After the swell of the holiday season, many children and adults experience the winter doldrums. Families seem to hibernate, waiting for the first signs of spring by watching television and staying indoors. Make this winter different! You don’t have to go far from home to find many fun-filled activities for your family here in the Highlands. Many unique businesses and community venues offer low-cost, convenient and fun outings for the kids. Here are just few.
Dundee Candy Shop Kids of all ages love the Dundee Candy Shop, located at 2112 Bardstown Road. The foil-wrapped sweets are made for kids, with chocolates shaped like butterflies, sports balls, crayons and flowers, to name a few. The best part is that many of these candies are sold for as little as 25 cents. Along with their seasonal candies and gifts, the shop offers sugar-free candy for those with special dietary needs.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts On a cold winter morning, nothing beats a warm Krispy Kreme donut. This place is meant for kids as well as kids-at-heart. Children always love to wear the free baker’s hats and watch as the donuts are made in the deep fryer. Krispy Kreme is located at 3000 Bardstown Road.
Sapporo At first glance, Sapporo, at 1706 Bardstown Road, seems like a restaurant for adults only, but take your kids and you’ll be greeted by a friendly staff that is happy to welcome any family. Kids love to watch the hibachi chefs cook their yummy food in the large flames while performing tricks to entertain the family.
Mama’s Hip Mama’s Hip, at 1559 Bardstown Road, is a place for new mothers with free parent/child activities almost every day of the week. A new mom’s group meets every Monday and Wednesday – a play group for ages 6-12 months is on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a play group for all ages is on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. In addition, for a small fee, Mama’s Hip offers a BandWagon music class and a Baby Sign class. For information on classes, go to www.mamas-hip.com.
Ray’s Monkey House Ray’s Monkey House is unlike any other coffee shop in the Highlands in that it caters to kids and their families. Parents can sip on great coffee and beer while the little ones play in the activity areas. In addition, the coffee shop offers Kids Story Time every Tuesday night and Saturday afternoon at its location, 1578 Bardstown Road. For more information, go to www.raysmonkeyhouse.com.
Louisville Mega Cavern Take a tour of Louisville’s massive limestone quarry at Louisville Mega Cavern. Families hop on an SUV-pulled-tram for a 60-minute tour that highlights early cave formations, a replica of the Cuban missile fall-out bunker, and early mining operations. The cave, which can be accessed at 1841 Taylor Avenue, is a comfortable 60 degrees all year long. For more information, go to www.louisvillemegacavern.com.
Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen The Highlands neighborhood is blessed to have two Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen locations – 5606 Bardstown Road and 1041 Bardstown Road. Stop by and enjoy unique cakes, cookies and ice cream, including their famous upside down cupcakes. In addition, the location near Taylorsville Road has a functioning old-time juke box and a miniature table for the kids.
Douglass Community Center Douglass Community Center, at 2305 Douglass Boulevard, has a gym that’s open year-round, a game room, a computer lab, a teen room, a weight room, youth programs, art programming, and special events for kids. For more information, go to www.louisvilleky.gov/metroparks.
Alpine Ice Arena Winter is officially here when the Alpine Ice Arena opens. The arena, at 1825 Gardiner Lane, has open ice times seven days a week, as well as lessons and leagues for kids. For open ice times and lesson information, visit www.alpineicearena.com.
Farmington Historic Plantation Farmington is one of the many historic homes in the area that offers daily tours. They also host numerous reenactments throughout the year that address controversial issues such as slavery, politics and gender roles. The historic site, at 3033 Bardstown Road, is open Tuesday through Saturday with tours every hour. Children under 5 are free. For more information, go to www.historichomes.org/farmington.
Louisville Stoneware Create your own unique pottery at Louisville Stoneware, 731 Brent Street. Your child can choose a plate, a mug, a figurine or another handcrafted keepsake. Paint it and have it glazed, fired and ready for pick-up within 10 days. For more information, go to www.louisvillestoneware.com.
Butterfly Garden Cafe Enjoy an authentic tea with your kids at the Butterfly Garden Cafe, 1327 Bardstown Road. In addition to the café’s soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts, you and your kids can enjoy tea (or another beverage) in a special tea-for-one dish. Don’t forget to bring some extra cash. It’s almost impossible to walk out the door without one of their adorable tea sets or accessories.
Louisville Nature Center At the Louisville Nature Center, located at 3745 Illinois Avenue, there are many indoor and outdoor activities to enjoy, including up-close observation of wildlife, viewing indoor exhibits and murals, and checking out the books and activities in the library. For more information, visit www.louisvillenaturecenter.org.
Highlands/Shelby Park Library The Highlands/Shelby Park Library, located in the Mid City Mall at 1250 Bardstown Road, has books, puzzles, games and computers for kids of all ages. They also have Family Story Time on Tuesday nights, Toddler Storytime on Wednesday mornings, and Mother Goose Storytime on Thursday mornings. For more information, go to www.lfpl.org.
Louisville Zoo Get wild with your kids at the Louisville Zoo, even during the winter months. In fact, many of the animals prefer cold weather, so you may get a peek at the ones that were hiding in the shade all summer. The zoo is located at 1100 Trevilian Way. For more information, go to www.louisvillezoo.org.
Movie Time A family movie with popcorn and candy is a great way to enjoy a cold winter day. Enjoy the big screen at Baxter Avenue Theatres in the Mid City Mall, or stop by and rent a movie at locally-owned Wild and Woolly Video, 1021 Bardstown Road.
Metro Parks Even outdoor parks can be enjoyed during the winter months. Bundle up the kids and let them play in the sun at one of the many parks here in the Highlands. Highlanders are fortunate to call more than seven parks home, including Cherokee Park, Willow Park, Tyler Park, Seneca Park, Douglass Park, Joe Creason Park and Warheim Park (my personal favorite).
Volunteer Make the best use of your family time by volunteering together! Highland Community Ministries Senior Services is in need of volunteers to help deliver meals to homebound residents. For more information, call Donna Douglass at (502) 459-0132.