Category Archives: Action

First Robotics Competition (4/52012-4/7/2012)

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FIRST Robotics Competition by North Charleston , used under the CC-BY-SA license_resized

FIRST Robotics Competition

Every year in Spring, high school students around the world are in full-on geek mode as they prepare for the FIRST Robotics Competition. FIRST is a non-profit that encourages kids interest in science and technology.

This weekend hosts the regional finals at Dorton Arena. Building, programming and controlling the robots is decidedly stuff for high school kids, but watching the competition is fun for the entire family. WRAL has a video from last year’s event.

FIRST Robotics Competition by North Charleston, used under the  CC-BY-SA license. (This photo is from last year’s event in Charleston SC.)

Monster Jam (4/6/12-4/7/12)

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If Barbie is not your thing, then how about Monster Jam! Who hasn’t seen the giant trucks smashing old junk cars in a dirt-filled arena. (And who hasn’t phantasized about having one when someone has just cut into traffic in front of them.) Did you know that Grave Digger, the most iconic of the Monster Trucks is from North Carolina? And is celebrating its 30th anniversary? Perhaps not the most spiritual and peaceful way to spend Easter Saturday – but at least you’ll know who crushed the eggs, I mean cars.  Cheapest seats+parking for one adult/one child: $40. PNC Arena. Tickets and details here.

Monster Truck Grave Digger by Tammy Powers, used under CC-BY-SA license

The image above is by Tammy Powers, obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Hula Hoop @ NOFO (3/31/12)

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This just in: Yesterday, I came across a Hula Hooping event at NOFO, the store/restaurant at Five Points, but I could not find enough information on NOFO’s website to feature it. Thankfully, a Daddy Weekly subscriber just notified me about that very event, so here goes a quick add-on to this Saturday’s busy roster: If you’re not into frogs and cows, head north to NOFO for lunch, fun and a Hula Hooping contest! Dolly Dozier, a local children’s book author is there and signs her new book “Peggy Noodle Hula Hoop Queen“. From 11a-2p. NoFo @ The Pig.

Mythbusters on Tour (3/25/12)

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The name pretty much says it all: Mythbusters, the famous TV show on the Discovery channel goes on tour. If you’ve never seen Mythbusters, well it is about proving or disproving urban legends and other myths, usually involving explosions and crash test dummies. Not something for the youngest among us, but if your child is old enough to watch it on TV and you’re willing to shell out $30 or more to see it live, go for it. Most reviews I read were positive, except that maybe the Q&As are a bit long for a young audience; on the other hand they promise ‘audience participation’, whatever that means!

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/31936113 w=550]

Overall probably an event for hardcore mythbusters fans; if you love that show it is certainly a memorable experience.

The show is downtown in Memorial Auditorium (so don’t expect too much explosive stuff then) and tickets are still available for both the 3pm and the 7pm show.

St. Patrick’s Day with Kids (3/17/2012)

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Yeah, I’ll jump on the bandwagon. But I won’t color my hair!

St. Patrick's Day

Instead of focusing on one event, I’ll give you a list of several St. Patrick-themed events, running the gamut from kids’ event with a St. Paddy theme to St. Paddy events where you could bring kids (to meet many adults celebrating it in the good old way, i.e. involving lots of drinking…)

First off, I’d like to mention Building Fairy Houses at Wilkerson Nature Preserve. from 10:30-12:00. This looks like the ultra-cutesy way to do something St. Patrick related. It’s for kids aged 3-5 years with a parent, and all about building “a fairy house in the woods for a mouse, bug, toad or other woodland fairy” using “our imaginations and natural materials”. I made a note to myself to check that out next year. NOTE: Pre-registration was required by yesterday. But if you’re nice and call, they may still let you in.

Next, still very kids focused, at the Leesville Regional Library from 10-12, kids of all ages can build a St. Patrick’s Day themed mobile at the Drop-In Craft event.

Then of course we have the big parade and festival in downtown Raleigh. This is also for ‘all ages’, including (and primarily for?) adults. But kids love parades, music and the dance performances usually delight toddlers. There are ‘childrens activites’, without further specifics. This sounds like a great afternoon program. You might want to head home as thunderstorms (and inebriated leprechauns) take over later in the day.

Lastly, if you feel St. Patrick’s day and kids don’t go together, S’Kids in Apex (a drop-in childcare center) has something for you. As posted on Carolina Parent (but not their own website), they Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with facepainting and a treasure hunt from 5pm-9pm, presumably while parents are out celebrating as well. I’ve never visited S’Kids and can’t say either bad nor good about their program.

The image above is leprechauns by garryknight , used under the  CC-BY-SA license