Things to do in Scottsdale with the Kids – Favorite Spots

Five years ago when the OBGYN said it’s twins and then proceeded to tell me and my husband about PVMOM, a local multiples club, I had no idea how great of a resource the club would turn out to be for us as we learned all the tricks of raising two at once. And I truly needed all the help I could get; I barely even held one baby let alone two before these kids came along.

So this week, I asked for a little help from my fellow PVMOM friends on what hidden spots or favorite places around the city they like to go to with their families for a lovely day together – or on some days, just to get everyone out of the house before we all climb the walls.

Just for a little background, PVMOM (which stands for Paradise Valley Mothers of Multiples) is a moms club that has been in existence here in the Valley for over 25 years, helping families with twins, triplets or more.  We have over 250 members spread all over the city. I did get lots of great responses to my call for ideas. So thank you PVMOM!

Some of these places may not be so hidden, but maybe you will learn of a new place to take your family or just be inspired to get out of the house and find your own favorite spot.

Sereno Park, or as my kids call it, the “Horse Park,” is located at 56^th Street, just south of Thunderbird. What I like about this park is that the playground is small enough for me to keep an eye on all three of my kids at once without fear of losing one. It also has a play area for the little kids and one for the big kids, it does have a bathroom, and the best part is that sometimes you will see horses there. I think all children must be genetically hardwired to like horses.

Altadena Park is located at 36^th Street, just south of Cactus Road. It has everything you could possibly need at a park, a super fun splash pad, large shady trees, and lots of fun play areas. It does not have a bathroom, so come prepared if you have a potty trained little one. This park truly feels like you are stepping into another climate, as it feels about ten degrees cooler here than anywhere else in the oven, I mean Valley. (The splash pad opens for the summer season starting May 2nd.)

Speaking of oven, since we will all be living in one soon enough, for indoor fun we like two completely different places:

The newly opened Play Factory at Desert Ridge offers the kids a place to slide, climb, jump, and get out all that built-up energy that we don’t always know what to do with when it is 115 degrees. This place can seem expensive, especially when you have two or more kids, but they have $5 Fridays and Toddler Tuesdays that can help shrink the bill. There are also monthly passes available; if you spend a lot time at Desert Ridge this could definitely be worth it.

Imagination Avenue is located on Shea and 32^nd Street and I just love it for the little kids. It gives them a fun little town to explore, play, and pretend to their hearts’ content, plus they have a gated-off area for the babies to keep them safe and away from the big kids. They also have a café where you can pick up snacks or lunch for you and the little ones. For whatever reason, playing with toys in a new place makes it just that much more fun and exciting for my kids.

I have to admit that I have never been to the last place on our list, but I have always wanted to go there since I have heard such great things about the Wildlife World Zoo. For example, did you know that they have a sky ride, a boat ride, a train, and a water slide, and this doesn’t even cover the animals? Plus they have a brand new aquarium that includes penguins – I am not sure if my kids have seen penguins before. Do these penguins even know that they are living in a desert?! At any rate, I think it seems worth checking out and I am going to plan a trip there soon.

I hope my fellow PVMOM friends and I have inspired you to get out of the house with your kids. Everyone in my house always does seem a little happier after a fun day out around town, especially me.

And what better way to end a trip out and about then with a little do it yourself yogurt. I talked with the people over at one of my favorite places to take the kids, Yogurtology, and if you follow this link and like them on Facebook, they have a fantastic buy one, get one free coupon.

So what are your favorite places in the city? Do you have any great parks or other hidden spots to take kids that we all need to check out? Please post in the comments below!

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Angela Barako has loved living in Scottsdale for the last 10 years with her husband, Tom. They have five-year old twin daughters and a two-year old daughter, who truly thinks she is five like her big sisters, plus a dog and two cats. She currently serves on the Board of Paradise Valley Mothers of Multiples (or PVMOM), the local not for profit multiples clubs. She also likes to read lots of books, is a big college football fan (Go Big Red and Sun Devils!), tries to keep up on scrapbooking, is becoming a runner, attempts to garden, and watches reality TV. Contact Angela at [email protected] or follow her on twitter at @angelabarako