Mom's Travel Tales :: Sharing the adventure of family travel http://momstraveltales.com Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:17:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Making glass (and more) at the Corning Museum of Glass in the Finger Lakes region of New York http://momstraveltales.com/making-glass-and-more-at-the-corning-museum-of-glass-in-the-finger-lakes-region-of-new-york/ http://momstraveltales.com/making-glass-and-more-at-the-corning-museum-of-glass-in-the-finger-lakes-region-of-new-york/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:50:34 +0000 Mom'sTravelTales http://momstraveltales.com/?p=1345 This is my ten-year-old son, working with fire, to make a glass pendant at the Corning Museum of Glass in the Finger Lakes region of New York:

Can I just say that the Corning Museum of Glass rocks? Because it does. Really.

My kids loved making glass, watching others form glass into art and they even enjoyed walking through galleries of glass art, inspecting nearly every single piece. Really.

And they liked the hands-on learning stuff, too.

(I’ll admit standing on the section of the second floor that was glass and looking down kind of freaked me out, even though my brain knew it had to be safe. I might have to cross the Grand Canyon Skywalk off my travel to-do list. Gulp.  Other than that tiny heebie-jeebie part, I loved every bit of the museum. It was awesome.

 Here’s how our visit went:

The night before we visited, I signed us up and bought tickets for some hands-on glassmaking. I was able to find spots for all of us to make glass, and we were thrilled with what we made, but I really should have planned ahead to reserve some of the seasonal projects.

My ten year-old and I registered to make glass pendants. My husband, 5 year-old and 8 year-old signed up for glass fusing.

Since our class times were different, my husband and I divided the kids and explored, with our oldest and me heading straight to our class.

We were greeted by our instructor and given aprons, goggles and arm covers to wear for protection. We looked at other pendants, selected our designs and colors and then learned a bit about the flame and technique as our guide made an example for us and explained each step.

Then it was our turn to burn. Or create. Whatever.

My son got right to work, rolling the glass to keep it from falling and adding the decoration from other glass rods. I have to say I was impressed at how he kept cool, trying something he had never done (or seen) before and also working in front of the flame!

Next it was my turn and, after watching him, I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I expected to be. Plus, our guide was great at explaining things and helping every step of the way.

After that, we checked out some of the art in that building and then walked back over to the main part of the museum and watched the end of a glass-making demonstration with the rest of our family before exploring the rest of the museum on our own.

For the demonstration, there was plenty of room for kids to get right up close, and there was also a video screen for those farther away from the action.

My son spent about 45 minutes exploring the hands-on exhibits, but well over an hour looking at all the glass from different centuries and different parts of the world.

I didn’t expect him to be so intrigued at all the pieces, but he definitely was. He kept pointing out intricate details and referring to world events in the art that he had read about. (Not to self: All those Magic Treehouse books and 39 Clues books do teach something other than ‘just’ a love of learning!)

He was tickled by this chess set of Roman Catholic and Jewish characters.

We also enjoyed the glass market with a new appreciation after our class and after viewing the exhibits. As any boy would, he especially liked watching George Rhoads’ “Marble Machine.” Marbles roll along tracks to play the xylophone, ring other bells and do all sorts of crazy things:

We met back up with my husband and our other two children, took a few family photos in front of the giant Christmas tree of glass balls and decided to have lunch at the museum as well. The cafe served soups, sandwiches, pizza, pasta and other option and offered reduced-price kid-sized portions. The prices were definitely reasonable.

Bottom line:

I would definitely go back to the Corning Museum of Glass if I was back in the area with my kids. We spent several hours there and the kids were occupied and happy the entire time (as were the adults!). We loved making the glass and looking at the glass… and I know we’ll cherish our own art for years to come. If you are planning a trip to the Finger Lakes with kids, this is a definite must-do.

The Corning Museum of Glass

One Museum Way

Corning, NY

800.732.6845

Admission and fees:

The museum was kind enough to give us complimentary admission passes for our visit (kids and teens are free, adult passes range in price from $6 for locals with ID to $12.75- $15). The glass-making classes require a separate a fee, which we paid ourselves. (Classes range from $10 to $40 depending on the project.)

 

Wondering about wineries in the Finger Lakes? Click over to VineSleuth Uncorked for a few Finger Lakes winery reviews from my last trip.

 

]]> http://momstraveltales.com/making-glass-and-more-at-the-corning-museum-of-glass-in-the-finger-lakes-region-of-new-york/feed/ 1 12 Days of Christmas: My faves http://momstraveltales.com/12-days-of-christmas-my-favorites/ http://momstraveltales.com/12-days-of-christmas-my-favorites/#comments Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:01:46 +0000 Mom'sTravelTales http://momstraveltales.com/?p=1335

I’ve really enjoyed celebrating the 12 days of Christmas with 7 other bloggers this year. I learned a lot from each blogger’s posts and I had a blast compiling my 12 days of tips, too.

Here are a few of my favorites from each of the other sites participating:

Looking to make some really clever homemade Christmas gifts? The Happy Housewife has rounded up the best 100 of the web for you. One that I really like is the no-sew wine bag. (Of course, the fact that I also write VineSleuth Uncorked, a wine blog for casual wine drinkers, might have made it obvious I’d love that one!!)

My kids and I are going to make some homemade candy bars thanks to Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures. I think we’ll start with the Homemade Crunch Bars! (We might also have to make some of her Cinnamon Sugar Chex Mix this week, too!)

Surviving the Stores offered tons of great money-saving tips and her ideas for saving money during holiday travel were right on!

The Thrifty Mama showed us all sorts of fun ways to serve up fruit… and I’m always looking for new, creative (and still simple) ways to keep healthy food interesting at parties and at home.

1+1+1+1 created a fantastic nativity pack for FREE download. The activities are perfect for preschoolers to do at home, whether you homeschool or not. I even sent the link to it to my children’s school (but I plan to use the activities next week at home, too!)

Songbird offered gorgeous Christmas decorating ideas. Her bedroom Christmas decorations are so cozy, but everything she shared was beautiful!!

I love Life as Mom’s clutter-free stocking stuffer ideas. I’m definitely borrowing a few of her ideas for our own stockings.

Miss any days here on MomsTravelTales? Here are my 12 Days of Christmas Travel Tips:

]]> http://momstraveltales.com/12-days-of-christmas-my-favorites/feed/ 0 12 Things I’ve learned about travel with kids http://momstraveltales.com/12-things-ive-learned-about-travel-with-kids/ http://momstraveltales.com/12-things-ive-learned-about-travel-with-kids/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:42:41 +0000 Mom'sTravelTales http://momstraveltales.com/?p=1326

1. What you carry on a flight with small children makes a difference. Pack backpacks with the right stuff, and flying is a snap.

2. Using a one-week packing list helps me to be sure I don’t over pack or leave anything behind.

3. And on that note about packing, pack to make unpacking easy. I like to pack clothes on hangers so all I have to do is pop everything out of the suitcase and into the right closet.

4. Making your way through security checkpoints can be a breeze, if you know what to expect.

5. When your luggage is misplaced, ask for a toiletry kit. The airline might forget to offer one to you.

6. Solve the ear pressure problem by nursing or offering a bottle, lollipop, gum or other snacks at takeoff and landing.

7. Don’t be afraid to plan an outing based on only one child’s interest. See if you can plan an activity for each child that way rather than planning 4 activities everyone will only mildly enjoy.

8. Club Med family villages offer fantastic amenities for families. I thought that Club Med was only for singles or adults. How wrong I was! Use their site to enter your youngest child’s age to find the right destinations for your family world-wide. We have been blown away by the childcare, access to baby-friendly food and in-room amenities, as well as all the family and adult activities.

9. Use the concierge! Hotel concierges are not just there for business travelers, they can be a huge help for planning activities, suggesting restaurants, ssecuring tickets to shows and much more. One concierge in France even served as my translator in ordering kid-friendly food from room service.

10. You don’t only have to go to traditionally kid-oriented destinations to have a blast with your kids. There is always something fun to do with your family just about anywhere you go. (And stashing a deck of cards and a few coloring and puzzle books can make boring adult stuff more fun.)

11. Keep your eyes open and be ready to make changes. I am still pumped that we saw a billboard advertising the Jello Museum last month. What a cool detour we took!

12.Yes, all of the extra bags and planning can be a hassle. But it totally pays off when you find a note in the hotel room from your son (who hates to write) like the one I featured above.

And, my bonus thing learned for today:  Sometimes traveling to DisneyWorld without the kids is fun, too. Like this time I got to sleep in Cinderella’s Castle...

Miss any days? Here are all 12 Days of Christmas Travel Tips on MomsTravelTales:

Want to know more than just travel?


Swing by any of the other 7 sites during the 12 Days of Christmas and here’s what you’ll learn: (And these girls know their stuff!)

]]> http://momstraveltales.com/12-things-ive-learned-about-travel-with-kids/feed/ 2 11 Tried and true ways to beat boredom while waiting http://momstraveltales.com/11-tried-and-true-ways-to-beat-boredom-while-waiting/ http://momstraveltales.com/11-tried-and-true-ways-to-beat-boredom-while-waiting/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:20:12 +0000 Mom'sTravelTales http://momstraveltales.com/?p=1320 No one likes waiting, but, when you travel, waiting is definitely part of the experience. Of course all that waiting time can also yield some of the best parts of a trip as you meet new people, see new things and get to really talk and listen to your kids uninterrupted and undistracted.

That brings me to my number one way to beat boredom while waiting:

1. Ask your kids all sorts of questions and really, really listen to them. They probably have great stories in them just waiting to come out. Ask them what they expect on the trip, what they might want to do, where else they might want to travel or just about anything else. It’s a perfect time to be goofy, too. My son and I pull out our most ridiculous British accents when we travel.

But let’s just say you’ve asked all you can and need a new strategy. Here are 10 more ways to keep young travelers occupied and happy:

2. Play alphabet games. We love playing these games on short car trips and long ones. That link will give you a list for early readers and more advanced ones, too.

3. Portable car desks help bring fun (and schoolwork) on the road. They make playing with Lego bricks and play-doh possible and they make eating easier.

4. Wrapped treats to open at milestones along the trip make waiting a lot more fun. The treats don’t need to be elaborate, just something little to open each hour or as you cross each state line or whatever milestones you want to celebrate.

5. I always travel with Uno, but other card games work just as well. Most of the time we play by the rules, but I also let my kids make up their own rules here and there.

6. My kids LOVE puzzle books! I was surprised when my husband bought a variety pack of these puzzles by Penny Press, thinking the puzzles were for older kids, but my kids (ages 5, 8 and 10) were mesmerized. They offer puzzle books on a variety of levels and they are pretty inexpensive (and light to carry).

7. Stickers and sticky notes can keep toddlers entertained for a long, long time. Give them a bag of little stickers AND sticky notes and you’ll really be set!

8. Magazines for older kids or photos of family and friends in a cheap photo album for babies and toddlers. Before a long trip we always visit the bookstore to pick up new magazines to save for the trip.

9. Lollipops are a perfect snack. They alleviate ear pressure on a flight and also keep children occupied and typically quiet for quite a long time. Bring wipes to clean up sticky hands.

10. Individual snack mixes including special treats which may be taboo at other times. Let the kids munch at their leisure, provided they understand that once the treats are gone, they are gone.

11. A quart or gallon size bag of Lego bricks has been keeping my boys occupied for years. I let them fill the bag for a trip and I’m always surprised by which blocks or mini-figures they bring. And they can always find new ways to play with them.

Bonus boredom buster: Make your kids entertain themselves. Unless you are traveling with a baby who is crying, don’t jump at the first sign of boredom and solve the problem. Give them time to find out what they want to do and how to occupy themselves using options you already gave them in a handy dandy backpack or bag. This way, they’ll get better and better at waiting and finding something to do without your help.

What are your favorite ways to help your kids beat boredom when traveling?

Miss any days or want to know what’s ahead? Here are all 12 Days of Christmas Travel Tips on MomsTravelTales:

Want to know more than just travel?


Swing by any of the other 7 sites during the 12 Days of Christmas and here’s what you’ll learn: (And these girls know their stuff!)

]]> http://momstraveltales.com/11-tried-and-true-ways-to-beat-boredom-while-waiting/feed/ 1 10 Tips for a better flight with kids http://momstraveltales.com/10-tips-for-a-better-flight-with-kids/ http://momstraveltales.com/10-tips-for-a-better-flight-with-kids/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:53:52 +0000 Mom'sTravelTales http://momstraveltales.com/?p=1307

Flying with your kids anytime soon? I’ve got a few tips to make your flight a better experience:

1. Bring a small trash bag to collect trash during the flight.

2. Book seats near the bathroom to make it easier (and quicker) to send them to the bathroom on their own (or easier for you to lug a diaper bag.)

3. To minimize spills, bring sippy cups, cups with tops or small sports bottles for use during the beverage service.

4. Look into applying for an airline specific credit card that waives the baggage fee if you will promise to pay it off each month and fly the same airline most of the time. (This has saved us a LOT!!)

5. Prepare for the security checkpoint: Tell kids what to expect, take off jackets & empty pockets ahead of time. Kids under 12 can now keep their shoes on as they go through security.

6. If traveling on a particularly busy day, schedule your flights early to minimize risk of delays and offer more opportunities for re-scheduling if needed.

7. Minimize ear pain during takeoff and landing– For babies, nurse or offer a bottle. For toddlers and older, offer lollipops, For kids who are old enough or beyond lollipops, offer gum or snacks.

8. If bringing movies or video games, bring headphones that fit over your children’s ears to minimize external sound and also are right size and won’t fall off.

9. Strongly encourage (or require) bathroom breaks before takeoff and mid-flight- This will also help you to follow the rules and not have to get up when seatbelts should be fastened.

10. Bring snacks!!! You never know when a flight will be delayed and you will be stuck on the runway.

Miss any days or want to know what’s ahead? Here are all 12 Days of Christmas Travel Tips on MomsTravelTales:

Want to know more than just travel?


Swing by any of the other 7 sites during the 12 Days of Christmas and here’s what you’ll learn: (And these girls know their stuff!)

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