Stephanie's Top Ten List for Kids

One of my all-time favorite Div School moms, Stephanie, took a little longer to write me back about what she likes to do with her two awesome kids in New Haven. You'll want to read this whole list; even though it contains some duplicates from what I've already posted, there's some great new information. Number ten is a real gem, too.

-Kate

1) The Peabody Museum. The MacDougall Center [the Yale grad student center] has free tickets for kids, and your Yale ID gets you in for free. Annual membership lets you have a sleepover in the dinosaur room- awesome.

2) The Eli Whitney Museum - great for rainy or snowy days. Drop by to do a woodworking project on any weekend day rather inexpensively. (Discount for projects if you become members)

3) Sign-up for MacDougall Center family list serve. Great events planned for families every month - young kids and parents play groups, apple picking, and holiday movies and craft parties.

4) Neighborhood Music School for all types of dance and instrumental lessons.

5) East Rock park playground and park off Cold Spring is great for picnics, soccer and kite flying. [You guys must be way sick of us talking about East Rock Park, but it’s pretty great. Did I mention there’s usually an ice cream truck at the summit?]

6) New Haven Youth Soccer is a well-run soccer program for children of all ages. One year fee covers both spring and fall season. The coaches are terrific and the program is lots of fun for the kids.

7) Yale Athletics has a Kids Bulldogs club (check our Yale athletics website) All children can join for free. They get a T-shirt and free admission to certain Yale sports events including soccer, football and basketball. Face painting, autographs by the athletes and pizza parties for Bulldog members. Really wonderful program

8) Yale Outdoor Education Center near East Lyme - $6 per day per person w/ Yale ID. Free canoeing and kayaking. Lovely lake, campsites and cabins for rent.

9) As for culture: the New Haven Symphony Orchestra has several family programs throughout the school year. Yale Art Gallery has once a month (on a Sunday afternoon) family art programs.

10) For the past two years, Div school families have informally gathered for dinner at the HGS Dining Hall* on Thursday nights. It's a great way to relax and catch-up with the other families. The HGS Manager has been offering some special family activities on Thursdays (e.g. make-your own sundaes) and the MacDougal Center has provided coloring books, crayons, plastic cups. Many parents (and children) really looked forward to the Thursday night family dinners so hopefully it will continue.

*My note: "HGS" is the Hall of Graduate Studies, a dorm/coffeeshop/cafeteria building, and where the MacDougal Center is housed. You can use your YDS meal plan at HGS!