photo by Rail Life

Today our family went to our first art festival with our son.  Now, I didn’t see a lot of the art, but I did get a chance to see things through my son’s eyes.  We got a lot of walking in with our son leading the way and dictating our travels.  We also got a good workout dancing to some great live music.  It is so important to introduce our children to different things, including different art forms, music, food, and activities. 

We started our day riding the “light rail,” Phoenix’s new commuter train that opened in December.  This was the third time our son has ridden the train, yet he had the same excitement that he had the first time.  We rode the train for about 15 minutes and ended up at the far end of the art festival.  The first hour we simply played by the water fountain and ate kettle korn (OK not the best thing for my diet, but delicious all the same).  Then, my son decided it was time to explore.  He was fascinated by other kids getting their face painted, enjoyed a booth of animal photography that was amazing, and gave the juggling street performer about five minutes of attention.  We soon found the children’s area where he was able to do arts and crafts and play with a bunch of pool “noddles.”  My son was disappointed that the noodles did not include a pool and began to search for a body of water.  We got some great exercise going down some stairs that served as an escalator and jumping back up those same stairs.  We ended our “children’s time” dancing to a trio of stings player and being fascinated by a cello.  On our way to find lunch he was given some stickers which he used to decorate his shirt and mommy.  We soon ended up at a Mediterranean restaurant staying healthy with chicken, humus, and pita bread.

Overall, the art festival was a new experience for all of us.  Allowing our son to lead the way, we were led by his desires and enjoyed the atmosphere and freedom to explore.  Other then the food we ate, the festival and three hours of entertainment were totally free.  I highly suggest researching your own community to get out and enjoy new activities.  In addition, the walking is a great workout and other kid’s activities usually get you dancing and active.