August is a busy month for us here at SobeSavvy.com –myself and my daughter fondly known as #outandaboutAva are celebrating birthdays ..And what better way to celebrate than with a day filled with learning while playing!  Marbles Kids Museum is a place to let your inner child run wild along with your little ones. That’s why I thought it would be a great idea to head to downtown Raleigh with my husband and our daughter for a family playdate!

But before we ventured into the children’s museum, we watched a 45 min documentary showing at Imax Raleigh called National Parks Adventure. It was in 3D and it gave us a visual tour of some of the most famous National Parks in the USA. We left the movie with more than a few places added to our bucket list to visit ! Savvy tip: Be sure to download Stealz app and get free popcorn to enjoy with your movie!

After the movies, we stopped for some fun in the sun outside in the courtyard between Imax and Marbles. Recess games and activities were set up for all to enjoy. In our gadget obsessed culture, it was refreshing to see that Marbles created a space for kids to get moving while enjoying fresh air !

I especially liked the different sized hula hoops, which meant I could join in on the fun and give my daughter a quick tutorial as seen here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BI-oUnGjk1B/

We headed inside for more fun and games. We discovered that Marbles had created a daily celebration of the 2016 Summer Olympics with Radical Recess: Olympic Edition. Lots of cool interactive activities to choose from !                  

Check out the schedule at Marbleskidsmuseum.org/calendar/   

This reading corner even had Olympic themed childrens’ books ! 

Speaking of reading, my child is an avid reader and loves to visit the reading nook in the garden. Be sure to go out to see the unique space ..and don’t worry about the bees, Marbles reminds us how important they are in helping gardens grow! 

This Saturday Aug 20, celebrate starting school at Marbles Kick-off to Kindergarten ! Practice a lunch line, get moving at recess, hop on a school bus and much more. Free for rising kindergarteners and their families. Presented by NC 529 Savings Plan See details here:  marbleskidsmuseum.org/kickofftokindergarten

Our now 5 yr old had a great time at Marbles Childrens Museum and Imax. Both places are suitable for families and a great choice when looking for something to do that is budget friendly. Marbles has been nominated for 2016 Best In The Triangle Awards in the following categories : “Best Museum and Best Place to Take Kids”.  Plan to go and have a truely fun day for all!