Just to switch things up a little, we've been trying to visit playgrounds lately that are outside our normal beat. This is what led us to Fort Fun in Newport News a few weekends ago. I'd heard great things about the recently renovated (in the last couple of years) playground, which is located in Huntington Park, on the James River. The renovations replaced a wooden structure with one that was designed to reflect the history of the area, with a wooded forest and pirate ship to climb around in.

Besides the 15,000 feet of play space, the park features a small children's pier jutting out into adjacent Lake Biggins. We saw fish jumping and turtles sunning themselves (and several junior fisherman casting their lines out into the freshwater lake).

Huntington Park also features a full-sized fishing pier on the river, a beautiful rose garden, and Vietnam War and Holocaust memorials. And it's home to the only public beach in Newport News, on the banks of the James (read our reviews of area beaches here). It's going to take us more than a few visits to experience everything the park has to offer, so stay tuned.

Things have been a little quiet here lately since the summer has been in full swing, but I'm still posting over at Fun and Free Hampton Roads! Lately I've written about free outdoor music at Mariner's Park in Hampton and also some free movie nights around town. Don't forget to check them out!

 World Cup fever in our house! Neither James and I are soccer fans but Anouk is suddenly all about it. 

A few weeks ago, Anne picked up a horse barn and a dozen plastic horses at a yard sale, and immediately started asking to see some real horses in person. I figured it would be a great opportunity to introduce her to Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton, which was a favorite place of mine when I was a little older than her. Bluebird Gap is kind of a magical place for a little kid -- not only can you see and meet all sorts of barnyard animals but you can, in many cases, get the chance to pet and feed them, too.

We set off on a perfect day and made friends with some very nice chickens, turkeys, goats, fluffy sheep and alpacas, and even a very inquisitive emu or two. Anouk loved seeing the cows grazing and was fascinated by the pigs. And as for horses, we not only got to pet several, but we got to see them being exercised in the yard, which was a treat.




Besides the barnyard, Bluebird Gap features one of the prettiest flower and vegetable gardens in the area, and a really boss playground and an easy, kid-friendly nature trail, too. We spent a good chunk of our Saturday there, checking it all out. It was one of the things I love best about living in this area where I grew up -- sharing places that I loved as a child with A., and seeing her fall in love with them just like I did.

Bluebird Gap is a city park, which means it's FREE and open to the public seven days a week. If you go on a Wednesday morning between 10:30 and 11:30, you just might get the chance to see the sheep being sheared in the livestock barn! Too cool. Find a checklist of things to plan to see/bring to the farm for a wonderful visit here.

 
 These photos were taken last month on our walk around Pleasure House Point Natural Area. At the end of the walk, Anne was flagging a bit but perked up considerably as we spotted a small playground through the trees; it's amazing how quickly a toddler can go from cranky and tired to full of energy and ready to play, I'll never figure it out.

Loch Haven Park is a standard small city park in a relatively quiet residential neighborhood. It's so teeny that it's not on GPS and not listed on the Virginia Beach parks and rec site. There's a well-maintained play structure (with some pretty neat climbing walls), big kid and toddler swings, and picnic shelters. What really makes it stand out is the beautiful scenery, it's neighborhood feel, and it's closeness to Pleasure House Point. When the weather warms up, a nature walk ending with a picnic lunch at Loch Haven would be a great way to spend a day.

Speaking of swings -- last summer, A. was terrified of them. We'd plop her on and she would smile for a moment as we pushed her but then demand to get down as she picked up speed. Now she's fearless on them, and her favorite thing is to have her daddy push her as high as he can. What a big difference a few months can make.

Happy Monday! Get out there and enjoy those extra daylight hours today.

I've been meaning to post about Lakewood Park for a long time now, but haven't because until recently, I never had the opportunity to take photos to go along with it -- every time I would whip my camera out, Anouk would try to strangle herself on the monkey bars or eat a handful of mulch. But with the challenges of Two also come a few added benefits, one being that she is now much more confident and sensible about appropriate park behavior, and I don't have to hover like a hawk like I used to.

So, finally, here is Lakewood Park. It's across the street from a nice library and also around the corner from Naa's Bakery, hooray! After our trip there a few weeks ago, Anne and I met up with our friends for a playdate under the twisted live oaks, to give the kids a chance to run off some sugar. There are some seriously old trees at Lakewood, gnarled and twisted and providing copious amounts of shade, which means that there is always a cool spot to sit, even on hot and humid summer days. Add in a picnic area and some age-appropriate playground equipment and you've got yourself a practically perfect park.

Did you know that Lakewood Park is also home to Norfolk's Dance and Music Center? Anouk has been asking for dance lessons a lot lately, so we're going to look into the Creative Movement classes for toddlers this winter and spring. If you've ever taken a class at Lakewood I would love to know -- or if you have a recommendation for elsewhere in the #HRVA area that offers toddler tap or ballet.

Hope you had a good weekend. Now get out there and enjoy this gorgeous weather before it's gone!

Last year, around Christmas, I posted that Anne was going through a phase in which she was excessively fond of trains. Update, this phase shows no signs of being over anytime soon. At this point, I don't ever expect it to be, I fully believe that one day I'll be driving in the car with 45-year-old Anouk and she will flip out when she hears a train whistle. Mom, a train! Can you see it, Mom? Can you?

Norfolk is a good city for trains (we were stopped by three while we were out driving last week), but sometimes you just have to get a little more up close and personal with one, and when that happens, you visit Portsmouth City Park, to ride the Pokey Smokey II, a miniature red train that chugs around the park on a 3/4-mile loop. The original Pokey Smokey began operating in 1964, but closed in 2005 due to safety concerns. The track was fixed, a new train was commissioned, and the second Pokey Smokey was put back in service in 2011 (and parents everywhere rejoiced).


Anouk loved riding on the train, especially the little stretch of the track that creeps along by the Elizabeth River and waving like crazy at the kids playing on the playground, adjacent. And there were a lot of them this sunny Saturday afternoon. The Portsmouth City Park is really a stellar park, with incredibly well-kept playground equipment, lots of shady trees to relax under, a snack bar, a friendship garden, and even a golf course with a driving range and putting green.
Did you know there's a word for love of trains and rail travel? There is: siderodromophilia. I am raising a siderodromophiliac child, how about you?

One evening a few weeks ago, we went for an after-dinner walk in the Miyazaki Japanese Garden at Red Wing Park in Virginia Beach. Red Wing Park has several beautiful gardens, but the Miyazaki Garden is our favorite. No matter how hot the day has been, it's always cool there, and no matter how gloomy the skies might be, there are always a few sun-dappled spots to explore.

The garden was planted in honor of Miyazaki, Japan, which is Virginia Beach's sister city. (Side note: I love the concept of sister cities -- Norfolk has several, which you can read about here.) The Miyazaki Garden is a wonderful mix of Japanese plants that fit perfectly with the native Virginia foliage in a way that encapsulates the spirit of both places and feels both familiar and unfamiliar at once. In the spring, they feature the area's best show of cherry blossoms, which we appreciate, since we were big fans of the ones in DC when we lived there.  




Anne had a great time running out some pre-bedtime energy on the garden's shady paths and setting up elaborate Barbie doll panoramas in the azumaya (Japanese-inspired outbuilding). She also tried to take home several of the smooth white rocks from the rock garden to add to her collections. Is there anything more attractive to toddlers than a pile of rocks? If there is, I don't think I've found it.


Happy 4th of July! Hope that everyone has a safe and festive holiday. See you back here on Monday. 

I'm blogging about our afternoon at the Norview Community Center Splash Pad over at My Active Child today! So fun. We brought a bunch of kids ranging from 1 to 13, and everybody had a great time.

What are your favorite spraygrounds in the area? Let us know, we're building a list.

Halfway through the week! Be sure to do something nice for yourself today, to celebrate.

At long last, spring is beginning to spring in earnest, and Anouk and I are saying a temporary goodbye to some of our favorite indoor play spaces in favor of some old -- and new -- outdoor ones. Our goal for the warmer months this year is to try to hit up a new park at least once a week (hopefully we can make this happen). We started our new project with Deer Park, in Newport News, over the weekend.

Deer Park is special for a few reasons. It's located adjacent to the Peninsula museum complex, which makes it a nice place to have lunch/run off a little steam after a morning of museum-going. There are walking trails that wind throughout wetlands and flower gardens (the azalea garden was just beginning to bud the day we went), a picnic area large enough to accomodate big groups, and plenty of waterfront access to Deer Park Lake. A. had a blast poking around in the mossy water with a big stick, and waving to a few ducks and to one beautiful blue heron who was sunning himself (herself?) on the opposite shore. It's the same view you'll get from the Virginia Living Museum, on the other side of the lake, only at 0% of the cost.

But the truly exceptional thing about Deer Park is the playground, which is a Boundless playground, meaning it was specially designed so that children with and without disabilities can play together. Many of the swings feature harnesses and neck supports, the rubber-and-mulch surfacing allows wheelchairs to roll easily over the ground, and each of the large play structures has ramps and wide openings to allow children who might need help getting around to access them. It reminded me a lot of Clemyjontri Park, which we visited frequently when we lived in the DC area, and loved.

We didn't have very long to spend at the park the day we visited, but in the short time we were there, A. did manage to tire herself out enough for an extended nap time, and we both got a ton of much-needed sun and fresh air.


Look at all that light! Have I mentioned that we love Daylight Savings Time?