Kids & Family

Best Baby Tour: Taking on the city can be a little intimidating for anyone, especially a stroller-toting mom with her unpredictable tots. Knowing this, downtown resident and full-time mom Rachel Booth created Urban Baby Tours, which include the "Get Around Town" tour, "Fountain Crawl," "Artsy Baby" and "Park Play." Each tour has a guide, a designated start time and meeting place, and offers a pre-planned day downtown with your baby. So drop the juice-stained map and rumpled guidebook, and enjoy an effortless day with your little ones. Open to adults with children up to 5 years old. $20-$25. 412/480-8264, urbanbabytours.com. - C.H.

Best Spooky (But Not Scary) Halloween Event: Pittsburghers have been celebrating Halloween at Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium's ZooBoo for more than a decade, and each year new trick-or-treaters discover the magic. This annual event (this year on Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24-25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) includes a haunted house, trick-or-treating, strolling entertainers, and a costume parade and contest. There is no additional charge - ZooBoo is included in your basic zoo admission for the day. Kids are given trick-or-treat bags and might even get a glimpse of the animals munching on Halloween treats of their own (like pumpkins). Sponsored by KDKA. 1 Wild Place, Highland Park; 412/665-3640, pittsburghzoo.org. - M.R.

Best Park 'n' Ride: Pittsburghers will tell you that the view from Mount Washington is stunning. They'll tell you that riding the Monongahela Incline is fun even if you've done it a dozen times before. But how often do most of us take advantage of this local treasure? At just $2 per ticket, the incline provides inexpensive fun for the whole family. Ride it to Station Square and take the little ones to the fountain at Bessemer Court for an elaborately choreographed display of water and light. When the evening's done, hop back onto the incline for a stunning view of the city lights and stars. portauthority.org, stationsquare.com. - M.R.

Best Kid-Friendly Furniture Shopping: There's a reason you rarely see a toddler mid-tantrum in an IKEA store. Thanks to SmäLänd, a supervised nature-themed play area, Mom and Dad are free to search for the perfect sofa without dragging the kids around the massive store. There are some restrictions (kids must be between 37 and 54 inches tall and potty-trained). But once inside, they can dive into the ball pit, complete arts and crafts projects or climb giant milk crates. Coming this month: a loyalty program, through which frequent visitors earn free ice cream. 2001 Park Manor Blvd., Robinson Township; 412/747-0440, ikea.com. - M.R.

Best Birthday Party for Kids: The price ($400 for members, $500 for nonmembers) is, well, dinosaur-sized. But many Pittsburghers believe a Dinosaur Birthday Party at Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH) is worth the investment. These customizable parties include everything a dino-loving kid could want: an interactive dinosaur talk led by a CMNH teacher, a docent-led tour of the impressive permanent dinosaur fossil exhibit "Dinosaurs in Their Time," a fossil-casting activity and dino-focused games. Each guest (up to 24 total, including parents who accompany their tots) gets a dinosaur party hat, cup and coloring book. Cake, ice cream and juice boxes are also included. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Events contact: 412/622-3289; info: carnegiemnh.org/doe/programs/birthdays.htm. - M.R.

Best Outdoor Activity: Maybe you discovered Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve as a school kid in the 1970s or '80s. Or maybe you heard about it from friends and were amazed to find such a pristine swath of nature so close to the city line. Whatever draws you to Beechwood - wildflowers, bird spotting, free hikes led by trained naturalists - odds are you'll keep coming back for more. It's a great place for the family to slow down, appreciate nature and mix fun with learning. Check out the Web site for information on classes, the Natural History Library and the on-site Audubon Nature Store. Five miles of scenic trails are open dawn to dusk, year-round, with no admission charge. 614 Dorseyville Road, Fox Chapel; 412/963-6100, aswp.org. - M.R.

 

< BACK             NEXT >