No, you won’t see the MN Twins play. But if you go tomorrow at 12:05, you will be able to catch the MN Golden Gophers (they play again Thursday night if they win). And really, are the kidlets going to care they’re not watching a professional team with a huge pile of nachos in front of them?

By the way, this is the first time this tournament will be played at a Major League ballpark. You can get tickets the day of the game at the Target Field Box Office (Adults: $10; Youth, Senior, Student w/ID: $7). Here’s the complete tournament schedule.

Time to bust out the ol’ foam finger.

win tickets to see these smiling faces in actual 3D!

One of my most excellent childhood memories is when my mom took my brother and me to see Mr. Rogers. Live. And in person. Fred! Freaking! Rogers!

You too can be a hero. Just bring your little trainiacs to the Choo Choo Bob Show at the Riverview Theatre June 1. Chances are they’re big fans of the show (Sat. mornings at 9 am on Channel 45). And they’ll get the chance to meet Choo Choo Bob and all his friends (yes, pictures, autographs—the works). They’ll also get to see screenings of a few shows plus a sneak peek of new episode, “Riders of the Lost Train.”

Tickets are just $5. But if you go right now to the Lollipopolis Facebook Page and give the Choo Choo Bob’s post a big ol’ “thumbs up,” ya know what I’ll do? I’ll put your name in a hat (okay, maybe not a hat) and I’ll pick two random winners sometime next week. And those lucky random winners will each win the following: 4 tickets to the Choo Choo Bob Show at the Riverview; 1 Choo Choo Charlie DVD; 1 Balloons over Tinyland DVD; AND, the book, Holy Smokestacks Here Comes a Steam Engine!

And if you still don’t have your Choo Choo Bob fill after that, go see the gang in the Grand Old Day parade Sunday, June 2 with a performance at 12:30 on the Family Stage (Ramsey Jr. High Grass Area).

And if you still don’t have your Choo Choo fill after that. You might want to seek help. There may be a problem.

Choo Choo Bob Show
Saturday, June 1, 9:30-11:30 am

The Riverview Theatre
3800 42nd Ave S
Minneapolis, MN

Tickets: $5
Available in advance at
The Choo Choo Bob Train Store
2050 Marshall Ave. St. Paul
651-646-5252

ooooh, pretty fibers.

Attention knitters and lovers of all things fibrous: Round up the herd and head on down to the Shepherd’s Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival this weekend. It’s free!

Pack a picnic and enjoy some music, food, artisans and animals (sheeps, goats and rabbits, oh my!). See Minnesota’s largest fleece competition, sheep shearing, fleece skirting (I done googled so you don’t have to!) and dog-herding demos (hmm, I know an over-active Border Collie who’s not busy Saturday). There will be story-telling and children’s demos in Building D too. Get the wheres and whens here.

Ewe are bound to have fun.

Shepherd’s Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival (FREE!)
May 11-12

Washington County Fairgrounds
12300 North 40th Street
Lake Elmo, MN 55042

look! it’s a garden fairy! making fun balloon animals!

Wouldn’t it be cool if your little Picasso could unleash their creativity all over the place and little studio elves would clean up the mess? That’s essentially what happens during Toddler Time at Simply Jane Studio.

Drop in anytime for puzzles, games, chalk-board antics, coloring sheets, toys, books and more. Play dress-up on the stage or run up and down the ramp (Wheeeee!). Mr./Ms. Adult, you can talk all adult-like with other grownups while the kiddos play or paint. There’s a small $5 studio fee plus a project fee ($4 for bookmark or $5 for canvas board).

While you’re at it, check out the arty-fun summer camps at Simply Jane as well as the ArtAble program that reaches out to people with disabilities and other underserved communities in the Twin Cities.

Because art is smart.

Simply Jane Toddler Time
Thursdays, 10 am – 12 pm
$5 studio fee for non-members (+ additional project fee)

Simply Jane Studio
5411 Nicollet Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55419
612-354-3961

Call or check website before attending places/events featured on Lollipopolis.com. Admission fees, hours and days open do change and my fact-checker is…uh, I don’t have a fact checker.

There be creative exploration and hands-on artmaking opportunities for all ages. You can make “space paper,” create a rocket-ship pop-out book, make your own outer space letterpress print, and more!  Plus, get a final peek at the closing exhibition, Stellar: Book Art and the Cosmos, with book, print, paper and installation artworks on the themes of space, science, exploration and humanity.

And even though it’s free, bring your wallet. The shop has a bunch of coolio stuff like great hands-on activity kits, lots of robot-y goodness, plus pop-up and board books for kids of all ages.

It’s weekend fun worth bookmarking.

Minnesota Center for Book Arts
Cosmic Arcade All-Ages Discover Day (FREE!)
Saturday, May 4, 10 am – 2 pm

Minnesota Center for Book Arts
1011 Washington Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-215-2520

Call or check website before attending places/events featured on Lollipopolis.com. Admission fees, hours and days open do change and my fact-checker is…uh, I don’t have a fact checker.

As of this writing, Saturday’s forecast calls for a high of 44. But let’s just forget about the gray sky (and weather-related Facebook status updates) shall we? And add a little sunshine through music—at the MacPhail Free Family Music Series.

This is a family event for music-loving families, as well as for those who want to explore music for the first time. You and the fam can enjoy a live concert of “World Music.” Before and after each concert, the musicians will give free sample lessons to kids and adults on the instruments featured in the concert. MacPhail Early Childhood Music staff will also be on site with a music-themed art project. There will be some light refreshments after the concert too.

And if that doesn’t make you happy, maybe this will.

MacPhail Free Family Music Series: World Music
Saturday, May 4, 2013
10 am and 11 am

MacPhail – Minneapolis
501 South 2nd Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401 (Near Mill City Museum and Guthrie Theater)
612-321-0100

(Nearby parking ramps and surface lots range in price from $3 weekends.
Metered street parking available for $1/hr.)

Call or check website before attending places/events featured on Lollipopolis.com. Admission fees, hours and days open do change and my fact-checker is…uh, I don’t have a fact checker.

(Thanks to my pal Kathy for sharing her KAH experience with me.)

Looking for a family experience with a little more substance? Volunteering for Kids Against Hunger might just be the mother of all teaching moments.

Kids Against Hunger is a non-profit organization with the mission to significantly reduce the number of hungry children in the USA and to feed starving children throughout the world. And you can help by signing up to package specially formulated meals into serving size portions to send to people in need.

Sign up with your small sidekick or recruit a group of friends with kids. Ages 6 to adult are welcome to participate (children younger than 6 require adult assistance). You can choose from four locations. (Sign up for South Minneapolis or Bloomington here. Lakeville here. Or New Hope here.) When you sign up, you’ll see the number of spots still available.

You should know that before starting you will see a video about child hunger that includes footage of starving kids. It’s a sad reality and definitely one worthy of discussion. But you know your kiddos and how and when you want that discussion to happen.

Want to help but prefer to do it with cash? They need that too ($85 will feed a child for an entire year) and you can make one-time or recurring donations online.

Because even small hands can make a big difference.

Kids Against Hunger

South Minneapolis:
Urban Refuge Church
5501 Chicago Avenue

Bloomington:
Evergreen Church
2300 East 88th Street

Lakeville:
16165 Kenwood Trail

New Hope:
5401 Boone Avenue North

Call or check website before attending places/events featured on Lollipopolis.com. Admission fees, hours and days open do change and my fact-checker is…uh, I don’t have a fact checker.

You see, I try to keep this site strictly about cool things to do with kiddos in the Twin Cities. But over in Facebookland? Not so much. Sure, whatever I post will have to do with kids. Every once in a blue moon, there may even be a giveaway. It could be a kidcentric Groupon deal you didn’t know about. A fun how-to like this. A last-minute weekend something that I didn’t have time to post about. Or something just plain silly like this:

And you don’t want to miss all that fun, now do you?

Didn’t think so.

ever see these guys with a plate of yummy food in front of you?a

Have I told you lately how much I love you, dear reader(s)? Especially when you give me cool ideas like this one: The Icehouse Kids Concert Series. (Count of three, everyone: 1, 2, 3….Thanks, Urbae!)

Icehouse is a newish Minneapolis restaurant that features small plates, inventive cocktails and live music. And according to yelp, it’s some pretty-good eatin’ too (with a reasonable $5-per-selection Kids Menu). And here’s where the fun part comes in:  Now they’ve got this Kids Concert Series going on hosted by 89.3 The Current’s Barb Abney. It’s a series of late-morning weekend shows, featuring bands that can be enjoyed by kids and their grownups. This Saturday features Dreamland Faces (get tickets here). But you’ll want to check out the complete lineup that includes Grammy-winning Okee Dokee Boys on June 2.

Because the only thing better than enjoying good music with the fam is enjoying good music with the fam while stuffing your face with French toast with seasonal fruit compote.

Icehouse Kids Concert Series
11 am (doors open at 10 am) Saturday mornings

Admission:
Ages 2 and up: $6
2 and under: FREE!

Icehouse
2528 Nicollet Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Check here for parking suggestions.
612-276-6523

Hosted by Bump Club and Beyond Twin Cities, Growing Green Babies is an earth-friendly family festival creating awareness about cloth diapering and green parenting. Sure, you’ll learn all about cloth diapering. Maybe you’ll even participate in the Great Cloth Diaper Change (11 am). But there will also be a lot of non-poop-related fun like: prenatal and kids yoga, family portraits from the bellasaluti girls, door prizes and event bags, eco-friendly kid fun, snacks, green vendors, and more! The event is free, but you’ll want to let ‘em know you’re coming.

Because never mind Kermit, it IS easy being green.

Growing Green Babies (FREE!)
April 20, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Southdale Center
10 Southdale Center
Edina, MN 55435