Provo Rec Center Playground

Sam and I love the Provo Rec Center, and we especially love the playground! There is an indoor play area that is free and available to anyone without having to worry about a membership or fees. It is located right inside the Rec Center. We often go there on days when the weather isn't as nice, or at times when I just want to sit and let Sam run around for a little while. It is completely enclosed and safe for big and little kids. 

The big jungle gym is meant for ages 5+ but Sam can play on it if I help him climb up the initial platforms, even though he is only 2. 

There is also a small toddler area with a couple of slides and some wall toys. Sam likes this area the best and spends most of his time going down the slides over and over. 

He is also a fan of the cool fountain in the front of the Rec. We always have to stop for a little while and admire it. ;)

Check out the Provo Rec Center website for more info:

http://www.provo.org/community/recreation-center/

Temple Square in Salt Lake City

Before Isaac began his Fall semester, we wanted to have a family day. We decided to take Sam to Temple Square in Salt Lake City since we hadn't been there with him in a while. There is no way I could adequately cover all of the things that are available at Temple Square, but I wanted to highlight it as a wonderful, family-friendly, and free place to go if you are in the Salt Lake City area. 

The grounds on the Square are immaculately kept and always completely peaceful and beautiful.

The LDS Salt Lake City Temple is the center point for Temple Square and is quite a sight to behold. Non-LDS people and families with kids can walk around the temple and enjoy its beauty. There is also a visitor's center and various others places to visit throughout the Square. 

Check out this website that talks all about the places to see and things available there!

http://www.visittemplesquare.com/

Seven Peaks Fun Center Lehi

We recently discovered the Seven Peaks Fun Center in Lehi, Utah. It is included in our Pass of all Passes, but we had never gone. One night on a whim, Isaac and I took Sam there and we were so glad that we did! Sam got to ride all of the rides for free and loved every second.

Many of the rides are geared toward small children ages 3-8, but Sam happened to be tall enough to be able to ride all of them. 

He liked the rides so much that we decided to have his 2nd birthday party there. 

It was the perfect place for a birthday party. We set up presents and cupcakes at the outside pavilion. Technically, their policy dictates that we reserve/ pay for the pavilion and that no outside food/drink is allowed. We took a risk and set up at the pavilion without reserving it. We were able to celebrate his birthday for 3 hours without someone ever bothering us! We even ate cupcakes and hit a pinata and none of the workers cared. We were prepared to pay for the pavilion if asked, but it was nice to enjoy such a fun day for free. 

Some things to keep in mind about the Seven Peaks Fun Center: 

1. Without the Pass of all Passes, it would be pretty expensive to enjoy. Even with the package deals that are available, I don't think it would be worth it for a family to go and spend the day there.

2. Though there is something for everyone to enjoy, it definitely seemed more geared toward small children. Even the adult-sized rides like the bumper boats and go-karts were more fun for Sam than for Isaac. 

3. This is one of the places that makes the Pass of All Passes so worth it! We are so glad we invested in these passes because they last all year and many of the places included in them are free and unlimited. 

Check out their website for more info:

http://www.sevenpeaks.com/FunCenterLehi/Home.aspx?SITEID.1001=4

Kangaroo Zoo

This is one of my very favorite places to go with Sam right now. Kangaroo Zoo is located in Pleasant Grove about 2 minutes from the freeway. They also have locations in North Salt Lake and Ogden. I haven't been to the other locations, but I can definitely vouch for the one in Pleasant Grove.

Basically, this place is a big gym/warehouse that is filled with various blow-up jungle gyms. They have a good variety of jungle gyms, so even the younger children (under 3) can enjoy it. 

I have gone there several times with Sam since moving here and he has gotten braver each time. He is now at the point that he can go on pretty much any of the bouncing house and slides, some of which go all the way to the ceiling! 

This is the toddler jungle gym that is still one of Sam's favorites. They have age limits posted on the ones that are for smaller children, and mostly the bigger children stay off of them.

 There is also a little space for kids ages 2 and under that is completely enclosed, but it only has a few toys in it. Somehow Sam always ends up over there though. He uses it as a nice place to take a break when he's tired of jumping.

Some features I really like about Kangaroo Zoo:

1. It's completely enclosed. There is only one way my child could escape, so it's easy for me to watch for him without having to hover. 

2. It's nice mom time. I love this place for play dates because my friends and I can let our kids just run around while we sit at the tables or the comfy couches and talk. I also love it if I just need some time to myself that doesn't involve chasing an energetic toddler around (which I have definitely needed more of lately as I near the end of my pregnancy). 

3. The price is right.* For children 2 and under who are going to be jumping, it's $5 per time and the jumping time is unlimited. There is no charge for adults if you plan on just watching, so for our current situation it's perfect.

4.It's good for kids of all ages. My 2 year old loves this place, but I have seen children ages 8+ that also have a blast. There are some really tall slides and some fun obstacle courses that the older children seem to really get into. 

*The price might be a little more challenging for me if I had older/ more children. Children above the age of 3 are $8.99 per time, so that would add up quickly. We receive coupons about twice a month in the mail for $2 off the normal admission price which would make it only $6.99, and they are good for 2 kids, so that might help those of you who would like to check it out some time but don't want to pay full price. They also have this coupon on their website right now.

During the summer, they ran a "bounce back" promotion that allowed you to pay half-price for admission if you came back within 14 days. We did that a couple of times and I loved only paying $2.50 for hours of fun! (As far as I can tell, that promotion is over for now but will be coming back next summer.)

Some other things to be aware of: 

1. Bring socks for both you and your child. They don't allow any shoes in the jumping area, even if you are just watching. I prefer not to go barefoot (though that's an option if you forget socks), so I always bring socks for myself. The kids have to have socks if they are going to jump so you will have to buy some there if you forget to bring them.

2. No outside food/ drinks. They allow water if it is in a non-store-brand water bottle. There is also a water fountain there. I almost always sneak in some outside snacks for Sam and I and I haven't gotten in trouble for it yet. I'm just careful about how I eat it and the mess it might make. If you would like, they have snacks available to purchase there as well. 

As always, check out their website for more info!

http://www.kangaroozoo.net/

Tracy Aviary

When we found out that we were moving back to Utah, I started looking around for fun things to do with toddlers. I came across the Pass of All Passes through 7 Peaks and knew that we had to invest in some of those! I love having passes to go places because it opens to many options up for me as a stay at home mom. 

One of the things we got to do with our pass was visit the Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake City. The Aviary is housed in one of Salt Lake City's largest parks, Liberty Park. It is full of a large variety of birds and some fun things to do with the kids. Sam enjoyed seeing all of the birds, but sometimes it was difficult for him to spot them due to the size of their habitats. 

His favorite part of the visit was this little tree house in the section with the owls. He spent probably 20 minutes going up and down the ramp and the steps. 

He also liked seeing the water birds like the ducks and the swans since those were more on his level and easy to spot. 

I imagine the aviary would be best suited for older children ages 4 and up as they could probably appreciate it more and would be able to see the birds. We went on a Tuesday because Tuesdays are free with the Pass of All Passes. There were quite a few people there (also using their passes) but we were able to see all that we wanted to see without feeling overcrowded. 

If you don't have a pass, it's $7 for adults, $6 for kids ages 13+, $5 for children 3-13, and free for 2 and under. If I had a large family and didn't have the Pass of All Passes, I'm not sure I would feel it was worth the money. It was fun to go, but unless your kids are really into birds it wasn't super exciting. They do have event days and some live shows, so perhaps if you planned it right it could be a neat experience for the whole family. 

Check out their website for more info:

http://www.tracyaviary.org/

BYU South Campus Trail

This isn't an "official" Provo trail, but it's a great if you are looking for somewhere beautiful, quiet, and kid friendly to explore. The trail begins on the southwest side of BYU campus near the tennis courts on 800 N. It follows a little stream down and across the south side of campus for probably 1/2 a mile.

Many of the plants and trees are labeled with names, so it would be fun for an educational nature outing for older children. 

The stream has several little waterfalls that add to the beauty. 

Sam kept trying to throw the decorative rocks into the water and it was hard to help him understand that those rocks were not for throwing. At the bottom end of the trail, we found some big rocks that were great for sitting on. We took off our shoes and stuck our feet in the water and he found some normal rocks to throw.

This trail would be great for a relaxed family home evening. I've seen many people create "boats" from leaves and sticks and "race" them down the stream, which looks like a bunch of fun. I could see Sam really enjoying that when he's a little older. 

The trail also has several benches and table areas that would be great for picnicking. 

UTA Trax

Sam is at the point in toddlerhood where all things that move are fascinating to him. He loves cars, trucks, planes, trains, and buses. Naturally, I thought he might like going on the UTA Trax train for a little ride. This summer, we went with my Aunt and my Mom to Salt Lake City using the Trax, which was not only convenient and fun for Sam, but saved us the trouble of having to find somewhere to park or pay for parking.

The Trax and Frontrunner trains go all the way from Provo to Ogden now, with many connections throughout the Salt Lake City area. A round trip ticket costs $5 for an adult, and up to 2 children age 5 and under can ride for free with a paying adult. This price works great for our budget since riding the train is a fun activity for Sam and we also save on gas and parking, but it would get a little pricey if you have older kids or more adults riding. 

Trax isn't super practical if you are in a time crunch or need to go somewhere that would be a long walk from the Trax station. It works great for the destination spots in Salt Lake City like the Gateway or City Creek Malls, Temple Square, and various stadiums or theaters. 

We brought Sam's stroller with us which was a bit of a hassle to carry up and down the steps, and it got the way a little when the train got more crowded, but overall it was doable. Sam had a lot of fun not sitting in a car seat since he never gets to travel like that. We'll probably plan another Trax trip soon and I'll let you know how that goes. 

Provo River Parkway Trail

This is one of Sam and I's favorite places to go. The Provo River Parkway Trail  spans a total of 30 miles and the entire trail is paved. Most of the trail follows alongside the Provo River, but at various parts the trail goes through some more urban areas. Many points of the trail run right next to parks or other fun outdoors places. Sam and I typically stick to the parts of the trail that are closer to where we live. 

There are several spots along the river that allow you to go down and play in the water. Sam loves to throw rocks into the water and see it splash. Sometimes we see fish or ducks and he always gets excited about that. 

(He wasn't feeling the camera that day. :)

With 30 miles of trail, you are bound to find something you enjoy. Isaac (Mr. Olive) really enjoys biking along the Provo River Trail since it is all paved and he doesn't have to worry about many stopping points, There are some tricky corners that have blind spots for cyclists, though, just so you can be aware of that. 

Provo Splash Pad

This summer, Sam and I went to the Provo Splash Pad at Pioneer Park several times. 

I love this splash pad. It has water constantly going for 45 minutes at a time and then takes a break every hour for about 15 minutes. There were always several families and children playing in the water, but I never felt that it was overcrowded. I liked that the splash pad is pretty enclosed and I could always easily see Sam. 

There is a little playground adjacent to the splash pad that Sam always enjoyed, especially when the water was taking a break at the end of every hour. It is geared toward kids ages 3 and up, so Sam couldn't do everything on it but he still had fun. It also has some swings. 

I would recommend this park! There are covered pavilions next to the splash pad that provide shade and would be perfect for a birthday party or family get together. There are several open picnic tables around the splash pad as well and a functional bathroom nearby. 

The splash pad is now closed for the season and will reopen next year.