Marana Unwrapped

Have you ever gone camping with your kids? Well here’s your chance. Tomorrow, April 12, 2008, might be the perfect time.

Marana is having Family Night Under the Stars, which sounds like a lot of fun. There’s going to be music, a movie (“The Goonies”), stargazing, bonfires, and more.

The flyer says you need to be registered for overnight camping by last week, but don’t worry, it’s not too late. You can register online by 11:59p.m. on Saturday, April 12.

If you don’t want to spend the night, feel free to take your family to Ora Mae Harn park and enjoy a beautiful, fun-filled evening. The weather will be kind of cool, with a low of 55 degrees, so be prepared.

Have fun! If you go, please let us know how it turns out. 

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Today was the Easter egg hunt at Marana’s Hip Hop Holiday, and overall my daughter and I had a good time. It was hotter than I thought it would be (that Tucson sun is fierce), but there were shady spots here and there.

I was disappointed with the egg hunt, though. The 2 & 3 year old hunt was supposed to start at 10:30, but it started almost 5 minutes earlier. That may not sound like a lot, but I wasn’t the only parent running to get there when there should have been 5 more minutes to spare. It’s hard getting toddlers ready to go anywhere, so being early is great, but sometimes it’s a struggle to be on time. I’m glad I wasn’t on time. We’d have missed it.

So my daughter only got 4 eggs.

On the other hand, the 1-year-old and special needs field had too many eggs. In comparison, the 2-3 year olds were done in a few minutes, while the other field took at least 5 minutes to clear. I would suggest next year that they start on time (or even a few minutes late), and have more eggs for the agile and eager 2&3-year-olds. I’m not sure how the other hunts worked out, but I’m guessing they could have used more eggs too.

I enjoyed the clues and the hunt for the golden egg that was eventually found in a fire pit. It would be great if they had even more extra-hidden eggs for people to find.

Will I be going back next year? You bet! I’m sure it will be even better than this year’s.

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Looking for some fun for your kids on Easter?

The Continental Ranch Community Park is having its annual Easter egg hunt, Hip Hop Holiday, this Saturday, March 22, from 10a.m. to 1p.m. Children aged 11 and under will be able to hunt for eggs in certain parts of the field. Each hunt time is for a certain age range, so don’t worry that your 1-year-old will have to compete with 11-year-olds.

The free event also includes jumping castles. And no Easter egg hunt would be complete without the Easter Bunny!

Parking and a shuttle services will be at the new Rattlesnake Elementary School on Coachline.

Check out the flyer for exact hunt times for your children’s age groups. For more information call (520)382-1950. Hip Hop Holiday is a Marana Parks & Recreation event.

Stay tuned to Marana Unwrapped to find out about more events.

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Marana’s Founders’ Day 2008 was a great event to take my daughter. She’s now almost 3 and a lot of fun (and work) when it comes to outings, so when it rolled around this past weekend we jumped at it.

There was really almost too much to do for such a little one, so we concentrated on the area designated for kids. Wouldn’t you know it, though? My daughter preferred to play on the jungle gym, which she could have done any day of the week almost anywhere in town.

The highlights were the free pony ride (which my daughter decided not to do after standing in line for 20 minutes) and the tractor ride. We got to sit in one of those HUGE John Deere tractors. It was a blast, even though the tractor was stationary.

Marana really knows how to throw a celebration, so the next time there’s something at Ora Mae Harn park, be sure to check it out.

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Miracle’s Inc. is having their 7th annual Christmas party this Saturday, December 22.

After sponsoring a toy drive this past weekend, the non-profit group will be giving every child who attends a toy or gift certificate (depending on their age).

This children’s Christmas party is free, and there’ll be games, free food, entertainment, free raffles for the kids, and even a jumping castle.

It’s going to be held at the Ora Mae Harn park starting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Decermber 22, 2007.

Don’t miss out on the fun, and tell us what you thought about it after you go! 

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Tucson is unbearably hot in the summer, and it can get quite cool in the winter. So what’s a parent to do with bored children?

My daughter has a great time at My Gym, which has structured programs for babies, toddlers, and young children (up to age 13). She gets to play, run, jump, scream, and learn about fitness at the same time. The staff is great too, and they make sure to learn your child’s name.

Even better, they just started a new membership plan. Even though each child signs up for one class a week, the child can go to several classes during the week (calling ahead to be sure it isn’t full). Plus, there’s a few days that have an hour of free play.

If you have children, definitely check out My Gym. But be careful. If you take your child once, she may want to go back all the time. My Gym is located at 7366 N. Oracle Rd.

Have you had a chance to visit? What did you and your child think?

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Photo copyright 2007 by Stephen Ax

Today I took my daughter to see El Tour de Tucson. The cyclists were riding various places in Marana, including Silverbell and Tangerine Roads, so all we had to do was find a shady spot on the sidewalk.

Those bicycles are really fast! We saw all kinds, including tandem bikes, and some where the person was a foot from the ground (sort of like a grown-up tricycle, but with two wheels, called a recumbent).

My daughter had fun waving at people, and a nearby family cheered for everyone that rode by. It was a great day for bike-watching.

What is El Tour de Tucson?

According to the official website, the bicycling tour began in 1983, and is now “America’s largest perimeter bicycling event.” More than 9,000 cyclists are expected for this 25th El Tour de Tucson.

Each year, El Tour de Tucson takes place on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, so mark your calendars for next year’s.

I know we will.

(I found the great picture at this webpage. I didn’t bring my camera with me.)

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