Weekend Plans?

Saturday is my hubby's birthday... So our weekend is tied up helping him celebrate another year!
If you're looking for plans though (please, send cake!!), here are some great activities to get you going this weekend!

1. Michael's (all locations). 10a. Free kids craft time, ages 3 and up. This week, make a summer memory album! You can shop while they craft... Brilliant.

2. Story time at Barnes and Noble, Parks Mall. 11a. Free. This week's book is Milk Goes To School. Activities to follow.

3. Mansfield ISD Back to School Bash. 8a-2p. Mansfield Center for Performing Arts. Local vendors, stuff the bus initiative- lots of great activities to help get the kids ready for back to school.

4. Let's Paint With Kinfolk Grand Opening! 10a-5p. Bites, music, fun for all ages! Check out the new space!

5. North Texas MADE. Starting at 10a. Parks Mall. Come shop with local vendors and support your community!

6. Full STEAM ahead. Grand Prairie Main Library. Free. Kids can enjoy the tech truck from the Perot Museum and other like activities.

7. Free movie on the beach at Loyd Park. 8:30p. This week's feature is Brave. Watch FB to see if this is canceled due to rain!

8. Sockmonkey Junction's Grand Opening. 316 S. Main St., Mansfield. Check out Mansfield's newest toy store and enter to win cool prizes!

Hip hip hooray, it's Friday!

So many fantastic things to do on Friday, August 12... I wish the girls and I could do ALL the things! 

1. Back to School Bash at Flight Deck Arlington! Starting at 12p. $8 per hour to jump. Raffle prizes all day. Plus free ice cream, beach balls on the deck and so on. So fun!

2. Stuffed Animal Sleepover at the Chick Fil A at Camp Wisdom and 360! Stop by for dinner, crafts and a taste of what camp is like! Then leave a stuffed animal overnight... Then return Saturday morning between 8:30 and 10:30 to hear all about your animal's adventure!

3. Celebrate the Summer Olympics at Little Gym! Watch your little ones go for the gold having a great time burning some energy! 4:30-5:15 is geared toward the under 3 set, and 5:15-6:30 is for the 3-12 set. So fun!

**Ongoing Friday Events**

1. Head over to Studio Movie Grill for $1 movies. 11a. This week's feature is Home.

2. Open Gym at Texas Tumble Tots! 12:30p-1:30p. $2 per kid.

3. $1 hot dog Fridays at BK and Randol Mill Pools. Yum!

4. Let the kiddos bounce out their crazies at Pump It Up. Bounce times for Friday are 10:00-11:30 a.m., 12:30-2:00 p.m. and 2:30-4:00 p.m. $8/kid. Don't forget their socks!

5. Register at Kidsbowlfree.com and stop on over at Alley Cats in Arlington. Bumpers optional :)

6. Toddler Jump at Flight Deck Arlington. 10a-12p. $8 per kid per hour. 

7. Open Jump at Pump It Up. $8/kid. Don't forget your socks! 10-11:30, 12:30-2, 2:30-4.

You Say Thursday... I Say Friday Eve :)

1. MISD FanFest- 7p. Vernon Newsom Stadium. Free. From the Website: FanFest is a free annual kick-off event that showcases our varsity football teams, drumlines, cheerleaders and drill teams. The event will start with Fine Arts performances, followed by the introduction of MISD teams and their coaches.

2. Not Arlington, but still a fun activity... Going Bonkers in Lewisville is FREE tomorrow if you text Bonkers to 31996. It is close to Lewisville Mall. It is a HUGE (no seriously- HUGE) indoor playscape and arcade. It is soooo worth the drive! They have a small area for little ones but I'd say the target age here is about 4-10. It's normally $6 per kid- so free is great! :)

**On-going Thursday activities**

1. 9 am movies at Cinemark Mansfield for $1. This week it's Max.

2. 11 am movies at Studio Movie Grill for $1. This week's feature is Home.

3. The Church on Rush Creek has open play in their play area from 10-2, but they do close for lunch from 12-1. But pop over in the morning for air-conditioned, free fun! This is best for the 5 and under set.

4. Head over to Pump It Up on Eden Rd. to let the kiddos bounce out some energy! We went Wednesday and it was fairly empty! It's $8 per kid for 1.5 hours of bouncing. 12:30-2 and 2:30-4.

5. Throwback Thursdays at BK and Randol Mill pools! Take $1 off admission at both pools. These are great for all ages!

6. Preschool and Kinder Ready. 1p. Betty Warmack branch of the GPPL. Stories and songs for 3-6.

7. Toddler Time at the Betty Warmack branch of the GPPL. 10:30a. Stories and songs.

8. Preschool and Kinder Ready. 6:30p. Main Branch of the GPPL. Stories and songs for 3-6.

9. Check out Urban Air in Mansfield. At last check, they were doing a special- $12.99 per child to jump from 10a-1p! That's a great deal :)

10. Register with Kidsbowlfree.com and spend some time indoors perfecting your game! Bumpers not required... ;)

11. Book Babes. This one is for infants-18 months! 12p at the Shotwell Branch of the Grand Prairie Public Library. Sing and play with babes!

Flipping For Gymnastics: Where To Learn To Flip Like Simone In The Arlington Area

Little ones flipping around the house, copying Simone and Aly? I’m holding my breath, hoping nothing breaks (like, you know, a lamp, or a leg, or something…) and thinking it’s time to enroll my monkeys in gymnastics!

Luckily, the Arlington area is home to more than a few fantastic gyms that offer lessons to younger ones and big kids alike.

If you’re youngest isn’t yet three (like my youngest), here are several places to try:

ASI Gymnastics (5531 S. Cooper St., Arlington; asigymnastics.com)

Tots can start here at age 12 months (with mom or dad) and learn basic gymnastics skills such as walking on the beam and hanging on the bars. From there they progress to different levels at their own pace.

Texas Tumble Tots (12613 FM 917, Alvarado; texastumbletots.com)

Kiddos can start lessons here for 45 minutes per week at 18 months. Kids will learn a variety of skill and advance in classes as they progress. This location has a great little play area to keep siblings entertained during class- an awesome incentive/addition!

Little Gym (1724 E. Broad St., Mansfield; thelittlegym.com/arlingtonmansfieldtx)

Babies can start classes here as young as 4 months and advance classes as they grow. Children will learn independence while learning to climb and roam. Gymnastics-focused classes start at age 3.

Sprials Gym (2 locations: 1003 Magnolia St., Mansfield and 1083 Bowman Springs Rd., Kennedale; spiralsgym.com)

Starting at 22 months, kiddos, along with mom or dad, can work on gymnastics skills and then progress on their own after their third birthdays. Classes incorporate beam, bars, floor and vault.

If you kiddo is age three or older, in addition to all the options listed above, you may look here:

Jet Athletics (formerly Cheer Texas) (1120 Eden Rd., Arlingon; jetathletics.club)

Kids age three and up can start tumbling lessons here. They are grouped by age and learn floor skills such as cartwheels and back walkovers.

Aerials Gymnastics (1000 Commercial Blvd. N.; aerialsgymnastics.info)

Kiddos three and up can start instruction here. Classes offered most days of the week. This gym also offers competitive gymnastics.

If you are looking more for a true intro into tumbling, many dance studios offer tumbling classes where basic skills such as somersaults and backbends are taught. A. Persons Legacy of Dance is a great place to look in the Arlington/Pantego area- but this studio is certainly not the only to offer it!

**Ongoing Wednesday Events**

1. Little Listeners Story Time. Kennedale Public Library. 10:30a. Free. Crafts, stories and games for littles!

2. Cinemark Movie Clubhouse at Cinemark Mansfield. 9a. This week's feature is Max. $1/ticket. (search the page for the coupon posted last week- you can save $1 on a wacky pack, which is popcorn, fruit snacks and a drink!)

3. $1 movies at Studio Movie Grill. 11a. This week's feature is Home.

4. Bad Konigshafen pool at Stovall Park has $5 admission after 5p.

5. Woodland West Pool has family night from 8-10p. Admission is $2.50/person.

6. Open Jump at Pump It Up. $8/kid. Wednesday times are 10-11:30, 12:30-2, 2:30-4. Don't forget socks!

7. Play and Learn at the Grand Prairie YMCA. Free. Drop by with your littles (best for the under 5 set) and play with play doh, make crafts, engage with new toys. Enjoy the indoors!

Fun for Tuesday

**Ongoing Tuesday Events**

1. $1 movies at Studio Movie Grill. 11 am. This week's feature is Home.

2. Half price games at Chuck E. Cheese! That's right! You can enjoy air-conditioned fun on Tuesdays at Chuck E. Cheese and only pay half the normal price for all the games!

3. Storytime at the Barnes and Noble at Parks Mall, 11 am. Stay for crafts and activities afterward!

4. 2 for 1 Tuesdays at all Arlington Public Pools! That's right- get two guests in for the price of one! BK pool is closed today.. But take advantage of this great special at other pools such as Howard Moore, Helen Wessler and Randol Mill.

5. Open Jump at Pump It Up. $8 per child. Times are 12:30-2, 2:30-4. Don't forget your socks!

6. Craft Tuesdays at Peter Piper Pizza! Head over to Peter Piper for a craft and games! Buffet lunch for kids is only $4.73 per kid and includes a drink. Add 20 tokens for $5 more! Kids can color and do various themed crafts each week! This week's theme is Peter Piper Fiesta!

7. Toddler Tumble at Flight Deck Arlington, 10a-12p (this goes on daily). $8 for one hour of jumping. This is for kids 6 and under.

8. Open jump starts at 10a at Urban Air Mansfield. Check the website for current specials (urbanairtrampolinepark.com)

9. Free bowling at Alley Cats! Sign up your kiddos here: kidsbowlfree.com. Then go enjoy some air-conditioned fun! (this is an every day event!)

10. Open play at the Church on Rush Creek. Drop by the air-conditioned play room at Rush Creek and let the kiddos run around! Best for the 5 and under set. Open play is from 10-12 and 1-2p.

1. 5p-8p- Head over to the Kendra Scott Store at University Park Village in Fort Worth and help the Junior League of Arlington support this great city! 20% of your purchase will go back to JLA... Um- awesome! Plus if your birthday is in August (like mine is!) you can get half off one item! Win win!

*Ongoing Monday Events*

1. Book Babies. 11a. Story time for little ones at the main branch of the Grand Prairie Library.

2. Read Play Learn. 12p. Shotwell Branch of the GPPL. Family Storytime.

3. $1 movies at Studio Movie Grill. This week's feature is Home. 11a.

4. Toddler Jump at Flight Deck Arlington. Ages 6 and under. 10a-12p. $8 per hour per kid. 

5. Open Jump at Pump It Up. $8/child. Monday's times are 12:30p- 2p and 2:30p- 4p. Don't forget your socks!

6. Have you checked out area splash pads?! They ROCK for the younger kids! Brantley Hinshaw, California Lane and Don Misenheimer are great options in Arlington; Sonora Park in fabulous in Kennedale; Splash Factory is awesome in Grand Prairie (this one does cost $2/person).

8. Family Nights at Randol Mill Pool! $5 admission for everyone after 5p.

9. Jump from 10a-1p at Urban Air in Mansfield for just $12/person!