Eugene's Busy Three-Year-Olds

Since the rainy days are approaching I'm compiling a list of things that kids Smiley's age are invited to do around town for free or for little cost.

Please chime in if you know of other activities!

Eugene Park and Recreation (calendar, news) offers occasional, usually free activities.  For example, this weekend had an interpretive walk through Delta Ponds.

Springfield Parks (calendar) also has occasional, usually free events.  For example, next week has the Edible Festival at Willamalane Center on Saturday ($5 per adult).

The Eugene Library (kids page) has free weekly story and song events.  For three-year-olds the time is Wednesdays at 10:15am or 11am.

The Museum of Natural and Cultural History has free monthly Little Wonders stories and activity days for preschool-age kids on the first Wednesday of each month.  If you can find parking in the small lot next to the museum then the front desk will provide a temporary parking pass.

The Science Factory also has monthly Tot Discovery Days on the first Friday of each month.  These are only free if you are a member, but if you have a little kid in Eugene you probably are a member anyway since the Science Factory is a great thing to do on rainy Winter days.

The Schnitzer Museum of Art has free admission on the first Friday of each month.  Not as age-appropriate as the Science Factory offering, but free for families not Science Factory members.

The NAAG Gym has an open gym hour most days.  The cost is $4, or $3 for gym students.  This is less expensive than Bounce.  Smiley also prefers the equipment at NAAG.  (Smiley is currently a student in the weekly class on Thursdays at 2:30pm.  If you want to visit the weekly class, it's free the first time as the guest of an enrolled kid!)

The local homeschooling network, Barnraisers, often organizes activities for younger kids as well as school-age kids.  For example, yesterday I took both boys to River Turns Farm in Coburg for a tour and fruit picking, and most Mondays afternoons in October we are hosting an "art exploration" time.