Category Archives: Holidays with kids

Playlist to Rock Mom's Day around the Hub

Moms who like to Play

Of course, one of the most playful places in town is Joyland! And on Mother’s Day, moms ride free with a paying child from 2 PM – 8 PM. Fun! Buffalo Springs Lake is also launching their first “Float-In” Movie event the Friday of Mother’s Day weekend on May 8th - you can pull up on your boat, float on an inner tube, or sit in the grass, and watch a family movie together to kick off the weekend.

Moms who like to Learn

The great thing about educational events with kids… they’re also fun… even for moms! The Science Spectrum is a local treasure and if you haven’t had a chance to take in the exhibits and the pirates, then it’s the perfect time! Regular rates apply. They are also featuring a special pirate event Saturday 5/9 called the “Pirate School! Swashbuckling Show” at 1:30pm & 3:30pm. $3/child & $4/adult.

The 2015 Wolfforth Water Conservation Exposition also takes place Saturday at Frenship High School from 10:30am-4pm where everyone can learn more about about water conservation and enjoy fun activities for the kids too! The Texas Tech Museum on Saturday offers the popular Dino Day event from 1-4pm… free and fun and a great learning experience! And of course, a stroll through the Windmill Museum, Silent Wings Museum, Lubbock Lake Landmark, or the Bayer Museum of Agriculture always offers a great day together and they are all open Mother’s Day Weekend.

Moms who like the Theatre and Musicals

There’s a “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” treat for Mom (and her kids!) Mother’s Day weekend this year: Moonlight Musical’s performance of Mary Poppins! Shows are Thursday May 7 through Sunday May 10 at the Civic Center Theatre.

And on Mother’s Day, another musical treat… the Lubbock Alamo Drafthouse has a special Broadway Brunch featuring of The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews at 3pm Sunday.

Moms who are Foodies

There are several nice Mother’s Day Brunches & deals being offered locally:
The Overton Hotel is presenting their popular Mother’s Day Brunch.
At Beef ‘O’ Brady’s moms eat FREE on Mother’s Day with a purchase of equal/greater value.
And perfect for moms with little ones ages 3-7, it’s a special Moms and Muffins “A Mother’s Day Event” at Hodges Community Center on Saturday 5/9 from 9-11am. And perfect for the entire family, there is and Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social at Maxey Community Center 9-11am Saturday benefiting the Girl Scouts.

Moms who are Artsy

There are several paint-your-own pottery/craft places that are featuring mom & child pieces through the month. The Mud Room has their Kid’s Day Saturday 5/9 where kids receive 15% off, Clay Café is featuring mom prints, Painting with a Twist is having a 1pm Mom & Teen “Gratitude” painting session on Saturday before Mother’s Day, and Art & Company is having a class on Saturday. Whether creating a surprise for Mom or with Mom, there are several chances to create priceless, precious works of art and some memories!

Moms who are Health Conscious

There is a great Child Safety fair this weekend…. making it the perfect outing for moms who love to stay up on all the latest for healthy families… and have fun with the kids! The community-wide Healthy Summer Festival @ Safety City (46th & Ave. U) is Saturday 5/9 from 10am-1pm featuring tons of activities for the family including free children’s immunizations (bring shot records), car seat safety checks, bike rodeo, carnival games, entertainment, free health screenings, free fitness classes, demonstrations, dog agility and door prizes.

Moms who like Nature

The Second Annual Scales, Tails & Trails G.O. (Get Outside) event at the Lubbock Lake Landmark is the perfect family activity for the mom who enjoys learning about and experiencing the beauty of our West Texas home. It’s a FREE outdoor education event for all ages Sat. 5/9 from 10am-2pm that features freebies and fun activities including a scavenger hunt, fish prints, live animals and face painting. The Lubbock Memorial Arboretum is also holding their Second Saturday event 5/9 at 10am where moms and kids can learn more about gardening in West Texas – “Gardening in Small Spaces” is the theme Mother’s Day weekend.

Moms who like to Run

Saturday 5/9, Frenship High School is having their Second Annual Frenship Spirit Fun Run 5K from 8:30-11am starting at Tiger Stadium/People’s Bank Stadium Parking Lot. Proceeds benefit the Frenship PTSA.

Moms who like to Pitch-in for a Good Cause

Saturday 5/9, is Lubbock Lemonade Day. Moms and little entrepreneurs will be able to spend some nice quality time together, pitching-in together making their own family business for the day! Saturday is also the 2nd Annual Duck Derby & Family Fun Fest sponsored by the Legal Aid Society at Buddy Holly Recreation Area. Fun Fest is 11am-4pm and the Ducks drop at 2pm. Prizes include great family packages including a Carnival Cruise and Schlitterbahn and Texas Ranger tickets.

So many ways to enjoy Mother’s Day – fast & slow! See our Calendar for more ideas on how to make Mom’s weekend rock!

Do you know of any other Mother’s Day deals or freebies? How do you celebrate Mother’s Day? Add your favorites and other Mother’s Day events here and share with us!

Cruising for Christmas Lights!

Take a breath… load up the kids…
and enjoy the holiday lights as 2014 wraps up!

Our family tradition has always been to cruise the roads of Lubbock and enjoy Christmas lights… usually AFTER Christmas. Now that we’re parents ourselves, we understand the real reason our parents started this tradition… it’s time! They convinced us that after Christmas is the perfect time to look at the lights… it’s after baby Jesus was born and the Wise Men were on their way to meet Him by following the Christmas Star. This story is still very convincing for our kids… but it’s also for selfish reasons: it’s the time to sit back, relax and fully enjoy the cruise and the time along with our kids!

However, this year we made an exception and decided to do a mini-cruise the week before Christmas so we can take-in the lights at one of the newest treats on the Christmas Cruise list… Safety City! This year they are kicking off their Christmas in the City: Holiday Lights at Safety City display from Sun. Dec. 14 – Sat. Dec. 20!

So we’re off! In one hand we have the handy-dandy Christmas Light Map from Lubbockintheloop.com (including the additions from their readers at the bottom of the map!) and in the other hand we have the nice list on the Visit Lubbock blog.

Thermos of Hot Chocolate – check. Thermos of Hot Cider – check. Non-spill travel cups – check. Holiday munchies – check. Holiday music – check. Time to Cruise!

We begin our journey by allowing the kids to select the first “Quadrant” to attack (too much xbox perhaps?!).

The winning starting point is Vintage Township (our favorite spot to run around the lights and warm up by the outdoor fireplace!), The Falls, Orchard Park, 3417 91st (off Indiana – pictured above), and 59th & Indiana (synchronized houses). We swing over to 66th & Ave S (our daughter loved the Christmas Ferris Wheel there!), run over by Safety City on 47th & Ave. U. We then take I-27 to Mackenzie Park and Santa Land (we decide to take a tour of Santa Land in our next outing!) and then continue on to Tech and the Carol of Lights via Marsha Sharp Freeway.

We head west on 19th to the Rush neighborhood off Quaker and then continue north on Quaker to catch the synchronized light show at Wayland Baptist University at 801 North Quaker Ave. – just outside the Loop. We then drive by 38th St. & Salem Ave. and head to Llano Estates (Marsha Sharp Fwy at Wolfforth) focusing on 8308 CR 6940 where the lights are synchronized. We turn back towards Lubbock by heading east on 82nd and see the synchronized houses directly behind Tractor Supply Co. (turn south on Xenia Ave. to 84th). Amazing!

The next wave….

After our loop around town, we try to determine if we have time to hit the next grouping of lights…. the backseat vote passes: yes, we’re heading east to Ransom Canyon! It was beautiful and well-worth the very short drive. The kids only argued briefly (over the music choices of course!), and snoozed on the way home!

Our Christmas Light Cruise 2014 is complete…. or maybe, now that we know our favorites, we’ll take just one more excursion before the lights disappear for another year! Or maybe we’ll take a little road trip and see other area displays like Santa’s Land Drive-through park in Tahoka or the Zoo Lights Safari at the Amarillo Zoo! So many lights, so little time! It’s hard to resist the call of the Christmas Lights! Need more idea? See our Holiday Lights section for more!

Do you have a favorite tradition for enjoying the lights of the holidays? Share them with us!

This article was originally published in 2013 and updated for 2014.

2013 Holiday Camp Guide: Camps & Classes for Kids in the Lubbock area during the Holidays

Kid-approved Holiday Camps & Classes offer fun & learning for kids and valuable time for busy parents!

What to do with the kids over the holidays? With all the hustle & bustle of the season, be sure to take advantage of all the classes and drop & shop events in the Lubbock area. Many of them provide artistic fun for the kids AND a handmade craft or work of art that will make a priceless gift for someone special! We’ve gathered a sleigh-full of area winter classes, camps, drop & shops, and holiday childcare options from our Holiday Camps section of LubbockForKids.com for our nifty 2013 Holiday Camp Guide. Classes and camps fill up quickly so click their link to register or check availability asap!

Note that events are in order by date in each category. Check back frequently for new additions to the list and see our Holiday Page for dozens more ideas for winter fun – search by child’s age, interests and dates! And if you know of a camp for kids, let us know or add it to the online listing on LubbockForKids.com!
(updated 1/1/2014)

Arts & Crafts Camps:

Kids’ Paint the Day Away class @ Art & Co.:
Thurs. 1/2 & Fri. 1/3: 1-3pm:
Grades: any age if parent stays with children. Grades 1st & up without a parent.
$20.
Kids can select a pottery piece to paint or take a blank canvas and design and paint their own masterpiece! $25 per child without parent/adult staying with children or price of the piece/canvas if parent/adult stays with children.

Science Camps:

Go 4 Gold! Camp @ Science Spectrum:
Thurs – Fri, Jan. 2nd-3rd, 1-4 PM.
Ages 4-6.
Members $36/Non-members $40.
Get in the Winter Olympic spirit! Learn about the different sports & games played during the Winter Olympics and the science behind how they work. They’ll enjoy an “Olympic Day” on the final day of camp where students compete in fun Olympic-themed challenges. Come a camper, leave a champion in Go 4 Gold!

Winter Wonderlab Camp @ Science Spectrum:
Thurs – Fri, Jan. 2nd-3rd, 10 AM – 3 PM.
Ages 7-9.
Members $36/Non-Members $40.
Walkin’ in our Winter Wonderlab, you will have the chance to do tons of fun and exciting experiments! We will take on icy investigations, explore candyology, study of science of toys, light up the world, and so much more.

Holiday Child Care:

New Years Week Camp @ Rawlings, Trejo & Simmons Community Centers:
Mon, Tues, Thurs, & Fri. of New Year’s week: Open 7:45am-5:30pm daily 12/30/2013, 12/31/2013, 1/2/2014, & 1/3/2014.
Ages 6-12.
$28 for the week.
While school’s out New Year’s week, the kids can play all day! Crafts, games, sports, and more! Children must provide lunch & drink.

New Years Week Camp @ Hodges & Maxey Community Centers:
Mon, Tues, Thurs, & Fri. of New Year’s week: Open 7:30am-5:30pm daily 12/30/2013, 12/31/2013, 1/2/2014, & 1/3/2014.
Ages 6-12.
$64 for the week.
While school’s out New Year’s week, the kids can play all day! Crafts, games, sports, and more! Children must provide lunch & drink.

TEGA Kid’s Superplex:
Day camps are offered on most school holidays:
From 7:30 -3:00pm or 7:30-6:00pm.
$45 per day.
Currently enrolled afterschool care students: Full-Day (7:30-6:00) = $40 per child. Non-enrolled students.