Places to Go With My Toddler

I'm always scouring the internet for adventure ideas. I love getting my handsome little dude and getting out of the house to learn and explore. It's good for both of us! As a working mom, I try to protect early mornings and weekends for our excursions together. Having fun with my toddler is a priority! I know these years are special and I plan to make the most of them.

In my internet searches, I find more options for older kids and less options that share ideas for the little littles. I've written about some of our experiences on this blog-- but today I want to share with you a list of some of the places on my "To-Go" list.

So here it is-- places to bring a toddler that I am excited about!

1. Turtle Back Zoo. We love all things animals. I've been to this zoo as an adult (Brew at the Zoo fundraiser-- and loved it everytime). I can't wait to bring my toddler. It's a big of a drive for us, but definitely do-able. I'll just have to plan to have snacks and Cocomelon for the drive there. I'm sure we can have a great nap on the way home after we check out all our favorite animals.

2. Disney on Ice. My sister got us tickets for this and we can't wait. We splurged to sit upfront which I think will be helpful for a toddler's attention span. I will definitely be writing a blog about our experience so stay tuned! I love everything Disney and we've watched lots of the movies together. I am looking forward to this!

3. StoryBook Land. Theme parks aren't usually great for toddlers, but from my research on their site, there are a lot of attractions that seem little kid friendly! I also love storybook characters so I think we would have fun exploring the grounds. We didn't want to go here in the summer when it was too hot, and our fall window is closing so we may put this on the books for Spring.

4. Smithville. We've actually been here before as a family, but I am putting it back on the list. Smithville is ADORABLE. I love the old historical village and all the great little shops you can peruse. Smithville is great for little kids because when the weather is nice, they have a little train that rides you around the whole village and a lovely little carousel in the middle of the grounds. There's also great restaurants nearby and a little toy store to find special gifts. It's such a nice place to walk around for all ages.

5. Lancaster, PA. I feel like we'd love a trip here. There are a lot of little farms to visit and apparently you can do horse and buggy rides! I'm all about a unique experience that is a driveable distance from our central Jersey location. I'm not sure if Hershey Park is worth the trip for a toddler, but the Hershey Lodge seems really fun!

6. Mystic, CT. Mystic came up in a few of my searches for family-friendly east coast destinations. It's an old ship-building community. They have an aquarium and a museum and just seems to be a cute little place to spend a weekend.

7. Another Children’s Show. If you read the earlier blogs, you heard about the excellent time we had at the Count Basie Theatre seeing a touring production of BLUES CLUES. I'm already on the look out for our next children's theatre experience. There is a local kids group in town preparing a December production of Elf-- we may try that next!

8. The Great Adventure Safari. Like I said before, most theme parks aren't ideal for toddlers-- but for my animal obsessed minion, I think driving the safari one day could be a hit! We can't get enough animals over here and the most ways we can check them out-- the better!

9. Gatlinburg, TN. So I'd label this a big trip and wouldn't attempt to go unless we could spend a week but I am low key planning what our week could look like in Gatlinburg! If we were to go, I think we'd rent a cabin with mountain views, do some light hiking, check out Dollywood and go to a dinner show with horses (ya know-- the animal obsession). The little mountain town of Gatlinburg also has a whole bunch of family friendly attractions. I think we would drive this distance-- so maybe we would stop halfway and do a night in VA. I'll keep you posted on my plans here!

10. Disney. Cue the eyeroll here, but I'm a Disney adult. I've been to Disney a TON of times as a kid and adult and loved every trip. I seriously can't wait to walk down main street and show my boy Cinderella's castle! Right now, we are planning on going in 2024, right before my toddler turns 3-- because under 3 in Disney is FREEE (and those park tickets add up--fast!). My parents think the ideal age for a first Disney trip is 5--- but I don't think I can wait that long. I want to go hug Mickey myself lol. I've done lots of planning on how I think this trip would be most successful for us-- but I will save it for another blog.

I hope this list inspires you to plan some adventures on your own. As we make it to these destinations, I'll be sure to blog about our experiences. Also feel free to share your own!