Designing D Store

Monday, December 14, 2009

Angels Appeared (Visual Aid)

This is a visual aid to help talk about the angels as you tell the Christmas story.

Supplies: blacklight, Tonic Water with Quinine in the ingredients, and a paper plate angel (see how to make below)

Preparation: place tonic water in a clear bottle if it is not already in one. Remove the label. Make Paper Plate Angel and then set it on top of the bottle.

As you tell the Christmas story, every time an “angel” appears bring out or point to your Tonic Water Angel. You may want to draw the students into the angel by asking them if they believe in angels? Do they believe angels appear to regular people like Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds? Then add, “I believe in angels, and I believe that they can appear to regular people just like Mary and just like you and me.” Then turn the black light on behind the angle. The quinine in the tonic water will glow a blue-ish glow. If you decorated the angel with fluorescent yellow highlighter, then the highlighter will really glow a bright yellow.

Paper Plate Angel Craft
Adapted from: "Paper Plate Angel," Big Book of Bible Crafts, Gospel Light, © 2000

Supplies: a paper plate, scissors, stapler or clear tape and things to decorate with such as glitter, yarn, stickers, pipe cleaners (for halo) and markers.

Optional Supplies: a hole punch and 6”-8” yarn strips (to make angel a hanging ornament) and yellow fluorescent Highlighter (really glows bright yellow when put under a black light)

Instructions:

  1. Cut out angel – Fold paper in half. Draw a line straight across. At the center of the line draw a circle to be the head. Cut along the straight line to about ¼” from the head on both sides. Cut out the head. (DO NOT CUT paper plate in half by cutting all the way to the head.)
  2. Fold arms and wings – on the bottom half (the part without the circle for the head). Fold the outer tips forward until they touch together and staple or tape together. Fold the top half down behind the angel to become the wings and secure with tape or a staple.
  3. Decorate – decorate as desired.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Christmas Traditions Today and Yesterday

Christmas is coming! As we wear ourselves out getting ready, we may wonder why we bother. Why? Why because, it is the biggest birthday party of the year. It is one of the biggest celebrations to give thanks for the greatest gift ever given, God's only Son, the Savior of the World.

When you feel yourself ready to throw in the towel and give up, take a deep breath and remember the Christmas story, the true meaning of Christmas. All of this started with the birth of a baby in a manger in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago.

When you wonder why? Consider the presentation below. I did this for my Sunday School class of 4-5 year olds. They loved it.

Supplies: poster sizes paper (either cut out or draw on it the outline of a Christmas tree), coffee filters, scissors, yellow fluorescent highlighter, black light.

Prep: cut coffee filters into the shape of ornaments, draw on them with the highlighter things that represent Christmas: 1) candy cane/shepherd’s staff, 2) manger, 3) star, 4) camel, 5) sheep, 6) angel, 7) cross)

Presentation:
(tape Christmas tree up where everybody can see it) About now everybody is getting ready for Christmas.
1. We are decorating the tree (tape a coffee filter to the tree)
2. We may be decorating the house with lights and wreaths. (tape another ornament),
3. We may be baking cookies (tape another ornament)
4. We may be shopping for gifts (tape another ornament)
5. We may be going to parties (tape another ornament)
6. We may be going to see Christmas movies or Christmas plays (Tape another ornament)
7. We may even go caroling and sing Christmas songs (tape another ornament)
But is that what Christmas is all about? Is that why we celebrate Christmas? No (get black light ready)
1. We celebrate Christmas to honor the Son of God (turn black light on and point to the cross. The yellow will shine bright.)
2. We celebrate Christmas to remember the story of the King of Kings as just a babe born in a manger (point to manger)
3. We go to watch Christmas movies like the shepherds had to go watch their flocks at night (point to sheep)
4. We sing Christmas songs like the angels did when they told the shepherds the good news (point to angel)
5. We go to parties like the shepherds did when they went to the manger and then told everybody they could find to come and see and celebrate the new born king (point to candy cane/shepherds staff)
6. We buy gifts like the wise men did (point to camel)
7. We decorate our homes like the star above Bethlehem did so many years ago. (point to star)
Christmas is not about toys and food and decorations. It is about God’s love for you and for me. It is the about the greatest gift ever given, God’s only son. It is about Jesus Christ’s birthday. Jesus Christ, the savior of all the world, has given us a gift, a chance for everlasting life.

Enjoy your Christmas and all it’s traditions, but don’t forget where it all started in a manger in Bethlehem. Don’t forget why it started, to celebrate the birth of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Friends Help Us Reach High Heights (Ball Bounce)

Source: unknown, I have seen several variations of this demonstration on-line including one on “Mad About Jesus Laboratories” using a toy called “astroblasters” which is the same concept as the demonstration below.

Bible Story: Jonathan and David, 1 Samuel 18: 1-4

Supplies: one basketball and one tennis ball

Discussion:
Friends, who needs them? We all need them. Friends are fun to play with and fun to talk to. Friends are fun to sing with. Friends share stories and toys. Friends make us feel better when we are sad and make us laugh when we want to be mad. Friends help us to do better and be better.

Here I have a basketball and a tennis ball. Do you think they could be friends? Of course, they can. We do not have to look alike to be friends.

  • (bounce the basketball) This is a nice basketball. It can do all sorts of neat tricks bouncing up and down and between my legs and more.
  • (bounce the tennis ball) This is a nice tennis ball. It too can do all sorts of things including bouncing up and down.
  • (demonstration) Both of these balls are pretty good, but can either of these balls bounce as high as where they started from? Let’s try the basketball first (place on hand on top of the ball and one hand on the bottom. Hold the ball out at arms length. DO not move the hand on top. Remove the bottom hand and let the ball drop. It will not make it back to your hand.) Let’s try the tennis ball (repeat using the tennis ball. It will not be able to reach your hand either).
  • (Reach High Heights) The basketball is a good ball but it cannot bounce as high as my hand by itself. The tennis ball is a good ball but it cannot bounce as high as my hand by itself. What if the basketball and tennis ball were friends and worked together? (place the tennis ball on top of the basketball. Place one hand on top of the tennis ball and one hand under the basketball and press the balls together like a sandwich. Stretch your arms out and keep the top hand at shoulder level. Remove your lower hand. The basketball will not bounce at all but the energy will shoot the tennis ball really high. Make sure you have some room since the tennis ball may shoot in any direction depending on how center or not center it is on top of the basketball.)

Wow! Together these balls can accomplish some great things. By themselves they are pretty good, but together they are better. Friends can make a big difference.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

God Changes Pumpkins, Part 3 (Salvation, Carved Pumpkin)


Halloween is coming with all it's creepy crawlies. What's a loving Christian to do? Carve a special jack-o-lantern to express how God changes you.

This is a great object lesson for children. There are four parts to this 1) the Poem, 2) Action: Carve part of the pumpkin, 3) the Bible verses that inspired the poem and 4) Talking points to fill the time while you do the actual carving. You will probably want to carve and clean the pumpkin prior to the presentation, but leave some of the ooey guts inside and the pieces still in the pumpkin to create the illusion of carving.


Fun Tip: "Jesus" is just long enough to carve in the shape of a face. "J" and last "S" carve large like ears. "E" and "U" carve small like eyes. Middle "s" long like a nose.


Poem: God Changes Pumpkins by Danika LaBrant, copyright 2009
Bible Verses: "Life Application Bible, New International Version." Tyndayl House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois and Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, Colorado. Copyright 2004

My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
From faceless, full of mess-ups
God changes me
- Action: Present Pumpkin
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

- Talking Points: This pumpkin is a lot like me. On the outside it looks nice, a good shape, just like a pumpkin should. It has a few bumps and imperfections, just like me, but on the outside it looks pretty good. On the inside, however ooey's and gooey's and all sorts of yucky stuff. I need God to change me.

The first thing I must do
Ask God to make me new
Please God open my mind
Your truth I want to find
- Action: Cut top of pumpkin
- Ephesians 1:17 "I keep asking God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."

- Talking Point: Nothing can happen until I ASK God. I must pray. I need to "A" accept I am a sinner, "B" Believe in Jesus Christ and "C" Confess my sins. And then God can start his work in me.

The gooey slime inside
Confess my sins and do not hide
God forgives my ooey heart
He offers me a brand new start
- Action: Clean out pumpkin
- Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
- Romans 6:18 "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness."

- Talking Points: Everybody is a sinner, me, you, your Mom and Dad, your best friend, everybody. But we don't have to suffer for all eternity for the wrongs we do. We can ask forgiveness and start new. God will forgive, but FIRST you must pray and ask, then God can work in you.

My clouded eyes I pray
The Lord will wipe away
So I may see the sight
What Jesus has made right
- Action: Cut eyes
- Ephesians 1: 18 "I pray also that eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."

- Talking Point: No matter how dark and creepy or lonely things get there is a light in your heart. You have to ask the light to come in. You have to pray to God, and then the Holy Spirit will live in you. You will always have someone you can turn to, someone you can talk to. When you ask Jesus into your heart, God will start to open your eyes to see hope and to see the many blessings that surround you.

Open my ears to Your word
I want to be altered
The lessons Jesus taught
In practice, I want to rock
- Action: Cut ears
- Matthew 7:24 (Jesus said) "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."

- Talking Points: So it is not enough to hear God's word, you need to live God's word. You need to do God's word. It is important to memorize the 10 Commandments, but you need to actually do them too. Don't lie, don't steal and KEEP GOD FIRST.

To breath is to live
A life that God gives
To choose to believe
A greater gift I receive
- Action: cut nose
- Genesis 2:7 "The Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
- John 20:22 "And with that (Jesus) breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

- Talking Points: No one asked you if you wanted to be born. Your life is a free gift, no strings attached. The gift of Jesus is a choice. God asks you if you want Jesus in your life. If you say yes, then the light of Jesus enters your heart and lives in you for the rest of your life.

Praise and Thanksgiving
From my mouth are coming
To others I will share
For them Jesus cares
- Action: Cut mouth
- Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

- Talking Points - With your heart you believe, but it is with your mouth that you are saved. You need to "A" accept you are a sinner, "B" believe in Jesus Christ and "C" confess with your mouth. With our mouth's we can also Praise, give Thanks and share the Bible with others.

My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
In me, through me, for all to see
God's love for all eternity
- Action: add candle
- Ephesians 5:8-9 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light of in the Lord. Live as children of light. (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.)"

- Talking Points: When God enters your heart, the light of Jesus will change you little by little, but the light within you will shine. The more you change to be more like Jesus the brighter your light will be. (turn pumpkin so kids can see the carving) Whose light do I want to shine through me? JESUS!


And that's it. A fun poem, inspiring Bible verses and a cool pumkin that shines the light of Jesus. Have a Happy DAY!

Friday, October 30, 2009

God Changes Pumpkins, Part 2 (Salvation, Carved Pumpkin)

Halloween is coming with all it's creepy crawlies. What's a loving Christian to do? Carve a special jack-o-lantern to express how God changes us.

NOTE: Yesterday, Part 1: The Poem; Today, Part 2: the Bible verses that inspired the poem; and Tomorrow, Part 3: Talking Points and tips on presenting this object lesson.

Poem: God Changes Pumpkins by Danika LaBrant, copyright 2009
Bible Verses: "Life Application Bible, New International Version." Tyndayl House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois and Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, Colorado. Copyright 2004

My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
From faceless, full of mess-ups
God changes me
- Action: Present Pumpkin
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

The first thing I must do
Ask God to make me new
Please God open my mind
Your truth I want to find
- Action: Cut top of pumpkin
- Ephesians 1:17 "I keep asking God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."

The gooey slime inside
Confess my sins and do not hide
God forgives my ooey heart
He offers me a brand new start
- Action: Clean out pumpkin
- Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
- Romans 6:18 "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness."

My clouded eyes I pray
The Lord will wipe away
So I may see the sight
What Jesus has made right
- Action: Cut eyes
- Ephesians 1: 18 "I pray also that eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."

Open my ears to Your word
I want to be altered
The lessons Jesus taught
In practice, I want to rock
- Action: Cut ears
- Matthew 7:24 (Jesus said) "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."

To breath is to live
A life that God gives
To choose to believe
A greater gift I receive
- Action: cut nose
- Genesis 2:7 "The Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
- John 20:22 "And with that (Jesus) breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

Praise and Thanksgiving
From my mouth are coming
To others I will share
For them Jesus cares
- Action: Cut mouth
- Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
In me, through me, for all to see
God's love for all eternity
- Action: add candle
- Ephesians 5:8-9 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light of in the Lord. Live as children of light. (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.)"

Thursday, October 29, 2009

God Changes Pumpkins, Part 1 (Salvation, Carved Pumpkin)

Halloween is coming with all it's creepy crawlies. What's a loving Christian to do? Bring a little light into the darkness, carve a Jack-o-Lantern, but not just an ordinary jack-o-lantern. I very special pumpkin that expresses God's love for us.

NOTE: This is Part 1, the poem. Tomorrow, the Bible verses that inspired the poem.

Poem: God Changes Pumpkins by Danika LaBrant, copyright 2009

My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
From faceless, full of mess-ups
God changes me
(Action: Present Pumpkin)

The first thing I must do
Ask God to make me new
Please God open my mind
Your truth I want to find
(Action: Carve off top lid)

The gooey slime inside
Confess my sins and do not hide
God forgives my ooey heart
He offers me a brand new start
(Action: Clean out pumpkin)

My clouded eyes I pray
The Lord will wipe away
So I may see the sight
What Jesus has made right
(Action: Carve eyes)

Open my ears to Your word
I want to be altered
The lessons Jesus taught
In practice, I want to rock
(Action: Carve ears)

To breath is to live
A life that God gives
To choose to believe
A greater gift I receive
(Action: Carve Nose)

Praise and Thanksgiving
From my mouth are coming
To others I will share
For them Jesus cares
(Action: Carve mouth)

My big round pumpkin shows me
Where Iwant to be
In me, through me, for all to see
God's love for all eternity
(Action: Add candle and present pumpkin)

Friday, September 25, 2009

Why Bad Things Happen to Good People? (Pudding Parfait/Sunday)

Why do bad things happen to good people? In the story of Joseph in Genesis 37, 39-50, 50:19-20, Joseph may have been a little proud, but he certainly didn't do anything to deserve to be thrown in a well, sold into slavery or put in jail. BUT in the end, thanks to all those unfortunate events, Joseph was in the right place at the right time to help save the people from a famine and to help his family. How does this relate to us today? Here is a little experiment to demonstrate.

Supplies: instant chocolate pudding mix, cold milk, mixing bowl, spoon, tall glass vase or dessert glass, whipped cream, sprinkles, cherries and other things to make a fun dessert

Presentation
  1. Each and every one of us is like Joseph. Every one of us is like this chocolate pudding powder. By ourselves, we are good people (taste pudding powder). Not bad but God has a greater plan for you, a greater plan for this pudding.
  2. To make you better and ready to fulfill God’s plan, the Bible says in John 16:33 “We will have troubles.” There will be times when you feel like you are drowning (pour the milk). Sometimes you may feel like you are drowning in homework and chores.
  3. To make you better, you may not understand why you are getting beaten up (start whipping the milk and pudding). Why are your friends not your friends anymore? Why is the school bully picking on you? Once you have survived school, you look pretty good and you think, “o.k., now I can fulfill God’s plan for me. I have persevered.”
  4. But wait, your parents tell you are moving. Moving away from your friends, your school and everything you love (use spoon to slap some pudding into the tall clear glass).
  5. You survived the move and start making new friends (add some whipped cream) but then your parents tell you have to join a sports team that has games on Saturdays and you are no longer going to be able to watch Saturday morning cartoons (slap some more chocolate on top of the whipped cream)
  6. You survived sports and decided you liked it (add some whipped cream) but then the season is over (if you have more chocolate, add it. Continue to alternate pudding and whipped cream until done.) Life goes on pretty good and you get accustomed to times with sports and no cartoons and times with cartoons and no sports.
  7. You think things are pretty good but then your parents tell you that times are tough and they can no longer afford to pay for sports and worse yet, they are turning off the cable so no more Cartoon Network, no more Disney Channel. You feel like you are being crushed (smash some graham crackers and pour on top)
  8. Well, time goes by and you think you are doing pretty good. You have friends, you are doing well in school. You have collected quarters representing every State and are expanding your coin collection (add whipped cream)
  9. Then a hurricane comes. (start pelting with sprinkles) It rains. The wind is fierce.
    Things get worse. (starting adding cherries) You feel like someone punched you in the stomach when you realized the water from the hurricane ruined your clothes, ruined your toys, ruined your video games and then the worst of all, in all the confusion of trying to clean up, you lost your coin collection.
  10. You survive. Your parents rebuild. You rebuild and once again you have a nice home and new toys and your friends are so nice that they all collect some coins and give them to you to replace your lost coins. (finish decorating the dessert)
  11. You are a better person for all your trouble. Now you are ready to be a light for God. When a new kid starts in school, you know just how they feel and are a friend to them. One of your friends no longer gets Cartoon Network and you know just what to do to have fun without watching t.v. The next hurricane you know just what to do to help others rebuild and feel better. You are an example of God’s love.
  12. John 16:33 says you will have troubles but these troubles only make you stronger, make you smarter, makes you better. Just like this dessert. The powder was good but it sure is better with milk. Pudding was good but it sure is better with whipped cream. The pudding and whipped cream are good but they sure are better with toppings. Trouble will come your way but you will survive and you will be a better person for it.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Mismanage a Meanie (Fizzing Liquid)

Everybody has been challenged by a "Meanie" at some time in their life. How should we respond to a Meanie? Should we be mean right back at them or should we turn the other cheek and be nice to that Meanie? Here is a little experiment to demonstrate what happens when you throw mean words or when you throw nice words.

Supplies: 1 tablespoon of citric acid, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, a small/snack size baggie, granulated white sugar, 1 packet of kool-aide, a mixing spoon, ¼ cup measuring cup, a bottle with 1 quart of water, 2 large clear pitchers/jar/vases, two jars with lids (lids good for transport), one sticker with a smiley face, one sticker with a mean face, one 1 inch deep pie pan (disposable is fine), Towels (back-up for clean-up)

BEFORE CLASS:

  1. In both jars put in an equal amount of sugar. On one jar place the sticker of a happy face. On the other jar place the sticker of the mean face.
  2. In a small/snack baggie put 1 tablespoon of citric acid and 1 tablespoon baking soda. Seal and shake well until thoroughly mixed.
  3. Pour at least half, if not all, the citric acid mixture on top of the sugar with the meanie face. Do not mix. Amount depends on how much water you are using and how big your containers are.

Presentation:

  1. (Pull out pan and place two clear Vases in it) So today you are having a good day. (pour half the water in one vase and half in the other vase). The sun is shining and you think you can do just about anything. You are super.
  2. But then comes along a Meanie. (open the kool-aid mix. Pour half in one vase and half in the other while talking.) A meanie cuts in front of you in line, a meanie pushes you off the swings at recess, a meanie keeps kicking your seat on the bus….
  3. What are you going to do? You have two choices. (Pick up jar with smiley face) You can be kind to the Meanie and forgive them, try to be their friend or just walk away. (Pick up the jar with the meanie face) You could be mean back and push them, call them names, etc. But what happens when you are nice? What happens when you are mean?
  4. (Open the jar with the smiley face and pour into the ¼ measuring cup. Pour into one vase and stir.) If you try to be nice to the meanie, if you try to be their friend, find a game you can play together, ask them to sit with you at lunch, give them a special pencil, you might just create a new friend. (take a sip of the kool-aid) Good stuff.
  5. (Open the jar with the meanie face and pour into the ¼ measuring cup. Be sure to get the citric acid mixture (maybe use a spoon). Pour into the other vase and stir. The mixture should start to fizz and fizz over the top of the vase, spilling into the pan.) BUT if you are mean back, if you push them, call them names, tell others how mean he/she is, someone who could have become your friend is going to grow more angry and more mean and you may never be friends. (DO NOT DRINK!)
  6. There is a saying, “You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar.” Honey is sweet. Vinegar is not. People/bees are attracted to sweet, not sour.

Bible Story, Genesis 26:12-22

Isaac had planted crops in Gerar where Abimelech was King of the Philistines. Isaac was very successful with many crops and many herds and this angered Abimelech. He decided to have his men fill up Isaac's water wells with dirt and Abimelech told Isaac to move. Three times Isaac dug wells and was told to move. Isaac did not react with angry or mean words. He just moved to another spot. God blessed Isaac for his good choices.

Resources
Adapted Experiment by Danika LaBrant. Original experiment called “Foaming Sugar” from the “Make Your Own Disgusting Gags and Pranks” kit from the Scientific Explorer Line, Educational Make-It-Yourself Kit by Elmer’s Products, Inc. Company ©2007 Seattle, WA (Item No. A220)

NOTE Regarding Citrict Acid
Citric Acid came in a kit from the toy store called “Make Your Own Disgusting Gags and Pranks”, to buy Citric Acid by itself is much harder. Citric Acid is said to be a natural food preservative and is used in making soda drinks, cheese and candy. A search on the web found a couple of spots; suggestions included a wholesale foods supply, wholesale candy supply, the local grocery co-op, a restaurant or caterer, a health/natural foods store, or ask for a “reagent citric acid” from a science supply store. Another use is in making bath fizzies and bath bombs. Online, I found it at the San Francisco Bath Salt Company website: http://www.sfbsc.com/ and at Soap Suppliers: http://www.soapsuppliers.com/. Their description of citric acid is, “Citric Acid is a white, odorless, fine granular crystalline powder. Aside from using it in many foods, soft drinks, and seltzers it is commonly used in making bath fizzies and bath bombs.”

Monday, September 21, 2009

What is in your heart? (Balloon in a Bottle)

Like boiling lava in a volcano, what goes in your heart will come out if put under enough pressure. What is in your heart? What is going to spew out of you when the pressure is on? Here is a little experiment to help demonstrate.

Supplies: 2 empty/clean 2 liter bottles with a tiny hole in the bottom (make hole bigger until you can feel air coming out when you blow in the top), 2 water balloons (preferably different colors), approx. 1 tablespoon of confetti, approx 1 tablespoon of runny green slime and a small funnel.

BEFORE CLASS
Clean out two, 2-liter soda bottles. In the very bottom, puncture a small hole. You will need to cover this hole with one of your fingers, so make sure you cut it in an accessible and comfortable spot. Place a balloon with the mouth stretched over the opening of the bottle and the mass of the balloon hanging inside the bottle. Using a small funnel, pour confetti into one balloon. Using the small funnel, pour the green slime inside the other balloon.

TIP
Use water balloons. They are smaller and work really well when you push the inside, outside.
Blow up the balloon a couple of times to stretch it out before putting it in the bottle. This will really make it easier when it is time to blow the balloon up in the bottle.

Presentation
Like boiling lava in a volcano, what goes in your heart will come out if put under enough pressure. What is in your heart? What is going to spew out of you when the pressure is on?

So here I have a bottle with a balloon in it. (pick up bottle with the confetti). We are using our imaginations here. This bottle represents you and the balloon is your heart. What is inside your heart? If you are reading the Bible (take finger off hole in the bottom, careful not to inhale confetti, and blow up the balloon. Put finger over hole to keep balloon filled), if you are praying, if you are studying your AWANAs, then your heart is probably filled with some pretty good stuff. Let’s see. (take your finger off the hole. The bottle will reshape and the balloon will empty of air.) We are not done yet. A time will come when your heart controls your actions. What will your actions be? (cover the hole of the bottle and squeeze the bottle. The balloon will turn inside out and shoot the confetti.) Good thing you had Jesus in your heart!

What if you are filling your heart with scarey movies and violent video games and mean talk about other people. (pick up bottle with slime in it. Blow up the balloon. Careful not to inhale. Place finger over the hole to keep the balloon inflated.) If you don’t take care of your heart and fill it with good things, bad things will get into your heart. If you don’t control sin, sin is crouching at your door, ready to control you (Genesis 4:7). (move your finger and let the air out of the balloon then put your finger over the hole, squeeze the bottle until the balloon flips inside out and watch the slime run down the bottle). EEWWWWWW

Bible Story, Genesis 4:1-12
Cain and Abel are a good example of what is inside comes out. Abel's heart was filled with love and thanksgiving. When the pressure of picking the right sacrifice for God was upon him, he chose to give his very best. Cain's heart was not filled with love or thanksgiving and he did not give his best. God scolded him. Cain then filled his heart with anger and jealousy. When pressure was placed on Cain, he killed his brother. God didn't just scold Cain this time. This time God punished Cain saying never would the ground bare him fruit again and that he would forever be a restless wanderer.

Resources
- “Balloon in a Bottle” Steve Spangler Science, on-line, http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/content/experiment/00000166 , Sept. 2009

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Where is God when I am scared? (Ball Drop)

Everybody gets scared some time. Some are afraid of the dark, some are afraid of the bills, some are afraid of spiders, everybody has a time in their life when they wonder, "I am scared and alone. Where is GOD?" God is always with you. Throughout the Bible there is story after story giving examples of how God was there protecting and making everything work for good such as Joseph, Moses, Esther, and many more. The following is a fun object lesson to demonstrate how God is always there.

Things you will need: an egg or small ball (needs to fit in a cup), tube from a toilet tissue roll, tin/aluminum pie plate, and clear cup of water (about 1/2 to 3/4 full).

PRESENTATION
Sometimes we feel all alone when we are scared, but we are never alone even when we are scared. Sometimes we climb up to the top of the slide and realize how high we are and we are scared. (stack ball, tube, plate and glass of water) Who is always with us? God. (hit the plate, see below for better instructions) Sometimes Mommy asks us to stand up in front of Grandma and friends and family and sing or dance. (stack ball, tube, plate and glass of water) Who is always with us? God. (hit the plate) Sometimes when we are laying in our beds at night. We hear noises. (stack ball, tube, plate and glass of water) Who is always with us? God. (hit the plate)

When we are scared, God is with us. When we feel all alone, God is with us. (stack ball, tube, plate and glass of water) Even when bad things happen, God is with us. When we feel like we are falling, God is with us. God takes care of us. (Hit plate, see better description below). God catches us.

TIPS ON HITTING THE PLATE
With your writing hand, smack the edge of the dinner plate horizontally. Make sure you follow-through. (Tennis, anyone?) It’s important that you use a pretty solid hit so plan on chasing the plate and tube.

Resource
Egg Drop Science Experiment, Steve Spangler, on-line, http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000084 , Sept. 2009

Monday, September 14, 2009

Does God's Word Change? (Red Cabbage Chemistry)

A question children have is why are there so many different types of Bibles? The AWANA's Leader Guide, "What" attempts to answer this question. Below is an object lesson with talking points that mixes ideas found in the AWANA book, the Steve Spangler Science website and my original thoughts. Kitchen Science is one of my favorite ways to bring the Bible to life. Enjoy.

BEFORE CLASS
Make Your Own Cabbage Juice. NOTE: Red Cabbage has a very strong and distasteful odor. Things you will need: Red cabbage, a Blender, a Strainer, Water and a pitcher
1. Peel off six big cabbage leaves and put them in a blender filled half full with water. Liquefy it!
2. Pour the purplish cabbage liquid through a strainer to filter out all of the big chunks of cabbage. Doesn't cabbage juice smell great?
3. Save the liquid in a jar with a lid for the experiments to follow.
4. Optional: Label pitcher "The BIBLE" or "God's Word"

You will also need to make a solution of Bleach and Water. Things you will need: Oxy Clean (bleach), Water and a pitcher.
1. Fill pitcher with water and add at least two scoops of bleach
2. Stir until bleach is dissolved
3. let sit still to help settle the mixture, eliminate bubbles and clear the water some.
4. Optional: Label pitcher "GOD" or "Jesus"

IN CLASS...
Things you will need Red Cabbage Juice (instructions above), Bleach Solution, four (4) clear drinking glasses, a table cloth, apron, paper towels (for spills) and Test chemicals: Vinegar, Baking Powder, Syrup, Laundry Detergent.


STAGE
Before students arrive, set-up a row with Cabbage Juice Pitcher first, four clear cups and the Bleach Pitcher last. Cover the bottom of each empty, clear glass with one of the test chemicals, but keep the levels low so students cannot tell there is something in the glass. One glass with vinegar, one glass with baking powder, etc. You will need a white sheet, table cloth or paper underneath the glasses to hide the testing chemicals and to protect the table from spills.


PRESENTATION
Does God's word change? No. There are a lot of different types of Bibles just like there are a lot of different type of people. (Have about four (4) students stand up). What's different? Brown Hair, Blue eyes, short, etc. What's the same? legs, arms, head. On the inside are they same? Bones, stomach, heart, etc. Even though they are a different, they are all human beings. They are all the same.

Now, let's look at what I have here on the table. (point to Cabbage Juice) All these glasses appear to be the same. Just like our kids all had arms and legs and heads, these jars look the same but something is different. The juice in this pitcher is all the same kind of juice. Just like the Bible, God's word, the juice never changes. But these glasses, these people are each unique individuals. When they heard God’s word, do they react the same? (pour some cabbage juice into one of the glasses. Pour only about a 1/4 of a cup. The juice should change color) This person reacted happy, turned yellow (vinegar). How about this one? (pour some juice into the glass. The juice should change into another color). This person is ready to grow. They turned green (laundry detergent). This person seems to be a little challenged, maybe a little sad. They turned blue (baking powder). This person seems richer, happier, royal. They turned purple (syrup).

I put the same thing in (God’s Word), but I got a different result. God’s word never changes, but each of us is a little different. When we hear God’s word or read God’s word, we may react differently. Why? Because of how old we are, if we had a good day on the playground, if we got a bad grade at school. There are a lot of things that affect what we hear and how we react to it, BUT God’s word never changes. So there are several versions of the Bible to help all people, no matter how different they are understand God’s word.

Regardless of which version of the Bible you read, God’s word says to receive salvation, to be forgiven, to go to heaven, you have to BELIEVE in Jesus Christ. So if we may react differently, reading God’s word. When we receive God’s word, when we put it in our hearts and believe God’s word, are we different? (pour bleach mixture into each glass. Pour until you reach the top of the glass. Each glass should turn a shade of yellow.) Nope. No matter how different we are, when Christ comes into our lives, we are the same. We all shine, that yellow sunshine, with Jesus Christ in our hearts.

Resources
- "WHAT is your Biggest Question About God and the Bible?" AWANAs Clubs International, Streamwood, IL 2006.
- Red Cabbage Chemistry was taken from “Chemistry Magic” Steve Spangler Science, http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/content/experiment/00000124 , Sept. 2009

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Galveston, TX

Galveston, TX (2009) - It has been almost a year since Hurricane Ike crushed Galveston Island as well as dozens of other shoreline towns and communities and offshore towns and communities all the way through Houston and the greater area. The signs of time have changed Galveston and the surrounding area. You can still find some of the old favorites (Stewart Beach), but some of the favorites are gone for good (Soda shop on the Strand). Still, the beach is there. The beach offering sea shell hunts and sand castle contests and belly surfing and sun ray catching as well as bird watching and fishing are still there.



Galveston has come a long way since the blows of Hurricane Ike. Some of the scars will never heal, but many have been erased. As a family, enjoy the sea wall. There are plenty of beaches, some free (along the seawall and Jamaica Beach) and some not (Stewart Beach). There are plenty of restaurants along the sea wall; some family friendly (McDonald's, Chili's, and Gaido's) and some not. There are hotels and other conveniences (grocery store, souvenir shops, etc.). We just parked along the seawall (free) and walked down some stairs to the beach (free). We had a great time. The only bummer was no bathrooms or places to change clothes.



As a family, strolling the Strand is a gamble. Before Hurricane Ike there were family friendly stores and restaurants. After Hurricane Ike there are many bars and t-shirt shops displaying things I don't want my kids to see or read. On the family friendly side, the Army Surplus shop and the Old Strand Emporium are still there, but both were closed at the time we were there. They used to be fun to browse with lots of conversation starters about history and progress. We didn't find a restaurant that appeared kid friendly, but if you go one street over to the wharf, you will find some pricey restaurants that look family friendly. We skipped pricey.



Another side note, buyer beware when renting a beach house! We had wanted to help Galveston's recovery by renting a beach house, but found it to be too expensive and too much of a gamble to take our kids. During summer season, it is extremely hard to find a house willing to rent for the weekend. Almost all reservations are for a week. We found some of interest and decided to do our due diligence and do an on-site review of the homes. Apparently, all the photos on-line were before Hurricane Ike. We were applaud and sadden by what we found. Houses within a normal, working family's budget were questionable at best. One house that was promoted as "newly renovated" (by the way, since Hurricane Ike, all the houses promote "Newly renovated") had insulation falling down from under the house. I don't know why there is insulation there, but that seemed a bad sign to me. Another house we looked at that was "newly located to beach front" meant that the house in front of it had been washed away. The washed away house had not removed the slab or the pylons from the beach. We found in a number of locations broken pylons still in the ground with splinters of wood jetting up, creating a hazard for running children. We did find a number of gorgeous homes, but the prices were outrageous. For families it is far more cost effective to go to a hotel or rent a condominium.



We still love Galveston and are holding our breath as they go through their necessary changes. We have families and would prefer they hold onto family values. Unfortunately, we see the signs of Sin City creeping in. If the adult entertainment sites and sounds continue to grow, we may have to write Galveston off our list. But for now, there are still fun things for families to do for a day or for a weekend.

Trip Stats:
  • Who: 2 Moms, two 10 year old boys, two 5 year old boy and one 7 year old girl
  • What:
  1. Galveston Island, http://www.galveston.com/default.asp
  2. Galveston County Parks, http://www.galvestonparks-seniors.org/default.asp
  • When: Friday (arrived at noon and left at 5:00pm, traffic down was none, but traffic back was awful)
  • Where: Beach
  • Why: Outdoor Play
  • Cost: FREE, we parked on the seawall and walked to the beach. We took a picnic and plenty of drinks and snacks. PETTY CASH, we did go to McDonald's for ice cream and shakes and bathroom breaks.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Fort Travis Seashore Park

Port Bolivar, Tx (Galveston) - What says summer more than sand and surf? Beach and boats make for a fun, family excursion. Add free to the excursion and you have a super fun day for Mom and Dad. The Bolivar Ferry and the Fort Travis Seashore Park are both free and both fun. O.k., there is no beach at Fort Travis Seashore Park, but it is a nice destination to get out and run around after riding the ferry.


The attraction of the ferry for kids is simple. It is a boat that you get to actually drive your car on. For Houstonians this is an unusual and fun experience. The ferry crosses a very busy channel so lots of opportunities to see lots of types of boats. There are plenty of sea gulls, pelicans and other birds to view, and the occasional dolphin siting really makes the trip special. The ferry ride is long enough to get out of the car, and there are places to go up and get a better view. It is not a long ride so perfect for little minds, little attention spans.

Fort Travis Seashore Park has a long and interesting history dating back to the early 1800's. I remember visiting this park when I was a kid. Taking my kids to see it brought forth mixed emotions.

The Good - My kids loved it. They enjoyed getting out of the car and walking along the sea wall. Their imaginations took flight looking through the gates at the bunkers imagining soldiers walking up and down the stairs. They imagined the big guns or cannons that may have once sat in the circular depressions around the bunkers. They enjoyed going into what appeard to be a gunner's hut or outpost. The park has a nice playground (but no shade) and some nice picnic tables with shade. There is plenty of space to run, but I recommend tennis shoes. The sticker burs in the grass had some seriously long thorns and cut straight through my son's crocks.

The Sad - As Mom, I could see the damage left by Hurricane Ike. Driving through the area we could see where neighborhoods once were but only the pylons that supported the houses remained, no more houses. In the park there are sidewalk collapses and still some chunks of concrete here and there. The kids thought it was cool, but Mom understood the human impact of such damage.

Still we recommend this full days outing. After your trip on the ferry back to Galveston Island stop at one of the pocket beaches for a little beach and surf time before hitting the road back to town. There are a number of places to stop for drinks, snacks or dinner in Galveston if you run low.


Trip Stats:
  • Who: 2 Moms, two 10 year old boys, two 5 year old boy and one 7 year old girl
  • What:
  1. Bolivar Ferry, http://www.bolivarchamber.org/GalvestonFerry.aspx,
  2. Fort Travis Seashore Park, http://www.crystalbeach.com/travis.htm
  3. Galveston Island Pocket Beach, http://www.galvestonparks-seniors.org/default.asp
  • When: Friday (arrived at noon and left at 5:00pm, traffic down was none, but traffic back was awful)
  • Where: Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula
  • Why: Outdoor Play
  • Cost: FREE, we took a picnic and plenty of drinks and snacks

Saturday, August 15, 2009

iT'z Pizza, Houston

Houston, Texas (Northwest) - Finding things to do with kids on a rainy day or a 100+ degrees day when you just can't play outside is hard to do. iT'Z Pizza, http://www.itzusa.com/houston/index.htm , is a pizza and fun place that is a good location to celebrate something special. I say celebrate, because the cost is way too high for an everyday event. You will not get out of this place for less than $75 for a family of four, even if you take coupons. Though it is expensive, it is pretty good food and does have fun for everybody.


The fun is the expensive part. They have video games, games of chance to earn tickets and games of chance to earn prizes, bowling, and rides such as a kiddie train/roller coaster, bumper cards and the Disk-O, which is geared for teens and adults. You have to buy game cards, which are like credit cards, that have a number of points. You slide the card on a scanner on the video game or ride you want to enjoy. Games/Rides can be 2 points or 10 points depending on complexity.


They do have a store where you can exchange tickets for prizes, but you better earn a lot of tickets to get any prizes. BEWARE: you need your game card to transfer your tickets too and if you don't do it right, you could lose all your tickets. One of my kids lost over 100 tickets by not swiping his card correctly. Happy Day, when I mentioned it at the front desk, they comp'ed him the tickets and strongly re-enforced how to correctly transfer tickets to the card.


BONUS

If you have a toddler or preschool size child, iT'Z has developed a Tiny Tikes area with inflatable jumpers and games and tiny rides like the cars you see in front of grocery stores that just rock back and forth. My 5 year old loved the inflatables and spent a lot of time here. It also created a "Home Base" for my Pre-Teens. I stayed in the Tiny Tikes area and my 10 year olds could go play and check back, and I could see the game floor and try and keep tabs on the boys.


BUMMER

There really is no good place for parents to create a "Home Base." (We were lucky to be there on a slow day. I suspect the toddler area fills up quickly.) If you have older children who don't want Mommy following them around, you cannot sit anywhere and still be able to watch your kids from a distance. The dining rooms are walled in with no windows and no views of the games and rides area.


A bit pricey but a good experience.


Trip Stats
  • Who: Mama, three 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy

  • What: iT'Z Pizza, http://www.itzusa.com/houston/index.htm

  • When: Thursday, Noon-ish

  • Where: Northwest Houston off Hwy 249 near Willowbrook

  • Why: Indoor Play

  • Total Cost: $81.83 which breaks down to.....

  • $44.85 - for 3 Summer Thursday Specials of 90 minutes of unlimited play

  • $19.99 - a coupon from a door flyer for 4 buffets and 4 drinks

  • $16.99 - for 1 Eat and Play Combo (buffet and 50 game points)

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Disney Train Tour, "A Christmas Carol"

Houston, Texas - Family Fun? NOT! DO NOT GO! This was a miserable experience for my kids and me. I received an e-mail promoting the "one day only" event the day before it was supposed to arrive in Houston, so I suspected the crowds might not be that big. BOY, was I wrong.

The gist - Disney is promoting its new animated feature "A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carey. They have outfitted a train to be a rolling museum with cars with costumes and behind the scenes information. The big reward is the last car of the tour which allows you to have your picture digitally taken and morphed into one of the characters from the movie.


The Problem - oh, there are so many

  • 3 hour wait for what was supposed to be a 20 minute tour

  • 100+ heat with little shade and little to no breeze. They had 3 small misting fans near the end of the wait, but not everybody got to enjoy them. Those who were fortunate to stop in front of one, huddled around them, blocking the air to others in rows farther back.

  • 100+ heat with little to no water or other beverages. I don't think any of us anticipated this kind of a wait. I took two bottles of water with me but those were gone before the end of the first hour, and we still waited two more hours. The Amtrack train station had vending machines but after a 30 minute wait in line to get to the vending machine, my friend with me discovered the machine was out of water and only took exact change. It would not take her dollar. She had to buy chips from the neighboring machine to get change to get a drink. Near the end of the line we did find 2 water stations offering dixie size cups of water which did help, but not enough for older people or very young children.

  • Staff - the staff outside was very patient and understanding, but the staff inside was rude. We were told to hurry along. I just waited 3 hours to get in this train and now you are telling me to hurry!?!

  • Exhibits - the first train car had costumes. Why would you display costumes if the actors never wore them? Supposedly the actors wore black jumpsuits with wires and acted in front of a green screen. If there was an explanation somewhere, I wouldn't know since the staff told me to "hurry along." They had a number of screens with different stuff being shown but you couldn't hear anything coming from the speakers over the crowd noise. As far as I could see, there were no written explanations of what you were seeing, but again, I was told to "hurry along." From what I could tell, there was nothing on the train that you would not see on the DVD in the 'Behind the Scenes" section.

  • Snow - We live in Houston so snow is a pretty big deal. The radio stations were promoting that Disney would bring snow to Houston for this one day event. There was no snow. There were two pillars that periodically spit out the top a handful of bubbles. They were pitiful bubbles to boot.

Bonus

For waiting 3 hours and "hurrying along," we were ushered into a very small booth to have each member in our group's photo taken digitally. Each picture was then morphed into 4 different characters from the movie. You got to pick your favorite and supposedly that picture is being e-mailed to me for each member of the group. I still haven't received the e-mail, but the directions did say it could take up to a week to get the pictures.

My dilemma was when to cut and run. In all fairness, we were told when we got in line that we could be waiting 2 to 3 hours, which we did. The deceptive part was how fast the line moved in the beginning. The first hour went very fast. The lined twisted and turned, and there were radio stations to talk to and booths to sign-up for sweepstakes. We decided to wait a little longer. At an hour and half the line turned behind the train, and then we could see exactly how long the line truly was. We were mortified. We had already invested so much time, but we could tell the line was just as long if not longer over here. We hoped the line would move fast like the first part but we were very wrong. The line came to a crawl and did not twist and turn and there was nothing to look at or do. At the end of the line we did get treated to one carol by some strolling singers. We did see two screens showing trailers for the movie, but you couldn't hear the screens over the crowd noise. Besides, what you saw on the outside screen was exactly what you saw on the inside screens.

I suppose if we had not waited 3 hours in 100+ heat with little to no shade or water and told to "hurry along", it would be worth the trip. I guess if you happen to live in a small town that the train is visiting. Go. But if you live in one of the 4 largest cities in the USA and the event is coming for only one day, skip it.

Trip Stats

  • Who: two Mamas, one 10 year old boy, one 8 year old girl, and two 5 year old boys
  • What: Disney Train Tour of "A Christmas Carol," http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/
  • When: Tuesday, we arrived at 9:45 am and left at 1:15 pm
  • Where: Downtown Houston Amtrak Train Station
  • Why: Museum
  • Cost: Train Tour was free, but parking in downtown Houston cost $9, plus the $2 spent on vending machine chips and $2 spent on vending machine sodas

Monday, August 10, 2009

McKinney Falls State Park

Austin, Texas - Texans are known for their Texas Pride. I am a native Texan, and I am just bursting with Texas Pride. The simple size of our great state offers a tremendous diversity in geographical formations. Traveling east to west through the middle of Texas you will start in lush green forests followed by rolling hills and ending in a dessert. Thankfully, many treasures are being preserved, maintained and rehabilitated by Texas State Parks and Wildlife. Visiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife website http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ you will find all sorts of information including information about hundreds of state parks. This week we visited McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, Texas.

We are visiting family in the Austin area and were looking for something close and cheap. Woo Hoo, McKinney Falls State Park fit the bill perfectly. It is located in south Austin near the airport just a 10 minute drive down Hwy 71 and I-35 to Hwy 183 to McKinney Falls Drive. It was a cheap $5/adult to enter for a full day. Then we enjoyed exploring, fishing and just simple family fun.

The park has preserved the ruins of some of Thomas McKinney's homestead. Thomas McKinney was one of the first 300 settlers in Texas. The park has a visitor center full of interesting historical information. The park offers a number of trails and easy access to the "Upper Falls" where you can swim.

We spent all of our time at the Upper Falls in the swimming hole. We did very little hiking, but we did have a lot of fun watching fish and turtles and listening to birds and bugs. We swam and threw rocks, lots of rocks. The good and the bad of it....the good being a Friday, work day, we had the swimming hole almost completely to ourselves. The bad, Texas is experiencing some massive and serious drought conditions and poor McKinney Falls is suffering. What normaly is a spread of falls across a massive rock has dwindle down to one trickling fall. The rock is still really interesting and easy to view since it is not under water, but you can tell the area is suffering.

We had a great day and enjoyed this tranquil spot. Bonus being a State Park, there were bathrooms, picnic tables and trash cans readily accessible. We recommened McKinney Falls State Park.

Oh yeah, if you are a bike rider, I understand they have an extensive hike and bike trail which looks like at least part of it is paved. It looks like a great place for entire families to ride together.

Trip Stats:

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Tranquility Park and Hard Rock Cafe

Houston, Texas - We were downtown for an errand and since I had the kids, I decided to park in the theater district and do a little walking tour. We, again, rode the elevator in the JP Morgan Chase Tower to the 60th floor to the viewing deck. We really enjoyed the view of downtown and could see as far as the Astrodome, the Galleria, and the 290 corridor.

From the viewing deck, I could see city hall and the corners of Tranquility Park. It didn't look far so we went for it. That was a mistake. The official weather report says the high was only 96 degrees, but it felt much hotter. The heat just sucked all the life out of us. From the tower it was only 3 city blocks to the park, but those were some long, hot blocks. The park was a huge disappointment to the kids. They were too tired to run and there just wasn't anything for kids there. There were some trees and some shaded picnic tables. The tables were all occupied by some young adults playing rap music. The fountains were nice, but the metal bridge is a hugely bad idea in the heat of a Houston summer.

Two more blocks of walking, and we made it to the Hard Rock Cafe. On a Tuesday afternoon, there was no crowd. It is a nice little place with plenty of pictures and rock n' roll collectibles. The food was a little pricey, but not bad. We paid $35.00 for one salad, two kids meals, a glass of water and tip.

The 10 year old and I recuperated enough at the Cafe to walk a block and a half back to the car, but the 5 year old did not. At the Cafe the 5 year old just layed down in the booth and went to sleep. I had trouble getting him to eat or drink anything. The heat really hurt him. I mustered the strength to carry him back to car. He was limp and argued about eating and drinking the rest of the day. Thankfully, by morning he was back to his old self.

Trip Stats:

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Minute Maid Ballpark Tour

Houston, TX - Minute Maid Park, http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/ballpark/index.jsp , is home to the Houston Astros professional baseball team. As a native Houstonian living everyday in one of the biggest cities in the country, I don't go to tourist attractions often. I am busy living an everyday life, raising two boys and trying to make ends meet. Tourist attractions are usually over priced for everyday people.

As a volunteer for my son's Cub Scout Pack, I was in charge of obtaining tickets to an Astros game highlighting a Scout Parade. Since I had to go downtown to pay for the tickets, I decided it was time to do the tourist thing and take the Ballpark Tour. I shelled out $9 for one adult and $5 for each child age 3 - 14. The tour was worth the time, travel and money.

They offer public walk-up tours year round, Mon. - Sat., at 10 am, noon and 2 pm. We were there on a Tuesday to take the Noon Tour. Traditionally, they have 50 to 60 people on this walking tour, but on our day, we were the only ones. They didn't cancel. They didn't bump us to 2 pm. They gave us a private tour of the park. For me and my two boys, it was awesome.

Tamara, our tour guide, was a wealth of information about the ballpark, the Astros and baseball history. She even had a few tidbits of information about the history of the railroad. The ball field was added to Union Station which has a long history dating back to the 1800's. The Astros have made an effort to preserve some of the history and have reconstructed Union Station to its original glory.

The tour is a walking tour so be prepared. It took about an hour and 10 minutes, but it did not seem long. We saw the stadium from several points of view where Tamara stopped and gave us tidbits of interesting information. We stood in the upper deck, in box seats, in the VIP lounge, the broadcasters booth and then the best part for us, on the ball field, in the dug outs and in the pitching cages. The 10 year old loved it all. The 5 year old enjoyed the pigeons and running on the field. But don't touch the grass. It was a game day so the grass was off limits. Apparently you have to have a college degree to maintain that grass, and we just weren't qualified.

We recommend the Minute Maid Ballpark Tour.

Trip Stats:

  • Who: Mama, one 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy
  • What: Minute Maid Park, http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/ballpark/index.jsp
  • When: Tuesday, Noon Tour
  • Where: Downtown Houston
  • Why: Indoor/Outdoor Education
  • Cost: $9.00 per adult and $5 per child age 3 - 14.
  • Parking: When it is not game day, you can park in the Diamond Lot for free (corner of Texas Avenue and Hamilton Street, connected to the ball park). The streets around the ballpark have meters so read the signs carefully. There are also a number of surface parking lots which can get pricey.
  • Notes: Purchase tickets in the Team Store in Union Station. There are restrooms in Union Station. There is no time for potty breaks on the tour. If the roof is open, the tour moves inside and outside so it will be hot in the summer months. There are no vending machines or snack shacks open for tours. I had a cooler in the car with snacks and drinks which worked out well to give the kids a snack before going in and a healthy drink when we came out.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Monkey Business (Inflatable Jump Place)

Houston, TX - Monkey Business, http://www.monkeybizness.com/ , is an extremely fun, slightly dangerous place to take your kids. Monkey Business is a place like Pump It Up, an inflatable party place. Monkey Business hosts open play times so anybody can come and have fun. This is a great alternative for rainy days.

Here is the fun part. They have two rooms but may only have one room open depending on number of participants. Both rooms are identical so no loss if only one room is open. Each room has a plain square jumper with some super sized boxing gloves that little ones can hardly even pick up much less box. They have another jumper with jump space and a small slide inside. They have a jumper with a climbing cone for your real monkeys. They have the super, tall slide and an obstacle course. Plenty of space to run around, jump and have fun.

Here is the slightly dangerous part. You have a lot of kids, all ages jumping. Kids are not always cautious or wait their turn, so accidents happen. One trip, my 10 year old twisted his ankle. Another trip he slid down the slide on his elbow and rubbed/burned off his skin. The wound was larger than a quarter and took several weeks to heal. My 5 year old has never been hurt, and he is the adventurous one.

I suspect because toddlers are usually early risers, the morning crowd usually has more little ones than older ones. Lunch time and later, you will see more and more big kids.

Tip: They allow you to bring in your own snacks and drinks. They do have a vending machine for drinks in the lobby. You can order pizza, but they call a local pizza parlour for delivery so plan to wait 45 minutes for food. No food or drink are allowed in the jump area, but they have benches and a "party" room where you can eat and drink.

We still enjoy this place just be aware of the natural hazards of kids and exuberant play. Don't forget your socks.

Trip Stats:

  • Who: Mama, two 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy
  • What: Monkey Business, http://www.monkeybizness.com/
  • When: Wednesday, late morning
  • Where: Northwest Houston
  • Why: Indoor play
  • Cost: $5.00 per child age 1 to 18 before 11 am; $7.50 per child after 11 am; adults are free, parking is free

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Quintana Beach

Quintana Beach, TX - This was a nice surprise find. Living in Houston my entire life, I have always driven down to Galveston Island to enjoy the beach. However, after Hurricane Ike, the island just isn't the same. The beach is overrun with sea weed and the Strand is more bars than family fun.

Since we were making the trip to Lake Jackson to visit the Sea Center of Texas (see yesterday's post for more details), I did a little research around the area to see what else is there. I was happy to find Bryan Beach State Park (we did not find it) and Quintana Beach (jackpot). NOTE: websites of interest for this area are listed at the end of this post.

Quintana Beach is a 15 minute drive from the Sea Center of Texas. We didn't find the official County Park, but we did find a clean, park on the beach, stretch of sand and surf. We followed TX 288 from Lake Jackson until it dead ended into Hwy 36 and then you will find signs that will direct you through Freeport, over an intracoastal waterway on Fm 1495 and onto CR 723. We turned left and followed a long and straight road with high berms on either side. The first drive we came to said "no Beach Access," but the next one we found said "Welcome to Quintana Beach." Reviewing the Yahoo map, I think we turned too early. If we had gone until the road dead ended, we would have found the County Park. Even though we were not at the official park, we had a good time.

About the beach, this beach you drive directly onto the beach and pick a spot to park. There were no restrooms or other facilities, but they did have some trash cans. There were a number of birds, but the birds had no interest in us and did not bother us. The sand was perfect for building sand castles. The water was shallow for a long way out. One of the 10 year olds wanted to walk out until it reached waist deep on him. We made it to upper thigh high on him before we decided we were getting too far from shore and turned around. Being so shallow, the 5 year old loved it. There was a constant lapping of little waves which made splashing around a lot of fun.

Take a picnic lunch and plenty of other snacks and drinks. Once you cross the intracoastal bridge, there are no shops or restaurants.

We went on a Thursday afternoon and we were almost the only people there. To our left, about 100 feet away was another family, but to the right you could barely make out the shape of the next car, it was so far away. We could see what appeared to be a nice fishing pier, but we didn't check it out. Driving in sand with my minivan was not something I wanted to test. I did see one or two other cars drive down there, and they did not appear to have any troubles.

Anyway, a good trip, we had a lot of fun.

Websites of Interest:

Trip Stats:

  • Who: Mama, two 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy
  • What: Quintana Beach, http://www.quintana-tx.org/#Brazoria%20County,%20Texas
  • When: Thursday, afternoon
  • Where: along the coast in Freeport, TX (15 minutes from Lake Jackson)
  • Why: Outdoor play
  • Cost: Free
  • Travel Times from Cy-Fair/Northwest Houston: 1 hour and 15 minutes to Lake Jackson another 15 minutes to Quintana Beach. We drove back during prime time Houston traffic (4 pm) and it took us 2 hours to get from Quintana Beach back to Cy-Fair. We did utilize the 290 HOV.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Sea Center of Texas

Lake Jackson, TX - The Sea Center of Texas, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/seacenter/ , is a cute aquarium that is worth the visit if you are in the area.

The Sea Center of Texas is quite a drive from Houston. But bundle it with a trip to Quintana beach (see tomorrow's post for more details) and you have a full, fun day's outing. From the northwest (Cy-Fair) area of town it took me an hour and 15 minutes to get there. It took me, two 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy about 45 minutes to slowly walk through and see everything.

The Sea Center of Texas is FREE and offers a "touch" tank. The day we were there; they had a number of different types of crabs for the kids to pet. The kids loved it. Once done with the Touch Tank, turn around and find a table with crafts/coloring. Moving past the Touch Tank you come to a series of floor to ceiling tanks with a variety of fish including the ever popular shark. Continue viewing the tanks until you work your way back to the beginning. I think there were 5 tanks to view.

Outside they have a boardwalk where people can enjoy the sights and sounds of a fresh water wetland and a salt water wetland. It is a good length and has a couple of benches for resting. The Sea Center of Texas is also a fish hatchery. They offer tours of the hatchery, but bad for us, they did not offer any tours the day we went.

Hatchery tour or not, the Sea Center of Texas was a very nice stop.

Trip Stats:
  • Who: Mama, two 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy
  • What: Sea Center of Texas, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/seacenter/
  • When: Thursday, late morning
  • Where: South of Houston near the coast in Lake Jackson (not Galveston)
  • Why: Outdoor play and education
  • Cost: Free Admission and Free Parking
  • Optional Cost: Donations are welcome and if you donate $5 or more, the gift shop will give you a poster.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Downtown Houston

Houston, TX - Finding things to do with the kids that won't break the bank is a little tricky. We have been to the swimming pool a lot, and it is too hot for the local park. What to do? We live in the suburbs so a trip downtown sounds like the thing to do. Since you will have to pay for parking and most likely lunch, here are a few things to consider that are free.....

JP Morgan Chase Tower - This building has a view deck on the 60th floor. Just take the express elevator up and enjoy a view that reaches from downtown past the Galleria. Only the windows directly outside the elevators are available to the general public, but it is an outstanding view. The glass goes from floor to ceiling so even the little ones can enjoy this spectacle.

Discovery Green Park - In an earlier post I discussed this park. Good things: sidewalk dancing fountains the kids can get totally soaked in and bathrooms. It has nice walkways and beautiful gardens as well as space for shuffle board, bocce and a small putting green.

Parks - Now remember this is downtown so playgrounds and bathrooms are not available at most parks. These parks are intended to offer some peace among the hustle and bustle of downtown. They usually have some kind of interesting sculpture, shaded seating and nice landscaping. The best reviews I have found are at a website called Downtown Houston at http://www.houstondowntown.com/Home/Lifestyle/WhatToDo/Parks/

Recommendation - Be prepared to walk a lot.

  1. We parked at the public parking garage at Walker and Main Street.
  2. We walked one block to the Main Street Square. My 5 year old enjoy watching the trains drive by. The fountains were fun to look at too, but these fountains are just for viewing and not for playing in. The down side is there are a number of beggars and street musicians trying to get a dollar or borrow your cell phone. We walked around the square and then headed over to the JP Morgan Chase Tower. Walk Main Street up to Capitol Street and turn left and go one block.
  3. There is a Burger King across the street from the tower so we had a quick lunch and then went up the JP Morgan Chase Tower for a view from the 60th Floor. We didn't continue our walk simply because I didn't realize how close we were, but if I had thought it through we would have continued our walk to Tranquility Park. Continue walking down Capital to Smith Street and take a left about one block.
  4. Tranquility Park has water pillars and interesting walk ways. Can't play in this water either but nice to look at. Continue walking down Smith Street and you will come to Herman Square.
  5. Herman Square is right in front of City Hall and is just a nice reflection pool with shaded benches. You are now at Walker Street and just four blocks from the Parking Garage.
  6. Downtown Tunnels - if the heat is getting to you, explore the tunnels. You can go one block from Herman Square and get to the tunnels from the Wells Fargo Plaza. The tunnels will wiggle over to the parking garage at Walker and Main. There is a good map of downtown and the tunnels at Houston Downtown.com, http://www.houstondowntown.com/Home/GeneralInfo/GettingAround/Maps/

By now the kids should be wiped out from walking. Definitely leave the downtown area by 3:30 pm to make sure you are ahead of traffic. Bonus for us suburbanites though, kids count when driving on the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicles). The HOV opens outbound at 2:00 pm for vehicles carrying 2+ passengers. Go to METRO to get schedules and maps at http://www.ridemetro.org/SchedulesMaps/HOV.aspx .

Trip Stats

  • Who: Mama and one 5 year old boy
  • What: Downtown Houston, http://houstondowntown.com/home/default.asp
  • When: Wednesday, lunch time
  • Where: Downtown Houston
  • Why: Outdoor play
  • Cost: Free walking tour, lunch was about $11 at Burger King and then parking.....
  • Parking is not free: We paid $6 for a little over one hour. The price goes up the longer you are there. I didn't catch the maximum, but it is not unusual to pay $10 to park in downtown Houston ($20 for special events). There is parking on the street, but look for the meter boxes. It is hard to find and not free either.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Discovery Green Park

Houston, Texas - Houston is hot. They talk about times being "Africa" hot, but boy howdy, have they tried "Texas" hot? Not just any "Texas" hot, but "Houston" hot? That is hot. In June and July so far we have had 9 days of 100+ heat. Not a big enough number for ya'? How about more than 40 days of 95+ heat.

So what do we do to cool off? In the good old days, we played in the sprinkler. Today the modern kids play at splash pads and dancing, sidewalk, water fountains. Discovery Green Park, http://www.discoverygreen.com/ , in downtown Houston across from the George R Brown Convention Center has a sidewalk, dancing fountain that the kids can get totally soaked in. Thankfully, there are bathrooms adjacent to the fountains so changing in and out of swimsuits and/or wet clothes is not an issue as long as you have brought spare dry clothes.

Lucky for Mom, there were plenty of seats around the fountains and the fountains are recessed a bit into the ground making a natural bench around the fountains (you will get wet if you sit on the edges).

There were at least 2 day cares when we where there, and it was crowded. My 5 year old was not slowed down a bit by the numerous bodies. And surprisingly, when all the noisy critters left, my little critter wanted to leave too. I guess the noise and busy-ness added a sense of excitement.

Discovery Green Park is more than just a fun fountain to get wet in. It does have restrooms and a couple of restaurants (didn't go to the restaurants so not sure what the prices are like). It has nice walkways and beautiful gardens. If you bring your own equipment, you can enjoy a game of shuffle board or bocce or even some putting practice on a small putting green.

The park does have a playground, but most of it is fenced off. The playground is disappointing. It is just a bridge with a couple of short slides. Skip the playground and just enjoy the refreshing water fountain.

Trip Stats
  • Who: Mama and one 5 year old boy
  • What: Discovery Green, http://www.discoverygreen.com/
  • When: Wednesday, late morning
  • Where: downtown by the convention center
  • Why: Outdoor play
  • Cost: Free
  • Parking is not free: We parked in the Convention Center underground parking and paid $5 for one hour. The price goes up the longer you are there. I didn't catch the maximum, but it is not unusual to pay $10 to park in downtown Houston ($20 for special events). There is parking on the street, but look for the meter boxes. It is hard to find and not free either.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Kids Movies, G-Force

G-Force, http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/gforce/ , is a kids movie. I have heard a couple of official Movie Critics "boo" this movie. I disagree. I am guessing these critics don't remember being a kid and certainly don't have kids. So here's just my two cents....

I took four 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy, and they loved it. To them, it was a simple story with some really cute characters, funny lines and cool action sequences. The transformer at the end was a good touch. The favorite line in the movie that, of course, my 5 year old learned, "Get your face out of my butt. (other character) Get your butt out of my face." Yes, I am a proud Mom.

From an adults view the story was predictable, the characters shallow, the humor was cheesy and the action sequences were just not plausible. Now, did I go to a kids movie expecting an epic tale of courage, of good triumphing over evil, of a personal journey of discovery to find what family truly means? No. These are all loosely touched on in the movie and slipped right over the heads of my kids. Did I go to a kids movie about guinea pigs expecting a realistic story with plausible action and engaging dialogue? No. Get real people.

What I am not sure of how I feel is what the kids talked about on the ride home. The kids spent the entire trip quoting the commercials and debating whether or not they saw it in the movie. I am sad my kids have watched the commercials enough to have them memorized, and not sure if it is misleading of Disney to promote scenes that are not going to make it to the final cut. Anyway, just be aware that not everything that was promoted in the trailers is in the movie.

Overall, it was a good movie with some really cute guinea pigs. To answer my oldest son's favorite questions: 1) Blaster was my favorite character, and 2) my oldest son is most like Hurley, incredibly cute, love for sweets, heart of gold and tremendous inner strength when it really counts.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Williams Tower Water Wall

Houston, TX - The Williams Tower, formerly Transco Tower for you natives, Water Wall has been a popular attraction for decades. Who could possibly count the number of bridal portraits taken at this location or the number of first dates that strolled around the park? This is a fun one to see, but bundle it into a trip to the Galleria Mall.



The kids loved the big open field that they could just run and wrestle and run some more. They enjoyed getting close to the water and feeling the cooling spray. We walked around the Water Wall and the kids were amazed, "Mama, there is water on both sides of the wall."



If you are planning a picnic, test the grass before you sit. The closer you get to the Water Wall the wetter the grass gets. Add some sprinklers and you get a very moist lawn which is great for wrestling boys to land on, but not so much fun on Mama' fancy shorts.

Other amenities? Not much. No bathrooms, no drinking fountains. They do have a few benches to rest on and a number of shade trees.



Don't park at Williams Tower. This makes the walk really short but you have to pay to park. If you visit Macy's at the Galleria, you can park in their parking lot for free and just walk a block over to the Water Wall.



Trip Stats


  • Who: Mama, two 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy
  • What: Williams Tower Water Wall, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_Waterwall
  • When: Thursday Afternoon
  • Where: Galleria Area, 610 and Post Oak.
  • Why: Outdoor play
  • Cost: Free
  • Galleria Mall: http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=805 , this is not my thing, but if you enjoy shopping, this is the place for variety. However, be prepared to pay higher prices. This is an "up scale" mall. They also have ice skating and plenty of places to eat so not all bad.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Houston Firehouse Museum

Houston, TX - The Houston Firehouse Museum, http://houstonfiremuseum.org/index.html , is a historical monument, a look into the history of fire fighting, AND kid friendly. What kid is not awed by the sounds of a fire truck? The museum was a great stop and the kids loved it, but please remember that this museum is inside the original fire station No. 7 built in 1898. This is not a big museum. If you have energetic kids, this will be a quick stop and not a full afternoons excursion.



The museum has several antique fire truck with plaques telling you about the truck and how it worked. Throughout the building there are easy to read signs giving interesting tid-bits about the history of fire fighting and there are artifacts showcasing old equipment and new equipment. All fine and good for Mom and Dad, but what about those kids?



The best part of the museum is the kid friendly part. They have several antique, NO TOUCH, trucks but thankfully, the curators remembered what it is like to be a child and included a truck the kids could crawl on and in. Walk to the back of the museum and you will find a ladder and pole set-up that allows kids to climb up and slide down a fireman's pole onto a padded mat. They even took the cab of a more modern truck and affixed it to a wall so the kids could crawl in and pretend to drive. Cool part about the cab is it has switches that actually turn lights on, and thankfully the curators remembered what is like to be a child and did not include the siren. There are some other fun things like helmets and fireman jackets the kids can try on and a wall with cartoons and areas to color. There is a display that allows kids to feel the weight of the hoses and to tighten them off and on the display. I understood that it was a replica of part of a more modern truck, but I didn't understand what the hoses of different sizes were for. Fighting fires, I suppose.



Anyway, the kids loved it. I loved it. It was a very good stop.


Trip Stats:

  • Who: one Mom, two 10 year olds boys and one five year old boy
  • What: The Houston Firehouse Museum, http://houstonfiremuseum.org/index.html
  • When: Thursday afternoon
  • Where: downtown Houston
  • Why: indoor play and education
  • Cost: $3 per adult and $2 per child over 4 years old
  • Parking: You can park on Milam Street for free as long as it is not rush hours. Read the signs carefully.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

George Bush Park

Houston, TX - George Bush Park is located on the west side of Houston off Hwy 6 and Westheimer. It is a large park on the map, 7,800 acres, but the park part is a very small area. We enjoyed the playground area which has some very nice sitting areas, restrooms, water fountains and shaded pavilions with picnic tables. We did not enjoy that none of the playground is shaded. There are trees around so maybe in the distant future there will be shade.

If you look at the park on-line at http://www.pct3.hctx.net/parks/georgebush.aspx , you will see a nice picture of a wood bridge. Our only guess is it must be along the Hike and Bike path which on a 100+ degree day we opted not to explore. There appears to be a very long hike and bike path. We didn't see it so no idea how nice or how challenging.

We did see the Bark Park. The Bark Park is a fenced area where you are allowed to take your dog off leash. It is a pretty good size so dogs can actually get in a full run if they want. They had some shaded seating for owners. My kids said the part they thought the dogs would like the most is the pond. There is a nice little, shallow pond for dogs to jump in and cool off or just have fun. There were only a handful of dogs when we went by on a Wednesday afternoon, but everybody seemed to be getting along just fine.

Overall, we would recommend this park if you are in the are, but I wouldn't make a special trip over there. If you live on the northwest side of Houston like we do, there are several parks closer that are just as much fun, i.e. Bear Creek Park, Matzke Park, Telge Park, Bane Park, etc. BUT if you are in for the Hike and Bike, perhaps George Bush Park is better. If you are in the Hike and Bike category, you may also want to look into Terry Hershey Park which connects to George Bush Park at Memorial Drive and Hwy 6.

To end this, a good park, but not good enough to go out of the way for.

Trip Stats:
  • Who: one Mom, two 10 year olds boys and one five year old boy
  • What: George Bush Park, http://www.pct3.hctx.net/parks/georgebush.aspx
  • When: Wednesday afternoon
  • Where: west side of Houston off Hwy 6 and Westheimer Parkway (the first jaunt to the right once you cross Hwy 6 while traveling on Westheimer Road)
  • Why: outdoor play
  • Cost: Free except for gas

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

San Jacinto Monument & Texas Battleship

La Porte, TX - Trying to find cheap and fun things to do with your kids throughout the summer is sometimes hard to do. Visiting the San Jacinto Monument & Texas Battleship can be either a cheap or expensive event. Our group had one adult, two ten year old boys and one five year old boy.



On the cheap
Do the Texas Battleship. Kids are free with an adult ticket. On a Monday for one adult and three kids it was $10 to get on board. It took us about an hour to explore all the decks and let the kids spend time sitting in the seats of the big guns and pretending. We took our time and really enjoyed the battleship.



Take a picnic lunch. There are plenty of shade trees and picnic tables. There are decent bathrooms and plenty of space to run and explore.



Drive the battle grounds. You have to pay $1 to enter the park but keep the receipt they tape to your windshield on your windshield, and you do not have to pay again when you go across the road to visit the San Jacinto Monument.



Anyway, Drive the battle grounds. When you pay your $1 at the guardhouse, they will give you a map of the grounds. On the map you will see numbered markers. When you drive around, the markers coincide with boulders that have the same number engraved on them. Between the map and the boulders you will get a brief outline of the battle of San Jacinto and see where Sam Houston was wounded and where Santa Ana surrendered. To us Texans, this is a big deal. I was excited to share it with the 10 year olds. The five year old was just happy to be there.



The San Jacinto Monument, the only cheap things to do is walk the grounds and view the first floor museum which is very small but interesting. They do have nice bathrooms and water fountains. The monument is where things get pricey.



Expensive
The San Jacinto Monument does not have kids free with an adult. Estimate at least $4/person for each activity. You will need tickets to see the 35 minute movie (we did not see it). You will need tickets to see the photographic exhibit of "Developing Houston" (we did not see it). You will need tickets to go to the observation deck and if you go to the observation deck, be prepared with several quarters. It is $0.50 per viewer (binocular). The observation deck was disappointing. It cost us $13 just to get up there and another $1.50 to give each child a turn with the viewers. We were up there maybe 5 minutes and the kids were done. The viewing deck does not go all the way around. It is a small area and gets crowded easily. They did have a short one minute video giving an overview of the battle and surrounding area, but it is almost impossible to hear over the chatter of other visitors. There is one plaque with information about the Houston Ship Channel that was pretty interesting. It was interesting, but not something I would do again.
Trip Stats:
  • Who: Mom, two 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy
  • What: San Jacinto Monument and Texas Battleship http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/
  • When: on a Monday, day trip (11 am - 3pm)
  • Where: La Porte, Texas (about an hours trip from northwest Houston)
  • Why: outdoor play and Texas history education
  • Costs:
  • Texas Battleship (on a Monday) $10 for one adult and 3 kids
  • San Jacinto Battleship (on a Monday) $13.50 for one adult and 3 kids and another $0.50 / viewer ($1.50 for three kids to have a turn with the binoculars)
  • Parking $1
  • Optional costs - There is a concession stand by the battleship which we did not look at since we took a picnic. There are gift shops at both the battleship and the monument. I did get suckered into buying some really cute sailor hats for the boys ($13/hat), but the boys really looked cute in their sailor hats.