Free demos with Music Together of Hampton Roads

I posted about Music Together of Hampton Roads several years ago on our first visit, and I'm so excited to share that they are offering several free demo classes this week. The Music Together program dates back to 1987 and has spread all over the world. Locally, classes are held in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Chesapeake, and virtually on Zoom. There are both indoor and outdoor classes available. 

Classes are family style and range from birth to age four. Children will explore different instruments, shake their hands, wiggle, and shake their bodies. Classes last nine weeks during fall, winter, and spring, and six weeks during the summer. Each class is 45 minutes. Check out one of the free demos happening this week! Please sign up online to reserve your spot and instruments! 

Demo options: 

• Tuesday, March 22nd, 10:00-10:45: Outdoor Class - Larchmont United Methodist Church, Norfolk. Meet in the side yard. 
• Wednesday, March 23rd, Outdoor Class - Chesapeake City Park, Chesapeake. Meet in the shelter by the Fun Forrest. 
• Thursday, March 24th 10:00-10:45 Indoor Class - RPM Dance, Suffolk 
• Friday, March 25th, 10:30-11:15 Outdoor Class - Wycliffe Presbyterian Church, Virginia Beach, meet on the front lawn. 
  

Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum

Downtown Suffolk's Seaboard Station Museum is a free must stop for train lovers. The museum is small but has displays of railroad memorabilia and exhibits. The two room station itself was built in 1885 and has remained pretty much the same since. The building has a winding staircase up to a tower with a great view of downtown. There is a caboose outside and trains run by the museum regularly. While we were there a diesel engine was starting up. 

The museum is open daily from 10-5, with a closure from 12-1. Admission is free, but groups of over 10 should make a tour reservation. Strollers are not allowed inside the museum. We spent about 45 minutes in the museum between the the museum and the cars outside. The museum is located at 326 N. Main St., Suffolk, VA 23434. As a note, the Brighter Day Cafe' is close to the museum and has $.98 ice cream cones!

Zumba Kids

When Covid stopped Morgan from teaching her regular YMCA Zumba classes, she knew she needed to do something different. Turning to Zoom, she started teaching her regular Zumba class, but knew that kids needed something to keep them up and moving. So after recently getting her Zumba Kids certification, she started up the classes. The response has been so overwhelming that she knows she can't stop even once isolation is over.

Zumba is an umbrella of classes directed at different ages and abilities. You might remember we did a post awhile back on Zumbini, which is for babies. Zumba Kids is for children ages 3-6, Zumba is for adults, and Zumba Gold is for seniors.  
Morgan was actually introduced to Zumba when she took a class with her mom, who promptly signed her up to get her license. (Us mamas are like that!) It began as an extra hobby, but she fell in love with the fact that it combined fitness, dance, and absolute joy in one workout. The kids in her Zoom classes have clung to that joy too and they have an infectious energy that allows everyone to have a blast, even from their living rooms. The choreography is super simple and introduces moves that might be seen in adult classes, but broken down at a lower level.

I met Morgan for the first time when, without knowing me or anything about me, she volunteered at our Team Hurwitz for Pancreatic Cancer Research Zumbathon. I love how she radiates light and love, and these classes are no exception. Find her youtube channel here to get sweating for you and join her Facebook Group here to find her classes for both adults and kids.  Thanks Morgan!

Tidewater Holiday Experience Guide

I know, I know. Every kid loves getting gifts on the holidays, and moms dream of the moment when their kid sees a mountain of wrapped gifts. This mama is tired though. Tired of cleaning up toys. Tired of stepping on toys. Tired of throwing toys away. For the last two years we have been asking for gift cards and experiences over toys and yet somehow my boys are not deprived.

We have been lucky enough to have been gifted a zoo membership from my mom and aunt who get together for their birthdays. That membership alone has given us the ability to participate in all that they offer plus their swaps. My cousin gave us a Children's Museum membership and we have used the reciprocity program in so many places to get in for free. Memberships are the way to go if you can swing it or if you can get a group to go in on them together.

Here's my list of top experiences for our area:

• Jump Giftcard 
• Funville Passes- $12.00 per kid per visit, $5.00 for toddler only area
• Skinny Dip/ Cold Stone / Rita's Giftcard
• Zoo passes or membership
• Aquarium passes or membership
• Cinema Cafe movie tickets
• Botanical Gardens day pass
• Busch Gardens membership 
• Chuck-E-Cheese/Dave and Busters/ Gameworks card
• Hunt Club Farm pass or membership 
• Kroc Center Passes ($12.00 per person for day pass)
• Ocean Breeze daily or season pass 
• Katie's Kickers Gift card for lessons
• Bowling prepaid games 
• A month at The Little Gym (they have Black Friday sales!)
• Hike-it-Baby Membership (only ten bucks!)
• Cookie Cutters Giftcard- they have a prepaid card where you get one free 
• Tickets to Ride the Tide (RT LOVES this. Neil takes him regularly. Kids are free, so only adults need a ticket.)
• Highlights magazine subscription
• A trip to Build a Bear
• Trip to Charles Dickens Christmastowne (open till New Years Eve)
• Trip to Great Wolf Lodge (check groupon!)
• Passes to The Pink Roller (new location since our post)

Here is a more extensive, more general Hampton Roads list for all toddlers, not so focused on our personal likes and here is a birthday list with experience ideas too. Check these places on Black Friday for deals! 

YMCA Splash Pads

This month's Virginia Zoo swap is with the YMCA. Locally the YMCA has 22 locations and 3 camps. Each location is a little different, but your membership can get you into any of them. Here's the ones best for kids based on readers' reviews!

Taylor Bend YMCA: Indoor and outdoor pools with an outdoor splash park.

Mount Trashmore: This location has both indoor and outdoor pools, an outdoor splash park, an infant wading pool, and a sauna. There is a playground too.

Suffolk Family YMCA: Both indoor and outdoor pools, an outdoor splash park, and a sauna.

Princess Anne: An indoor pool plus an outdoor 50 meter lap pool. Indoor water track and a splash park. The indoor pool also has two slides.

Great Bridge/Hickory: Indoor pool with a slide. Outdoor pool with an infant wading pool, splash park, and slides.

Greenbrier: Indoor pool, outdoor pool with infant wading pool and splash park.

The following YMCA's have pools:

• Albemarle
• Blocker 
• Currituck
• Eastern Shore
• Effingham (outdoor only)
• Great Bridge
• Greenbrier
• Hilltop
• Indian River
• James L Camp
• Mt. Trashmore
• Outer Banks
• Princess Anne
• Suffolk
• Taylor Bend
• The Y on Granby (outdoor only) 

We were members of the YMCA when I was younger and I loved going with my dad every Sunday. I would hang in the Stay n Play while he worked out and once I got old enough, I would bring a friend and we would head to the pool. I like having the extra eyes of a lifeguard and the splash pads and wading pools that are springing up are great for little kids. We plan to use this swap to get in several more pool days before summer ends.

Michaels: Camp Creativity

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays kids ages 3 and up can now participate in Camp Creativity at Michaels stores across Tidewater. Each thirty minute session is only three dollars and follows a theme with a different craft each day.

Check them out before summer ends:

• July 15, 17, 19- Word Explorers
• July 22, 24, 26- Sea Treasures 

Although they say to pre-register online, we had no problems getting in. The sessions technically run from 10-12 but ours was a "come and go" type thing. If your child is independent enough, you can drop them off to do a craft while you walk around the store or you can stay and work with them. Good to know for mamas with little ones- Michaels does have a changing table located inside of the women's bathroom in the handicapped stall. Now if someone could just answer for me, why it seems like everyone always has to go at once?!

By the way, did you know that Michaels does birthday parties for kids 4 and up? They are $120 (ten more for each addition guest) and includes invitations, thank you notes, craft supplies, a drawstring bag for the birthday kid, and the use of their classroom and one team member. They have different themes including unicorns, llamas, emojis, slime, under the sea, robots, monsters, and more. 

Bennett's Creek Park

The storm may be coming, but we had to get out of the house! So we headed to Bennett's Creek Park. The 57 acre park has three boat ramps, covered shelters, disc golf, a stake park, tennis courts, restrooms and a nature trail. The trail is 1.5 miles and has been known to be visited by songbirds, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals. On the larger playground there was this climbing feature that R loved. It scared the heck out of me, but he loved climbing up it.

We stayed on the playgrounds. There were a few families there playing and it was a warm day. The playground is made up of three sections. Two playgrounds, one for older kids, and one for younger kiddos. The third part is made up of swings, both baby swings and regular ones.

The clouds came rolling in, and we could feel the rain on its way, so we left abruptly and had one last stop to make... Coldstone! When in doubt, have ice cream! 

A Taste of Suffolk

The taste of Suffolk festival is a yearly event in downtown Suffolk where they line the streets with tastes of local restaurants. For the twelfth year Main Street was blocked off from Finney Avenue to Washington Street. This year there were representations from twenty local places, tons of vendors, live music, a car show, and lots of things for kids to do.

We found free parking a block away and followed the flow of people. Childrens' activities included puppet making, bubble art, story time, carnival style games, and several bounce houses. There were two stages with music, one with a band and another with a DJ.

Along the street were lots of stations with local eateries. We tried snow cones, strawberry wontons and cheese curds among other things. Our favorite stand (with the cheese curds) had several kinds of sauces and toppings. They were handing out samples of tater tots that were delish too. There was also a beer garden with several local craft brews. 

We had fun, and it introduced us to several new places. I also liked the area a lot, and I'd love to come back sometime when we can poke around some of the stores. 

North Suffolk Library

Neil works out in Suffolk, so I knew I wanted to spend a little time there this summer so that we could meet him for lunch. I checked into the North library, which is the closest to where he works and found that they have several classes. All of the classes at the Suffolk libraries are free and open to the public to attend, as listed below. Check out one of their many activities if you're in the area!

• Itsy Bitsy Babies- Tuesdays, 9:30-10:00 
• Toddler Time- Tuesday & Wednesdays, 10:15-10:45 (This is what we went to!)
• Growing Up Kindergarten- Tuesdays 11:00-11:45 (registration required)
• Tiny Tots- Wednesdays 9:30-10:00
• Story Time and Play- Wednesdays, 11:00-11:45

The library itself has a children's section with a train table, checkers, toys, and large connect four games. The class focused on rhymes, numbers, and letter recognition. There was a weekly at home reading strategy for parents, which I love as a teacher. Our favorite part of the class was the very end. The instructor had a bubble machine and the kids had a bubble dance party. R was all about it.

The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is an early literacy program where children from birth to kindergarten are challenged to read 1,000 book before starting kindergarten. The goal is to spark a love of reading. Everyone can register at suffolkpubliclibrary.com/1000books. Books are logged and kids earn digital badges. 

Monday Fundays: For 0-5 years old

Storybook Yoga: July 9, North Suffolk Library  Ages 3+

Picture Book Putt Putt: July 16 Morgan Memorial Library,  and 23 North Suffolk Library

Shake Your Sillies Out: July 30, Morgan Memorial Library, Aug 6 North Suffolk Library

The library also has organized Family Fridays to get the whole family outside this summer. Each Friday the library system hosts a free event from 10:00-11:30. 

• July 13th- What's Found Underground: Lake Meade Park, Fairfield foundation with hands on artifacts.
• July 13th- Tornado Bait Band: Bennett's Creek Park- Live music from a local Suffolk band 
• July 20th- Rocket Launch- Lake Meade Park: Blast off with all girls STEM society through building rockets 
• July 20th- Bubble Party: North Suffolk Library
• July 27th-Rocket Launch: North Suffolk Library- Blast off with all girls STEM society through building rockets 
• July 27th: Lake Meade Park- Tornado Bait Band: Live music from a local Suffolk band