Peekadoodle KidsClub

I am constantly looking for age friendly things for the girls and me to do together.  There are so many amazing museums, parks, and discovery centers in the bay area, but a lot of times I run into two main problems; First, whatever place we are going is usually far away and with naps and eating schedules, I feel like I end up regretting it by the time we're driving home and my girls are screaming their faces off in the backseat because they're hungry and tired {please tell me this sounds familiar to someone else out there!}.  Secondly, Stella & Navy are at an age where we need to get out of the house and go do something, but I find that a lot of places are often too advanced for them.  It's surprisingly difficult to find a facility, museum, or even park that is relevant for all ages.  Even harder is finding somewhere that can facilitate a perfect balance between exploratory play and also still have a structured environment.  

I don't think I will ever forget driving home from church one week with JD, just crying my eyes out because I felt so discouraged.  I really just felt like although the park was becoming more fun each time we went as the girls were growing more independent and mobile, it was still SO. HARD.  I usually left with at least one of them in tears because there wasn't much they could really do there AND there were so many boundaries that I was having to set since letting an 11 month old {they're one now} run wild at the park with a bunch of older kids running around, isn't exactly safe.  It even seemed like outings to museums and such were hard since there wasn't much there for these two to do {especially since they're not walking well enough to get around} and still stay happy & content.  

Then we were introduced to a kids club in the city called Peekadoodle.  It's walking distance {check!} and I honestly cannot sing its praises enough when it comes to providing an environment that fosters creativity and learning in both a structured yet exploratory way {check, check, check!}.  The main play space is amazing {and clean!!  Can I get an amen to that?} & I want to share more on that later, but I really want to focus on the amazing class that these two are enrolled in.

If we're friends on Facebook, then you know I was hesitant to put them in a class at this age just because I honestly had no idea how they'd handle it/if I could really pull off committing to be somewhere at a certain time every week with naps and such.  I am so, so glad we decided to take the plunge.  Right now they are in a guided playgroup with a small group of kids their age, that is led by an occupational therapist.  I'll be honest.  I had no idea what to expect!  A friend of mine told me that the OT was amazing, so I trusted her and I haven't been let down in the slightest.  I have learned so much and I actually feel like I've become a better mom as I've tried to break some of my habits and implement the things she's taught.  

As an educator, I was always attending trainings and staying current with the best teaching practices.  I felt like I was always learning!  I get that same "aha!" feeling each week when we go to this class.  There is SO much more to "play" at this age than I had realized.  Just today, Stella was climbing up a wedge and she had a ball in one hand.  I made a comment like, "You want to climb up this?  Hmm…maybe not with that ball in your hand though."  Immediately, Andrea {the OT} explained to me that it's actually really essential for them to be able to learn to hold objects when they're developing these motor skills and that it's actually really important for the muscles in her hand.  I had no idea!  I wish I had a pad of paper each time to jot down all of the things that she so talks to us about.  I think what I've taken away from it most, is that these two are developing SO much right now.  They're trying to figure out the world around them and often as adults, we sort of get in the way of that rather than chilling out for two seconds and letting them discover things for themselves.  

Each week, Andrea changes the classroom completely and has all kinds of things for the kids to play with and discover.  What I love most though, is that none of these items are expensive.  In fact, most everything in the room is made from household objects and can totally be recreated at home.  This week for example, Navy was OBSESSED with a plastic tub that had oats, bowls, and measuring cups in it.  Girlfriend could not get enough!  And lucky for her, Andrea let them dump them all over! :) 

I have really seen these two grow in their ability to interact with other kids, and especially in their little imaginations.  45 minutes flies each time because these two are so busy discovering all kinds of things.  We love Peekadoodle and we'd recommend it to anyone in the area.    

…oh and did I mention it's located IN Ghiradelli Square?  Yeah.  I'm in serious trouble once these two are old enough to realize that there are mouth watering chocolate sundaes around the corner.  If I gain 10 lbs in the next year, you'll know why.