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Enjoying the Parade with Wee Ones
Kelly Bryan Smith
Simon Smith all decked out for St. Paddy’s day festivities.
by Kelly Bryan Smith
March 16, 2011
If you’re planning to spend an afternoon at the Mal’s St. Paddy’s parade with small children, you probably want to do some planning. Here are some suggestions of the things you might need to keep the whole family happy.
Prepare for the Weather
Check the weather forecast. If the weather is going to be cold or wet, pack jackets or umbrellas. Even if the sun isn’t shining, be certain to pack sunscreen or lather up ahead of time. Don’t forget that it isn’t too early for mosquitoes, so if anyone in your family is sensitive to bug bites, pack the insect repellent, too.
Bring Your Own Seats
Bring folding camp chairs, and get there early to stake out a prime seating area along the parade route. Young children might appreciate a stroller or wagon to sit in during the parade as well as to give them a ride back to the car afterward. A wagon may be useful if you’re planning to bring folding chairs and a cooler.
Pack a Picnic
Whether you want a whole meal or just some snacks, pack a healthy selection of snacks such as granola bars, dried fruit or trail mix. Bring a cooler filled with ice, reusable water bottles, juice boxes, soda or beer. You may also wish to bring some cash to purchase snacks or drinks from the many vendors along the parade route, or tell your kids what to expect ahead of time so that they don’t get upset when you refuse to buy them a funnel cake.
Prepare to Clean
Pack baby wipes or hand sanitizer to clean your family’s hands before they eat. Baby wipes can also double as napkins after eating a snack. If you have a baby, be certain to bring extra diapers and a change of clothes. Bring a grocery bag to collect all of your family’s trash to throw away appropriately after the parade.
Keep them Entertained
Young children may have moments of boredom while watching the parade, so consider packing books, small toys or easily portable art supplies to keep your kids busy. Bringing a friend is one way to keep kids busy, if you don’t mind supervising another child in the crowd. Avoid toys such as balls that would be easy for kids to toss into the middle of the parade by accident.
Capture the Day
Of course, don’t forget to bring a camera to catch the exciting moments as your family enjoys the parade.
posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 03/16/11 at 01:57 PM. [printer version] Share |
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May 24, 2012 | 07:14 PMBryant Signs Voter ID Bill
notmuch: Oh, I have hundreds of those right-wing sites, and I couldn't say which ones are more "partisan"--they all include those pesky facts. Yes, when dead voters and multiple voters under ...
May 24, 2012 | 07:11 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
justjess: @ golden eagle. Thanks for the spell check. I didn't just spell assassination wrong ONE time, I did it over and over. LOL! You are right on the mark; I was trying to use the word ...
May 24, 2012 | 06:46 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
golden eagle: I don't think you could've found a more partisan right-wing site than the Daily Caller. The fact of the matter is that the right is using this issue not as a means of improving ...
May 24, 2012 | 06:10 PM
[Dish] Cobby Williams, Young Gun
trusip: WOW! was this a real interview or a joke?
May 24, 2012 | 05:00 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
notmuch: I don't think you could have found a more liberal example of a "non-partisan" site, but even so, their evidence seems to consist of 250 carefully chosen instances in one area of ...
May 24, 2012 | 04:48 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
golden eagle: Rather than using ideological websites to support your argument, I'll use the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice. Really good site.
May 24, 2012 | 04:30 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
notmuch: I might be missing something here, but I am a little confused by Golden Eagle's points: "the fact is that voter fraud is extremely rare"--so it is of no consequence that some ...
May 24, 2012 | 11:26 AM
Nick Hanauer's 'Controversial' TED Talk -- Tax the Rich?
RobbieR: TED is an elite academic conference.
May 24, 2012 | 10:18 AM
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DonnaLadd: No, Darryl, no one blocked you. Stop being paranoid. We just typically open comments in moderation during non-office hours. To me, a bozo isn't someone who disagrees with me. It's ...
May 24, 2012 | 06:18 AM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
Darryl: That's funny that you blocked my last comment...
May 24, 2012 | 05:31 AM
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Renaldo Bryant: So true. This is why critical and analytical thinking are so important to citizens in a democracy. The rich have the power to shape perception ...
May 23, 2012 | 05:24 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
Darryl: justjess, you stated "Racism and discriminatory practices continue." What objective data do you have to support this? Calling someone unqualified is a subjective interpretation of ...
May 23, 2012 | 01:37 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
golden eagle: Wow, my English was bad on the previous post. You know how it is on these iPhones.
May 23, 2012 | 12:30 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
golden eagle: @Jess, I think the word you're looking for is "assassination". @Darryl, do we really know that the majority of MS'ians wanted this, when you consider that this was a ...
May 23, 2012 | 12:18 PM
Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill
DonnaLadd: I can only hope that the reason that this bill passed is that, for once, our lawmakers listened to the majority of Mississippians and crafted this bill. Considering that the ...
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