Gimme 5 Friday!

Five fun things to do this weekend! Click on the highlighted link to learn more.

1. Its a "Day of Discovery for Kids" at the Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site in Cartersville. On Saturday from 1-3pm, kids will learn what archaeology is from a professional archaeologist. Hear about history and see real artifacts. Take part in mock excavations and learn how to clean and identify treasures that you find. COST: $3.50-$5.00 770-387-3747. 813 Indian Mounds Rd., S.W., Cartersville.

2. Hear ye, Hear ye, you are invited to join the Royal Court...well, actually it's the Upper level of the JC Penney Wing at Town Center Mall but a grand event just the same! Simon Kidgits Club Prince & Princess Party is Saturday from 1pm-3pm. The festivities will include special prizes, fun activities and a DJ! Wear your favorite prince/princess costume OR your Kidgits shirt, to receive a special prize (while supplies last). COST: FREE for current Kidgits Club Members; $5 for nonmembers includes an entire year of fun activities!

3. Meet the Author Event at the Town Center Prado Barnes & Noble Saturday at 11am. Author Anthony Pearson will read his new book, Baby Bear Eats the Night. He will also sign copies for sale. COST: FREE

4. Enjoy all things butterfly this weekend at the Butterfly Festival at the Chattahoochee Nature Center on Saturday (10am-3pm) & Sunday (12pm – 5pm). Be a part of butterfly releases & encounters, crafts & face painting, sidewalk art & fairy house construction. Enjoy live entertainment, food trucks and so much more! Little ones can wear their butterfly or caterpillar costumes and take part in the Butterfly and Caterpillar Costume Parade. Go online to find schedule of the weekend activities! COST: 
$10 General Public/$8 CNC Members 

5. Get creative and leave the mess on someone else's floor!! FREE crafts for kids around town this weekend.

• Michael's Passport to Imagination is taking everyone to Japan from 1-4pm Saturday.
• Kids can make "My Pet Fish" with their handprint from 11am-3pm at Lakeshore Learning East Cobb on Saturday
• Lowe's is celebrating kid's favorite movie characters this summer. This month's project at Lowe’s Build & Grow Workshop for Kids is a "Kung Fu Panda Spinning Attack" on Saturday at 10 and Sunday at 2pm. Register online!

Looking for something else? Check our website calendar & follow us on Facebook!

Daily Picks for July 9-13

Our daily guide to fun! Click on the highlighted links for find out more.

MONDAY: Creative Thinking Storytime at Learning Express in Woodstock at 11am. Every Monday in July! 

• Enjoy Dinner at the Depot in Downtown Kennesaw tonight (and every Monday) from 5-8pm. Everyone can take their pick from the variety of food trucks. After dinner, burn off the last bit of energy at the Depot Playground before heading home for PJ time. Follow them on Facebook to get the scoop on what trucks will be there or weather cancellations. 

TUESDAY: Come play with food at Whole Kids Summer Camp at Harry’s Farmers Market for kids ages 5-10 from 10:30-11:30. FREE and you can drop-in but because space is limited it’s best to call ahead to let them know you are coming: 770-578-4400. Parent’s you can drop & shop – pick up what you need for dinner while the kids have fun.

• Beyond Cobb Adventure! Pack a picnic and enjoy FREE “Music at Noon” while you munch your lunch at Centennial Park. Then walk across the street to Imagine It’s Target FREE Tuesday from 1-4pm. 

WEDNESDAY: Keep it Cool with a classic! Watch Charlotte’s Web at the Central Library at 2pm.

• Just for moms! Grab your BFF's for Girl's Night Out on Wednesday at Studio Movie Grill in Alpharetta. The chick flick classic this month is Notting Hill and starts at 7:30. Tickets are only a buck! Get there early to enjoy drinks and appetizers together. 

THURSDAY: Get your Passport to Imagination and travel to Russia. Stop by your favorite Michael’s Craft Store between 2-4pm to make a fuzzy bear – a national symbol of Russia. FREE!

FRIDAY: Get Crazy as a Loom! Register by July 11 (770-427-4686) for this fun craft activity for kids using a cardboard loom & yarn at the Kennesaw Mountain Visitor Center at 10am. FREE!

Plan Ahead:
Outdoor Romping & Stomping Series: July 11, July 18th, July 30, July 31st
Family Camp at Red Top Mountain: July 16-20
Fishing Rodeo: July 21 (FREE!)

Be sure you follow us on Facebook for more summer fun ideas. Be sure to check our calendar often since we are always updating as we find fun.

Gimme 5 Friday

Five fun things to do this weekend! Click on the highlighted links to find out more.

1. Kids Karate on Saturday at 10:00am at the Ben Robertson Center. Kennesaw Parks & Recreation is celebrating Parks & Recreation Month by offering a calendar full of FREE Drop-In classes for kids & adults at the community center and their parks. Click HERE to get the calendar and try something new this month!

2. Send Dad to your neighborhood Home Depot with the kids to build a Moving Truck Saturday morning while you relax (HA- yeah right! Catch up on laundry, dishes, paperwork, vacuum, mop, change sheets…) Kids workshop is from 9am-12pm...drop-in anytime but give yourself plenty of time to finish the project. Our experience with these FREE fun workshops – the later you go, the more crowded.

3. Head to the mountains and make tasty treats that your backyard birds will love. Red Top Mountain is hosting a kid’s Pine Cone Birdfeeder Workshop from 3pm-4pm on Saturday. Meet at the park office. The cost for the workshop is $1 (plus $5 State Park Parking fee). Make a day of it and enjoy a hike on one of their trails before or after the workshop. Address for GPS: 50 Lodge Rd SE, Cartersville

4. B at the Movies is at East Cobb Park Saturday for Movie Night! Bring the family out for Rio. Music by B98.5 begins at 7:30, movie starts at dusk. Event is FREE but Friends for the East Cobb Park will  host a concession stand to benefit the park. Arrive early for a picnic & beat the crowds!

5. Insect Field Day for ages 7+ at the Chattahoochee Nature Center on Sunday from 10:30am-11:30am. Observe and identify insects you collect in nets and learn why these small creatures are vital to our world. Stick around for a guided trail hike at 1pm. Both activities are included with admission: $8 for adults, $5 for kids ages 3-12, 2 and under FREE.

Looking for something different? Check our website calendar & follow us on Facebook to find the fun!

Daily Picks for July 2-6

Here are our picks for the week! Click on the highlighted link to learn more. Remember to check our website calendar for even more fun during the week!

MONDAY: "Page to Screen" Movie Series for Teens (ages 13+) at 3pm Mountain View Library. Watch your favorite page turners on the big screen weekly through July! For the younger ones, head to PLAY in Roswell for their FREE weekly storytime at 10:30. Only pay if you stay but on Mondays in July it’s only $5 per child for open play! Craft room is also open from 10:30-3pm and is included if you pay & stay for open play.

TUESDAY: Don’t need a passport to travel to this week’s pick for Tuesday! Michael’s Passport to Imagination destination: USA! From 1pm-4pm make a Patriotic Flag in honor of 4th of July. If you prefer to celebrate July 4th on the 3rd, head to Kennesaw for their Salute to America celebration from 6pm-11pm!

WEDNESDAY: Celebrate the 4th! Take your pick of local festivals & fireworks

• 4th in the Park (Marietta square) 
• Freedom Fest (Woodstock) 
• Roswell’s Fireworks Extravaganza (Roswell) 
• July Fourth Concert and Fireworks (Cauble Park in Acworth) 
• Fourth of July Celebration (Wills Park in Alpharetta) 

THURSDAY: Sleep in and get to bed early to make up for your late night of celebrating! Enjoy a museum together. Locally, head to The Southern Museum in Kennesaw for their weekly Mommy & Me program at 10:00am or 11:30am. This week learn what will you need for a Civil War camping trip during “A-Camping We Will Go”. Beyond Cobb it’s Toddler Thursday at the High Museum. Drop-in from 11am-3pm for “Butterfly” themed activities & craft.

FRIDAY: Take a Twilight Hike at Red Top Mountain from 7:30pm-9pm. Start the night off in the Discovery Room at the Visitor Center. You’ll meeting one of Georgia's native snakes and then follow a Park Ranger on a moderate, 1-mile hike. COST: $1 plus $5 parking.

Know of a fun event but don't see it here? Email me at cobbtotsnkids@gmail.com. 

Reasons We Are Happy July is Here!

1. Chick-fil-A Dwarf House in Woodstock has "Back Stage Tours" during July! Sign up for a special behind the scenes tour: grill area, kitchen area, back of the house prepping areas and our dishroom. Make sure you wear flat, closed toed shoes during the tour! Monday/Wed 2:30-4:30 & Tuesday/Thursday 9:30-11:30. Tours last about 30 minutes, are FREE but please register online since space is limited. (9728 Highway 92, Woodstock)  More info and to register, click here! PS- if you don't already know (it's been hard to miss) that July 8th is Cow Appreciation Day...click here and you'll find out what you have to do to get free food!

2. It's National Ice Cream Month! In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation that July would be "National Ice Cream Month" and the third Sunday of the month (July 17th) as "National Ice Cream Day". He recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by a full 90% of the nation's population. In the proclamation, President Reagan called for all people of the United States to observe these events with "appropriate ceremonies and activities." - that means GO EAT SOME ICE CREAM! Try making your own with this fun "Ice-Cream-in-a-Bag" recipe!

3. Flying Colors Butterfly Festival at Chattahoochee Nature Center on the weekend of July 16th! Fun-filled weekend all about butterflies. Activities for all-ages including a butterfly/caterpillar costume parade, butterfly releases, crafts, face painting, vendor, exhibitors and more!

4. Blueberry season! Take the kids blueberry picking so they can see where blueberries really come from! Berry Patch Farms in Woodstock is open for picking but call for picking conditions. They never use pesticides so you can pop a few in your mouth while you pick. You can also join them on Facebook to get farm updates, click here! Find other "pick-your-own" farms, click here!

5. The Wiggles "Big Birthday" Concert is in town July 12th at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Shows are at 2:30 & 6:30. Tickets range from $15.50-$75.50. Wiggles Fans will also enjoy Georgia Aquarium's "The Wiggles & Friends Day" on July 8th from 10am-4pm. Guests will have an opportunity to take their photo with Henry the Octopus, and the day will include activity sheets, crafts and giveaways (including concert tickets!)! Learn more about this event, click here!