Kid-friendly Activities in Louisville?

I have a friend coming to town just after Christmas with his two boys, ages 3 and 6. Not being well-versed in the side of Louisville that's kid-friendly, I'm not quite sure what activities to plan. Can anyone point me in the direction of some good, fun, things to do with young kids?

I've thought of the Science Museum, the Slugger Museum, the Falls of the Ohio, and the Zoo (weather permitting on these last two), but then I get stuck. Particularly kid-friendly restaurants in the Highlands would be appreciated too!

thanks!

I have a friend coming to town just after Christmas with his two boys, ages 3 and 6. Not being well-versed in the side of Louisville that's kid-friendly, I'm not quite sure what activities to plan. Can anyone point me in the direction of some good, fun, things to do with young kids?

I've thought of the Science Museum, the Slugger Museum, the Falls of the Ohio, and the Zoo (weather permitting on these last two), but then I get stuck. Particularly kid-friendly restaurants in the Highlands would be appreciated too!

thanks!

Amanda, bring the kids to Cafe Lou Lou in the Highlands for pizza and spaghetti with meatballs - you won't be disappointed! As for other activities, they're pretty young, but how about Build-A-Bear? It's in the Summit shopping center. And the Louisville Zoo is open year-round!

This is a great site http://louisville.momslikeme.com There are lots of ideas for various ages of kids, prices, etc. Hope this helps you have a great time.

If youre over on the Indiana side of the bridge I would recommend checking out the candy museum at Schimpffs candy store. You can watch them make various candy as they tell you about the process. I think the site is schimpffs.com . They also have a soup and sandwich lunch counter.

Take them to ArtSparks at the Speed Museum for a good interactive art experience.

Thanks, these are all great suggestions!!

regarding the slugger Museum, there is no bat production during the holidays, so its not nearly as fun.

I have a 22 month old and a 4.5 y/o so I have a couple of suggestions for you. Kazoing is an awesome place for kids. It out by Tom Sawyer park and has one entire room for bouncie houses and another room full of toys. They also have an arts and crafts room. It is $5 per child to go there and it is always clean and a good way to let the kids run off some energy. I also like Incredible Dave's===NOT for the food, it leaves a lot to be desired, but you can go there and just play the games that they have and there are a bunch. Both of my kids enjoy it and the only real down side is that it is incredibly loud--doesn't bother me b/c I am used to it but it is definitely not for everyone. Chick Fil a in Springhurst is a great place for lunch. They have a small play place and I love their Chicken. Go before the main lunch hour (I would say go around 11am) or after because it does get really crowded. Another suggestion is just going to any one of the malls and letting the kids enjoy the lights and displays. They have cool rental strollers that are in the shape of cars and trucks and Pottery Barn Kids in Oxmoor lets the kids play with their way cool toys at any time. Also, any of the local libraries have very nice kid's sections (love the crescent hill one the best) and that is a good way to blow off a little energy and it is free.

Good luck!

Oh and for dining out, I second Lou Lou--although I have never been to the one in the Highlands (but I will be going next week for a Christmas party) the one in St. Matthews if very kid friendly. We also like Irish Rover, good kid's menu and a lot of the time they will bring a small toy to the table for the kids to play with. i have to put in a shameless plug for BBC St. Matthews--we are very kid friendly and we have toys for kids to play with on our stage. Plus, you can a beer or two while the kids enjoy themselves! Oh and I have heard the the Old Spaghetti Factory is neat for kids too but don't have any personal experience with that!

coffee at Rays Monkey House...i havent been, but ive seen that they have some really cool kid friendly scheduled nights. ex. open mic night for kids, story hour (all from memory, so dont quote me). worth looking at. i have been in early in the day and the place is bright and warm. happy holidays.

Take them to ArtSparks at the Speed Museum for a good interactive art experience.

I second this idea. My wife manages the Art Sparks gallery and she has been planning the Dec. 27th Family Day for a few months now. Here are the details; it should be a lot of fun:

12-3 PM- Art In Motion Family Day Join us at the Speed for a day of family fun! Experience art through motion as a part of this family event. Activities include a special performance of The Flatboat Adventures of John Stuart, sound- effect gallery tours, and other activities that will celebrate the art of motion. Admission is free. An Art Sparks Family Studio on animation will be offered with $5 admission to Art Sparks.

I have a 4 1/2 year old ( and a teen) so here are some of my experienced suggestions:

Becca's recommendations are right on target for low cost things on the East End- most are on our regular rotation but there were 1 or 2 great new suggestions.

In my opinion, your guests are too young to truly enjoy the Slugger Museum so I'd only spend the money if their parents really want to go. There is also not much at the Falls of the Ohio to hold attention for that age.

The little kids section at the Science Center is perfect ( you need special tickets that allow you in at a certain time). There is also a Holiday movie playing at their IMAX, but I haven't seen it. The hugeness of IMAX can be scary for really little kids so I'd get input before taking them

The Zoo is great in the winter- many of the animals that are lazing in a corner in the summer, are out and being social.

Louisville Gymnastics ( next to Kazoings) has a great drop-in gymnastics program- another opportunity to get some energy out.

Go Downtown at night to see "Light-up Louisville". Park and walk around if it's warm enough ( we froze last year but still loved it). If budget allows, a horse-drawn carriage ride ( they leave from outside the Spagetti Factory) would be a big hit.

And while it is kid-friendly, if you enjoy food, avoid eating at the Old Spagetti Factory...

Deb