The North Pole Experience in Flagstaff, AZ

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This could possibly be the greatest Christmas event in all of Arizona. 

Do you want to provide a truly magical holiday experience for some little people in your life? 

You have got to check The North Pole Experience:

Take a drive to Flagstaff's Little America Hotel where you will board the trolley that will drive you and your family straight through a portal to the North Pole! From there, families are led on an interactive visit through Santa's incredible 12,000 square-foot workshop. 

Kid-Friendly (and Pet-Friendly) Hikes in the Phoenix Area

We are looking forward to cooler weather, aren't you? This is the time of year when the Desert-Dwellers start itching for fall. On those perfect fall-weather days, there is nothing better than getting outside and enjoying all of the hiking and outdoors the Valley has to offer.

Today, we're focusing on hiking with kids or pets. We also have an exciting announcement at the bottom of the post--so keep reading!

Most of these hikes we have personally done with real-life, actual human children. Although neither of us have a dog, hiking with dogs and kids generally means you are looking for an easier trail so it's a similar search.

In general, dogs are allowed at all county, city, and federal parks but must remain on a leash. And of course, don't forget to clean up after your pet (and/or child)!

Here are several places to try for an easy hike with your favorite short-legged friend:

Children's Museum of Phoenix

This. This is the place to take kids in Phoenix. Last week we got the opportunity to take our little people to the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Can you think of a place more fun than this? 

Images by Kathryn

Hopefully, if you have kids you have been to this award-winning museum. First of all, an air-conditioned, three-story, steampunk treehouse climber complete with a flying bathtub? Yeah. It's got that.  

School Preparedness Packs

Image and words by Kathryn

When I was in the third grade I remember lining up on the field of Emerson Elementary with the entire school because there was a bomb threat.  I remember trying to picture what a bomb actually looked like and wishing I could just walk home.  That was 24 years ago.  Nine and 10 years ago when I taught school at Lincoln Elementary we had a few lock downs as well.  One of my first graders had to use the bathroom.  When I showed him the bucket in the closet that we had for bathroom emergencies, he could suddenly hold it longer.  Thankfully the lock down did not last long and I got that boy to the bathroom ASAP.

We live in a incredible time.  There are many fantastic advances that make living wonderful.  There are many loving and outstanding people in our lives.  I love life! 

But, danger and nightmarish moments are still part of this world too.

Back To School Traditions

Back to school fever is here.  As a past educator and current mother I have many philosophies about education, but one BIG one is that we need to show Arizona kids that we value education.  For me this starts at home.  Each year before school starts we have a few traditions to show our children  just how much we value the ability to be educated and how great the learning process can be.  Think of how awesomer (I'm allowed to use made up words - even when talking about education) Arizona kids would be if we can get them to love learning more.  Life long learners - yes please!!  

20 Plus Back to School Ideas (Link Roundup)

Maybe you are not yet in the back to school mode, but we are just about ready for school to start at my house. Many kids still have a couple of weeks of summer break, but we are counting down our last couple of days. Meet the Teacher is on Monday and school begins next Wednesday.

Yikes!

Here are several ideas I've found for back to school including food, shopping, schedules, and much more.

50 Things to Do With Kids for the Last Stretch of Summer Break

If you have kids in school, then summer is likely on the home stretch. Some kids in Arizona are heading back this week! And some of you have a few more weeks to squeeze in some summer fun before classes start again. Here are our summer posts all gathered together in one easy spot for one long list of over 50 things to do to keep you and your family entertained til you get back to your school-day routines.

Air-Conditioned Fun: A list of indoor activities like museums, malls, etc around AZ

Water Fun and Splash Pads: Read this list for some new ideas for splash pads. Take a little drive and try out a new one. Or, try splash pad hopping by visiting more than one spot in a day.

Classes and Activities: There are still several things on this list that are going on at local businesses for kids. It's likely the activities are less busy now since it is towards the end of the season.

A Fun Summer Activity: Pinterest Week

Written by Marily. Images from Marily and from their original sources (see links below).

Last week was Pinterest Week at our house. I have lots of great ideas for things to do/places to see/ things to eat on my Pinterest boards but we rarely actually try something. If you have a Pinterest account, there is a good chance we share that in common. So I sat down with my boys (ages 2-9) and went through a couple of my Pinterest boards--mostly kids' activities and recipes. We picked several things we wanted to try and added them all to a new Pinterest Week board. Then, we got ready for the week by purchasing the items we needed ahead of time in order to make it happen.

Here is what we tried as well as a verdict on each (HIT or MISS):

Air-Conditioned Fun for a Hot AZ Summer

Written by Marily

The last post in the series is designed to give you lots of options for indoor places to take your kids this summer. When it's 110 degrees outside and you don't want to apply sunscreen and head to the pool, here are some ideas for things to do:

Buy a Pogo Pass. Consider this an investment that will last you an entire year.  Use code IHEARTAZ and get 60% off, which makes these passes $39.98 each. For an entire year, your Pogo Pass will get you to Sunsplash, AZ Diamondbacks games, Sea Life Aquarium, Phoenix Rock Gym, and lots more for FREE. We went to a Rattlers game recently and had a blast. These passes are fun for adults or families with small children and really anyone else.

Try some classes at your local community center. We love the Red Mountain Multigenerational Center in Mesa. Oftentimes they have open gym for a very reasonable price or other activities like Wiggle Worm Adventures (for 5 and under) at the McQueen Park Activity Center in Gilbert.

Summer Reading Guide

Words and images by Kathryn.

You probably already know about your local library's summer reading program. But if your kids are anything like mine, they breeze through that program in no time. Or if you are in a smaller town in AZ, you may not have program with your library to participate in. We have compiled a list of other reading programs and ideas for keeping reading fun all summer long.

Bookman's Read 10 Get 1 Free (all year long)  Also, while you are clicked on that link, sign your kids up for Bookman's Kid's Club.  A $10 gift certificate on their birthday is always a nice present.

Changing Hands Bookstores Club Read (all year long)

Water Fun and Splash Pads in Arizona

Written by Marily, Images by Marily and Kathryn

Here is a long list for you of water activities and splash pads in AZ. It is not comprehensive yet, but with your help we can add to this list and create a great resource for each other. 

Check out our I Heart AZ Friends page to add your favorites to this list.

Your Ultimate Guide to Entertaining Your Kids this Summer in AZ: Out to Eat

Going out for lunch with your kids is a fun summertime activity. Here are a few ideas to get you started, including a couple of lists of Kids Eat Free restaurants as well as some fun suggestions for family-friendly favorites.

Your Ultimate Guide to Entertaining Your Kids This Summer: Classes and Activities

Are you wondering what you are going to do with your kids this summer in Arizona? We have compiled so much to do that we had to separate the goods into numerous posts for you. Today we are featuring activities that you can do throughout the summer, most of them available one day each week. 

The Big List of Free Things to Do With Kids in Arizona

No matter what your budget is, every parent needs a list of free things to do with kids in their back pocket. We've got you covered. If you know of something around Arizona that is not on the list, share it with us on Facebook or in the comments below. 

Here we go!