Teddy Bears, Splash Pads, and More!

Like all parents in the summer, my ears  perk up when I get wind of activities that are not only fun for kids but also free.  Since the sweltering heat has subsided, the girls and I were able to make it out to a couple new (to us) parks now that we are living east of the Twin Cities. I've read on several blogs about how adorable and fun Teddy Bear Park in Stillwater is, so we gave it a try this week. (And it served as an excuse to go out to Stillwater, which is pretty much the most picturesque town ever!)

 

As you can see, it was beary cute and perfect for the girls' ages. They requested to go back soon, so I think we will be meeting up with the bears again in the near future. Maybe we'll even bring a pic-a-nic basket!

We also made it out to the new splash pad at Bielenberg Park in Woodbury. Cece was filled with pure jubilation as you can see in these pictures. Rosie was... skeptical at best. I mean, to be honest, Cece ran around the splashpad like a joyous free spirit and Rosie opted to sit on a towel with me and eat a granola bar while watching Cece. I can't really fault her. Sometimes, you just need some shade and a snack, right? Also, my favorite part of the visit was when Cece asked me if splash pads had chemicals in the water. I said I didn't think so. Then she immediately opened her mouth to catch a stream of water (pictured above). 

After removing Cece from the splash pad area, we spent a little bit of time at the adjacent park. Madison's Place Universal Access Playground is probably the COOLEST playground I've ever been to in my life. This is not a statement to be taken lightly... I've been to A LOT of playgrounds. We didn't spend as much time there as I would have liked (you know, kid schedules and delaying meals and naps is not something I like to mess around with). However, every fun feature you've ever seen at a playground is basically ALL in this one spot. It's huge and sprawling and has ramps for wheelchair access (also nice for toddlers, I might add!).  We will be back here for sure! Anyone want to meet up for a play date? Let me know!