Being Savvy: Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers and kids in Minneapolis, MN

Find out more about:

Parks and Playgrounds

The Twin Cities A-Z

November 04, 2008

A rboretum - As in the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Home of the Honeycrisp , Zestar , and many other plants and trees that tolerate our fun weather. B ell Museum - Part of the University of Minnesota System, it is the natural history museum in the state. They offer great creative programs for all ages of kids. C entral Library - If you haven't been there yet, you should. Story  Read more...

The last warm days of fall.

October 30, 2008

These last warm days may be the very last that we have before it gets cold, very cold. Colder than that little snap we had at the beginning of the week. Since the weather is getting colder, here are a few things you can enjoy before it gets too cold to enjoy them. The Zoo - Either Como or the Minnesota Zoo are great this time of year. The Minnesota Zoo is especially nice with all of the  Read more...

More Fun Stuff For The Weekend

September 12, 2008

My MN Parent email came in today and it included another fun thing to do this weekend. The Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville is having a Wild Rice Festival . For those unfamiliar with the process, harvesting wild rice the traditional way is a time intensive and spiritual process for the Native Americans who still do it. I think knowing where your food comes from is important, and  Read more...

A Fangirl Moment (disguised as a kids event)

September 11, 2008

When I was in school, I discovered They Might Be Giants. They were funny, quirky, that perfect kind of odd that I was going for. I still know more about previous names of historic cities thanks to Istanbul (not Constantinople) than well, the people who don't know the song. I have been serenaded with Birdhouse in Your Soul. Now that I am a parent, I was happy to find out that they have  Read more...

Play Dating?

September 09, 2008

Ok, so I never loved dating all that much anyway, but now I have to arrange dates for my kid too? We haven't been on any play dates yet, since we usually reserve weekends for family time, and she socializes a lot at daycare. However, we know that will change. So, in prep, we're working on finding places that we can go. The park - During the non snowy months, parks are a great way to  Read more...

RNC Stole Your Fun?

September 01, 2008

With the RNC in downtown St. Paul, and all of the major players staying in Minneapolis, there are a large number of closures in Minneapolis and St. Paul. If you're not preoccupied with the beginning of the school year, some of your favorite preschooler haunts may be closed, or a hassel to get to. However, there are plenty of fun things to do close to home. Since crossing the river/downtown  Read more...

Heeeeere Fishy Fishy Fishy

August 22, 2008

There is a Sesame Street sketch with Bert & Ernie where they go fishing. You know the one, Bert has a pole and Ernie just calls them, "Heeeeere Fishy Fishy Fishy". When I was growing up, I actually tried calling them, but it never worked. Fortunately my grandmother taught me how to do it the other way. My worms were always put in my hooks for me, and my grandfather always took the  Read more...

Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away

August 13, 2008

The national blog is talking sun protection today, and I suggest that you check it out. While we may have been allowed to turn into little tan monkeys running around all summer, we now know that may not be the safest route to go. Some sun is good, lots of sun, not so much. Especially if you're a fair skinned one like M and I. A few years ago I lost a good friend to skin cancer, so it is  Read more...

Swimming in the TC, 10,000 Lakes No Excuses

August 12, 2008

That's right. We have more than 10,000 lakes and there is no reason you shouldn't know how to swim. At least a little. For kids learning the basics, there are great options. While the summer sessions are already wrapped or wrapping up, the choices only go down a little in the winter. Summer only ones listed last, in case you're checking this next spring. YMCA - There are 22  Read more...

Room To Run: East of the River

July 24, 2008

The city designers both sides of the river really knew how to make sure that there was plenty of room to get out and enjoy.  To find and participate in community.  While the St. Paul side is not as familiar to me, I've recently had the chance to get out and see more of it thanks to my research for this site.  Being firmly entrenched in the Minneapolis is awesome group, I went into it with  Read more...

Getting Away, Without The Away Part

July 16, 2008

So, the festivals are all well and good, but the Dragon Festival isn't for another year (and you really, seriously, can't miss it next year, it was a blast!). So, what do you do when you just must get away without leaving town? Even if it is just for an afternoon? Lake Calhoun 32nd Street Beach - This was dubbed by more than person that I talked to as the family beach. Not the large  Read more...

Outdoor Music and Fun in The 'Burbs

June 26, 2008

I've been trying to branch out my searches for things to do to outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul itself and I found some great outdoor concerts in Edina.   (I also found some movies, but they all start at dusk, and do you really want to push bed time to 11? yeah, didn't think so)  The daytime bedtime friendly concerts are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Centennial Lakes Park .  They are  Read more...

I see a bunny - cool clouds

June 05, 2008

All of the recent weather has me thinking about clouds. When I was kid I used to know all of the different kinds of clouds. We're fortunate (depending on how you look at it) here in Minnesota to be able to see pretty much any kind of cloud that there is. M can't identify them yet, but she definitely notices them, and we're talking about them more all the time. Cirrus - The thin  Read more...

Park Review - Windom Northeast Park

June 04, 2008

As a child, I had a 6th sense for the locations of wings, I mean swings. Trips were generally spent trying to appease my desire to swing. I thought that being a Savvy City Expert would give M and I a chance to review some of the area neighborhood parks. You never know when you'll be close to one, and some of them are worth going a little out of the way for. Windom Northeast Park is in the  Read more...

Room to Run - West of the river

May 28, 2008

I'm pretty sure it goes without saying that kids have amazing amounts of energy, and pretty much every joke you can make about it has been done. However, what about this one: You know you're in for it when your kid isn't even walking yet and they can already put some space between you and them. Yup, we knew she was trouble Since the weather has finally cleared up, barring a few  Read more...

History Lesson - The Mill City

May 21, 2008

I may have lived in Minnesota nearly all of my life, but there are still things to learn about the area. While some may know that General Mills and Pillsbury are local, you may not know just how all of that got started. St. Anthony Falls Go now and you may wonder why the name. There really used to be a St. Anthony Falls, and it was the only natural waterfall on the  Read more...

More of Our Favorite Activities and Things to Do in minneapolis

urbanjungle.jpg

Creatures & Critters:
Our Urban Jungle

doremi.jpg

Do, Re, Mi! Places to Hear, Sing & Play a Tune

artisticendeavors.jpg

Artistic Endeavors:
Our Favorite Art Venues

roomtorun2.jpg

Room to Run:
Run, Jump & Wiggle Outdoors

rain.jpg

Rainy & Quiet Days:
Cozy & Crazy Indoor Fun

localhistory2.jpg

A Sense of History:
Our City's Stories

waterparks2.jpg

Splash, Spray, Play! Local Spots to Get Wet

holdinghands2.jpg

The Most Fun in Life Is Free!

bestofcity2.jpg

The Best of... Our Top Can't-Live-Without Spots

The Voice of Being Savvy minneapolis:
Amelia McClain

Read more Being Savvy for: