Free Bowling?!?!

Yes! You can sign your kids up and get free bowling all summer long.
Here are the details:
Sign up at www.kidsbowlfree.com/pinstrikestn
Your child(ren) up to age 15 will get 2 free games a day until August 31.
The bowling alley is: Pin Strikes, 6241 Perimeter Dr, Chattanooga

If you don't have your own bowling shoes you will need to rent them. But on Tuesdays that is only $2.  On Wednesdays shoe rentals are $3. All other days shoe rental is $4.49 or you can buy a summer shoe rental pass for $14.99.

There are different prices depending on the day and time if you want to bowl along with your kids. But on Tuesdays games are just $2 and Wednesdays games are $.99. Or you can just watch your kids bowl!

Swim Lessons at the Dalton Parks & Rec Center

This is the 5th year we have done swimming lessons at the Dalton Rec Center. And they finally have it together! We've been disappointed in the past and had to talk to managers about the young lifeguard/teachers' flirting and not teaching. But this year, they are really great! They actually have an adult supervisor who is there watching them (yay!) and the teachers are good this year. Summer is my favorite teacher. And the lifeguards are well trained.
You can't beat the price: $40 per child for 2 weeks. Each lesson is 50-55 minutes long. That's only $2 a lesson! The classes are small - the most I've seen in a class is 5 and there are 2 teachers per class except for the upper class where the kids already know how to swim.
There are 2 more sessions this summer: Jun 16-27 and July 4-18.
You can register and pay online at mydprd.com or going to the Rec Center.

City of Cohutta Fourth of July Celebration!!

The City of Cohutta is going to have a 4th of July celebration this year including a fireworks show! There will be food and activities for the whole family!
I have been recruited to head up the children's activities and I'll have more information soon.
I'm fairly certain this will all be free....but don't quote me just yet!
This will be good ol' fashion small-town fun!

Cohutta Elementary School Library Now Open for Summer!

Cohutta Elementary School's Library is now open for Summer!
Located at 254 Wolfe Street in Cohutta
Hours are from 10am -1pm, Tue-Wed-Thu.
If your child is registered in the Whitfield County School District (doesn't matter the school) your child can check out 2 books at a time.
If you are an adult, you may check out 2 adult books at a time (they've brought some adult books into the school)
Parents must stay with their child (not a drop off service)

Here is the activity schedule:

June 10 - Register
June 11 - Science/Art @ 11am
June 12 - Storytime @ 11am

June 17 - Science/Art @ 11am
June 18 - Little Red Barn @ 11am (Petting Zoo!)
June 19 - Storytime @ 11am

June 24 - Science/Art @ 11am
June 25 - Starlab @ 10am in the Gym (this is sooooooooo awesome! Don't miss it!)
June 26 - Storytime @11am

July 1-3 Closed

July 8 - Reptile Wrangler @ 4pm (The library will be open from 3-6pm on this day ONLY)
July 9 - Science/Art @ 11am
July 10 - Storytime @ 11am

July 15 - Storytime @ 11am
July 16 - Science/Art @ 11am
July 17 - Mad Scientist Party @ 11am

Potato Hill

 

Here is a short hike that is located in Whitfield county. It's a fairly new hike. It's located on Reed Road just north of the Poplar Springs intersection. It's not hard to find. There is one covered picnic table at the bottom but no water or bathrooms.

The sign said "Potato Hill Trail 600 yards." Not bad, right? WRONG! I don't know if it was 600 yards, but it felt like a mile! Why? Because it is ALL UPHILL! Switchback after switchback. And just when you think you can't do another switchback, there are like 10 more! Don't go if you have heart problems!
That said, we were at the top in 20 minutes.

And at the top there was, well, not much! We like hiking for the views or getting to something awesome like a waterfall. We looked around a bit and it was cool to see the earthworks that had been dug out during the civil war and to think of soldiers hanging out there at the top. But the kids didn't really get it.

The kids had no problem hiking this trail. They have boundless energy. But I had to take many breaks to catch my breath. The trail might start getting a bit overgrown during the summer if someone doesn't take care of it. But it looks like someone should be. It's all shade - even the top. But don't hike after a rain. The trail is dirt and will get slick.

I'd suggest waiting until late fall or winter to hike this trail. All the leaves will be gone and I suspect a gorgeous view awaits those who hike then!

 

Free Family Night at Creative Discovery Museum

Thursday, June 12 is Free Family Night at the Creative Discovery Museum. It reopens at 5:30pm and stays open until 8:00. Free for all to enjoy! The CDM does this every 2nd Thursday of the month so if you miss this month you can go in July or August or any other month!

5:30pm

 Free Family Night

WhenThu, June 12, 5:30pm – 8:00pm

WhereMuseum Wide (map)

DescriptionMark your calendar! Tonight is the night to join us for free family fun. Make a splash in RiverPlay! Create a masterpiece in Arts Alley! Dig the dinos in Excavation Station! Bring the family and enjoy art lessons, science demos, a drawing for a free membership, guests from other organizations such as Project Ready for School and much much more! Free Family Night is the second Thursday of most months. Sponsored in part by the Tennessee Valley Parent Magazine and News Channel 9.

Booth Western Museum

Last summer I wanted to introduce my kids to art. I love art and culture. This museum is a very good introduction!
First of all admission is $10. BUT kids 12 and under are FREE! So to take my 4 kids and myself it would only be $10. That's not bad.
I was also surprised at how much my kids enjoyed this museum! I'm sure it didn't hurt that there were a lot of horses and cowboys and Native Americans.
I did talk with my children beforehand about the importance of NOT TOUCHING anything. They did well with this, but I did have to watch my then 4 year old like a hawk.

To make it kid-friendly the museum offers some fun things for kids:
Saddlebags: carry around a saddlebag filled with activities your child can do while in the museum - FREE (but be warned: I guarantee the parent will be the one carrying the bag within a few minutes!) The actual bag is returned to the entrance desk along with the clipboard. Everything else your child can keep.
Sagebrush Ranch: An interactive area where kids CAN touch things! It's not huge, but it kept my kids' attention for about 30 min. Get into a stage coach, dress up like a cowboy, etc.
Audio Tours for Kids: $2 - we didn't try this, but it's only $2!

The museum isn't huge like the Smithsonian or the National Gallery. So it is very doable in about 2 hours.
The elevators are pretty awesome too.

My oldest (any myself) really enjoyed the Presidential Gallery. Each president had "fun facts" about him. And they were fun facts! I had to read them all they were so interesting!

The museum is in Cartersville off exit 288. The address is 501 Museum Drive, Cartersville, GA.
boothmuseum.org

If you want to make it a "Museum Day" the Tellus Science Museum is only 5 miles north on I-75. It's expensive however. But fun for a morning or afternoon.
tellusmuseum.org

I LOVE Free!

I absolutely love free! Especially when donuts are concerned! I have a feeling it will be crowded, but if you have lots of kids like me, you'll be saving some money!
This offer is only good on JUNE 6 which is THIS FRIDAY!

Menu for Free Lunch in Whitfield County

I got my hands on the menu for the free lunches in Whitfield Co (this does not include Dalton City proper).

Breakfast (yes! breakfast too!) at 8:30 M-Sat - Only at North Whitfield Middle and the Career Academy
Meat filled biscuit with choice of meat
Yogurt w/ muffin or breakfast bun
Cereal w/ cheesestick
Fresh fruit and juice
Milk

Lunch at NWMS:
Mon: Cheesy breadsticks or Spaghetti
Tue: Chicken Tenders or Steak Strips
Wed: BBQ Sandwich w/ French Fries or Chicken Fajita Nachos
Thu: Meat loaf or Chicken Casserole
Fri: Pizza or Chicken Sandwich
They also have PB&J Sandwiches. But I'm not sure if that is everyday.

Lunch at other locations:
Mon: Corn dog, Cheese sticks w/ Cheez Its, or PB&J
Tue: Hamburger, Hot Dog, Deli Sandwich on Hoagie, or PB&J
Wed: Pizza or Yogurt w/ graham crackers
Thu: Burrito, PB&J, or Hoagie w/ ham and cheese
Fri: Chicken Sandwich, Peanut Butter cup w graham crackers, or PB&J

Those are the entrees. They always have some sort of veggie, fruit, and milk. And then other things like chips, juice bars, beans, salad, etc.

I don't know about other neighborhoods, but in my neighborhood, you can get door to door service! Yes, they have someone (a very sweet someone) who drives through the neighborhood and knocks on all the doors of houses she knows has children. How great is that?

Free Lunch begins tomorrow!

If you have a child in school you probably already know about the free lunches available to all children 18 years and younger this summer. If your kids are not in school yet, you might not know about it.
It begins June 2 and goes until July 31.
And kids get FREE lunch.
It's amazing.
Figuring out exactly what time lunch will be there is tricky.
Lunch is provided sometime between 11:15am-12:40pm Monday - Friday. Usually lunch will be at a certain spot for about 20-30 min before the lunch providers have to move on to another location.
Last year North Whitfield Middle served a hot lunch in their cafeteria from 11am-1pm. I'm assuming that is happening again.
When I get a menu I will post it for you to see.
To find out more info, or get an estimate of what time lunch will be served at your favorite spot, call 706-876-3679 or 706-259-9537. If no one answers, leave a message. They are really good about calling you back!
Here are the locations:

• Antioch Baptist Church
• Bay Street Trailer Park
• Bear Creek Subdivision
• Bonnie Grove Subdivision
• Cedar Ridge Trailer Park
• Coahulla Creek High
• Cohutta Elementary **And  the CES library will be open T/W/Th from 10am-1pm starting June 10!
• Cricket Trailer Park
• Dawnville Elementary
• Eastbrook Trailer Park
• Eastside Elementary
• Gillespie Drive
• Hill Road Apartments
• Hill Top Trailer Park
• Manis Grocery, Cohutta
• Margaret Circle
• Mount Vernon United Baptist Church (Westside)
• Mountain View Subdivision (Cleveland Hwy)
• New Haven United Methodist Church (South 41)
• New Life Baptist Church
• North Whitfield Middle School  ** a hot lunch served from 11-1 (and it's air conditioned! and there are bathrooms!)
• Nueva Vida Christian (1499 Riverbend Road)
• Pleasant Grove Elementary
• Ridley Trailer Park
• Riverbend Trailer Park
• Roberts Circle Trailer Park
• Southeast High School
• Stanley St., Eastside Area
• Stinnett Trailer Park
• Tunnel Hill United Methodist Church  ** this isn't a hot lunch, but it is inside if you want some A/C
• Valley Baptist Church
• Valley Point Park (at the school)
• Varnell City Pavilion  ** This is at the Pavilion which is a nice place to eat lunch and it has bathrooms
• Whispering Pines Trailer Park
• Whitfield Career Academy

Dalton City is also doing the same thing.
With Dalton City, bring a bag (grocery bag or something) to carry your food to where you sit. You won't be able to juggle all that food. Whitfield county locations provide bags.
Also with Dalton City, they were REALLY strict about the kids having to eat lunch on-site. This is to prevent families from "free-lunch hopping."
I could not find a flier or info on Dalton's locations. I know of 3 spots: Rec Center, Community Center, and the Gazebo by the Courthouse.