Our online friend and Atlanta native, Heather, sent us some fantastic ideas for a week in Atlanta. Heather is a writer who lives in Decatur with her husband Chris and daughter Amelia.
Atlanta generally has great weather, but some summer days can be very hot and we have been known to have a few rainy/cold days in the winter. Heather included good weather choices and not-so-good weather choices to cover all the bases. Bonus: Many of the activities are free!
Monday
Good weather: Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, also known as the Carter Center, has story time from 10-10:30 AM (best for kids over age 3), and then a Garden Safari at 10:30 AM. On the garden safari, kids go on a scavenger hunt, identifying animals, plants and sculptures around the grounds. My 14-month-old mostly enjoys stomping around in the rose garden. (Free!)
Not so good weather: Imagine It! Children’s Museum of Atlanta is great for children eight and under. There is a special toddler zone with soft toys, padded floors and tunnels for crawlers and early walkers. Other exhibits allow kids to paint, sculpt, dress up in costumes, operate a kid-sized forklift, play in a pretend grocery store and kitchen, sit in a “waterfall” without getting wet, and engineer a train. ($11 for everyone over age 2. Kids under 2 free.)
Tuesday
Good weather: Atlanta Botanical Gardens
On warm, sunny days, kids are welcome to play in the Sunflower Fountain. This garden is stroller-friendly and the Garden Cafe is a good place to stop for a snack. (Admission is usually $12 for adults, but on Tuesdays it’s $10. Children under 3 free.)
Not so Good Weather: Nursery Rhyme Time for Babies,
Decatur Public Library features nursery rhymes, songs and finger plays. Open to 15 babies and one parent per child. Register at the Children’s Desk. Toddler Time for kids up to age 3 from 11-11:30a. Space is limited, so get there early. (Free!)
After story time, enjoy lunch on the square in Decatur. Lots of kid-friendly restaurants to choose from.
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I left the hospital with a wonderful big jug with an attached straw that I filled every time it dipped below one-quarter full. I kept it with me everywhere I went until I lent it to my pal, Valerie (long walks, Baby Brigade, restaurants, car trips… hmm, no wonder I was always peeing!). And just to prove that no good deed goes unpunished, she moved to London and probably chucked it without a second though. I miss her, baby Nora, and the water bottle on a regular basis.
So the fun activity is to drink lots and lots of water. Nursing, sleeplessness, or regular old post-partum recovery can feel like a huge hangover and you need lots of water to get over it. Get on it. Fill up a large nalgene bottle and drink it down three or more times a day. Or this new CamelBak bottle comes with a squishy straw you can bite down on… how wonderful for nursing pain!
