Indoor Fun: Rock climbing walls

Flagstaff has two indoor spots for kids (and adults) to enjoy rocking climbing.
Vertical Relief Climbing Center (205 S San Francisco) is 6000 square feet of dedicated climbing space, staffed with climbing experts, with climbing routes for beginners, kids allt he way up to experts.
Day passes are $16 plus $10 for equipment rental and $8 for a belay lesson, if you need one. Or beginners can get a package that includes all of that for $30.
The whole family can get in on a deal of $20 per climber that includes a day pass and equipment for climbers plus belay instruction for parents. That's only available on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3pm.
For more info, call Vertical Relief at 928-556-9909.

3 year old climbing the Aquaplex wall

Another climbing option in Flagstaff, aimed more at beginners, is at the Flagstaff Aquaplex. The climbing wall here is included in the daily admission rate - which is $3 for children, $4 for youth and $5 for adults, a little extra for non-Flagstaff residents. Young children, even just three years old, can climb the wall with supervision, though all official climbing activities are for kids five and up. All climbers must complete a free, Safety Certification course and Climbing Wall Waiver to use the Wall for any scheduled “Open Wall” hours, which can be found HERE. 
There's also a kids climbing club for ages five and up which meets Fridays from 7-8:30pm. Details on that HERE. Additionally, the Aquaplex teaches lessons for kids on everything from proper foot placement to breathing techniques on Mondays from 6-7pm. Details on those HERE.

Flagstaff Birthday Party Spots: Jay Lively Activity Center (Ice Arena)

No matter the time of year, indoor ice skating can make for a cool birthday party for kids. In Flagstaff, there's one spot to have such a shindig - Jay Lively Activity Center and Ice Arena.
For a birthday party there, rent the party room for $16.75 per hour plus tax, decorate it and serve up cake. (You also have to pay a refundable $50 cleaning deposit). Then have your guests hit the ice. Rates are $2.75 per child (or get a discount for 10 or more children of $2.25 per child) and $5.25 for adults. Skate rentals are $3.25 per person. All adults at the party are $5.25 to skate.

Free Fun: Wednesday Crafts and Cookie Day at Wildflower Bread Company

Making a craft at Wildflower

Every Wednesday from 3:30-4pm Wildflower Bread Company has a fun freebie for kiddos.
They serve up a chocolate chip cookie, glass of milk and a craft to each child under 12 that comes in and asks to take part in the craft and cookie day!
Crafts can vary from coloring to making pinwheels, etc.
Wildflower Bread Co is located at Lone Tree and Butler (in the same shopping center as New Frontiers) just south of downtown Flagstaff. For more info, call them at 928-752-0071.

Museum of Northern Arizona hosting 'Clay Magic' spring break camp for kids

2010 Discovery students, photo by Caitlin Evans © 2010 MNA

Discovery Program has offered hands-on classes that immerse children in their environment for 35 years.
This year starts off with a Discovery spring break class tied to a major exhibit currently at MNA.

“These new Discovery offerings for kids encourage their inherent inclination to explore, to discover, and to ask questions,” stated MNA’s Education Specialist Caitlin Evans. “As we draw out kids’ natural curiosity and create a thirst for knowledge, we’re also teaching them to become lifelong learners, who investigate and interpret their surroundings.”

Inspired by MNA’s current exhibit Jake Brookins—dreams : realizations : contemplations : fantasies, Clay Magic for ages 5–13 will encourage students to discover their inner artist and the playful side of creativity from Monday, March 14 through Friday, March 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Led by local ceramic artist Chandra Robinson, this class will focus on ceramic techniques, painting, and sketching.

MNA Director Dr. Robert Breunig added, “We’re excited to offer a spring break program inspired by the late Jake Brookins’ exhibit. His explorations of ancient communities and imaginary realms lend themselves well to a youth art class. We want students to have fun with art and to invent new ways of interpreting the world around them.”

This week of creativity will conclude with a student art show for friends and family, and a gallery tour of the Jake Brookins exhibit.

Cost for the five-day class is $215 for members and $235 for nonmembers. To register, call 928/774-5213, ext. 222 or e-mail discovery@mna.mus.az.us.

Family Fridays start today at the Arizona Snowbowl

Gather the fam after school and hit the slopes for some discounted fun!
Starting today (February 25), the Arizona Snowbowl in Flagstaff has Family Fridays. From 2-6 pm on Fridays, lift tickets are $10, rentals are $10 and even family lessons are just $10.
For more info, call 928-779-1951x189 and check out arizonasnowbowl.com.

Museum of Northern Arizona launches new 'Discovery' activities for kids

MNAZ's new Discovery Room

The Museum of Northern Arizona has a new fun room for children to get some hands on experience at the museum. The Discovery Room's current theme explores dinosaur life and their evolution through games, puzzles, books, a puppet show, and images to color. The room has kid-sized tables and chairs and encourages children to be a part of the museum. Head to the dinosaur exhibit section of the museum, then to this room with your kids for the most impact!

Dino toys in the Discovery Room

And, starting March 1, children 4–8, older siblings, and families will share a new hands-on, kid-friendly way to explore the Museum’s nine exhibit galleries. Backpackers will be encouraged to look closely at objects with magnifying glasses, share their own knowledge from travels throughout the region, play games, solve puzzles, learn about new people and places, and complete activities together as a group. Discovery Backpacks will be free for paid visitors to check out from MNA’s Front Desk, so be sure to ask!

The Museum is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on scenic Highway 180. Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors (65+), $5 students, and $4 children (7–17).

Flagstaff Birthday Party Spots: Aquaplex

Kids are sure to enjoy a birthday party at the Flagstaff Aquaplex any time of year. You can rent a party room for $20 per hour (with a two hour minimum). Then you pay a per guest fee for a day long admission for each guest on the day of your party. Those per person rates, as of 2/25/11, are:

Child	$ 3.00  - local resident	$ 3.00 - out of town guest
Youth	$ 4.00	$ 5.00
Adult	$ 5.00	$ 7.00
55 Plus	$ 4.00	$ 5.00

The party room is connected to the lounge area. It has 3 kid-sized tables and chairs, mini fridge, sink and direct access to the aquatics area and there's room for up to 24 kids.
Payment is required in full, in person at the time of booking. You make your reservation and check their availability at the front desk. They also require a 25% refundable security/cleaning deposit.
Call the Flagstaff Aquaplex at (928) 213-2300 for more information.

Free fun: Chuck Cheeseman kids' show 'Dancing with no shoes on'

On the first Saturday of every month in 2011 - Chuck Cheeseman is going to be performing his beloved children's music show for free at Bookmans.
The Dancing With No Shoes On show is at 10am. Kids are as always invited to dance along as Chuck sings his classic songs.
More about Chuck's music HERE.
Bookmans is located in the shopping center next to Target.

Flagstaff Birthday Party Spots: Starlite Lanes Bowling

Depending on how many kids you invite and how long your party will be, you can find a great deal on a birthday party for kids at Starlite Lanes bowling alley, located at 3406 E Route 66 (map).
They're open, generally, from 10am to midnight, with league play often from 6-9pm - meaning the lanes aren't open to anyone but leagues during that time.
Games are $2.75 per person per game during the week and $3.25 on weekends, no matter the age of the player. Shoe rentals are $2.
For parties they charge $30 per lane per hour - up to 8 kids in each lane. That comes with one pitcher of soda per lane and use of tables.
You can decorate tables as you like, bring a cake and any other food. No outside drinks are allowed.
For more info, give them a call at 928-526-1138.

Archeology Day with kids' activities at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff on March 5, 2011

Turn back the clock and enter the world of prehistoric people on the Colorado Plateau. On Saturday, March 5 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Flagstaff's Museum of Northern Arizona will celebrate Archaeology Day. This annual event focuses on ancient people from this region and offers an opportunity for budding archaeologists of all ages to get close to professionals in that field.

Archaeology Day features kids’ activities, hands-on ancient artifact analysis, atlatl throwing, and a symposium titled “Hohokam Archaeology Yesterday and Today.”

From 10 a.m.–2 p.m., visitors will enjoy exploring four docent-led kids’ activities: a hunter’s kit, making split twig figurines, mano and metate corn grinding and learning what prehistoric people ate, and rock art. There will also be a scavenger hunt throughout the Museum’s Exhibit Building.
MNA Docent Jerry Bacon will present atlatl throwing. Bacon is rated fourth in Arizona atlatl competitions and will share his extensive knowledge of this prehistoric tool.

Also from 10 a.m.–2 p.m., the Northern Arizona Archaeological Society /Elden Pueblo Project will conduct an interactive introduction to prehistoric artifact analysis from excavated ceramics and ground stone (manos, hammerstones, axes, and mauls), a post-excavation process that provides archaeologists valuable data for analysis at Elden Pueblo. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn identification of pottery types and stone tools, and be able to see some of the latest artifacts found at the Elden Pueblo excavation site. The Elden Pueblo Project’s work helps us to understand the connection between local cultures of the past, their distinctive styles, and the role natural resources played in the development of pottery and tools.

From 2–4:30 p.m., MNA’s Senior Archaeologist David Wilcox will host “Hohokam Archaeology Yesterday and Today,” a symposium to discuss the history of Hohokam archaeology and provide modern syntheses of current work in Hohokam irrigation, ceramics, settlement systems, and religious ideology. The symposium presenters will be David E. Doyel (chair), David R. Wilcox, Jerry B. Howard, David R. Abbott, and Henry Wallace. An opportunity for audience discussion will follow the presentations.

MNA is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180. Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors (65+), $5 students, and $4 children (7–17). Additional information about the Museum is available at 928-774-5213 or at musnaz.org.