Pullen Park: A Revisit with TRAKID.

Whenever we are in Raleigh, we always stop at Pullen Park. It is actually the fifth oldest amusement park in the country and the 16th in the world, but you wouldn't know it from the latest technology they are using. TRAKID, an exploring quest for kids now has a kiosk inside the park, which drew us in because of the train theme. Once you download the app, each kid receives a band which serves as a both a light up compass to clue locations and uses sounds and vibrations to let kids know where to go. In our specific quest, we hunted down seven trail pieces within the park to become Junior Engineers. 

TRAKID is designed to allow parents the opportunity to control the experience. For example, you can give "bathroom points" at any time to encourage your kids to go, or skip points which might be too far. The quests are different at each location. Currently they are at Pullen Park and the Tampa Zoo , but they are expanding to other zoos and theme parks nationwide in 2022. 

I love that these bands encourage exercise, exploration, and throw in science and problem solving skills by using a compass and following clues. If you're down in Raleigh, be sure to check them out! 

A Morning in Durham

Although we have spent a lot of time in the triangle, the only thing we had been to in Durham was the Science Museum. On this trip, we decided to check out the Farmer's Market because it is next to a playground and kid's nature area. An added plus that I had forgotten all about is the Chirba Chirba food truck, which I had seen on Food Network's Great Food Truck Race! After buying the most delicious Greek raviolis, getting our dumpling fix, and playing, we left the market and headed a few minutes away to the Duke Gardens. 

The gardens are free, although parking is not, and it's open 365 days a year from 8 am until dusk. Sprawling across 55 acres, this isn't a place you can get through in a day. The garden began with a dream in the 1930's by Duke professor Dr. Hanes who hated walking by the trash filled ravines on his way to the school. Dr. Hanes persuaded his friend, Sarah P. Duke, to give $20,000 to finance the garden and by 1935 more than 100 flower beds had been installed. Now, there are four distinct areas: the Historic Garden, Garden of Native Plants, the Asiatic Arboretum, and the Duke Center Gardens. In the five miles of pathways there are so many cut throughs and side paths that we actually got lost on our way to the chickens in the Discovery part of the gardens. We walked through several Asian inspired exhibits and even found small waterfalls. There is lots of shade and seating areas, but be sure to stop by the visitor's center before heading in. There you'll get a map as well as some activities for kids to do on their trip. 

4 Reasons to Take Your Kids Berry Picking

We visit the Raleigh area often, since my childhood best friend (literally since 6 months old!) lives there. We love the Children's Museum, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, and Pullen Park in Raleigh, and we love the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science in Durham. Also right over the line in Durham is Tailgate Farm. The family farm began in 2016 and is currently open for both blueberry and blackberry picking, fresh cut flowers, and Instagram worthy photos in front of their sunflower field. 

Picking fruits and vegetables is a great activity for kids and adults. Grab a basket and find your local farm, here's why.

01. They are low enough to the ground for little ones to be able to see and reach everything. 

02. It allows kids to see the growing process of food along with the bees and pollinators. 

03. While they pick berries to fill their basket, they are doing more than just using up energy; they  are also feeling a sense of accomplishment as their basket fills. 

04. Lastly, kids are more likely to try new recipes when they pick the food themselves. We had blueberry pancakes for breakfast, which my kids normally wouldn't have touched- a true score in my book. 

Strawberries are ripe for picking in Spring, and blueberries and blackberries in Summer. Get out and spend a morning picking, you'll have fresh fruit for dinner. 

North Carolina Museum of Life and Science: Durham

Raleigh is one of our favorite places to visit and, since our usual summer trip was cancelled (thanks Covid), we took advantage of some time off to drive to the area for a day. Right outside of Raleigh is the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science. Covering 84 acres, the museum is part of the reciprocity program for the Children's Museum of Virginia. 

We started off inside with the plan to return to their really cool science and math indoor play area before leaving. (It never happened; there was so much to do outside that we didn't even hit it all out there.) Outside we hopped aboard their train before cruising the dinosaur path and then seeing bears, wolves, and lemurs. We explored the farm, produced music with their many outdoor instruments, and finally ended up at the Hideaway playground, which was a huge hit. With both a big kid and a fenced in toddler section, the playground is hidden among the trees in the woods. Hammocks, sitting areas, a creek, and and tables sat all around the grounds for parents to lounge on while kids played. We could have stayed here all day. 

Although we wanted to, the museum was so large that we didn't see half of it, so a return trip is in order. In addition to the exhibits that we didn't see, in the summer there are waterfalls to romp in and misting play areas to run through. As we were leaving, RT declared that he would like to come back "one hundred times!" 

Check out other posts on Raleigh's Children's Museum, Pullen Park, and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science. 

Far Away Friday: Raleigh Part 3

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Science is located in downtown Raleigh and is free! It's huge, with four floors in each of its two buildings. We went because we wanted to let R see the dinosaurs, but turns out- he is scared of them! Of course, Jessica and I putting our heads in the mouth of one of them probably didn't help. You live, you learn.

The big hits were the living collections, which include lots of fish, arthropods, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians,  and a huge walk in butterfly exhibit which also had a two toed sloth. I'd recommend hitting the sloth and butterflies around snack time so you see the sloth coming down.

 

This is one of those museums that you could spend days at and not see everything. There are more exhibits tucked into back corners and down hallways and corridors. We looked more at the Nature Exploration Center and less in the Research Center because we thought it would be better for R, but I look forward to checking out the other side too.

I'd say if you hit anywhere in the museum, be sure to check out the Discovery Room, which is perfect for toddlers. In this room there are boxes that adults can pull out to explore with their kids. We picked the Hungry, Hungry, Caterpillar which had the book, some replica butterflies, a memory game, and several other little odds and ends. There were also puzzles, blocks, and several hands on science items for toddlers. The room opens at one to the public, but has morning programing. Each Tuesday there is a drop in class Nature Playscape and on Thursdays they offer Nature Stories. Check the website for the venue for each.

This museum is a lot like the one in DC in the content that they offer, but unlike that one, there was NO line to get in, and it wasn't overly crowded. One reason I don't like the museums in DC is that it's so packed you have to fight to see things. I wouldn't feel safe letting R walk around there either. But here I felt totally fine! We ate lunch at the cafe before coming in and everyone enjoyed their food. Add this to your list if you're in the area!

This is part three of our trip to Raleigh. Check out parts one and two! 

As always, if you're interested in writing a Far Away Friday, please contact me!