My adorable, charming, intelligent, wonderful two and a half year old grandson
is coming to visit this month.  Not the weather to spend much time in our
lovely ann arbor parks, so I would welcome any ideas anyone could offer of
places we could go with him to keep us all amused.  Friends has suggested
the Toledo Zoo, Hands On Museum, A Train Ride from here to Dearborn and
back (that's not so odd when you know he is obsessed with trains).  Someone
mentioned a museum in town with Dinosaurs.  Anyone know where that is?

18 responses total.

You didn't say how long he was going to stay, but I know the library
has storytelling now and then.

The natural History Museum has dinosaurs.

 (Well, former dinosaurs.)

Story hours at the main branch are Tu and Wed at 9:45 (I think). Don't know
if you have to call ahead.  There are 2 MacDeathburgers with indoor play areas:
one on Washtenaw in Ypsi near 




(oops, sorry. Wrong button) near Kroger and one on Zeeb near the highway 
(between Liberty and Dexter roads).  They have "kids' night on Tues.  The one
on Zeeb has a grandmotherly manager.  

When Timothy was 2 1/2, he was into anything with "station" in the name, making
5th AV quite a destination: fire station, police stn., bus stn., as well as
library and museum.  We also used to go down to the AA airport, sit in the car
and watch planes take off and land.  When the weather was good we'd talk to
pilots working in hangars.  Sometimes they'd let him help push a plane back
into its hangar or sit in the cockpit.

Generations toy store on Main is having activities on Sundays, usually 1-3:PM.

What a great idea kami. . taking him to visit the fire station.  About the
airport idea.  We have taken him to Metro nd parked under the jet runway and
747's have flown twenty feet over our heads.  (I was terrified, he loved it.) 
People go out there in the early evening and park their cars and watch the
planes for entertainment.  Dan, he will be in for a very short week towards the
end of February.  The story hour at the library is great, if I can get my
daughter and grandson up in time.  The problem with Mac Donalds idea is that I
couldnt bear to feed him anything from a MacDonalds.  I never feed either opf
mykids MacDonalds stuff and I feel the same way about my grandson.  I know, I'm
a food snob :-).

never thought I'd stoop so low, either.  Actually, they've cleaned up their
act a whole lot; no more sugar or msg in the fries, and make-your-own kids'
meals with corn or apple sauce as options.  Nothing but apples in the sauce,
either.  Remember- what happens at grandma's house is an exception. It doesn't
set precedent unless mom and dad let it.

If she didn't let it happen when she was Mom, I doubt that it's the
precedent she's worried about now.

You're probably right davel, but the indoor playground could be tempting,
especially if I can buy him food that has some redeeming features like
applesauce or non-adulterated salad.  What am I saying. . .he's 2 1/2,
he'll probably never eat salad.

I think I recall that their bran muffins aren't too bad, & may be more
acceptable to a kid.

You can get perfectly good milk and orange juice at McD's.

I knew someone would help me find an acceptable rationalization (8-). (That's
my new smiley face.)  

It's a little late now, but for futore reference there are options other
than McD's for an indoor playground.  Kid's kingdom has a huge (large
grocery store size) playground out past Plymouth somewhere.  Anyone over
age 4 will feel kind out silly, unless they are accompanying a youngster --
but what I saw from the door made it look like a riot for the preschool crowd.

Thanks mta.  He came and went but is coming back again with his mom for
artfair.  So every suggestion is welcome.  I also took him swimming at the pool
in the Washtenaw County Park Building.  What a great place.  I am currently
taking Line Dancing there.  What a hoot!

I discovered the 4-H fair this year, and was surprised at the
different things my kids enjoyed there -- we only spent an afternoon,
and neither one was content because the two of them were there with
one parent and they mostly didn't want to be looking at the same
stuff, but it didn't cost anything to get in.

I just spent the day with my kids (ages 2 and 3) at a great place in 
Flint (of all places!)  U I'ts called Pennywhistle Place, and 
is a  an outdoor playground, with one of those compressed-air
bouncy roms, and a ball pit, and slides, and all sorts of wonderful things for
kids to do.  I'd say it's for age 5 - 12, or so, but my kids had a ball anyway.
It's near a historical-recreation place called Crossw =roads Village,
 which is sort of like Greenfield Village, but smaller and *much* less 
expensive.

Foir what it's worth, they have a special all the month of Ocyto   
october, where kids wearing costumes get in free, and there's 
tric-or-treating, and all sorts of neat stuff.

andif you like steam trains, they have a great one, restored from the 19920's
or so.

thanks!  timothy was just asking yesterday if anyone still used steam
engines.  How far away is it from AnnArbor?

I think China may still have some steam engines in service.  There are
also probably others around in out of the way corners of the world, like
Africa, India (?), or perhaps South & Central America.  But they're fast
disappearing, that's for sure.  There are lots of small tourist type
operations that still use steam, all over.  I think England has quite a
few, and even here in the states steam locomotives can be found (there
are a lot of active rail fans in the US).  If he gets at all interested
in this, you might want to investigate further.

Love to!  Particularly in England...<g>
Thanks.  He's already figured out that he's destined to be an engineer and
design things...:)

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