Fun & Free Places in the Twin Cities for Kiddos!

Ok so summer is wrapping up and we only have a few weeks left to soak up the summer rays! I am not looking forward to summer ending especially because I have a hyper 2 year old who would rather live and sleep outside than stay in the confines of four walls. His abundant energy and love for the outdoors has caused me to look for fun things to do outside, especially since we don't have a yard. Thankfully, we have a park we frequently visit just across the street. However, the summer time is a perfect opportunity to explore the great outdoors and spend some quality time with the family. Take some pictures and make some good memories before summer ends! Here are some places I have highly enjoyed.

1. Minnehaha falls- I discovered this family friendly park at my husbands annual work party. There is a large fenced in splash pad and a modern well kept playground. The camper is especially fun where kids can climb in and rock it back and forth. The splash pad has a shallow end with a gradual slope for the little ones and deep end maybe a foot or two down. The park has gazebos nearby and grills. This is a great place for a birthday party or family gathering. 
2. Audubon park- This is the newest gem I found most recently. Another mom I met at a park told me about it.  It's located in Northeast and has a fenced in wading pool. I highlight the "fenced in" part because my child likes to wander off and the fence makes it ever so much more relaxing for the adults. It has a great amount a shade provided by large luscious trees hanging over the pool and part of the playground. We went there on a hot day and it felt chilly because of the amount of shade. I must note that this park is in walking distance to the famous Sarah Janes Bakery and Hazel's restaurant and The Coffee Shop. An excellent location for a play date with a friend!
3. Long Lake Beach- This is another hidden gem we just discovered this summer. Located just north of 694 and west of 35W. We had my oldest son's second birthday here. This park is quite large! You drive quite a ways in before arriving at the beach. It has walking and biking trails. It has an excellent playground although it's not near the beach.  There are shaded picnic tables on both sides of the field near the beach. My son would live here if he could. He frequently asks to go to the beach and this is the spot he is referring. Another highlight is the the kids water pump system to fill buckets and sandcastle moats. It also has lifeguards and concessions stand with occasional free samples. Yum!
4. Emerald park slash pad in Saint Anthony- Another fun splash pad for kids with a playground right next to it and a long gazebo with park benches. It's very clean and has a small building with nice bathrooms inside. The only thing is it's somewhat close to the road and isn't fenced off. Also the water was on the cold side when I visited. It's located east of Silver Lake road across from Cub Foods.
5. Sovereign Grounds- The city needs more places like this! Located in south Minneapolis, this coffee shop has a separate room just for kids. It's filled with all kinds of toys and has tables for caregivers to sit and sip a coffee or eat lunch. They have a large variety of sandwiches and cold salads as well as items for kids: juice, fruit etc. You could easily spend an entire afternoon here. It's a great place to meet a friend for a play date. This is a great year round location however, it can get quite busy at certain times and can be difficult to find a place to sit. 
6. Ramsey county library- My local library has story time for babies on Thursday mornings and story time for ages 2 up on Friday mornings. Friday's will often host a special guest. One week a young lady came with snakes, turtles and salamanders. She gave some educational facts and let all the kids touch each animal. Another week they had a dance team come and perform. Another week they invited the kids to the fire station to see and explore the fire trucks. It's a great place to meet other moms and for your kid to interact with other children.
7. Rosedale mall- When there is nothing else to do and the weather is crummy this a good way to get some energy out. You might even pick up something on sale as you make your way through JCPenny's like I may have done once or twice. The indoor play land is between JCPenny and Motherhood maternity. I especially love stopping by the smoothie stand in the food court before going to the play land. They have bubble tea and real fruit smoothies which are a fun treat for me and the kiddo to share. If you have a real concern with germs, however, this place is probably not for you. They could really do a better job keeping this place clean!

I know there are other places out there. What are some of your favorite spots to bring the kiddos? I'd love to hear about some more!