Baxter Bog: Anchorage

  It has been awhile since I've written a post! I only have one kid at home right now so I am going to try and catch up on the posts I've been wanting to write for months!  Since summer 2015, my kids and I have been going on weekly adventures with my wonderful friend Sarah and her kids. She runs Alaska Baby Rentals if you are looking for some sweet gear! Several women and their kids have now joined us on our adventures and I'd like to share the with you! I hope these posts encourage you and your kids to get outside! Alaska has so much to offer!

 

 

 It was a beautiful, bluebird day when we visited Baxter Bog. This is an easy, flat, stroller friendly trail that walks around a bog. This was perfect for my 2 year old to walk the whole way.

 

The bog is surrounded by a neighborhood so you only have to be on the lookout for an occasional moose. In the summertime there are raspberries to pick and carnivorous sundew plants to find.

 

  In the wintertime, you can walk out onto the bog. In the summertime, everything is wet and you can see the whole bog from a wooden platform.

  We found a crack in the ice from the huge earthquake we had a couple of weeks ago. It was fun for the kids to follow all the cracks. There was one area where the dirt was actually pushed up from the earthquake.

 Most of these kids are homeschooled so the cracks made for great lessons in science. Then the kids picked up sticks and started playing hockey with a pinecone. P.E. time! This photo shows the wooden platform that is a great place to see the whole bog in the summer time. Several species of birds frequent the area as well.

 

 

I love watching the kids play. Sticks, snow, rocks, and sleds make some of the greatest toys!

  Always places to hide from your friends!

 

The kids found 2 teepees in the woods and I enjoyed watching them use their imagination creating stories.

 

Even the littlest one got in on the fun!

 



 

If you are looking for a quick,easy hike to get outside, Baxter Bog is the place to be!

Fun Day at Kaleidoscape

 

  I get so excited when a new kid place opens, but then discouraged when it closes. Seems like this has happened to several places. So I was really excited when Kaleidoscape opened. Go check it out if you haven't been yet! Be sure to visit these local places to keep them in business! Rent for these businesses is no joke and they need our support.

 

 

  I've visited a couple of times now and have enjoyed each visit. Kaleidoscape recently had a flood so they had to fix all the water damage. It was a blessing in disguise because they made it even better then before!

 



 This last time I visited with my good friend Sarah from Alaska Baby Rentals and her kids. We got to see the new things Jennifer, owner of Kaleidoscape, had added. Jennifer is pictured above by the way. If you have a chance to talk to her, do! She has so much energy and a bazillion ideas. I love to see owners who invest in their visitors. Be sure to follow her on Facebook to see all the fun stuff going on.

 

 

  My 7 year old didn't really want to visit, but then he didn't want to leave. He was really upset because he wanted to finish his Rig A Ma Jig invention.  My 6, 4 and 13 month old had a blast as well. Luckily they were more compliant. The play studio is geared towards kids birth to 12.

 

  You can play at Kaleidoscape in blocks of time and its best to book online. This has its pros and cons. Pro is that it is not going to be so crowded that you freak out with kids everywhere. Con is your kids might not be ready to leave when your time is up or your kid might be ready to leave and you've only been there 10 minutes. You can just show up, but there is no guarantee that you will get to play. 

 

  The environment is so welcoming, colorful and fun. It's just enough to not be overwhelming. My 14 month old loved looking at the flags hanging. There is a nursing room in back so you can feed baby in private and not be distracted. I always appreciate when there is a place for mommas to feed their little ones. There are chairs for adults to sit on, but a lot of the adults were sitting on the floor playing with their kiddos. Rockstar parents!

 

 The exhibits are always changing. I love to see this! Something new each month to interact with. When we went, there was a mechanic set up, my girls loved it! Other kids would take turns sitting in the car and working on it. A new exhibit, that I didn't get to see yet, is a collaboration with the Alaska Native Heritage Center. There will be cultural awareness, history and Alaska fun for kiddos! Visit the website to find out the theme of the exhibits.

  Okay so I might be a dork, but I love how Jennifer turned these bins into faces. This is great for those germaphobes. Any toys that get some sort of child ickyness gets thrown in here to be cleaned. There are several on the walls around the play areas. Genius.

 

 There is so much more to discover here! You can put on a play on the stage, build with legos or blocks, or read. There is also a little corner for babies to play. On certain days, there are crafts that are included with the visit. Kaleidoscape also offers classes for kids or adults! Your kiddo can have a birthday party here as well!

 My only complaint is price. It's $10 per kid. Having 4 kids, it can get spendy, luckily baby is free. So we can only go once in awhile or when the big kids are in school. I'd love to see a sibling discount! Rent for businesses can be so expensive so I understand the price. Don't let the price deter you! We need to support local businesses so we have some place to take our kids!

Get Plugged In!

 Today, Anchorage had it's first snow fall of the season. I don't know whether to be excited or cry! I love how pretty it looks, but I'm really not looking forward to the dark days ahead. When I saw the snow,I started talking myself out of not going to our regular Monday meeting at the Alaska Forest School. I didn't want to deal with getting everyone geared up. I did it because I know how much better I feel when I get outside.

 
Alaska Forest School is such a great way to get outside with the kiddos. Not only does it benefit them, but it really benefits you! I was thinking back when I had 2 kids under the age of 3, and I really didn't know anyone with little ones. I felt so alone. I wanted another mom to talk to, that would understand. My husband worked 3 jobs so I could stay at home so I didn't see much of him. He encouraged me to start up Alaska's Kids, and I did! I was so happy to connect with other moms that had kids the same ages of mine. As a parent, you need this! Especially up here in AK during the winters!

 There are several groups around your city that help connect you with other parents. If there isn't, start one. There are always parents looking to connect. Alaska Forest School is just one of the groups that I belong to to feel connected. It was nice being able to talk to a mom this morning about how I was not prepared with snow gear, and nether was she. It helps me feel normal and that I'm not alone in this parenting business.

 As I pulled up to AFS this morning, I noticed there were a bunch of moms with babies. Found out that Hike It Baby was meeting up at Earthquake Park as well. This is another great group that I belong to. The ladies went for a walk on the trails with their babies in tow. They have fast and slow paced hikes at different hours of the day. You can also find Hike It Baby Anchorage on Facebook.

 Who is your support group? Sometimes it's scary putting yourself out there and meeting new people especially when you are in a fragile state, like just having a baby! I encourage you to get plugged in somewhere. You are not alone. It will be good for you as well as your baby, toddler, or kid. You can find Alaska Forest School on Facebook as well. Be sure to follow Alaska's Kids on Facebook as well. We will try to get you connected with a group and tell you about different events going on around your town!

Alaska October Activities

 

Here are activities going on for the month of October in your area. If you would like to add an event, please email me the info at alaskskids@gmail.com and I will add it. I need event, date, time, location and whats going on. So much to choose from!!

Anchorage/Eagle River

Fall Photos- Oct 25 11a-5p & 26  11a-4a Bells Nursery Specking Rd- Have your kids dress up in costumes or fall attire and take a nice fall photo.

Trunk or Treat- Oct 24 6-9p Birchwood ABC Elementary-Book fair, games, food, bounce house, cake walk, costume contest and more! $5 per treater, $5 meals, and $1 per ticket.

Trick or Treat Town- Oct 24 & 25 Different session times ACS Garage- Activity stations and family entertainment. Proceeds help support the Boys & Girls Club. $7 purchased in advanced, $10 at the door. Purchase tickets in advance at www.trickortreattown.org.

Haunted Trails- Oct 24 4:30-8:30p Goose Lake Park- Trick or Treat Trail is 4:30-6:30p and $6 a person and is suitable for 3 and up. Spooky Trail is 6:45-8:30p $8 a person and suitable for 8 and up. To register call 343-4160 or online at www.muni.org/Active.

Halloween Activites- Oct 24-31 Bass Pro Shops- Mon-Fri 5-8p- Free 4x6 photo with Peanut characters, decorate a stuffed owl, free coloring sheets. Sat and Sun 12-5p- free 4x6 photo with Peanut characters, free coloring sheets, decorate a felt jack-o-lantern, scavenger hunt. Halloween Night- 4-8p- decorate a real pumpkin, trick-or-treating, costume parade.

Trick or Treat Street- Oct 25 12-4p Downtown Anchorage- FREE activities throughout downtown including face painting, balloon art, Halloween cookie decorating at the Hotel Captain Cook, costume contests, Spooky (and fun) Halloween photo ops, a Haunted Visit Anchorage Log Cabin, horse drawn hay rides and SO much more! Click here for the map.

Trunk or Treat-  Oct 26 3-5p Turnagain United Methodist Church 3300 W Northern Lights- Turnagain United Methodist Church will be hosting its Annual Trunk or Treat! Dress up in your spookiest costume and bring the kids over for some treats and more! This event is free!

Pumpkin Pump Blacklie Boulder Fest- Oct 31 13year old & up Nov. 1 kids under 13 Alaska Rock Gym- $25 doors open at 5p fun starts at 6p, treats, drinks, and best costume prizes

Trick or Treat at the Mall- Oct 31 6-8p Northway Mall- Join us for a fun and family filled night of trick or treating.

Fall Festival- Oct 31 6-8p First Baptist Church 1100 W 10th- FREE Games, food, prizes, fun for all! Costumes optional, non scary costumes please.

Zoo Boo- Oct 31 5-9p Alaska Zoo- $5 for zoo pass holders and $7 for non-pass holders. Kids 2 and under are free. Treat stations, activites, a bon fire and more!

Halloween Performance and Party School House Rocks!- Oct 31 7p Atwood Concert Hall- Join “Schoolhouse Rock” for a wholesome Halloween night performance and party your children will remember for a lifetime. Kids (and adults) come to the performance in costume because afterwards, all four levels of the Atwood Concert Hall lobby are opened for indoor trick-or-treating. Click here for tickets.  

Eagle River Trunk or Treat- Oct 31 5-6pm Bear Paw Festival Parking Lot 11901 Business Blvd.- Bring your family for trick or treating and hot cocoa in a fun, safe, and relaxed environment.


Mat Su

Reindeer Fall Festival- Saturdays in Oct 10a-6p Williams Reindeer Farm- $10 for 3 yrs and up. Homemade goodies, lots of fun, pony rides, wagon rides, potato launching, hay maze, spooky walk, bunnies, play in the corn box, horse drawn carriage, pumpkin patch, visit with the reindeer, some great music from "The Jenks" all the way from Oregon, great kid music lots of fun. And so much much more.

Fall Harvest Celebration- Oct 24th 6p Wasilla Lake Christian School- Please join us for food, games, prizes and a ton of fun!Admission is free and tickets are .25 cents each or an UNLIMITED family wristband for $25. All proceeds go to our teacher classroom discretionary fund.

Halloween Carnival- Oct 25th 12-4p Midnight Sun Family Learning Center (7275 W. Midnight Sun Circle)- Enry fee is $5 and includes 12 tickets. You can buy more tickets for .50 cents each or 12 for $5. There will be fingernail painting, bean bag toss, fortune teller, cake walk, trick-or-treat alley, fish pond, food and more!

Annual Haunted House-  Oct 24-25 7pm-11pm Mat-Su Animal Shelter- Admission is only 5.00 for the tour and kids activities in the lobby are FREE!

Halloween Hollow- Oct 31 3-8pm-  Raven Hall on the Alaska State Fairgrounds is turned into a country trick or treat carnival. This is a warm, safe, fun not frightening Trick or Treat Carnival with over 40 booths for children and families at Raven Hall on the Alaska State Fairgrounds. Price: $5.00 per person or a new unwrapped gift. Halloween Hollow benefits the Mat-Su Special Santa Program and Toys for Tots, bringing gifts and winter wear to over 3400 children in the Valley.

Houston High School Fall Carnival- Oct 31 6-8pm Houston High School-  Games, crafts, cake walk and a mini hover craft to ride. Fireworks to follow at 8:15p.

Spooky Skate Halloween Party- Oct 31  4-6p Brett Ice Arena- Come skate in costume! Costume contest, music, games, cake walk, candy, trick or treat rooms, and skating! Come in costume and get a discount! Fun for all ages. $5 admission, $4 for kids or seniors and $3 for skate rentals. Come in costume and get 2 for 1 admission.

Fairbanks

Trick or Treat Town - Oct 25 12-7p Pioneer Park- $5 in advance, $7 at the gate. Entertainment, Face painting, balloon art, family costume contest, games, food, classic halloween movies, and trick or treating.

Creepy Critters- Oct 25th Noon - 4:00 pm. Games, Crafts,Snacks and ancient bones! Come discover the ice age massive cats! Fun for all ages at the Creamer's Field Farmhouse. Call 452-5162 for more information.

Halloween Howl-  Oct 31 10:30a Noel Wien Library Berry Room- Wear your costume and get ready to howl at this special Halloween storytime for 3 to 6 year olds.

Creative Fun Halloween Celebration -Oct 31 4:30-6:30p Del Rays Deli 455 3rd Ave #107- Del Rays is having a family fun night on Halloween night! Cost is $5.00 per family. We will have Miss Sasha Berry from Berry Balloons here making balloon animals. There will be festive cookie decorating, gooey mud pudding and candy! Coffee will be provided for adults as well. Bring your kids and come join the fun with Del Rays!! If you would like to come please rsvp (send a message) by October 28th so we make sure we have enough goodies for all the kids.

Halloween Carnival- Oct 31  10a-12p Hearts & Hands Play Center-Come join us for games and prizes! Costumes welcomed. The carnival will be held downstairs. $2 per child or $5 a family.


Juneau

Halloween Carnival- Oct 24 5:30-7:30p & 25 12a-4p Nugget Mall- Carnival style!

Auke Bay Co-op Harvest Festival- Oct 25 5-7p Church of JCLDS 5100 Glacier Hwy- $5 per family or $15 per family. Face painting, cupcake walk, family portraits, games and activites!

Halloween Skate- Oct 30 6:45-8:15p Treadwell Ice Arena- The Halloween Skate is a costume-themed open skate session for children and adults of all ages. The Arena staff goes all out with great decorations, costumes, lights and music. Skate rentals available at the rink.

Ghost Walk- Oct 31  4:30-6:30p Mt Jumbo Gym- FREE The event includes activities for young children, including carnival games, a haunted house, coloring stations, glow in the dark, bowling & candy.

Halloween Carnival-  Oct 31 6-8p Chapel by the Lake- Fun for the whole family! Costume contest at 7p, games, popcorn, cotton candy and a bounce house!

Cedar Park Halloween Hoedown- Oct 31 6-9p Cedar Park- Food, candy, games, prizes and glow sticks!

Creepy Cave & Library Labyrinth- Oct 31 4-7p Valley Public Library

Kenai

Soldotna Public Library Pumpkin Carving/Decorating Contest- Oct 27-30- Library patrons of all ages are welcome to bring in their own pumpkin anytime during library hours those days. Entries will be separated into costumed, painted and carved categories. Winners will be announced Oct. 30. Families and businesses are encouraged to participate.

Tsalteshi Spook Night- Oct 26 5-6:30p Tsalteshi Ski Trails/Skyview Access- 1K Trick or Treat Trail for the Kids and 5K Zombie run for the rest of the family! More details soon at tsalteshi.org

Kids Harvest Carnival- Oct 29 6:30-8p Peninsula Grace Brethren Church- FREE Games, candy, hot dogs, puppet show, temporary tattoos, costume contest. Contest for kids age birth to 12, please no scary or inappropriate costumes.

Tustumena Elementary Trunk or Treat- Oct 31 5-7p Carnival 6-7p

Nikiski Pool Trick or Treat- Oct 31 5-6p and Pumpkin Plunge 6-7p

NewLife Harvest Festival- Oct 31 6-8p Kenai New Life 251 Princess St- Tons of games, candy, bounce house, snacks and cake walk!

Trunk or Treat- Oct 31 5-7p Kenai Christian Church-  Candy, hot chocolate, puppet shows and food!

Trunk or Treat- Oct 31 4:30-5:30p Sterling Elementary- Fun, family event.

Trunk OR Treat- Oct 31 4-6p Boys & Girls Club- Fun, fun, fun!

Fear Not Festival- Oct 31 6-8p Birch Ridge Community Church 33325 Echo Lake Rd- A family event for all ages! Petting zoo, face painting, games, prizes, costume contest, outdoor maze and more! Please no scary costumes.

Happy Fall Time!!

Life Happens

 Hey everyone! So let me catch you up to speed! My last post was over a year ago! Sorry 'bout that, but life was happening so quick!

  In that time, I had my 4th child and we are done! Phew! I was also homeschooling my oldest, selling our condo, and trying to keep my head above water. So my blogging was last to be taken care of, sorry!

 Things have slowed down and I'm hankering to tell parents about all the cool things to do around the state. I'm looking at starting a team of writers to help me do this on the blog. Are you interested? My vision is to have a mom or dad from each city write about what families can do in their town. You can also write about life in Alaska with your kid(s). I'm open to ideas! I just want to reach all of Alaska! Is this you? If so, please e-mail me at alaskaskids@gmail.com.

 Check back periodically as I update the site. Hope you are out enjoying these fall days!

Skedaddle Guest Post

  When I had invisioned Alaska's Kids, I wanted to have a review on all the different playgrounds throughtout the state on the blog. Well 3 kids later and not enough time, I wasn't able to do it. But I was so thrilled to learn about Skedaddle! Skedaddle is a parent group that meets together OUTSIDE rain or shine, every Tuesday at a different park in Anchorage, and have reviews on the parks they visit.

 The group is part of Anchorage Outdoor Family Network , who you can also find on Facebook. Lia organizes Skedaddle and I'm so glad that there is a group where parents can connect while their kids burn off energy outside. Be sure to join a Skedaddle and meet some new friends!

Lia, take it away!

Hello!  I am Lia Keller, born and raised in Anchorage, AK.  I am now raising my two wild sons here in the place I grew up!  I also have an all-weather playgroup meeting each Tuesday at 10 in a playground around town. 

  I don’t have one favorite movie or even an all time favorite song.  My favorite color has held steady with “sea glass” (I guess technically that is about three or four colors) for a few years now.  So when Jamie asked me to write about my favorite playground in Anchorage, I was at a loss.  I love so many playgrounds in Anchorage - Lynn Ary in Turnagain, Carlson Park in Midtown and Nunaka Valley North on the Eastside to name a few. 

 Most Anchorage Parents are familiar with those playgrounds and might need a change of scenery.  So, instead of my most favorite park in Anchorage, I am presenting you with  my “list” of favorite parks in Anchorage.  I hope you find a new place to take your children and maybe add one to your list of favorite parks.

My kids want to explore - Johns Park

            Along with the typical playground equipment, this park sits along a stream and forrest.  There is even a trail loop with a bridge.

 

 

Time to kill downtown - Nulbay Park

            Most families flock to the old Elderberry Park when downtown.  Instead, I like to visit this park with whale sculptures you can climb.  There is grass and sand, so bring shovels and buckets. 

 

Sledding - Sitka Street Park

            Go past Russian Jack and steer clear of Service High School for sledding.  Sitka Street has a fantastic sledding hill.  Little kiddos can zip down the side and you can have fun on the front of the hill.  They are putting in a skate park this summer and I hope they leave my favorite hill alone!

 

 

Crisp, Fall day - Pop Carr Park

            The playground isn’t the best in town, but the trees are amazing.  Huge piles of leaves gather on the little hills.  There is a large grassy area and paved trail for little bikers.

 

 

My kids want trains - Alderwood Park

            Sunset HIll has a great little playground that has a train station and train with multiple cars.  There also are swings, grass and a bench for me to sit as the boys go on train trips all over the world.

 

Raining cats and dogs - Storck Park

            While my boys will play outside in any weather, I don’t mind a shelter over my head in the rain.  Stork park has a great picnic shelter that is even glassed one side blocking the wind.  The play areas are right next to the shelter so I can stay dry and knit as my boys run off their energy!

 

Thanks Lia!

If you want to see all the parks and playgrounds Anchorage has to offer, visit this website, Anchorage Park Foundation. And don't forget to get some fresh air with your little ones with Skedaddle!

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

 Hello all! I'm back from my trip and getting back in the swing of things!

 I wanted to post about our trip to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center we took this summer before it got colder out. You can still visit this cool place in the winter, it's open year round, but I think it's more grand in the summer and fall. Just my opinion. Oh, don't forget to "like" AWCC on Facebook to read their up to date info on animals and events.

 AWCC is an hour south of Anchorage, before the Portage Glacier turn off. AWCC and Portage Glacier makes a great day trip. The rates are $12.50 per person, kids 4-12 are $9 and kids under 4 are free. There is a maximum charge of $35 per car though.

 AWCC sits in a beautiful, scenic area off of Turnagain Arm. It really is breathtaking with the mountains surrounding you. You can drive around the park and get out at each animal exhibit or park and walk. We walked because it was such a nice day and I didnt want to load/unload 3 kids in car seats.

 The center takes in orphaned or hurt animals then rehabilitates them . Each of the animals starts with a sad story, then ends on a happy note because they are living and well taken care of. There were lots of baby animals to see.

 There is a nice gift shop that has lots of Alaska souvenirs as well as a small snack shop. It is a very clean place to visit and I think a must see for those out of town visitors. The only thing that I did not like was the road being what everyone walked on. With 3 kids under the age of 5, it was stressful for me when cars passed. Large tour buses go through there as well. You just have to be sure you are paying attention when the kids are out walking around.

 Be sure to wear clothes that can get dirty. I wish I would of brought the kids rain boots. I tried to keep Brooke out of the first couple puddles. Then I got tired of that because they were everywhere. So I let her go for it. She had to jump in every single one, so she brought up the rear.

 After we ate lunch on the front porch of the AWCC, we drove over to the Beggich Boggs Visitor Center in Portage Glacier. I'll write more on that visit another day. I need to get to bed before my kids wake me up!

Eklutna Lake

 I've been wanting to visit Eklutna Lake with the kiddos for awhile now, so I was glad we finally went with a friend and her kids. It was beautiful in Anchorage, but windy in Eklutna. I was so glad we stayed and didn't chase the sunshine in Anchorage.

 Eklutna Lake is off the Glenn Highway, exit at Mile 26. Follow all the signs about 10 miles to the lake. You can camp as well, but I've heard it has become really popular and hard to get a site. If you plan on camping, get there early.

 Quick fact, Anchorage residents get their drinking water from Eklutna Lake.

We brought lunch and had a picnic. The adventure started with throwing rocks.

  Then it moved to looking for frogs in the grass. Did you know we have frogs here? Yea, wood frogs! They freeze in the winter time and thaw as temperatures warm! Crazy huh?

Then to climbing dead tree stumps. I collected driftwood for a future Pinterest project.

 The boys explored. My friend and I were so amazed how long they stayed in the water. We put our feet in and it HURT!

  I LOVED watching my kids play. No plastic toys. They were entertained for hours with the water, sticks, clay and rocks.

The boys found the clay.

The girls splashed.

  We watched kayakers paddle out. There was also an older man swimming laps in the lake.

  I collected a bucket full of the clay to make pottery for later.

  Then we had to stop by Rochelle's Ice Cream Stop. They are open everyday from 10a to 9pm in the summer. They open Mother's Day and generally close for the season on Labor Day. It was delicious!

  We sat at picnic tables while we ate. After the kids scarfed the ice cream down, they ran around. I don't know where they got the energy from because we just spent hours exploring Eklutna Lake!

 "Kora, can I have a bite?"

"No!"

 This was another beautiful site for us mommies.

A great time to visit is in the fall as well.....which is right around the corner. (SIGH)