Charlotte Family Challenge

This could be an hour long thing or an all day event. Mecklenburg County currently operates 210 parks on 17,600 acres of land - there is certainly a park near you.

I visited Thomas McAllister Winget Park this morning with my family. This park is located in the Southwest corner of Charlotte. My sons favorite part is the playground which is very well kept. There is also a nice picnic shelter nearby where we usually eat lunch while there. The park also has a walking trail that loops through the park, basketball courts, soccer fields, and a horse shoe pit. One unique thing about Winget park is that it has a community garden. Winget is probably not a park you are going to hang out at all day, but it is fun for a few hours. There are picnic tables and grills throughout if you wanted to go for a picnic.

Monkey Joe's is an indoor play center with locations throughout Charlotte. The main thing that Monkey Joe's has are inflatables. They have all sizes of inflatables and even have some reserved for smaller children. They also have another small play area with toys and another area with video games. My son LOVES Monkey Joe's and we go there whenever we can. I think that the price varies by location, but $9 per child seems to be the going rate. This could get pricey if you have a bunch of children, so plan to stay a few hours to get your money's worth. They also serve pizza and other snacks.

The Charlotte Nature Museum offers many permanent exhibits as well as special events throughout the year. Permanent exhibits include "Beginnings", "Children's Activity Center", "Butterfly Pavilion", "Creature Cavern", "Insect Alley", and "Our Big Backyard." Their website keeps an up to date list of special events.

Current admission prices are $5 for each person over the age of 2, and they are open every day except Mondays and major holidays. The Charlotte Nature Museum is operated is operated by Discovery Place, but is not located at the same facilities. It is located near Freedom Park at 1658 Sterling Road. Their website offers directions.