No activities for kids

Emma Dalton-Brown, Gleaner Writer

I'm always looking for things one can do with children. Babies are decidedly easier to please than toddlers, so inevitably I've had to become more inventive as time has gone on. Living in Kingston, one would think that there are countless excursions on offer. Summer camps of various sorts exist, but these are pricey for most people, and they normally run in the mornings. What good does that do me? I feel just fine before lunch! What I need are options that take place in the few hours leading up to dinnertime at five. Sure, play dates are possible with other kids, but they might not always be available. Why can't there be more choices around? And before you go suggesting home alternatives, don't. The point is to get us out of the house, to give my body a rest!

A few weeks ago, while visiting friends in Florida, my husband and I looked into doing something exciting with our son. I went online and was floored by the countless activities available for children of all ages.

Zoo visit

After careful consideration, we decided to take our son to the Miami Metro Zoo. He'd been learning about large animals from his books and toys, so it seemed like the appropriate place to visit. We planned to go first thing in the morning, for a couple of hours.

On the set day, a Saturday, we were a tad delayed in leaving our friend's house, but they live a stone's throw from the zoo, so it didn't really matter. Or did it?

When we arrived, we took a look at the map, knowing we could not see all the animals within two hours, and planned our route to show the little man the beasts he'd recognise: elephants, tigers, lions, camels, giraffes. It would mean making our way through 'Asia' and ending up in 'Africa'. All looked feasible enough!

At the entrance of the zoo, there are rickshaws for hire. They are operated by foot peddles, and have enough space for a family to sit under shade. Looking at the map, it did not seem necessary to rent one. We had our stroller, which has a canopy, and there appeared to be a fair amount of trees hovered over the pathways alongside the animals. Why would we spend so much money, when a pleasant stroll was on offer!

Pressing on through the Heat

Well, nothing could have prepared me for the clawing humidity and heat, in the Sunshine State, which can lick you like a giant dog's tongue! Of course, my child was doing better than I. They seem to be more resilient than us adults. That being said, I was not miserable at the beginning of our walk. We stopped by the gibbons, acrobatic primates from southeast Asia, who put on quite a show as they swung from tree limb to tree limb, making that loud ape-like noise that humans use to mimic the same species. Imagine our delight, as parents, when our son started to imitate them. I'm sure we won't think so if he continues to act like a monkey later on in his life!

The next couple of hours were spent in pain for me, but in a heavenly kingdom for the wee lad. His father ended up carrying him all the way, as he (our son) pointed knowingly at the tigers, squealed with delight at the Indian elephants, and clapped at the otters. It was sheer pleasure to see him enjoying every moment. Due to our tardy start, midday had long gone, and the thought of trudging all the way to 'Africa' was mere torture for me. For some reason, I have been finding the afternoons more difficult, and while I used to think it was because kids are more tired then, I now know that I am the one who should be in the stroller!

Emmadaltonbrown@gmail.com