 A visit to Ahmadi public park Last weekend we visited the public park in Ahmadi. I’d been wanting to take the girls and our dog for some time but my husband always resists because he thinks it’s too long of a drive. Actually on a weekend morning, it took us only about 20 minutes to reach. The park is massive, large and well laid out with several playgrounds for kids. There are swings (no baby swings though) and several slides, jungle gyms, riding toys and other things for kids to do. One of the things I like about the park is there is plenty of space for the kids to run around and there were lots of other families there on an early weekend morning so plenty of other kids for our girls to play with. It’s a perfect place for a picnic and was quite clean for a weekend morning. There were even workers there when we visited picking up trash and other maintenance. It has a water fountain, walking track with exercise equipment, a few scattered trees for shade and lots of picnic space. I liked that there were also several physically challenging play areas for the kids including a balance beam, swinging handles and climbing racks. These are age appropriate and great for kids to test their physical limits safely. There is also a small zoo next to the park that’s open to the public. We didn’t go in because we brought our dog and she is not zoo-friendly. It’s listed as a ‘garden’ on Google maps but it’s really easy to find. If you go, take Highway 40 and then the 212 exit. The garden and zoo are located in block 10, mid 7th street just behind the sports stadium and sports center. Map Originally published in Issue #22 of the Kuwait Moms Guide e-Newsletter. | |
 Lots to do this weekend. Here’s a quick roundup of events and happenings in Kuwait.
FRIDAY - Kite show and kids activities at Al Kout mall in Fahaheel from noon to 8pm. Activities, free giveaways, competitions, music and live music. - Advent Café & Bazaar at the German Ambassador’s residence, Mishref, Blk 5, St 8, Lane 1, House 10. Holiday gifts, table decorations handicrafts, authentic German crafts, Christmas cookies, punch and more. - Family seasonal concert by Ahmadi Music Group at the New English School. Two shows on Friday at 4pm and 6:30pm and another show on Saturday at 4pm. Tickets KD 5 for adults & KD 3 for children (up to 12 years). To buy tickets & directions, click here. - Staged in Kuwait pantomime, Cinderella. Tickets at www.skitkts.com - End of Year Holiday Bazaar at Salwa Al Sabah Hall, Marina Waves from 10am to 9pm. Great for finding local items, unique gifts and more. Free entrance and Santa is expected to make an appearance. SATURDAY - The Secret Garden Project invites visitors to come and support the garden, enjoy some tea, coffee and cake from 9am to 1pm. Located in Salmiya, on Baghdad Street, in Baghdad Park. #thesecretgardenproject - Qout Market at Arraya Parking Lot Rooftop from 10am. Fun, street food, games, kids activities and lots of shopping, from 9am to 5pm. - K’s Path Shelter Open Day from 11am to 2pm. Mobile: 6700-1622. Food and other donations welcomed. KD 1 entrance. Map & More Info #kuwaitmoms #kuwaitkids #q8moms #q8kids #kidsinkuwait #weekendq8 #kuwait #eventsinkuwait #kuwaitevents #kuwaitmomsguide #kuwaitweekend #kuwaitshopping  Encourage your little ones to explore the outdoors, gardening and playing in the dirt with a fun and easy-to-set-up gardening sensory bin invitation to play from MamaPapaBubba. By Jen Kossowan Dare I say it? Okay, I will... Our beautiful fall weather has finally arrived! And thank goodness for that. Too many more visits to our go-to indoor play areas just may have driven me mad. Of course, our time outdoors here in Kuwait isn’t quite the same as it is back home in Canada, but with plenty of beaches and parks to visit, plus loads of play down in our courtyard, we really can’t complain. One of the things we do miss though, is gardening. Back home, we were able to grow many of our own fruits, vegetables, and herbs, but given our living situation here in Kuwait, along with the extreme heat we have for much of the year, a garden is just not all that feasible. That doesn’t, however, mean that we can’t pretend! Digging in the dirt is an important part of childhood after all, right? To do this, we usually set up a simple gardening sensory bin. If you’re new to the world of sensory bins, they are basically plastic tubs filled with materials that stimulate the senses. Some are very simple, some are more complex, some are themed, and some are not. The important part is that they encourage children to explore in an open-ended way, while letting their creativity and problem solving skills lead the way. This particular sensory bin is one that I introduced to my daughter when she was about 17 months old and she still loves it now at 4 years old. Of course, gardening sensory bins can look many different ways, but for ours, we use potting soil as a base, filling the bin about 1/3 of the way full. On top, I carefully place several things you would see in a real garden - several eco-pots, a garden spade, a small rake, a larger shovel, some faux flowers and a packet of seeds. Just for fun, I often add a couple of little extras, which in this case are the wooden ladybugs and white picket fence. Other fun additions could include plant tags, pretend earth worms, pinwheels, and small spray bottles of water. We usually just use whatever we have on hand. To set it up for play, I place the bin on top of an inexpensive shower curtain which catches the little bit of dirt that inevitably falls to the ground and makes clean-up afterwards a breeze. From there, it’s time to play! Some kids might explore the bin by raking the dirt, some may scoop soil into pots, and some may plant pretend flowers. Others may just play in the soil with their hands, which is perfectly acceptable and loads of fun! There’s really no ‘right’ way to play, which is the beauty of a sensory bin. As a parent or caregiver, I usually try to stay back, let the kids lead their own play for as long as possible, and step in only when needed. Or, if I feel like it may extend the play, I’ll play alongside the kids, simply doing my own thing within the bin. Then, when I can see the interest starting to die down, I may lure them back in by initiating a new way to play - in this case, with a ladybug or seed ‘treasure hunt’ in the soil. Afterwards, as long as there’s no immediate need for the bin, I’ll tidy it up and tuck it away for a couple more rounds of play before disassembling it, which means that we have a fun and engaging activity prepped and ready to go for next time. Win-win! For more fun play ideas and activities, visit us at www.mamapapabubba.com or on Facebook or Instagram. |
Archives
February 2019
|
RSS Feed
