Day 46-Disney Store Summer Play Days

We love to play at the San Tan Village in Gilbert, Arizona. They have a puppy store, Build-a-Bear, playground and splash pad, tropical smoothie, and one of our favorite stores, The Disney Store.

Every summer, the Disney Store hosts these fun little free events called "Summer Play Days." All Disney stores are required to offer free activities at least 3 days a week but most have something everyday. Earlier this summer we went to the Disney Store in Temecula, CA for storytime. They read a story about Jake and the Neverland Pirates, had the kids act parts of it out and gave them all gold doubloons with a picture of Cubby on them. Today we participated in the Art of Drawing at San Tan Village. The kids learned to draw Mickey Mouse and Captian America's shield. Each week kids participate, they can earn a new pin for their lanyard. Most of the activities only take about 15-20 minutes, so we usually make the Disney Summer Play Day part of a mall outing instead of our only activity for the day. Activities start in June and go through August. Times and activities vary every week so call ahead to find the schedule.

Day 19 - Temecula Valley Museum

Many towns have their own historical museums. Often times these are overlooked because they are small and don't have much of an advertising budget. I love to explore these local museums. Sometimes you find a real gem, like the Temecula Valley Museum. This museum is clearly laid out and has a fun area for children to play. Read my full review of the Temecula Valley Museum here.

From my experience, most local history museums are interesting for adults without a lot of hands-on for children. It does seem though that more and more places are trying to be family-friendly. We've been to the Gilbert Historical Museum in Gilbert, AZ and Teton Flood Museum in Rexburg, ID in the past, and although there wasn't much, they did both have special areas for children.

Have you been to your local historical museum?

Day 5 - Swim Lessons

It's important for kids to know how to swim at a very young age in Arizona. Even though we don't have a pool, most of our friends and neighbors do. Much of the summer fun here revolves around a pool. Although most of my children are already swimming, they could stand to improve their technique. These next two weeks, we will all be enjoying swim lessons through the town's recreation department.

City Swim Lessons

Gilbert offers great recreation programs for a good price. Swim lessons for all levels (except Tadpoles which is 3 students to 1 teacher) is only $25 for 8-1/2 hour lessons. The city of Phoenix has the same swim program for only $15 a session. I love that they have a variety of lesson levels to choose from. The baby and I are in a parent/tot class together. Kids over 5 have the opportunity to take diving lessons. Our aquatics department also organizes swim and dive teams. Check out what your town's recreation department offers.

Private/Semi-Private Swim Lessons 

Semi-Private Lessons 2014

I do have to say, if your child needs to learn how to swim, it is best to start with private or semi-private lessons. They do cost quite a bit more, but the difference in how quick a child learns is huge. Teachers are able to work on your child's specific needs instead of following a standard lesson plan for a class of 7 or 8 students. Usually, private teachers have more experience than city swim teachers. They know how to combine the right amount of play and learning. Sometimes it's necessary for a child to go under the water and an experienced teacher isn't going to be afraid to make them do it. When finding a teacher, ask for recommendations from friends and look for class sizes no larger than 4 students,