn into that area, and it will "U" around back to the road. Follow the U past the horse area, before it rejoins the road, and you're there. There is parking, and you'll see the sledding hill off the driveway onto your right.

From Todd Rd. (the road next to Walmart). Follow Todd Rd. to Hueston Woods. It joins another road (there may be a stop there) and curves around a bit. When it "T"'s (there are boats parked on your right), turn left. Turn left at the bike rental booth (2nd turn), then follow it around and turn into the horseman area on your right (as mentioned above).

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I heard from a mom at playgroup a few weeks ago that the Miami University Art Museum has a great sledding hill behind the museum. That's the other side of Oxford for us, but when the roads are clear I'd like to check it out.

Directions: Take 27 South (east) past the clock tower, and the museum is on your left before you get out of town. You can't miss the big, weird, red, metal sculpture thing in front.

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Another sledding area near the Art Museum is Peffer Park. I heard from another mom that it's a popular sledding location!

Directions: Continue on 27 South past the Art Museum, and Peffer Park is on your right (I actually looked those directions up on google maps, so hopefully that's right...it might be left).

Jungle Jim's

So you've just moved to Oxford from someplace bigger, and immediately, you lament the lack of an Indian restaurant here. Or maybe you've got a craving for some pho, or some really fresh sushi. Perhaps your problem is that you need baklava, and lots of it. Head to Jungle Jim's, my foodie friends.
I won't go on and on about what a food-lover's paradise it is. You probably already know it carries a huge selection of international groceries. Need tea from Africa? check. Want to try a so-called 10,000-year-old egg from China? check. Looking for candied grasshoppers, or maybe a turducken? You can find it at Jungle Jim's.
I thought I'd highlight two products from the Asian section that I've recommended to several people. One is the frozen dumplings. The kind we love is made by a Taiwanese company called Wei-Chuan. It almost doesn't matter what flavor you get. Look for a logo that says "New and Improved!"
Granted, they're not quite like homemade dumplings, but they're really, really close, and they're WAY better than the doughy versions you find at most Chinese restaurants. Making Chinese dumplings at home is something like a 12-step process that can take all day. With the frozen kind, all you have to do is boil water. If you prefer potstickers, you can pan fry/steam them. Look for directions on the back.
While you're having dumplings, you might as well get the most delicious soy sauce I've ever tasted. It's also made by Wei-Chuan and is available at Jungle Jim's in a tall bottle in the Taiwanese aisle. It's called Prime China soy sauce. It's much thicker than Kikkoman and is rather sweet, with a wonderful soy-saucy flavor. I'm addicted.
Finally, because this is not a commercial for Jungle Jim's, I should mention that you can find slightly better prices (on the dumplings, at least) at a small Oriental market just up Dixie Rd. As you're headed home from Jungle Jim's, look for a rather forlorn little shopping center a few blocks ahead on the right, with one or perhaps two shops in it. The market carries a larger selection of Chinese groceries than JJ's. You can also buy cookware, chopsticks, incense, tiger balm and other cool stuff.
What: Jungle Jim's
Where: 5440 Dixie Highway. Take 27 N. out of Oxford. Turn left onto 130 as if headed to Hamilton. Turn right onto Main St. (177) in Hamilton, and go through the shopping district there. Turn right onto OH 4 South, which turns into Dixie Highway. Look on your left for the Jungle Jim's complex, which looks a bit like Disney World, complete with its own monorail. Takes about 35-40 minutes to get there.
Contact: (513) 674-6000
Hours: Opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 10 pm, which is good if you or your spouse wants to make a late-night trip after the kids have gone to bed. Note that it closes early on the major holidays.

Day Trip to Indianapolis Children's Museum and Art Museum

Indianapolis is about a 2 hour drive from Oxford, but if you are looking for a place you can kill an entire day...The Children's Museum is your place. There is so much to do at the Children's Museum in Indy that you could easily spend the entire day there and still not get to everything. The Children's Museum is also not far from the Indianapolis Art Museum, which is free. In college the Art Museum was one of my favorite places to bag a lunch because of the really great outdoor sculpture gardens. You might be pushing it to do them both in one day, but if you don't mind getting home later you could do the Children's Museum 10am-2 or 3pm, then the Art Museum 2-4 or 5pm. If you do that, check into the kid's "scavengar hunt" hand outs at the IMA that has things for kids to look for in the exhibits. That might keep them a little more engaged. Even if they only last 1 hour at the Art Museum, it's free so there's not much to lose in stopping by since it's only 4 minutes from the Children's Museum.

Another great place is the Super Hero museum downtown...maybe I'll do another Downtown Indy post. I grew up around Indy, and have a lot of family there, so we love going back:)

The Children's Museum has a walk-through food area if you don't want to bag it. But we always pack our lunch. There is a family "picnic" area on level 2 (by the water clock) where you can leave your labeled lunch until lunch time if you want.

Children's Museum website: http://www.childrensmuseum.org/
Cost: Youth (2-17) $7.50
Adults $12.50
Hours: 10-
Free days (these are sometimes more crowded): Jan. 21 MLK Day; Feb. 18 Presidents Day; April 27 El Dia de Los Ninos; Dec. 24 Christmas Eve (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
**Although we feel the cost is a bit steep, it does include free planetarium shows or children's theater...among other stuff. With family in Indy area, we end up going there 2-3 times a year.

The Children's Museum is 5 floors of exibits, with an area just for traveling exhibits. It can be overwhelming to figure out where to go first. Here is our best suggestions for making the most of your visit:

1. After getting our tickets, we go immediately down to the Lower Level to see what Planetarium shows or Plays we want to get tickets to. These are FREE, but you still have to get a ticket and they very often run out of tickets for shows. We recommend "The Sky Above Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" in the Planetarium (even our 2 year old has sat through this). Also "Far Far Away" is a great planetarium show, comparing real planets and moons to the planets on Star Wars. This show is for 5 year old and up. Last week we also enjoyed the 40 minute musical "Babes in Toyland" in the Lily Theater--there was music and dancing, and the boys loved it. Afterwards the actors come out so the kids can get pictures and meet them:) To see what they are currently offering before you go, you can check out their website.

2. If you have older kids who would like to rock climb, there is a kid climbing wall on level 4 in "Science Works." You have to sign up in advance for this also, and every time we go we forget until too late and then they are already done for the day. I think it's also free (or very cheap). So I would head here next if your child wants to climb.

3. I suggest prioritizing what everyone wants to see most. Here are our favorite areas:
Level 3 "Playscape" (Our 2 year olds fav): This area is for 1-5 year olds. There is one way in and out, and it is monitored by a puppeted attendant who makes sure that the room doesn't have too many people (and kids don't leave without parents). There is a water area, sand area, house/play food area, climbing/slide area, building block area, and pretend area. There's is also a room for nursing mom's (bonus!). What I like best is that they have story time, song time, or craft time 4-5 times a day. Our 2 year old loves it.

Level 4 "Science Works" (Our 5 year olds fav): This room has great hands-on activities to help kids experience science. There's a great water area, construction building area, and several labs that do programs throughout the day. One time we went and we got to separate and study DNA of some type of wheat or corn meal.

The Carosel (level 4): It's a fun, historic carosel, and just costs $1.00 to ride. You can buy carosel tickets at the admissions gate, or from a machine at the carosel.

Lower Level "Trains": There is a real engine that "comes alive" via lights and sounds at the top of each hour. It's connected to a train car where, when you walk through, has screens in the windows to make it feel like you are moving. Also a play train table, and an model train set with trains that go around on rails along the top of the wall. Neighboring it in "What if.." there is a real mummy and other cool things to explore...

DinoSphere: This is through a walkway on the LL (past the trains) and on Level 1 (to the right of the main entrance). There is a large spherical room with large dinosaurs (many actual bones, some replica's). The sphere emulates an environment, and periodically it even looks like it's raining. The Museum has it's own lab for processing Dinosaur fossils, and last year they held a contest to name a new dinosaur that they discovered. It's pretty cool, but honestly my boys favorite part is playing with the little toy dinosaurs there.

Star Wars Toy Exibit (level 2 and basement display): Someone donated loads of star wars collectors toys. They have a very small amount of them on display now.

Special Exibits (level 2): Every Christmas season they bring Santa and have a Winter Wonderland exibit. They turn the main stairs into a slide, which is cool but the line for it was really long when we were there. Usually we like their Santa, though (real beard, same one past 3 years, so we have consistent pictures). Every 3-4 months brings a new additional exibit. Some favorites from the past have been "Bob the Builder" and "Spy." Right now is "Robots" which my 5 year old loved.
Of course there is lots more! Those are just what we normally try to hit.

ART MUSEUM OPTION (IMA)!
website: http://www.indianapolisartmuseum.com/
We recently took S.C., our 5 year old, to the Indianapolis Art Museum and he loved it. For a small, FREE, Museum they have some great works of art. Right now their Van Gogh's are on loan, but among their good ones they have a Georges Seurat and a collection of Georgia O'Keef paintings. Actually their International collection is pretty neat too. But S.C. and T.C loved the kid's "Hands On" art area. In good weather, there is an outdoor sculpture garden that you can drive, or walk, around the Art Grounds to see. It's 152 Acres!
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 11 am to 5 pm
Thursday and Friday 11 am to 9 pm
Sunday noon to 5 pm
Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year‘s days

DIRECTIONS:
From Oxford to the IMA or Children's Museum
Take 27 north, through Liberty (make sure to cure around the square to your right and follow signs). Turn left on "Pottershop" Rd at the sign that says "Abington." This is after Liberty but some ways before you get to Richmond. At the next stop sign, turn right (after this the road curves almost imediately to the left, follow that). You'll eventually get to Centerville. Keep Going until you get to I-70. Go left, or west, on I-70. Stay on I-70 until you get into Indianapolis. Merge onto I-65 north toward Chicago at exit 83B. Take 29th Street/30th Street (exit 116).

CHILDREN'S MUSEUM: Turn Right (east) onto 30th Street. Turn left after about 5 blocks at Illinois Street. Stay in the left lane, and turn almost immediately into the parking garage (you'll see the Museum on your right). Parking is FREE. There is a walkway on the 2.5 parking level.

IMA: Turn left (west) onto 30th Street and go about one-third mile to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. Turn right (north) and go about 1.1 miles. Note: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street becomes Michigan Road north of the 38th Street intersection. Turn left at the traffic light at 4000 Michigan Road onto the IMA grounds.

From IMA to Children's Museum
Go South on Michigan Road. Turn left on 38th Street. Turn Right on Meridian. Turn Right on 30th Street, and then right again at next light (at the Dinosaur) to park. The Garage is immediately on your left and is FREE. There is a walkway from the garage to the museum on level 2.5.

From Children's Museum to Oxford
Follow signs to exit parking garage. Turn right out of the Garage onto 30th. Follow signs to I65 South. Reverse the rest of the directions listed above to get home.

From IMA to Oxford
Go South on Michigan Rd. Continue as it turns into Dr. Martin Luther King St. Turn left on 30th street, then follow signs to get on I65 South. Reverse the rest of the directions listed above to get home.

Make Your Own Train Table!

I have had so many requests for this website that I decided to post the link on Bloxford, rather than type it in another e-mail!

We investigated getting our two year old a train table for his new train set, and we were amazed by the variety of low quality, high cost options! I investigated online and found this website with complete plans for building your own train table/play table. They are incredibly complete, detailed, easy to follow plans! We took the diagrammed plans for how to cut the wood to Gilman's and had them cut it all out and get us the wood we needed. At $0.50 a cut it was about $10 for the cuts and $30 for the wood. Then we just screwed it together using the directions. Once the wood was cut, it was honestly just as easy as assembling any prefabricated furniture. It is a great size, very sturdy, and has wonderful underneath storage space. I think it took me one evening of 2-3 hours. The most time consuming part was painting it.

*When cutting plywood, it is important to use a cabinet grade saw. Otherwise the plywood will splinter and chip on the edges. It took Gilman's awhile to get that figured out and get the right saw. Once they did, however, it was beautiful.

http://www.squirreltracks.com/howto/traintable.html#theplans

If you want to try this project, you'll need:
A copy of the diagram and directions from the website above
A box of wood screws (we opted for dry wall kind that you just drive right in...I pre-drilled a 1/8 inch hole to prevent splintering)
The wood amounts and sizes listed in the directions
An electric screwdriver/drill
wood glue is optional (but I recommend using it to make the table sturdier at the joints)
Paint (we used a small jar/pint of kid-safe white for the frame, then bought big bottles of cheap acrylic paint in the craft department for the design on top)

Dayton in a day

If you're willing to drive about an hour, there are two fun indoor places we've been to in Dayton.
The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is a science museum that feels more like a children's museum. The place just keeps going on and on. On the first floor, there's a baby play area for wee ones, plus a water play area and a huge climbing structure for older kids. Upstairs, there's a treehouse that overlooks the woods, a play grocery store, and even a small zoo. You could easily spend two or three hours here. Do pack lunch; there's a small eating area with vending machines, but no hot food. Admission is $8.50 for adults and $7 for kids 2-12. It's free if you're a member of the Cincinnati Museum Center.
WHAT: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
WHEN: 9-5 Mon-Fri; 11-5 Sat; 12-5 Sun.
WHERE: Take 73E out of Oxford and follow it for about 17 miles until you hit OH-4. Merge onto OH-4 North. Turn right onto 14th Ave/MLK JR. Way. Turn slight right to follow OH-122 E. Merge onto I-75N toward dayton. Go about 21 miles. Take 75 North and exit on the Wagner Ford (Exit 57 B). Then take a left onto Wagner Ford. Go right (north) on N. Dixie, then turn left onto Siebenthaler. Take a left onto Ridge Ave. and then a right onto DeWeese Pkwy. The museum is on the right at 2600 DeWeese Parkway.
CONTACT: 937-275-7431

While you're in Dayton, you might check out the National Museum of the US Air Force. If your kid is airplane crazy, this is the place to be. There are buildings and more buildings full of planes (more than 400 "aerospace vehicles"), from really old to futuristic. However, there are also signs everywhere warning visitors to refrain from touching anything, because the oil on your fingers might DESTROY the planes. Keeping your kids' little fingers off the exhibits gets stressful after a while, but there are two or three planes they can actually climb into. And there's lots of room to run around. Admission is free.
WHAT: National Museum of the US Air Force
WHEN: 9-5, 7 days a week
WHERE: Visitors traveling from the south on I-75 (see directions above) should exit at I-675 North (exit 43). Travel to Exit 15 (Col. Glenn Hwy). As you exit, stay in the extreme right-hand lane. At the end of the exit, turn right at the traffic light (Col. Glenn Hwy). Travel to the third traffic light (Harshman Road/Wright Brothers Parkway) and turn right. Exit at Springfield Pike; turn right at the end of the exit ramp. The entrance to the museum is on the right. The museum's address is 1100 Spaatz Street, Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433.
CONTACT: (937) 255-3286