Editor Reviews

Surviving Schlitterbahn South Padre With 3 Little Kids!

BY: Karen Logan

alt Can a family of 5, including 3 novice swimmers under the age of 6, survive a day at the waterpark and live to tell the tale? Schlitterbahn South Padre offered me a chance to find out, and to that I say, "Challenge accepted!"

This is the first summer my kids have taken proper swim lessons. I have a 5 year old son who can newly swim fairly independently and 3 year old twins who are comfortable in the water but not confident or independent swimmers. Were we crazy thinking we could tackle a day at the waterpark? We were pleasantly surprised and I'm ready to share my tips for having a memorable experience for the entire family!

Editor's Review: The Woodlands Resort - A Phenomenal Summer Staycation!

BY: Karen Logan

WOW! I had no idea I would LOVE my overnight stay at The Woodalnds Resort and Conference Center as much as I did! Oh boy! I mean, I’ve always known it’s a nice resort from what I’ve seen of photos plus from my occasional business stops to the front / lobby area. And I’d always heard (and have even promoted on WoodlandsMommy.com) that the crowning glory of the resort is the pool area, but let’s face it, we live in the land of milk and honey. In The Woodlands, lushly landscaped properties, upscale amenities, and gorgeous swimming holes (including a lazy river at Rob Fleming) abound! Would it really be worth my while to drive a couple of minutes to the resort for more of the same?

Ready, Set, Go! Go-Kart Raceway a perfect 9th Birthday Celebration!

BY: Karen Logan

It’s party time! We ventured beyond The Woodlands to find something exciting and different for my second daughter’s 9^th birthday last month. Go-Kart Raceway on W. Mount Houston Rd was a hit! In the past, we’ve enjoyed go-karts indoors before, but there’s nothing like driving a fast cart in the cool, open air. We loved it!

Okay, so maybe this isn’t the ideal area to hang out in with 4 kids, but we felt very safe here.

Editor's Review - Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park

BY: Karen Logan

If you’re on the hunt for something extraordinary, check out Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park located in Spring! We found ourselves celebrating my 7-year-old’s birthday here, and I was blown away with all the excitement they had in store for us! Of course, there were the wall-to-wall trampolines and a trampoline “runway” – similar to some other trampoline parks and with similar rules. But Urban Air is so much more than JUST a trampoline park.

Fun & Free Programs at the Tomball Library

BY: Karen Logan

For a change of scenery we sometimes pop in for Toddler Time at the Tomball Community College and Library, and boy is it a treat! It’s about a 22-minute drive there from the Creekside Park area, but once you get there, you’re golden!

Toddler Time takes place Tuesdays at 10:30am and Wednesdays at 9:30am, and it features a member of the library staff reading age-appropriate books (usually there’s a special “theme” for the week), songs & fingerplays, parachute playtime, and a simple craft (great for building fine motor skills). The kids even get to play with egg shakers during some of the songs. After the “formalities”, the staff member pulls down bins of fun toys (toy trucks, play food, animals, and musical instruments), and independent playtime begins! This ends up being fun social time for kids plus a great opportunity for them to learn to share toys and play well with others. Sometimes, Toddler Time includes BUBBLES!

Tiff's Treats - Cookie Delivery in The Woodlands ROCKS!

BY: Karen Logan

Sorry Amazon.com, you’ve just been outdone! I mean, as much as I look forward to those beautiful brown boxes arriving at my front doorstep all too frequently, the experience has nothing on the treat I received at my home yesterday evening. It all started with a very pleasant phone call from Tiff’s Treats customer service. Someone was sending me warm, freshly-baked cookies, and they wanted to find out the best time to have them delivered.

Just to be clear, there’s no bad time to have warm cookies delivered, so I cancelled my 6-year-old’s tumbling class that was scheduled for the evening. Then, I immediately put on my pajamas, (although it was only 4’o clock in the evening). You see, I’m a cookie-eating connoisseur, and if there’s any way you can eat your cookies at home in your PJ’s, you seize the opportunity. If it happens to be raining outside as it was yesterday evening, all the better!

Gorilla Hole at The Woodlands Rec Center

Ever since my boys were little and I'd scour the calendars for fun stuff for us to do, I'd come across the "Gorilla Hole" for tweens at The Woodlands Rec Center and wonder what it was all about!

This past fall my oldest son began 5th grade and was "eligible" to go try it out. He rounded up a few of his friends, excited about a chance to be out on the town at night without his parents hovering over him, and headed to check it out. He had a great time and we felt confident leaving him there for a few hours of social fun!

Gorilla Hole is for 5th and 6th graders and is held the first Friday of each month from 7-9:45. After paying their $7 entry fee, parents sign their kids in with an adult supervisor, they get a wristband and off they go! The kids spend time playing organized and unorganized games of basketball, dodge ball and dancing to fun music and just hanging out. Snacks and drinks are provided for a few dollars extra.

If you have a 5th or 6th grader who's looking for a little independent-supervised fun, try out the Gorilla Hole. Our review: two thumbs up from a few 11 year old boys and their moms!

Eat More Kale (and Broccolini) - Chick-fil-A's Superfood Side salad is dressed to impress!

BY: Karen Logan

Have you tried the new superfood side at Chick-fil-A? I did, and I'm happy to say it's now my new favorite fast food menu side item. No, I’m not kidding. You see, for the past 4 years I've been a Chick-fil-A black card holder - meaning I can flash my VIP card at any local CFA and get an entrée or entire meal for absolutely free, every day that Chick-fil-A is open, for the entire year. So indeed, I've had my share of chicken sandwiches, bowls of tortilla soup, nuggets, and waffle fries. Not that I plan to stop ordering these items anytime soon. And I should note, that I often use my card to get a free Grilled Market salad, and those are super healthy and quite delicious as well. But the new superfood salad is a welcome addition to my palate. It’s light and cool, fresh, flavored just right, and it actually leaves me wanting more. The greens are tender and bite-sized, topped with dried sour cherries and roasted nuts (almonds, pecans, and walnuts) and paired with a delicious maple vinaigrette that really kicks up the salad’s flavor.

Safari Stop Rules The Day!

BY: Karen Logan

alt One of the best values for kids in The Woodlands is the indoor playground Safari Stop, located at The Woodlands United Methodist Church on Lake Woodlands Dr. When the weather is too hot, too cold, too rainy, or too mosquito-y, Safari Stop is a perfect alternative for keeping little ones in your life active, smiling, and having a grand time.

The Details

Admission is FREE, and Safari Stop is open Monday through Friday from 12pm - 8pm, Saturday 10am - 6pm and Sunday 12pm - 6pm.
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No food or drinks are allowed (and the place is kept quite clean as a result!). Kids are expected to take off their shoes to play, and there are shoe bins to accommodate 40 pairs of shoes.

The sign on the door says "Designed for Children Ages 5-9," but we've been enjoying the playground since my oldest was 2 years old. If you child likes to creep, climb, slide, hide, or imagine, this place easily fits the bill. The playground is unmanned and open to the public, is located in a glassed-in room with heavy-enough doors, and all children must be supervised by their caregiver at all times. (No sneaking off to the café next door).

alt Tot Spot

Off to the side is a smaller area for the littlest ones, including crawlers. To climb on, there's a colorful plastic hippo and a crocodile. Additionally, there's open space for toddlers to toddle (or for babies to crawl). In the past, we've even laid out a small blanket and pulled out our own baby toys to enjoy while there.

"Big" Kids Area

My one-year-old goes back-and-forth from the "tot" area to the "big kids" area. The bigger kids area is a grand jungle gym - with a rock wall, 2 curvy adventure slides, and plenty of ropes, high tunnel spaces, and look-outs. Safari Stop isn't huge, but it really is a good 2 hours of fun!
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Sitting Area

We know our readers LOVE to interact with their kids at playgrounds, but should you ever feel like sitting on the sidelines, the playground features ample seating for adults.

Unique Features

Perhaps the most astounding feature about Safari Stop is its colorful wall murals - beautiful elephants, giraffes, zebras, gorillas, butterflies - it's a true safari, and the youngest ones take great pleasure in looking at and identifying the different animals.

How to Find Safari Stop

The Woodlands United Methodist Church is a huge complex and we want to make it easy for first-time visitors to find Safari Stop. The best entrance is on Lake Front Circle. Park at the north end of the building at the entrance to the preschool, across from separate The Woodlands Methodist School. Look for the playgrounds to your left of the entrance doors and crape myrtles at the porte-cochère. Enter the building and Safari Stop is on your left. Restrooms are further down the hall to your right and a great fish tank is at the preschool lobby a little further to your left.
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The Woodlands United Methodist Church
2200 Lake Woodlands Drive, 77380
281.297.5900

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Topgolf KidZone Summer Academy a Win-Win

BY: Karen Logan

We've partnered with Topgolf and were compensated for this post. Opinions are our own!

I decided to wear green because we were feeling super lucky for the opportunity to host an intimate Mom's Day and Kids Summer Academy event at Topgolf Spring. This time, there were 12 of us mommies and about 15 kiddos, and we had a chance to preview the KidZone Summer Academy. What fun! First of all, you should know that next week is the very last week to take advantage of the Summer Academy for this year, but it’ll return in full force at the beginning of next summer’s break. The Academy takes place Monday – Friday from 9am – 12pm, is for children ages 6-12, and they even feed the kids lunch. So, if you need to rip and run and get last minute school supplies handled next week, Topgolf is a great option for a unique experience for the kiddos. They’ll be well taken care of with a low student-to-teacher ratio of 1-6! Win-win!

Our Summer Academy Preview event was similar to last month’s Ladies’ Happy Hour.