Toddler friendly stuff around Wilkes-Barre? (Scranton, Easton: rentals, beach, train)

[ziaAirmac]

Hi from Albuquerque! We're going to be in the Wilkes-Barre area from Sep 12th to the 22nd with our two toddlers. Just wondering if there are some toddler-friendly things to do. My wife has mentioned: Knobel's (sp?), the Train museum and Hershey park. Even nice parks/playgrounds are a big hit with our girls but I was wondering if some of the bigger amusements have toddler friendly areas.
Out here we've got this science museum called Explora! that has an padded upper deck with what can only be described as a giant Lincoln Log set. I'm not sure who has more fun: the kids or the parents. Also, inside are all sorts of hands on science stations and a specific room just for toddlers with crawl arounds, books and all sorts of toys.
We'll have a rental, and I'd say anything within a couple hour's drive would be considered. Thanks!

[Magritte25]

Knoebel's has a very toddler friendly area. They have quite a few rides just for them and also, depending on their heights, some great whole family rides. The park also puts on puppet shows and interactive shows for little ones.

The train museum in Scranton is always a big hit with my two sons. There is also a place called Climb a Lot Funhouse about 25 minutes from Wilkes-Barre:

Climb-a-Lot Clubhouse

There is also the Lehigh Valley Zoo (another hit with our kids):

Lehigh Valley Zoo, Schnecksville, PA

As far as parks/playgrounds in and around Wilkes-Barre, you can't beat Kirby Park. They miles of walking trails, a decent sized playground, a duck pond, etc. There is also a brand new RiverWalk that runs along the Wilkes-Barre side of the Susquehanna and connects with the park:

http://www.wilkes-barre.pa.us/forms/kirbymap.pdf

The River Common, Wilkes-Barre, PA | Find Your Common Ground


And one more thing I'll mention is the Osterhout library. They have quite a few toddler playgroups and a very nice children's area:

http://www.osterhout.lib.pa.us/

Ok one last thing...Promise! LOL
Our older son loved the Crayola Factory/National Canal Museum in Easton, PA:

The Crayola FACTORY® at Two Rivers Landing
Welcome to the National Canal Museum

Both are very interactive and the Canal Museum offers a ride on a canal boat. You are transported there via trolley from the museum to the canal.

The National Canal Museum

[Summering]

Every child loves the Crayola Factory in Easton, Pa........I'm sure they would love that.
A trip to Hershey is enjoyable. Lots to see and do there.......The true history of Hershey Chocolate.

[ziaAirmac]

Magritte25: You really knocked it out of the park.
Thank you so much. Now I'm really looking forward to getting the girls out there. My girls LOVE to climb, so the climbing place sounds like an ideal place for them to have a great time while burning off seemingly unending toddler energy.

Summering: Thanks for weighing in too!

[Magritte25]

No problem zia! My kids and nephew loved Climb a Lot. Summering, Hershey is another awesome place. Hershey World is free admission w/ a free tour. There is also a 3D movie that you can pay to see along with a paid trolley tour of the town of Hershey.

[ziaAirmac]

Getting excited about the trip. The girls talk about seeing grandpa and grandma every time a jet flies over. I'll post my thoughts on the trip when we get back.

[Mr Yuk]

MyGym is Scranton is fun for toddlers, but that may not work for you since its something you need to sign up for a month at a time.

[ziaAirmac]

Thanks for the heads up. We've got a similar one here, and although they don't advertise, they let tourists get in for 'single' rentals, so I'll give a call and see if they'd be willing to let a visitor get a break.

[ziaAirmac]

I wanted to say thanks for the toddler help on the NEPA forum. We had a great trip and used many of the places recommended here. Kirby park was fun for the girls, with plenty of green space and a very interesting playground (really two, side by side). We were pleasantly surprised when, after finding all of the covered picnic areas being used, a guy running some sort of surveying equipment bbq/sales presentation made it clear with a few hand gestures that my family was welcome to use one of the back corner tables. We enjoyed our picnic and learned something about high end surveying optics. We hit Hickory State Park, and the girls were in awe at the Boulder Field there. Unfortunately, the Boulder Field is a bit much for toddlers to navigate, but there are some game trails on either side that made for fun exploration. Also, we found this sandy beach alongside a spring water lake. I wish we could've been there in warmer weather, it looked like it would be a blast in season. We went to Paws and Claws, a sort of laid back zoo. I was surprised at the variety of animals there. The petting area was fun for the girls. I'll post some pics in the photo thread. Thanks again!

[Magritte25]

I'm glad that you had a nice visit to our area Zia! It sounds like your girls had a fun time too!