Monster Jam

Monster Jam has returned to the Hampton Coliseum, for unscripted motosports with 12,000 pound trucks.  This competition has races in speed and skill which let the audience vote for their favorites. 

Thanks to our current tropical storm, Saturday's 1 pm show will now be Monday at 6:30. Saturday's 7 pm show will be Sunday at 6:30. The Pit Party will now be Monday at 4 pm. The Pit Party includes a sand box, temporary tattoos, photo ops, remote control cars, and inflatables. 

We were lucky enough to sit with the family of the driver of Stone Crusher, who walked us through a lot of the ins and outs of the competition. What I didn't know is that these shows have a mix of local drivers who compete with ones on the circuit. Local favorites Stone Crusher from Virginia Beach and Grave Digger from OBX were both at our show, with Grave Digger taking the overall win for the night. 

Dynamic Duo's Activity Center

Located on the second floor inside Greenbrier Mall, Dynamic Duo's Activity Center has several offerings for parents. A daily play pass costs $15.00, or parents can select the three hour stay and play option for $25. They also offer a homeschool package, mall employee packages, and group rates of ten or more. If parents need after school care or birthday parties, this is also available. 

Owner Kenya is a former teacher of 20 years in early childhood development and a mom. She leads the toddler early learning and preschool classes which focus on primary skills, hands on learning time, and play to encourage social emotional learning. All classes include a snack and a drink. 

Located inside is a trampoline, basketball game, air hockey, play kitchen, climbing options, ride on cars, fine motor items, building materials and more. Head over to the mall and check it out! 

Peninsula SPCA Barnyard

Located in Newport News, the Peninsula SPCA Barnyard is a great take to place kids to feed goats, chickens, llamas, and donkeys. Admission to the barnyard is only $3.00 for ages 4 and up. The food cups are $1.00. 

The barnyard is open year round, but will close for weather. It's best to call before visiting to ensure they are open. Their hours are Monday through Saturday from 11:00-5:00. 

The barnyard also hosts birthday parties. The area is fenced in and there are ten tables, electrical outlets, fans, and a freezer. It's a great way to support the Peninsula SPCA. 

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Using Reciprocity from Local Museums

One of the things that I love most about having memberships to local museums is the reciprocity benefits that they offer. In my opinion, if you travel at all, it is worth it to get the next level up for these perks. A note I should include is that many of these programs do have restrictions, such as being able to use them only outside of a 90 mile radius, so it is smart to call ahead. 

Nauticus/ The Children's Museum of Virginia/ The Virginia Living Museum/ The Air and Space Science Center: 

Become a member of any of these and join the ASTC program with over 360 participating science museums. For this one, you must be 90 miles outside of Nauticus AND 90 miles away from your home, as the crow flies. You will need your ID and your membership card. A note: All Nauticus memberships include this, but at other museums, like the Children's Museum, you'll need the higher level membership. 

Some favorites that you can use this include the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Marbles Children's Museum in Raleigh, and the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. It's a little further away, but we have also used it at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. Although we haven't been yet, the Children's Science Center in Fairfax, the Science Museum of Western Virginia in Roanoke, the Virginia Discovery Museum, the Virginia Museum of Natural History, and Port Discovery in Elizabeth City are all included in this also. 

The Children's Museum of Virginia: 

If you're a member of the Children's Museum and you are level Stargazer or above, in addition to the ASTC program listed above, you'll have access to NARM, the North American Reciprocal Museum Association. Use this in Richmond at The American Civil War Museum, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Maymont, and the Wilton House Museum or at several other museums across Virginia and more. These feature a lot of history and art museums. You'll also join the American Children's Museum Reciprocal Network. We have used this to get into Port Discovery in Baltimore and the Richmond Children's Museums for half price. 

The Virginia Zoo/ Virginia Aquarium/ The Living Museum:  

Both our zoo and aquarium are members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. If you are a member of one, you can get in the other for half off. Also use this at the Baltimore zoo and several zoos and aquariums in North Carolina including the OBX Aquarium.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens: 

Our gardens are part of the American Horticultural Society, with over 300 other gardens. Use this at Maymont and Lewis Ginter in Richmond as well as several other gardens across the US for free admission. 

We love these programs because they allow us to visit places while out of town. Check your memberships before you travel. You may find something new! 

Casemate Museum

Located on Fort Monroe, the Casemate Museum details the military history of the fort. Fort Monroe, also called Freedom Fort for its role in the Civil War, is the oldest defensive fort in the United States. Its construction began in 1609, and the museum shares more than 400 years of history. The brick casemates held both weapons and prisoners, the most famous being Chief Black Hawk and Jefferson Davis. 

The museum is free to visit and is open Wednesday through Saturday 10-4. Tickets are required and can be picked up at the nearby Visitor Center. There is free parking in front of the center. From there you'll walk across a foot bridge, over the moat, and into the museum. We spent about 35 minutes in the museum. Afterward, walk around the fort itself and up to the pet cemetery.