Riparian Preserve Kids Play Area Gilbert, AZ

We went to the Riparian Preserve this last weekend as a follow up to a field trip our son went on at school. They had a great time walking on these sculptures around the North side of the preserve and enjoying the cool Fall weather.

This is a view of the observatory that is open occasionally on the weekends.

View of the wall the kids walked on in the area.

View of the afternoon sun and the grass area around the play wall.

This was another sculpture wall and was at the top of the hill around the kids' area. Many children were running across it like an obstacle course. It was active art.

Another view of the play wall from a different direction.

View with the observatory.

View from the hill looking down at the path.

As you can see some people also enjoy biking on the paths.

This was not a sponsored post.

How to Make Pokemon Perler Bead Pins for Cosplay and Halloween

This Halloween e needed some Pokeballs and Pokemon to go with our costumes but didn't want to buy a lot of extras so we made some using Perler beads, safety pins and hot glue.

First we made the figures and then we let them cool. We put a line of hot glue on the back of each and then placed the safety pin and added a bit more glue on the spine of the safety pin. We held it straight until the glue started to cool and then let go. They took a few minutes to harden completely and we're ready for our costumes. They showed up really well in the photos and were fast and versatile.

This was not a sponsored post. Check out our affiliate link through Amazon for the best price on Perler beads through Amazon with Prime shipping available. We do get a small comic ion for any purchases made through our link. Thank you!

Kirby Homemade Halloween Costume

Our son really loves Kirby and was very sure he wanted a Kirby costume for Halloween this year. We didn't find anything his size online or in the stores so decided to make one.

We bought a pink hoodie sweatshirt on Amazon that was his size and then had a stack of felt squares from Target already in the craft closet.

We used the Kirby Amibo we have and pinterest pictures as our guide to choose the colors for the felt pieces and cut them out using sharp fabric scissors (any nice scarp scissors would be fine). Then we laid out the pieces on the shirt where we wanted them to be and glued them on one by one with the glue gun. 

So far it has worked out well. He has already worn it to the Zoo and to a Halloween party. I had to reglue two pieces that came up at the edge but they went right back on. I hand washed it just in case the felt would come off in the washer or dryer and then hung it dry. The felt seems to be colorfast and we have not noticed any color spreading. 

This was a really quick, easy and inexpensive way to make him a costume. He is very proud of it and tells everyone his Mom made it for him so that is extra special to me.

(This was not a sponsored post. All product links on our site go to our affiliate links and we would earn a commission if you make a purchase through those links.)

Phoenix Zoo - Starbucks - Yakulla Caverns - Mexican Food - Orangutan Habitat

There is now a Starbucks near the front of the Phoenix Zoo and they have our favorite

Starbucks handcrafted coffee drinks as well as pastries and some breakfast items like Burritos that look amazing.

We tried the Latte (with a little chocolate on top at my request) and a Mocha and they were very good. It was such a treat to have Starbucks at the zoo.

We walked with our Starbucks drinks over to Yakulla Caverns splash area for the kids to play and for us all to cool off a bit. If you head up the row with the zebra's and flamingos then turn right at the restaurant/snack bar at the end of that row you will find this area.

The stairs lead through the caves and then they can come down the slide on the right.

There are other caves behind that one they can walk through to the other side

There are some nice shady areas with little water squirters that are great for the little guys and girls to get wet. Please note this area usually has many kids running around so there is also the water area by the pirate ship playground near the carousel where there is less activity and might be good for the littlest ones.

Behind the water area there is a shaded artificial grass area with benches for the parents to sit and watch the kids. 

There is a tree trunk they can play in and many areas of water jets that spray into the air.

Here is another view of the area. It was very popular the day we were there. 

Also, there is a restroom area and changing areas for boys and girls right next to the splash area so you don't have to go far for potty breaks or to get the kids changed into dry clothes.

The little snack bar/restaurant right by Yakulla Caverns served Mexican food. They have tacos, nachos, burritos and more. We tried the Burrito and the Barbacoa Tacos. 

The tacos sauce was amazing. We also had chips and salsa not shown in the photos but it was very good. We paired it with our Starbucks drinks and it was a very enjoyable lunch!

This was our view of the lake while we were eating. 

More views from our lunch table. 

There were monkeys across the island and beautiful birds in the lake that we watched while we were eating.

This is the farm play area by the Children's portion of the zoo, near the petting zoo. There was not a water area there so keep that in mind if it is a warm day, you may want to go to the water area on the way to the kids area to cool off. 

One of our favorite exhibits is the Orangutan area. This is the beautiful sign at one of the entrances. Each time we visit we see a new area of the zoo and have been very impressed by all the advances they have made.

It says Orang - Hutan People of the Forest.

This is at the center of the exhibit. there are windows all around and boards with information about the Orangutans and their natural habitat.

At this exhibit you can walk through a center portion with the grass areas all around and look through windows to see the Orangutans from all different areas. We counted five including the young baby who just turned 1. 

There were 2 adult Orangutans and the baby here on this structure.

This is from inside the house like portion at the center of the exhibit. 

This was one of our favorites. He climbed down the netting and found some bamboo he managed to pull through the netting to eat. 

The exhibit allows you to walk all around from many different sides of the habitat. It was one that really kept all of our attention, even the kids. 

(This was not a sponsored post.)

New Halloween App for Kids on Amazon and Google Play

Check out this new Halloween app for Kids available on Amazon Apps and Google Play!

I think it is a super fun little app for kids especially to get into the Halloween spirit. I may be biased because my husband developed it but our 4 year old loves to play it so I think that speaks for itself. 

Halloween Block Pop is an app for kids on the Amazon App store for Kindle Fire and Amazon devices and on Google Play for Android Devices.  "Halloween Block Pop" is a fun Halloween themed puzzle game. This app was created for all ages and is fun for the whole family. The game consists of 10 Halloween character puzzles. Watch as the Halloween characters come to life after each puzzle is complete. For a greater challenge guess the character by popping the least amount of blocks. This game is a great way to celebrate Halloween in a not too scary way and features original art by Ken Wright.

Amazon App Store: http://www.amazon.com/Ken-Wright-Halloween-Block-Pop/dp/B016H0OZJI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1444616316&sr=8-2&keywords=halloween+block+pop

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kenwrightonline.halloweenblockpop&hl=en

Thank you!

San Tan Mall outdoor play area

A couple of photos of the kids play area at the San Tan outdoor mall. 

They also have a new splash pad further up the row from this. Build A Bear and the Disney Store are both on this aisle of the mall so beware if your kids like those stores as much as we do. 

There is also a restroom right up the way which is very convenient. This area has lights at night also.

The one issue we had was that there are roads on either side so if your kids tend to run off at all you will want to keep a close eye on them and be right there behind them.

(This was not a sponsored post)