Today’s dilemma involves a local jumping-around-on-inflatable-stuff place, which has school-vacation hours of 3:30-5:30 for “free jump” (“free” as in “no need to have a structured birthday party, you can just jump around,” not “free” as in “doesn’t cost $8.50 per child”). I could take the five children as a special holiday treat. It would cost $42.50, which is a large amount of money—but worth it if this creates a Favorite Childhood Memory. It would burn off some of the astonishing energy that is accumulating from being at home all day with many siblings and a stockingful of chocolate. But it’s at 3:30-5:30, and the kids usually eat at 5:00, and this place is 40 minutes away from our house. Plus, it’s $42.50.
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From previous years’ experience, I know that not everyone is as excited about calendars as I am. Every time I ask, hands clasped in girlish glee, what calendar everyone is buying THIS year, about 75% of you say “Uh, I just get a free calendar from the pharmacy” / “Uh, I don’t use a paper calendar. That’s kind of 1990s of you.” But I am not squashed by your lack of enthusiasm! If anything, it fans the flames! I just posted this year’s Calendar dither and I hope that if you and I are of like minds about the awesomeness of calendars, you will go leave a comment about what calendar YOU are getting. It’s one of my top favorite comments sections of the entire year.
3:30 to 5:30 is a pretty annoying time to schedule that. Are they trying to minimize the number of kids that come or how long they stay?
Unfortunatly, I’d probably skip it. $42.50 is a lot to risk given that it has a high-ish liklihood of not being a Favorite Childhood Memory due to everyone being hungry and cranky.
Hmm, snack before and then fast food dinner nearby directly after? But that increases your cost significantly. Stupid place should have a coupon.
Fantastic calendar recs in your article – bought two of your suggestions, and would’ve bought more if I had wall-space for / could justify it.
Go, pack sandwiches, and eat in the car on the way home.
Now. As someone who has tried and tried to use electronic calendars, but just can’t, I am off to read your suggestions.
Bought the elements one and the Masha D’Yan
We have a “jumpy” place relatively close to us. It is expensive, but my kids love it and are totally exhausted afterwards. Here are tips I can use at OUR place — don’t know if they will help or not.
The website always has a BOGO coupon that you can print out. It is only good for 1 person per family, but still, that is $8.50 in savings. Also, our place has a Family Jump Pass — It is $80 for 10 jumps. Not much of a savings, but still $.50 per person. I can use the BOGO in conjunction with the Family Jump Pass — So, I buy the $80 pass, then use the coupon to get in. I have 4 children, so I just have to use 3 of the “jumps” from the pass and that means THAT jump experience cost me $24 AND we get to go back again on another day (actually twice for our family) which will FEEL free because I already paid for the pass.
Also — feed them on the way home. Stop for fast food or pizza. That will cinch the Favorite Childhood Memory feeling because you will all get to sit and laugh and talk about what was SO FUN about the jumpy experience. It’s totally worth the additional outlay of cash.
Also, when you get home — baths and bed. Hallelujah! :o)
I keep my appointment son the computer, BUT I love calendars too. Just commented on your other post but must say again I LOVE my new butterfly calendar.
I have an entire week of activities planned (mostly playdates and visiting cousins) because of this–the energy level when all three are home is ridiculous, its like they act like force multipliers on each other. Today is the one day we have nothing planned and at 10 am I am already ripping my hair out. Do the activity and pack sandwiches for the ride home.
As for the calendars, the Masha one is gorgeous, but if you can’t find it, I vote for my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die. Or the yoga cats, because its funny.
I used to use the one that The Yarn Harlot did, but she stopped doing them (sniff, WAHH!!!!)
I would skip the bounce place.
I keep this calendar on my desk at work: http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/2012-Paper-Source-Letterpress-Desk-Calendar/3205.001/436904.html It’s pretty and expensive-looking and makes my desk feel fancy. Of course, it’s no good for keeping track of appointments, just for quick reference to see what day of the week it is and to calculate work deadlines.
Sandy
I wouldn’t do it. $42.50 is a ridiculous amount to spend on two hours of an activity, which most likely will not be a Favorite Childhood Memory. (If it was all day, that might be a different story.)
If you do go other posters have made viable dinner suggestions.
As far as calendars go, I generally wait until January 3rd or 4th and get one on sale.
I received a “Men of the Stacks” sexy male librarian calendar for Christmas. It’s not going up at work, but it will make my home desk more lively!
I’d go for the jumping place and pack sandwiches for immediately after. If you’re concerned about their getting hungry earlier, I’d feed them a light snack on the way there (carrots? yogurt?).
Definitely check online for coupons. It’s amazing what’s often out there and not advertised.
I would definitely go. Do you have any open gym places near you? Those are even better–trampolines PLUS lots of other stuff.
And I’d do a protein heavy snack–like bananas and PB, or granola or apples and cheese–beforehand, bring some sandwiches for the ride home, and bring lots of water!
I make a family calender every year. I really enjoy doing it.
I would totally go to the “jumpy place” as we call it here. You only regret the things you don’t do!
I was going to say, grab dinner on the way home, but I love the idea of the “car picnic” on the way home. Definitely special.
Tell us if you go! :)
$42.50 sounds like a lot, but it’s not really $42.50 for two hours, it’s $8.50 per kid. You just have a lot of kids! If someone with one kid was writing about it, I’d be saying that was cheap for two hours of special fun activity. You’re paying $42.50, but it’s for five experiences instead of one. I vote do it!
Why do they call 3:30-5:30 “school vacation hours”? Those are after-school hours, and you could go any old day, not just during vacation. Sheesh. I would boycott it, if only for that reason. (Oh, and because it is $42.50)
I get a free calendar that I am excited about! My local councilman sends out a calendar of his Los Angeles photographs every year and I LOVE it.
I think $42.50 is a great deal for entertaining five kids for 2 hours, and if this is something you never do, I think it’s very likely to create a special memory.
Our jumpy place had a Groupon recently. It’s usually $8 per kid, but the Groupon was $20 for 8 sessions…(doing math) less than $3/session. I wish I could apply my savings to you. I only have one kid, and we went once, and once we went with a couple of kids after pre-school (the jumpy place is across from the pre-school) and I treated with the Groupon, so I still have 4 unused sessions. I think my daughter likes it OK, but not “special memory” likes it. We’ve also been to a number of birthdays there, and several times after school pre-Groupon, so maybe the it’s not so exciting anymore. I wouldn’t go for $42.50. Not worth it.
In the interest of being a bit more environmentally conscious we stopped buying a paper calendar a couple of years ago. I will admit that I miss choosing a new calendar every year. I do make up for it a bit by getting to purchase new refills for my work planner. It isn’t quite the same. We now have a giant dry erase calendar that hangs on our refrigerator. I figure I get more excited than the average person about choosing a new marker color scheme for each month. I blame it on no new pretty picture to look at the beginning of each month. This is my replacement fix.
I would go and pack a car picnic. We pack car picnics a lot and the kids love it.
We just took our four to the bouncy place today and my husband posted this to his FB status: It’s April 30, 1975, and I am in Saigon waiting for the last chopper out. Oh, I forgot. I am just at Monkey Joe’s. Ha! It was hell on earth but our kids are littler, the baby didn’t bounce at all but slept on my chest the whole time. It was worth it to us, but it wasn’t that much money either. I’d try it but I am speaking as a crazy person who is SO SICK of my kids being home from school. The sandwiches in the car is a good idea, I think.
..oh and I use a paper calendar, I know it’s old school of me but I can’t make it work electronically. I usually just use the one from church, unless I’m gifted one.
How much is it to rent the whole jumpy place for a “party”? You could go in with a couple other parents at a more convenient time and it might be cheaper, plus, they jump with friends instead of strangers.
When we are driving during eating time I pack a “car picnic” in tupperware containers (one container per kid with all their food in it). My kids love it. Favorite items: peanut butter and celery bites, hot dog pieces, fruit salad, cheese, salami, olives, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, pretzels, raisins.
Sometimes I include a tiny dessert, which always gets eaten first, but then they scarf down everything else too. It’s fun because it’s different and it takes up part of the drive.
It might also be worth pricing alternatives like renting a bouncy house for your yard for a day, splitting with another family, etc.
I love calendars too. I bought one of bridges around the world, and my husband gave me one of Italy. My kindergartner also made one in school as a Christmas gift. It’s an embarrassment of riches in 2012!
My decision about the free jump would be more swayed by how it would impact bedtime than mealtimes. They can snack beforehand and have a later dinner, but I avoid anything that messes with bedtime like the plague.
We get a lot of free calendars; usually the ones from environmental organizations have nice wildlife photos. Around this time of year we get them all out and choose the three we like best to hang (kitchen, study and kids’ room).
p.s. I think the one the kids are choosing this year is a Mickey Mouse calendar we got free at the restaurant where we ate dinner last night. They are entranced with it.
I am a paper calendar girl, too, despite my perma-attachment to my iPhone.
As for the jumping thing, that would stress me out too, but I might do it just to do something fun. I would probably pack a dinner to eat in the car on the way home.
Pack dinner stuff that can be eaten in car on way home (sandwiches, fruit) with each person having their own lunchbag/box so no sorting fights over your shoulder while driving. Then when you get home, you can tell them all it’s time to get ready for bed (cos they’ll be “so tired from all that jumping”)! And no clean-up post-dinner. Do it. It’s vacation time.
I get an Audrey Hepburn calendar every year for Christmas to use the following year. I save them all too, in the hopes that one day I will frame my favorite of the photos for a cool black/white office that looks like it should be on the cover of a magazine. (sigh)
I do the packing a meal in the car thing too like a previous commenter said. But BEWARE…my whole family ends up with a stomach bug about 50% of the time we go to those places. And if it’s in the winter, the odds go up to about 80%. We are in the middle of it right now after going this past Monday!
I love calendars! My mom buys each of us “kids” a calendar every year for Christmas, a tradition since we were young. Last year mine was best parks in the US ( Yellowstone, etc.). This year, it is art painted in/of the south of France. It is such a fun surprise every year!
wow my local mall has a jumpy place at $3 or $5 a kid depending on age, counting my blessings now! I always buy two Lang calanders, one of the smaller versions to hang in my cube at work and then either a full size or smaller for the fridge at home. I discovered this year that they have great customer service as well. I had ordered mine and then a couple more as gifts, the UPS driver left the package on my porch in a torrential downpour and they were all ruined. I called and they immediately sent new ones out no fuss no muss! I was pleased. i also like the thickness of their pages.