Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Live Entertainment, Themed Evenings and Other Ideas for Date Nights


Date nights are important to keep couples connected and communicating. Whether you do a fancy night on the town with live entertainment and the works, or pick a simple picnic in a local park, it is important to make time for each other. Juggling work and life schedules can sometimes leave little time for planning, so here are a few great ideas for date night.

Live entertainment
Live entertainment is a crowd pleaser. Whether you are looking for theatre, animal performances, competitions, or music, watching a live show always sets you up for date night success. Look to community staples and traveling shows for the options. The best ones are places that also include dinner, so you don’t miss the start of the show.

Romance in nature
A twilight dinner and moonlit stroll through an area park can also be romantic. Most areas not only have neighborhood and municipal parks, but if you look, you can probably also find state parks or natural preserves. Pack a picnic of your favorite high-end treats and a bottle of something nice. Nothing says romance like an evening stroll among the stars and the twinkling live entertainment of lightning bugs.

Take a class together
Couples that learn together stay together. Couples with less time can take a one-time class about a shared hobby, like gardening, welding, pottery, or painting. Those with more flexibility can enroll in a continuing education class together, like a language class or history class for a recurring date night.

Game Night
Game night is a great way to unwind and connect with your significant other. Pick your favorite board games from childhood, or learn a new card game together. Get physical and play tennis, go to a driving range, or batting cage. Remember that games also include video game competitions and table games, like ping pong, foosball, shuffleboard, and air hockey. With game night, you become the live entertainment!

Themed evenings
For creative and adventurous couples, make a themed date night. The sea could inspire a boat rental, the old west could lead to a day at the rodeo, and chivalrous knights and ladies of yore could lead to a themed evening at a jousting competition. Whatever you pick, find something that you can both get into. You can even dress up, if you like!

If you would like to learn more about live entertainment in Toronto, click here.

5 Not-So-Ordinary Ideas for Family Fun Activities


1. Go to a dinner theatre
One of the best family fun activities is going to a dinner theatre. Kids of all ages love stories. These stories are acted out in front of them, complete with fantastic costumes, music, and props. Sometimes animals are even part of the show. They will love the interaction as they cheer, jeer, and clap along.

2. Rent paddleboats
Most every local body of water will have paddleboat or canoe rentals. The whole family can have fun getting out into nature on a beautiful day. Take a few moments before you leave to show them a few local flora and fauna that you might come across. They can keep their eyes open for various birds, fish, dragon flies, and frogs.

3. Live entertainment
If your family fun activities have become boring, spice things up with some live entertainment. Local comedians, animal shows, musical talent, and plays are all great live entertainment options. Some make things even easier by having dinner included. If not, make sure to plan enough time to see the show and have a meal.

4. Have a table tennis competition
If you are a little short on cash, but want something high on fun, create a family game competition. Table tennis is an easy one, but you could also do foosball, badminton, and volleyball. Keep score and make a silly awards ceremony with silly trophies, paper crowns, or fun things like pardons from nightly chores.

5. Find an unusual sporting event
No one will argue that going to a major league football, basketball, baseball, or hockey game is fun. However, there are lots of kinds of sports out there that can be enjoyable to watch and are often less of a hassle and more fun to learn. Indoor soccer, jousting, martial arts, and lacrosse are all fun family activities to watch.

If you would like to learn more about family fun activities in Toronto, visit Medieval Times.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

5 Great Ideas for Blended Family Fun Activities


Here, Mr. and Mrs. Parent, is your dilemma: Your blended family consists of a playground-loving toddler and a teen who is partial to the shopping mall. Go make both of them happy. Hint: You actually can accomplish that feat in five easy steps …

1. A day at the museum

Visiting a museum – the science variety – is one of the best family fun activities, because everyone wins. The young ones enjoy pushing buttons and creating things, while older children learn something that might come in handy during a forthcoming science test. And you have happy kids.

2. Swim, swam, swum

A trip to the local pool is also high on the family fun activities list. Most facilities offer water-iffic options for each child, plus you get an added bonus: Everyone sleeps better after a day of splish splashing.

3. Travel back in time   

Want a family fun night? Visit a family fun knight. Venues that harken the Middle Ages – the exciting stuff such as jousting, scrumptious turkey legs and lively entertainment – are great for helping everyone bond. But please note: Don’t do jousting in the living room when you return home.

4. The recipe for success   
A family that cooks together has a good time together. It says that early on in the “Family Fun Activities Manual.” OK, it will when we finish writing it. In any case, cooking together gives preschoolers the opportunity to cover themselves in flour without a fuss from Mom and Dad. Meanwhile, the teens can create a meal from ingredients purchased at the grocery store and discover the wonders of cooking.
5. Two words: Family Night

Every family, especially a blended one, will benefit from time spent together on purpose, so make one night a week “Family Night,” full of the family fun activities of your choosing.
If you would like to learn more about family fun activities in Myrtle Beach, click here.

Is My Child Old Enough to Watch Live Entertainment


If you have young children, you’ve had a conversation of this ilk: “Mom, I think you’re pretty … worms aren’t, though … worms are gross … except worms that turn into butterflies … I’m hungry.” It’s a fact that a kiddo’s attention span isn’t the stuff of Guinness Book records. So, you might wonder, when is a child old enough to watch live entertainment? Here are two activities you can do that will help with the answer – plus a bonus “kid proof” solution.

1. Watch and learn

To gauge whether children are ready for live entertainment, start watching their attention span at home. When they view a favorite television show, they should be able to sit most of the way through it and be engaged in the story. The less fidgeting they do, the more ready they are for live entertainment.

2. Enlist the help of an older child

A child’s attention span typically grows at around four years, but studies show younger kids with older siblings sometimes mature in that regard even earlier. If an older brother/sister plays with the younger child regularly, the youngster often stays tuned in to the activity better. When the younger child has someone to look up to, he/she can take behavioral cues from bubba or sis. Plus, at a live entertainment event, the youngster has another lap in which to sit contently.

3. Take action   

Realize beforehand that the content of the live entertainment goes a long way toward ensuring a contented kiddo. At shows with a lot of action and color, children can become mesmerized by the costumes, music, and activity. Shows that engage them physically also keep them interested. Another solid bet for a contented child: shows that involve animals of any kind. Kids love animals.

If you would like to learn more about live entertainment in Myrtle Beach, visit Medieval Times.