Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in nashville, TN

Weekend Preview 3.5.09

by Shauna Reynolds

March 05, 2009

We've made it through yet another week! Here are a few fun activities around town for you and your family to enjoy this weekend.

First of all, the freebie. Discovery Center at Murfree Spring is offering free admission this Saturday, the 7th of March. They're celebrating Read Across America week with special entertainment and reading activities, but your preschooler can also enjoy the rest of the center. If you've always wanted to visit but didn't feel like driving all the way to Murfreesboro, let that free admission be your incentive.

It's going to be a great week for children's theatre in Nashville. Saturday only, TPAC's Family Field Trip Series is presenting The Gruffalo, based on one of our favorite Imagination Library books. If your child loves live theatre or if you're ready to introduce him to it, this looks like a great show.

Finally, Adventure Science Center's 12th annual Brain Blast takes place Saturday. The event is sponsored by Vanderbilt Brain Institute and celebrates all things brainy -- from tasty Jello brains to actual specimens in jars. Let's just hope no one gets the two confused.

I hope you and your family have a lovely weekend!

If you have a suggested event or activity you'd like to see listed here, please comment or email me at beingsavvynashville@savvysource.com .

A Family Style New Year's Eve

by Shauna Reynolds

December 29, 2008

The girl I party with these days isn't quite old enough to drink champagne, and I certainly hope she won't be staying up past midnight. But that doesn't mean we can't ring in the new year together. Here are a few special ways to celebrate the end of 2008 with your family. The Discovery Center at Murfree Spring , located in Murfreesboro, will be throwing a pajama party and pancake breakfast on  Read more...

Beetles, Bugs & Butterflies: Kid Entomology In Nashville

by Meredith Pelham

June 23, 2008

Belmont's Twilight Party introduced us to Dr. Steve Murfree, professor of biology and director of the Beetles, Bugs & Butterflies Camp . Dr. Murfree displayed some of his collection in the gazebo, where every preschooler I saw stood rapt with attention. He pointed out a specimen butterfly and its live caterpillar counterpart. My little guy loved the fact that a big black  Read more...

Preschool Science: Where's the Wonder?

by Meredith Pelham

June 13, 2008

My professional background is in science, so you can bet my first child had every field guide and volcano-making kit I could get my hands on. We dissolved ice cubes with salt , watched food coloring travel up a stalk of celery , made bones bend in vinegar . He explained sound waves to my OB at his little sister's ultrasound. I beamed. As we approach our third child's ultrasound, this  Read more...

Top 5 Things To Do On A Rainy Day In Nashville

by Meredith Pelham

May 27, 2008

Rainy days challenge even the most creative preschool parent. Sometimes you've just gotta get out of the house! Here are five great places to take your preschooler when it rains in Nashville: 1. Adventure Science Center Heavy on the playground, light on the learning--but kids love it anyway. Let them climb an activity-packed tower, investigate the human body via a digestive slide,  Read more...

5 Best Day Trips Within An Hour Of Nashville

by Meredith Pelham

May 26, 2008

Daytrips are a preschool mom's best friend! Enjoy the day away, without having to lug a pack-and-play or blanky to a hotel. Our family of backyard tourists loves to explore the countryside around Nashville. Here are our 5 favorite day trips, all within an hour's drive: 1. Discovery Center at Murfree Springs in Murfreesboro knocked our socks off. For only $5 admission, preschoolers  Read more...

How To Cultivate The (Very Tiniest) Green Thumb: Cool Plant Walks In Nashville

by Meredith Pelham

May 13, 2008

Save the seeds for age 5 and up. With preschoolers, cultivating a green thumb begins at full bloom. Lucky for us, Nashville is full of plants for young explorerseven if we live in city apartments. Take a nature walk through some of Nashville 's best landscapes, from the Nashville Zoo's exotic Bamboo Trail to the urban wild of Shelby Bottoms Greenway in East Nashville .  Read more...