Spring Break Activities (Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe: renting, movies, elementary school)

[Singsong]

Alright, all you stay-at-home moms with with elementary school-aged kids - What are your plans for Spring Break?

Are you heading out of town or staying put for the week?

If its the latter - what in the world does one do with kids in Phoenix, besides the mall or zoo? We don't hike and it is too cool for the pool. Help me out.

[Roran]

Well when I was a kid we used to go ice skating and to skateland. Also movies.

[Roran]

Well when I was a kid we used to go ice skating and to skateland. Also movies.

[exit2lef]

I'm a dad, not a mom, but I can offer some ideas:

First, why no hiking? Abundant hiking trails are one of Phoenix's best assets, and it would be a shame to miss out. Hidden Valley at South Mountain is a great place to hike with kids because of the interesting rock formations.

Second, some other ideas:

-- Children's Museum of Phoenix - not a traditional museum, more an interactive play space
-- Arizona Museum for Youth
-- Hall of Flame -- a museum full of fire trucks and firefighting history
-- Renting a boat at Tempe Town Lake
-- Riding the small trains at Encanto Park or McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park
-- Riding the real trains on METRO light rail
-- Spring Training ball games
-- Various weekend festivals: St. Patrick's Day Parade, Chandler Ostrich Festival, Arizona Aloha Festival, etc.

There's so much going on at this time of year that when it comes to planning family activities, the problem is usually too many choices rather than too few.

[natman]

To cool for the pool? It is in the 80's and might get up into the 90's. How hot does it have to be?

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by natman

To cool for the pool? It is in the 80's and might get up into the 90's. How hot does it have to be?

Many Phoenicians, including me, don't step into their pools until around Memorial Day. It's not so much the air temperature that matters, but the water temperature. Until the water temperature hits 90, I find it too cold, and unless the pool is heated, that temperature won't be attained for a while because of the night temperature drop. You know you've become a Phoenician when you like your pool to feel almost like a warm bath.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by natman

To cool for the pool? It is in the 80's and might get up into the 90's. How hot does it have to be?

My water is 63. The kids might go in at that temp. I sure as heck won't

[AZ Tracy]

Don't want to hike? Try the museums....the Science Museum in Phoenix will keep kids of all ages occupied for hours, at a fairly reasonable price. Also, bowling....I bet there's kids nowadays that have only bowled on the Wii...let them try the real thing!