Hoffman's Playland

As always, in the past couple weeks we've been to playgrounds on top of playgrounds and have spent hours playing in the TWO (yes TWO!!) playrooms in the new house, but to celebrate the start of summer we've made an effort to do lots of fun activities.

One place we've been meaning to go since last summer (and that we wanted to squeeze in before the weather turned from nice to sweltering) is Hoffman's Playland in Latham, NY.   Last weekend we finally went and it was worth the wait!  MiniM.E. probably would have been a little too young to enjoy it last summer-- and definitely wouldn't have been as brave as she is this year.

Hoffman's is almost like a carnival, but much safer and cleaner and geared towards kids under 10.  I would say MiniM.E. is the perfect age at two and a half, though I saw some older kids that also seemed to be having a pretty good time.  More than half of the rides are geared towards the under 5 age group with a couple "big kid" rides like the Scrambler and the Tilt-A-Whirl.

Bob took the role of co-rider since even the tamest of kiddie rides have the "no pregnant women" symbol on the sign.  (Just as well, being pregnant and riding on things that spin around and around does NOT sound like a good time!)

the helicopter

anxiously awaiting the train

here it comes!!

the three of us on the train

the catapillar

hot air balloons

mini boats- all by herself!

twice!

a very speedy carousel 

The last ride MiniM.E. went on was... THE SCRAMBLER!  Seriously?  I was a wreck.  She had been eying it all day and kept saying she wanted to go on.  Finally, I made her watch what it did thinking that she would see it and decide it was too scary.  But no.  After watching it fling big kids around she excitedly chirped, "that looks like fun! Let's go on!"  So daddy took her on the Scrambler.  I expected to be the frantic mom begging the teenage boy running the thing to PLEASE STOP! MY KID IS CRYING!!! But she LOVED it and requested, "Let's go on that EVERY time we come."  Apparently Hoffman's will never be a mommy-daughter date!

We finished up a three hour day at Hoffman's with some ice cream and called it a day.  MiniM.E. had a blast and was so tired she took a two hour nap!!

If you live in the Albany area I definitely recommend a trip to Hoffman's- we'll be going back for sure!