This week we are eager to get out into the sunshine after all the rain our area has been receiving. The kids have been bouncing off the walls, so I’m excited to get them out and running/crawling in the fresh air.
Two Places to Visit: Franklin Fountain + Sister Cities
It just wouldn’t be summer without a sweet treat at Franklin Fountain. The Fountain has quickly turned into a Philly icon for families with its creamy deliciousness and throwback candy. Prices range from $4.60 for a scoop to $14 for a banana split. We like to go after lunch because the line can be long and the space is small (with maybe three tables). Ice cream before dinner? Hey, it’s summer and you gotta cool off somehow in the afternoon heat. In the past Leo and I have shared a medium sized cup, but I think this year he will graduate to his own cone. I’ll take the opportunity to try one of the more offbeat flavors like green tea or black raspberry. Plan to hang outside and bring oodles of wipes. Patience is key here, but it’s well worth it. The old-timey charm (even the servers are dressed in Victorian era uniforms) make this feel more special than your usual ice-cream joint.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar: the Fountain is bringing a sweet exhibit to The Independence Seaport Museum in August called Sugar!.
We are going to swing by Sister Cities Park to check out one of the the free activities they are hosting throughout the summer. Sister Cities is already one of our favorite summer destinations because of their fantastic wading pool and boat pond. We love cooling off in the water and grabbing lunch at Milk and Honey Cafe before heading home with happy and tired kids. These free activities make a trip out there even more appealing. There is a Story Art program presented by the Free Library of Philadelphia (Mondays at 10:30 am aimed at ages 4-6), a Nature in the Park series facilitated by the Academy of Natural Sciences (Tuesdays at 10:30 am for ages 8 and under), an Animal Encounter also led by the Academy of Natural Sciences (Thursdays at 10:30 am) and a Nature Poetry Workshop (Mondays at 1:00 pm for ages 8-12).
One Thing to Make
A summer scrapbook — and it doesn’t have to be fancy– is a great way to start preserving summer memories. When the kids go off to school, I would love them to be able to pull out and show their friends what they did. This is the start of a tradition I would like to continue.
The sky is the limit, you can get fancy by using card stock and adornments or collecting envelopes with stickers – or of course you can decorate a shoe box and toss mementos in as the summer progresses. It doesn’t matter what your level of creativity is – you want to preserve all the great things you did this summer so at the end you can look back as a family and see all of the wonderful things you did in 2013.
We reached out to Monika at I Love It All and she had these tips for creating the summer memory book above:
+ Keep notes if you will not be adding to your memory book that day. “Details make looking at your documented stories a year from now all that more precious.”
+ “Save tickets, packaging, menu’s…they help to tell your story. The Disney Pixar image is actually from a panty packaging for my girls as we were doing some back-to-school shopping. ”
+ “Detail shots are super, but don’t forget to step back and get the whole picture. Kids won’t have “that” bike a year from now. Or their favorite flip flops.”
Monika has loads of downloadables + tutorials to help you with your summer memory book.
Next Week
We will be finding ways to stay out of the heat. We will hit the Please Touch Museum to enjoy their many activities (and air conditioning!), cool off at a local sprayground (Herron Park sprayground in South Philly is supposed to be loads of fun), and make some healthy popsicles!
Don’t forget to tag your Instagram pictures of your Philly Kids having fun with #PhillySummer.
Photo: Robyn Lee and Plan Philly
