by Kristi Muston
Whether you’re new to Minnesota, or, like me, you’ve lived here your whole life, winter can be hard. The days are shorter, colder, and often cloudier, and I will be the first one to admit that even though I love fresh air, cold weather is not my favorite. And so far, the same is true of my 19-month old daughter Sophia. She loves being outside in the warmer months, but has yet to learn to love the snow.
Winter provides new challenges for me as the mom of a younger toddler. While I know that someday, Sophia may love bundling up to go on a winter hike, build a snowman, or go sledding, right now, I need to find different ways to fight cabin fever as the winter months drag on. In the past year, I have learned that getting out of the house together at least a few days a week improves my own mental health, which in turn helps me parent better. This healthy life rhythm was easier in the summer when we could walk to a nearby park. More recently, we’ve started “going on adventures” around town to take advantage of the indoor activities Rochester has to offer for parents and young kids.
I was surprised by how many indoor options there are here in town. Whether you’re looking for options during the week, the weekend, all day, or just a few hours, Rochester has a variety of places to entertain toddlers and preschoolers.
As an avid reader myself, the library is always going to top my recommendation list!
The Rochester Public Library provides some play spaces for younger children as well as lots of space to read books. The winter months are a perfect time to pick out some books to read together as a family in front of a fire as well. It hosts family story time on Saturdays from 10:30 -11 a.m. and provides additional family tabletop activities on Sundays. The library is open seven days a week.
Quarry Hill park is a popular hiking/walking destination for warmer months, but the indoor nature center is open nearly every day of the year from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The nature center boasts a variety of fish, turtles, snakes, and honey bees, and provides a warm space to explore and learn about local wildlife. My daughter and I also love exploring the book treehouse loft!
Aside from shopping or mall walking, the Apache Mall has several places to entertain younger kids. The first is a smaller playing/climbing center just outside of Scheel’s entrance. With a variety of brightly colored animals, shapes, and buildings made out of the foam, this playcenter is a fun location for toddlers to climb around. It is free and accessible during mall hours. While it may not keep kids entertained for a long stretch of time, we’ve found it is a fun way to break up an afternoon, especially if we have other errands in the mall!
The Apache Mall is also home to the Spark Children’s Museum. Spark provides a wide range of activities for children of all ages, including a special section for children under three. Sophia loves playing with the giant water table and sorting colored pegs in what I call the modern “light bright” section. There is a giant climbing structure and large play kitchen area as well rotating daily activities in the classrooms. It is a wonderful spot for children to explore, learn, and play freely. Spark is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (and until 6 p.m. on Thursday), and also hosts additional special events and camps throughout the year. On the first Sunday of every month, there is free admission for all visitors. Additional pricing and membership information can be found on their website.
Indoor Play Zones/Gyms: Monkey Junction and Pipsqueaks
Several friends recommended Monkey Junction to me this past spring, and when it opened this fall, it quickly became our favorite place to spend the morning. Resurrection and Life Lutheran Church opens up its 4500 60th Ave Nw. campus for this playcenter Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is staffed by friendly and welcoming volunteers, and features a built-in playground, a gym area filled with push/riding toys, foam pieces for forts and climbing, and a large playroom with a variety of activities for 0-6 year olds. During the week, they also provide a snack and storytime. Monkey Junction is a wonderful ministry and a chance for young kids to run around in a safe space, and for moms to connect over coffee if they wish! The cost is $2 a child, and you can find out more info–including driving directions due to construction–on their Facebook page. Sophia and I are there nearly every week, so hopefully, we will bump into some of you there!
Pipsqueaks is housed at the United Way building near downtown Rochester. This is another play area geared towards 1-5 year olds that includes a small playground, push/riding toys, a playhouse, and train tables. Pipsqueaks is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and provides a great atmosphere for kids to burn off some energy. The space has plenty of tables for kids to break for snack or lunch as well. Cost is $2 a child each day.
Calvary’s Open Book, Open Gym
I heard only great things about Calvary’s Open Book, Open Gym days last year, so I am excited this will be happening again! Beginning on January 11, Calvary will host a story time and open gym hour on Wednesdays from 9:30-11 a.m. for preschool-aged kids (and younger). This is a great chance for moms to connect together while their kids play, and is a great time to invite others to our church. I have already invited a number of moms from the community who are excited to stop by.
While this is not an exhaustive list—and many ideas have been taken from some of you—I hope these ideas can spark some family adventures of your own this winter.
Kristi Muston has lived in Rochester for almost a decade. She is married to Michael and mother to Sophia. After teaching English for 9 years, Kristi is now a stay-at-home mom. In her spare moments, she loves reading, running, and eating dessert. At Calvary, she co-edits The Stir blog, and is involved with the worship team and Renovare.