Last week Field Trips with Sue posted Cheap things to do in Forsyth County, Ga. and a list of Summer 2010 activities. Here’s another list of cheap and inexpensive things to do with kids for the Summer of 2010.

Thanks to Donna Blanton, the [...]]]> What: A list of Summertime Activities
Where: Atlanta Area
When: Summer 2010
Cost: Free and Cheap

Last week Field Trips with Sue posted Cheap things to do in Forsyth County, Ga. and a list of Summer 2010 activities. Here’s another list of cheap and inexpensive things to do with kids for the Summer of 2010.

Thanks to Donna Blanton, the resident storyteller at 45 South Café in historic Norcross, for sharing this wonderful list. And thanks Heneghan’s Dunwoody Blog author John Heneghan, for sending me the list.

I’m especially excited about the Sunflower Farm where you can pick your own bouquet for $5. Sunflowers are my favorite. You can’t help but smile when you see a bouquet of sunflowers. I can hear my boys groaning already about the pictures I’m going to take in that field.

The Plaza Theatre on Ponce de Leon is really offering some fun and unique [...]]]> What: Mr. Greggy’s Silly Circus Show and a Movie
Where: Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave, Atlanta, GA 30306 * 404-873-1939
When: 2nd Saturday of every month, 2:30 pm
Cost: $7 for all ages, which includes the live comedy show, the movie and balloons

The Plaza Theatre on Ponce de Leon is really offering some fun and unique entertainment. In addition to the Silver Scream Spookshow on the last Saturday of every month, they’ve added Mr. Greggy’s Silly Circus Show and Movie on the second Saturday of every month.

The afternoon begins with Mr. Greggy’s Silly Circus Show. The show is filled with magic, clowning, puppetry and some “serious fun.” Children from the audience are asked to help with the mayhem and the audience is invited to stick around afterwards and learn how to make balloon animals, perform a magic trick, or even how to juggle.

Following the Silly Circus Show is a family friendly film. On June 12, 2010 they’re showing “Hey There It’s Yogi Bear”, a G-rated 1964 Hanna/Barbera animated musical film. Starring the voices of Mel Blanc, Daws Butler and singer James Darren, this was Yogi Bear’s first theatrical feature film. All that’s old is new again. There is a new Yogi Bear live action/animated/3D movie is slated for release in December of 2010, starring the voices of Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake.

Last fall we went to the Nickelodeon Hotel in Orlando. The boys loved meeting Dora, The Wonder Pets and their friends at the character breakfast. Now you can see Dora and her friends at the [...]]]> What: Nickelodeon’s Storytime Live! Stage Show
Where: Fabulous Fox Theatre
When: June 11 – 13, 2010
Cost: Prices start at $12, Win tickets here!

Last fall we went to the Nickelodeon Hotel in Orlando. The boys loved meeting Dora, The Wonder Pets and their friends at the character breakfast. Now you can see Dora and her friends at the Storytime Live! stage show at the Fox Theatre. Order your tickets through ticketmaster today!

Want to win tickets? Leave a comment below with your full name. We’ll pick one winner of a family four pack on Wed. evening – so check back.

Want an extra chance to win? “Like” Field Trips with Sue on Facebook and leave a comment on this entry.

Want a third chance? Follow @suerodman and tweet “@suerodman, I want to see Storybook Live! @foxtheatre”

As we get into summer travel season, you may want to check out my twitter friend, Michelle Zavatsky’s new book “Kids Love I-75.” It’s a great guide for families traveling along I-75, which runs from Michigan to Florida and through Georgia and Atlanta. Michelle, her [...]]]> What: Kids Love I-75 Travel Book
Where: From Michigan to Florida
Cost: $16.95

As we get into summer travel season, you may want to check out my twitter friend, Michelle Zavatsky’s new book “Kids Love I-75.” It’s a great guide for families traveling along I-75, which runs from Michigan to Florida and through Georgia and Atlanta. Michelle, her husband and two children have logged more than 30,000 miles along the route and stopped at most of the locations mentioned in the book, an impressive feat.

The book is well organized by state and offers maps of the route. There is also a list of what is available by exit. Attractions are all within 10 miles of I-75. Although some lodging is mentioned, most of the entries are attractions. I’ve visited several of the places on the Georgia list and based on my knowledge of those, Michelle and her family do a great job of letting you know what to expect, in terms of hours and prices, as well as what families will be most interested in seeing. There are even fun facts about many places. New this year is an online companion guide to keep travelers updated on the latest.

If you are planning a trip to Florida, a trip up North or just a day visit along I-75, this is a great travel companion.

This morning I spent some time with Jeff Quattrocchi , aka The SwampMaster on CBS Better Mornings Atlanta. Jeff has risen to fame because of [...]]]> First, the winners of our Center for Puppetry Arts tickets are Jennifer H and Natalie. Congratulations! Send me your full name and address and we’ll have the tickets mailed to you.

This morning I spent some time with Jeff Quattrocchi , aka The SwampMaster on CBS Better Mornings Atlanta. Jeff has risen to fame because of a YouTube video of an alligator eating his arm. I knew Jeff way back when (about two years ago) when he did an alligator show at the Illinois State Fair in DuQuion. Ok, so I didn’t know him, but I saw his show. How weird to meet him now. He was a very nice, normal, (well except for the wrestling alligator part) guy. His show was quite good too, so if you get a chance to see it, by all means, do.

So here is what we discussed this morning on CBS Better Mornings Atlanta. As always, you can view the Field Trips with Sue segment on CBS’ website.

FREE Outdoor Movies
Flips & Flapjacks
Mr. Greggy’s Silly Circus and Family Movie at the Plaza Theatre (look for this post next week)

All-Comers Track Meet
Center for Puppetry Arts Passport to Summer Kick-Off (we’re giving away tickets next week too!)
Storytime Live! at the Fox Theatre (look for a ticket giveaway in the next week)
Summer Activity List (This is a link to one list. Next week we’ll have another)

If you’ve never been to the Center for [...]]]> What: Center for Puppetry Arts, Passport to Puppetry
When: Kick-off event is Sat. June 5, 2010, 12 – 2 pm, but the event goes all summer
Where: Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. Atlanta
Cost: Passport program is free, puppet show and create a puppet workshop is $16
Win tickets here!

If you’ve never been to the Center for Puppetry Arts, you should make a point to go this summer. As an added bonus, the Center is offering a “Passport to Summer” program. See three or more shows and win prizes including finger puppets, museum gift shop gift certificates, free guided museum tours and free show tickets. See all six summer shows and get all the prizes plus a photo with a real puppeteer!

This Sat., June 5, the Center is kicking off the program with Rita’s Italian Ice. From 12 – 2 pm guests can enjoy free samples of Rita’s Italian Ice, pick up their passport and see the puppet show Stellaluna. All puppet shows include free admission to the museum exhibits and a Create-A-Puppet-Workshop where kids can make a puppet of their own to take home. If you can’t stay for the workshop, ask for a Create-A-Puppet To-Go kit.

Showtimes on June 5 for Stellaluna are 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. The show runs through June 6. Other shows this summer include:
June 8 – 20 – The Lion, the Mouse & other Aesop’s Fables
June 22 – July 3 – Hansel & Gretel
July 6 – 18 – Billy Goat’s Gruff & other Stuff
July 20 – Aug. 1 – Everybody Loves Pirates
Aug. 6 – Sept. 12 – Rumpelstiltskin

Want to win tickets to see a Center for Puppetry Arts show? Leave a comment below and let us know what you have planned for this summer. We’ll choose four winners to receive a family four pack good through the season. We’ll announce two winners on Thursday evening and then two more next week.

Want an extra shot at winning? Follow @suerodman on twitter and tweet the following: @suerodman, Can’t wait to see the puppets @ctrpuppetryarts.

You can also follow up on Facebook. Leave a comment under this post on the Field Trips with Sue Facebook page and you’ll get a third shot at winning.

Once my kids are engaged with an outdoor activity, they can be busy for hours. However, sometimes it’s not as easy as you might think to get them engaged. Enter the Georgia State Park Junior Ranger program. It’s a fantastic book filled [...]]]> What: Georgia State Park Junior Ranger Program
When: Anytime
Where: Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites
Cost: Free

Once my kids are engaged with an outdoor activity, they can be busy for hours. However, sometimes it’s not as easy as you might think to get them engaged. Enter the Georgia State Park Junior Ranger program. It’s a fantastic book filled with a variety of activities children can do at any of Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites or even in their own backyard. As a parent, it helps me lend some structure to our outdoor adventures and gives us a place to start. Similar to scouting, Jr. Ranger’s receive badges based on the activities they complete. Here’s a segment I did for CBS Better Mornings Atlanta that shows the booklets and the badges.

Jr. Ranger activity books are available at any Georgia State Park. Activities in the book range from a water study to a historical timeline. Children can do the activities by themselves or with an adult helper and they’re appropriate for any age. Several State Parks offer ranger led programs around the various activities as well. To see the calendar of events for each park, visit the Georgia State Parks website. We’ve participated in activities such as tree climbing, fishing, historical demonstrations, and of course guided hikes.

If you’re looking for more guidance on what to do in the state parks, try the new Geo-Challenge.

Family Vacation
Atlanta

Things To Do
Atlanta

What: Kids Fishing Festival Where: Panola State Park, Stockbridge, Ga. When: Sat., May 29, 2010 9 – 3 pm Cost: FREE ($5 parking fee or check out a family parks pass from any Georgia public library)

Last year my family went to Panola State Park for the Kids Fishing Festival. The video above chronicles our day. My middle son [...]]]>

What: Kids Fishing Festival
Where: Panola State Park, Stockbridge, Ga.
When: Sat., May 29, 2010 9 – 3 pm
Cost: FREE ($5 parking fee or check out a family parks pass from any Georgia public library)

Last year my family went to Panola State Park for the Kids Fishing Festival. The video above chronicles our day. My middle son is a fisherman, so I thought it would be fun for him. Turns out, it was way more than fishing and it was fun for all of us. My favorite was tree climbing. Not tree climbing like I remember as a kid, but tree climbing in harnesses with thick ropes. The boys liked the fishing and the archery. From the archery lesson, I learned that two of my three are left eye dominate. Good to know, especially since one of the left eye dominate boys plays baseball right handed.

If you don’t have plans this weekend, this is a really good one. Here’s the official info from the website. Kids 15 and younger are invited to our lake to hook a catfish or bluegill while learning about aquatic habitats, fish identification and fishing skills. Also, an archery range, fly-fishing, tree climbing, Georgia Wildlife Encounters, and other activities will be available. Bring your own bait and rods. Meeting at the Alexander Lake Parking Area. We recommend arriving 30 minutes before each program.Register in advance. $5 parking. 770-389-7801.

Don’t forget about the Georgia State Parks Junior Ranger Program or the new Geo-Challenge, here’s a link to my CBS  Better Mornings Atlanta segment that featured the contents of the Geo-Challenge. Both will make your park adventure even more fun.