"Go Playroom!" Shouted Eli, enthusiastically.

Simple, but effective

Today, Eli and I are hanging with one of our toddler pals at the Green Lake community playroom. As you can probably see from the photos, it's just an indoor playground, well equipped with mats, and specially designed for smaller kids. Sometimes I refer to this place as "Perfect." It's warm, dry, and even has free wi-fi. And best of all, it's totally enclosed, which greatly decreases the likelihood of your child wandering off while you write your blog about parenting.

Lots of places to climb

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a place like this, especially in a town like Seattle. Nearly all the community centers in my area have some kind of offer like this. The center in Shoreline (the town just to the north of me) opens their gym every weekday for a few hours in the morning for toddlers and youngins to get a little outdoor time, without all that pesky outdoor stuff (ie. Seattle weather).

The gym in Shoreline, enjoying a tea party

For any desperately bored, stir-crazy, water logged parent in need of some stimulation, look in to your local county/city resources. Spending exorbitant amounts of money on tumbling classes and "Mommy & Me" yoga sessions is a waste of time and energy. Your neighborhoods are likely filled with places like this.

Hide and seek

Here's a list of all the Seattle play rooms and gyms. I realize that's not much help if you don't live here, but perhaps it'll give you some ideas of where to look for your town's opportunities. These centers also supply a massive list of classes and activities for you to sign up for. The aforementioned tumbling classes, lots of song and dance type stuff, outdoorsy things, sports, and so on. The business of kids is a big one, with lots of people trying to convince you to spend lots and lots of money on entertainment for your child. But with a little practical searching, there are always economical solutions waiting for you. They're just not very well advertised.

Notes: As we were leaving this morning, I could hear a group music class for little ones in an adjacent room. Lots of hollering and tears all layered over a woman attempting to sing and play guitar. Honestly, I'm not sure I see the benefit.