School's Out...Now What?

One thing I have to say about Canton is that there are many activities for kids to participate in during the summer months.  There is of course for swimming and various classes, day camps, etc., plus the my children all participated in while growing up.  I think between my three children we enrolled in every summer art camp available at which were all fabulous, and of course the was a favorite on hot days.  Now there are those water/sprinkler parks, , and if you are really ambitious....  

 There are also two places I have been taking my grandson over the past few years that are absolutely free,  provide fresh air and activity for young kids, and a place to sit for Mom, Dad, or Grandma!  I have discovered  on Lilley Road, just south of Joy Road, will keep my active grandson occupied for quite some time. He loves watching the airplanes take off and land, and there is a grassy area with picnic tables and a bench where you can hang out.  (Or, bring your own lawn chair). They have a fence so the little ones cannot run out to the runway, and my grandson would love to run around with his arms out pretending to fly as we awaited the next plane take-off. (Bring along some toy planes or make paper airplanes while you are there.)

If you go in the mornings, a hat or sunglasses will be needed as you are facing into the sun. There would often be activity around the lunch hours. Sometimes we would pack our lunch and have a picnic.  Activity would die down  in the mid afternoon, but then pick up again towards late afternoon and early evening.  If we would go a little before 5 p.m., we could watch the Channel 7 news helicopter take off across the runway. Even on the days we did not manage to catch a plane in flight (which was rare), we often still saw planes being towed out of hangers, being gassed up, or being repaired.

Once, a worker let my grandson come and sit in one the planes he was working on.  What a thrill for a 3 year-old! He also loved talking to people...asking them, "Are you a real pilot?"

We learned about all of the parts on a plane, and just made conversation about anything we saw.  It was fun and relaxing at the same time.

The second place my grandson loves is the station.  We would go to the one at South Canton Center Road near Heritage Park.  I'd put him in his stroller (or bring a bike if older) and we'd first take a walk around the park and look for ducks.  Then, it was strolling along the back street by the parking lot where Jason would get very excited seeing all of the police cars (and gave us a good counting opportunity).

Then we would end up in front of the fire station where they have two benches and sit down. I would bring along a book about fire stations, a juice box and snack, and of course he would be wearing his fire hat. Jason was thrilled sitting there watching the activity going on around us.  The fire trucks would often be parked outside so we could get a good look at them. When we were real lucky, they would get a call and we could watch them speed off!

Occasionally, a real firefighter would come talk to us, and even let him sit in the truck (bring your camera), or go take a peek inside the station.  Now, of course I had to tell Jason that they were often very busy and could not let us go inside every time we went  so he would not expect it, and he seemed to understand this and was happy with the days of just watching also.

I loved those days with my grandson. This summer I will have two little boys to take on these outings!

You didn't think I would end this blog without mentioning "Snail Mail For Seniors", did you? We send cards to 600 senior citizens monthly in nursing homes all around the state and are always in need of cards and pictures from adults and kids! How about having your kids get out the crayons, stickers, markers, or whatever you have on hand and make some greeting cards for our seniors? Please avoid glitter, and do not write "Get Well" on the cards. Or, suggest making cards for our organization at your neighborhood picnics, church vacation Bible schools, or daycare centers.  The lonely senior citizens will be very appreciative!

The cards can be dropped off at the front desk of Waltonwood Assisted Living Home at 2000 Canton Center Rd., between Ford and Saltz roads.

E-mail me if you have any questions at: snailsmiles@hotmail.com. Our website is: www.snailmailforseniors.com, and we also have a Facebook page! If you would like to take a picture of your kids making the cards and e-mail it to me, I'll put it on the Facebook page.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable summer vacation!