Vegas Baby!!

There are so many things I can post about things to do in Las Vegas. Being the wife of a concierge has allowed our family to see and do SO much in this town. I thought about doing a post about the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, or the Secret Garden at the Mirage, or the Adventuredome at Circus Circus, since these are the places we usually hit with family in town. However, unless you have a hubby with an employee badge they can be kind of pricey.

So, the wheels started turning about what great things you can do with the kids without spending ANY money. Here it goes... we are starting at the south-end of the strip and working our way down:

MGM

*Lion Habitat (Jarrett is obsessed with these guys, we have to stop in pretty frequently). They are at the MGM everyday (except Tuesdays) from 11am - 7pm

Bellagio

*Botanical Gardens - Gorgeous - open 24/7

*Dancing Fountains - if you haven't taken the kids to see this you all are missing out. The fountains are amazing. You can see them come to life Mon-Fri. 3 pm - 8pm every 30 min, then from 8-12 midnight, every 15 minutes. On Sat & Sunday the shows start at noon.

Flamingo

*Wildlife Habitat - Wanna see some actual flamingos? turtles? ducks? swans? This is the place.

Caesars Palace

*Forum Shops - Remember those Roman statues that come to life? Pretty neat.

Mirage

*Volcano - just got a new makeover & it is spectacular! Erupts every day at the top of the hour from 5pm-11pm.

*Aquarium - while you are there, you may want to peek at the huge fish tank behind the front desk & the atrium is a little indoor rain forest - also lovely.

Treasure Island

*Siren's Cove - ok- not appropriate for the kids anymore, but free date night, maybe? Shows nightly at 7pm, 8:30pm, 10pm, and 11:30pm

Downtown Las Vegas

*Fremont Street Experience - This brings back fond memories of my high school days. Great light show every hour from 8pm - midnight.

Silverton
*Aquarium - A huge reef aquarium complete with sting rays and sharks, AND mermaids!  You can see watch these animals being fed at 1:30pm, 4:30pm, and 7:30pm.  The mermaids are swimming Thursday from 2:15pm - 8:45pm, Friday and Saturday from 2:15pm - 9:45pm, and Sunday from 11:30am - 6:45pm.

Roos-n-More

Our Las Vegas zoo leaves much to be desired, so here is an alternative for ya.  I met these guys at the Natural History Museum last summer and thought what a cool experience for my kiddies.  Roos-n-More has a few open zoo days.  Go and visit exotic animals from 9am-1pm on the following days: 

June 14th

June 26th

July 11th

July 17th

July 30th*

*CCSD teachers, present your badge on this day and receive 50% off admission!

Admission Cost is $10 per person (kids 2 and under are Free)

These little guys will also be making a few special appearances in Vegas.  You can see them at the Springs Preserve every weekend in June.  They will be doing shows as well as hosting a few classes.  Looks like a fun opportunity to get up close and personal with animals your kiddies might not get a chance to encounter. 

Keep an eye on the Family Fun calendar at the bottom of this blog for current Open Zoo days.

Summer Investments

While I try to keep my summer activities relatively inexpensive (OK - let's face it, I'm totally cheap), but there are a few key things I will put some money into up front as kind of an "investment" in my summer plans.  Then I end up being able to use most of these throughout the year as well.  It works out to be a really great pay off in the end!!  Memberships to the following places are a life saver on days when you really don't have anything "planned" for the day. 

Lied Discovery Children's Museum

 $65 for 2 family members (1 adult and 1 child)

$70 for 3 family members

$75 for 4 family members

$80 for 5 family members

$85 for 6 family members

(they do offer a $10 discount for active military families too)

Natural History Museum

$65 Family Membership (2 adults and ALL children)

Springs Preserve

$60 Family Membership (2 adults and ALL children)

Henderson Rec Center Pools
60 punch card $36
for us that's almost 7 trips to the big activity pools

I can go to a fun pool and a museum each week for around $20 (if I am just calculating it for 12 weeks of summer)!  That's 2 days of activities taken care of ;-).  And like I said, with the exception of the pool punch cards, these are all ANNUAL memberships!  Get a few friends together who all have memberships and you can have some super fun playgroups planned for the year too!  

**Since I am such a nerd and I love to crunch numbers, just the first 3 memberships only costs me a little over $4 a week.  I usually do a few trips a month anyway so that is such a deal!**

TownSquare Movies

 

 Rave Motion Pictures still doing FREE movies this summer!!  Hooray!!  We love going to Town Square for movie days because after the movie, you can head over to the awesome playground complete with splash pad and cool off!!  Makes the drive home nice and cool.  That's a fun filled morning and the kids will be more than ready for naptime after all that (yipee).  Looks like we missed last week - sorry, but these are already playing.

All movie times are at 10am, but you will want to be there early as it is first come, first served seating.

Rave @ Town Square (click for map)

June 7 & 8

Megamind
June 14 & 15

Yogi Bear
June 21 & 22

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
June 28 & 29

Live Large (?)
July 5 & 6

Ramona and Beezus
July 12 & 13

The Lightning Thief
July 19 & 20

Narnia Voyage of the Dawn Treader
July 26 & 27 

Gulliver’s Travels 

Want a change of scene from the big movie theater?  Town Square also has Movies in the Square on those nice summer nights.  Every Thursday at sundown, Findlay Toyota is sponsoring FREE movie series!  Since movie start time is at "sundown" you might want to plan on going early to get a good seat on the grass as well as enjoy some live entertainment.  Add a sweet treat and that sounds like a magical night.  This series also has already begun, so here is the plan for movies for the rest of the summer.

June 16

Shrek Ever After

June 23

The Karate Kid

June 30

Megamind

July 7

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

July 14

Kung Fu Panda

July 21

Yogi Bear

July 28

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

August 4

Toy Story 3

August 11

Up

August 18

The Mighty Ducks

August 25

Tangled

ENJOY!!!

Summer Plans

I am freaking out that it is summer already and I have not ONE thing planned for my crazy bunch of kids!  I usually have that Family Fun Calendar (at the bottom of the blog) updated well in advance of the last day of school.  And since my laptop is heading to the computer hospital, I cannot work on any of my 'work' stuff so you are in luck!  I am going to be taking this afternoon and busting out a TON of post about things we can all do to entertain our "chillins" this summer.... ENJOY!!  

p.s. if you think of anything that could be added or you would like to share with everyone, please email me at thegrocerygeek@gmail.com.  

P.S.S.  Please share with your friends!

Polar Bears...in Summer?

Not sure why it has taken me all summer to figure this one out, but my friend told me about this neat Polar Bear exhibit at the Galleria Mall.  She mentioned that they have even cheaper group rates.  With a group minimum of 12 people, you can get a discount for the polar bears and penguins exhibit/activities. It brings the price down to $2/person!

Located on the Upper Level of the mall, next to Kohl's

Ticket Prices:

Adults: $6

Children ages 5-17: $4

Seniors 62 and older: $4

Group rates available, call 267-2171

If I happen to get my act together I will schedule a day and time to go and you can join us for the group rate (we are half the group by ourselves now - sheesh) - stay tuned for that. 

UPDATE:  There is a mom's group meeting at the exhibit on Friday Aug 27 @ 10:30am.  They need more people to make a full group.  The J Crew will be there - how fun!!

It's ed-ZOO-cational!

I am always on the lookout for fun things to do with the family.  We were at the Natural History Museum a few weekends ago and met a camel named Jafar.  Imagine my surprise when I was also handed a flier for a Zoo out in Moapa that is home to all sorts of exotic animals!  Roos-N-More was started back in 2006 by a husband and wife veteranarian family with high hopes of sharing their knowledge about animals with others.  Their zoo is open to the public on "Zoo Days" which is only a few days a month.  So, pack up the kiddies for a little road trip (click here for directions) and you could wow them with wallabies, and they are sure to love the lemurs.  I will try and keep up the zoo days on the Family Fun calendar so you can add it to your arsenal of fun!!

Zoo Days 

8am-1pm on the following days, $10 admission (children under 3 are free)

Sunday, July 25th

Thursday, July 19th

Sunday, August 8th

Friday, August 13th

Saturday, August 21st

Tuesday, August 24th

They also do private tours and parties! How fun!!

FREE Children's Museum

Target Arts & Wonder Free Family Event will offer FREE ADMISSION for all ages on Friday, July 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lied Discovery Children's Museum. During the third weekend in July, more than 80 institutions in 30 cities across the country will participate in Target Arts & Wonder. Join us for a free day of family fun!

FREE Springs Preserve

I got this email from one of my readers!  I added this event to the Family Calendar at the bottom of this blog.  Guess where we will be on July 17th?!  Thanks so much Kristen!!

Hi!  
Another Springs Preserve thing.... Target is sponsoring a free admission day at the Springs Preserve! (Yet one more reason to LOVE Target.)

Saturday, July 17th  10am-6pm
Click HERE for more details  

And Target is sponsoring other free/discount days going on throughout the US...So if your readers have friends/family elsewhere, they may want to check this listing.  ENJOY! 

{an easy way to send these kinds of posts to your family out of town is to click on that little envelope at the bottom of this post}

4th of July

(This is one of my favorite holidays)

Not sure where you will be watching the fireworks this year?  Check here if you live in the Summerlin area, and for those of us in Henderson, here is our list. 

Above all, let's remember why we get this special day to celebrate the freedom we truly cherish - Happy 4th everyone!! 

FREE Movies

This HAS to be my favorite thing to do with my kids in the summer.  For one, its FREE!!  For another, couple this with lunch at the park and by early afternoon, you have some pretty tuckered out little munchkins (I'm so sly).   These movies are every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10am.  It's first come first serve, so you will want to get there early to get seats. 

The Colonnade Stadium 14 

8880 South Eastern Avenue, Las Vegas, NV

6/22 & 6/23

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (PG)

The Spy Next Door (PG)

6/29 & 6/30

Kung Fu Panda (PG)

Tooth Fairy (PG)

7/6 & 7/7

Wallace and Gromit (G)

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (PG)

7/13 & 7/14

Monsters vs Aliens (PG)

Night at the Museum II (PG)

7/20 & 7/21

Everyone's Hero (G)

Hotel for Dogs (PG)

7/27 & 7/28

Horton Hears a Who (G)

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (PG)

8/3 & 8/4

Space Chimps (G)

Aliens in the Attic (PG)

8/10 & 8/11

Tale of Despereaux (G)

Coraline (PG)

8/17 & 8/18

Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (G)

Astro Boy (PG)

This theater is listed here because it's closest to my house ;-).  This year, there are two other theaters participating in the family film festival:  Village Square Stadium and Rainbow Promenade.  Check out the Free Family Film Festival website for shows playing at these theaters (the dates and time are still the same).

Lied Discovery Children's Museum

If you haven't been to the Lied Discovery Children's Museum lately, you are missing out. The museum got a much needed face lift last year and it looks amazing! There are several new exhibits including games about food groups, a whole new town center that teaches the kids about being "green", and if the kids are not careful, they just may walk away learning something this summer (don't tell 'em).

I have found that this is one place I can take all my kids, ages 9-2months, and there is something for all of them! We purchased an annual membership which for us works out to be quite cheap - since we go several times during the year. Click HERE for prices and times.

Storytime in the Square

Reading is fun, and it’s even better with singing, dancing and magic. Bring your child to Town Square Park for an interactive story time featuring classic children’s tales and new favorites everyone will enjoy. Storytime in the Square is held on the grass in front of the Pavilion every Wednesday from 11am-12pm. You never know who may show up to help read stories and provide entertainment!

Movies in the Square

More FREE movies!!

Town Square on Las Vegas Blvd has "Movies in the Square" on the first and third Thursdays of the month beginning at sundown. There is really no other information about where it is located, but here is the list of movies:

May 6 - Wall-E (PG)
May 20 - The Princess & the Frog (G)
June 3 - The Neverending Story (PG)
June 17 - Monsters vs Aliens (PG)
July 1 - Back to the Future (PG)
August 5 - Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (PG)

August 19 - Bolt (PG)

Lowe's Build and Grow

Happy Mother's Day!!  

(You know you are a good mom if you take your kids to go make your gift)

Lowe's Build and Grow is such a great opportunity for the kids to do some hands-on crafts, and the best part is it's FREE!  Stop by your nearest Lowe's this Saturday (May 8) from 10am - 11am to finish this set!! Sign up and print your waiver ahead of time. It's super fast and easy.

I love that when the kids complete their project, the receive a patch to go on their aprons (that are also free), a certificate with their name on it, and a candy! What a fun time!

Outdoor Picture Show

FREE movies!! I wanted to get this up quick because these start this week!

Every Friday & Saturday night at The District at Green Valley Ranch, you and your family can enjoy a movie under the stars with free popcorn. Bring your blankets and a snack and sit back and relax!

Here are the upcoming movies and times for you to get on your calendar.

Friday, 5/7/10 7:30pm - Up (PG)

Saturday, 5/8/10 7:30pm - Old Dogs (PG)

Friday, 5/14/10 8:00pm - Bolt (PG)

Saturday, 5/15/10 8:00pm - Sherlock Holmes (edited) (PG)

Friday, 5/21/10 8:00pm - Mulan (G)

Saturday, 5/22/10 8:00pm - Jonas Brothers Concert (PG)

Friday, 5/28/10 8:00pm - Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (PG)

Gift of Lights - FREE Night

On of our favorite holiday traditions is the Gift of Lights at Sunset Park. Sit in your car with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy a spectacular light display that seems to out-do itself every year. Also every year, there is a FREE community night!! This year, mark your calendars for November 16th!! You can go between 5pm and 9pm!

The Gift of Lights will run from November 13th through January 3rd.
Sunday through Thursday it will run from 5pm to 9pm and admission is $13 per car.On Fridays, Saturdays, and Holidays, it will be open from 5pm to 10pm and admission is $15 per car.Goodwill will be there and you can receive a $2 discount for donating a bag of gently used clothing.Also, the Boy Scouts and other youth groups will be there to sell hot cocoa and apple cider (usually $1 a cup), so you may want to plan accordingly.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does! Happy Holidays!!

Lowe's Build & Grow

Did you know that Lowe's does a workshop for kids - and it's FREE!!! It is held twice a month with a different project each time. Sign up here to reserve a spot and make sure your child gets his/her apron, safety goggles, and patch of that project!

You will have to follow a few steps:

#1 Select which clinic & number of kids attending

#2 Select your store

#3 Sign up with your email address, phone number, etc and print out a waiver for your children

#4 - Show up and have a GREAT time!!

Next date: November 14th - Nascar Garage (great for the boys)

Free Craft @ Lakeshore

OK - One more Freebie for today....
Lakeshore Learning Center does a FREE craft every Saturday from 11:00am-3:00pm. They are very kid friendly crafts so your little ones are free to use their imagination! This week's project is a Veteran's Day flag!
I only know of one location here in Vegas. Click here for directions. If there is another one you know of, leave a comment. THANKS!

FREEBIE

I have decided to continue my "Summer Fun" blog right here at The Grocery Geek. I will update more later about fun, free (or otherwise really cheap) activities for you and your family for the holidays.

This one is TODAY, so I didn't want anyone to miss out!!

Home Depot does a FREE craft/project on the first Saturday of each month at all of their stores. Today's project is this trivet. We will be heading to the Home Depot on Eastern and Serene since they paint the projects there as well. Projects are available from 9am to noon.