Playgrounds

Playground at Salmon Brook Park- this great playscape was erected in 2005 and is wonderful. Located in Salmon Brook park (Route 10) in Granby.

Simsbury Farms - Simsbury -This playground is located at the Simsbury Farms recreation complex (which also has pools, an ice rink, golf, tennis courts etc.) It has two modern playscapes; one geared for little ones and one for bigger ones and a picnic pavilion.
Directions from Granby center: Follow Route 10 South past McLean's. Turn right on Canton Road near Kearns school. Follow to end. Go straight across intersection onto Holcomb St. Follow Holcomb through two stops signs to its end. Turn left on to Old Farms Road. Follow for about one mile. Look for Simsbury Farms on your left.

Playground at Iron Horse Boulevard- Simsbury
Directions: This playground is located off Route 10/202 near the center of Simsbury. Travel South on route 10/202 towards Simsbury until you see Iron Horse Boulevard on your left. Take this to playground. If you get into Simsbury Center, you have missed the road.

Playground at Granbrook Park- East Granby
This playscape has one structure and a set of swings. A picnic pavilion is nearby. Also near the playscape is a baseball field and a tennis court. The Farmington River runs behind the playscape.
Directions: This playground is located on Route 189 a few miles south of Granby Center. Look for Granbrook Road on your right. If you see R &N Tire on your left then you have just missed it.

Southwick, MA playground- This is a medium sized playscape with two structures, and a set of swings. A picnic pavilion is outside the fence nearby. Also near the playscape are volleyball and basketball courts.
Directions: This playground is located about 4 miles north of the state line on Route 10/202. It is located behind the town hall building which will be on your right. If you see Route 57 on the left, you just missed it. ( by Doreen McWhirter 10/05)

Jonathan's Dream- Bloomfield -This wonderful playground is designed for all children- including handicapped and wheelchair bound children. Rope swings for the big kids!
Directions from Granby center: Follow Route 189 South for about 12 miles. Turn right on Abrams Blvd. at the Hebrew Home. If you get to Univ. of Hartford you went about a mile too far. ( by Edie Salmonson 9/04)

Squadron Line School in Simsbury has a wonderful new playground. Can’t be used during school hours, but after hours and the weekends are a wonderful time to explore this playground. ( by Suzy Brinegar 11/06)
Directions: This playground is located off Route 10/202 north of the center of Simsbury. Travel South on route 10/202 towards Simsbury. After you see the Wagner Ford dealer on the right, look for Hoskins Road on your right. Take Hoskins Road for about a mile - it bears left - and the playground is on your left.

Sports/Fun

Whirly Ball- 1265 John Fitch Blvd ( Route5 ), South Windsor, 289-2306, The game is a combination of basketball, lacrosse and bumper cars. Minimum age is 12. Minimum is 10 players You have to see this game to believe it! Perfect for the older children. Don't be surprised if the adults want to join in. Good for groups, parties and weekend fun. (by Edie Salmonson)

Indoor swimming - 526 Route 10, Southwick, MA, 413-569-1287, Want indoor swimming and/or lessons without joining the "Y" or a club? Wilderness Experiences Unlimited offers this. They offer a full range of swim lessons, scuba and kayak lessons and even open swim times ($7 per session). They also have a full birthday party facility for those winter birthdays. Click here for more info.

Indoor swimming - Granby YMCA (653-5524). They have mom/tot classes and at age 3, kids can go in without the mom. (by Liddy Doyle 3/07)

Indoor swimming -We have attended many sessions of a class called "Parenting Through Swimming" sponsored by The Bridge Family Center in West Hartford. They hold the classes in the therapeutically warm pool at American School for the Deaf in West Hart. The classes are held on Friday evenings and Saturdays and are very reasonably priced. It is more for the instructors to teach parents how to teach their kids to swim than a traditional swim class. (though my daughter, Hannah, has definitely learned to swim there) (by Liddy Doyle 2/06)

Ice Skating - The International Skating Center of Connecticut (651-5400) is a world-class, twin-rink facility designed to meet the needs of both the figure skating and hockey communities.

Restaurants and Cooking Classes

Cuisine with Jill Nicolson Cooking School - Torrington, CT -860-489-1003 -holds classes for adults and kids of all ages. We have Guest chefs from around Litchfield County and New England come and teach hands on 3 hour classes in a wide variety of Cuisine's. We invite you to visit our spectacular 1885 Victorian nestled in the hills of Litchfield County, Connecticut. ( 3/08)

Pacifica Cuisine- 68 Bridge Street, Suffield CT 860-668-1291, You will enjoy this restaurant, which is located in Suffield near Highland Park Market (in back of the Suffield Library). It serves Sushi, Thai, Chinese, and Japanese food---very good!! (by Michele Lynch 11/03)

Outdoor Fun

Pumpkins, Hayrides and more - Elm Knoll Farms, 328 Pinney Rd, Somers, CT 06071
Thousands of pumpkins, weekend family entertainment, large petting zoo , delicious food, evening haunted hay rides, a new corn maze, and much more .
Directions: Route I-91 North, Take exit 47 to Hazard Ave, RT. 190. Continue on RT.190
Take right on Maple St. in Somersville. Continue onto Pinney Rd. Farm is
Approx. 1 mile on right parking is on left. (by Michele Lynch 11/03)

Corn Mazes - a fun late summer and fall activity! Try Granby's very own Hayes Corn Maze on East Street (653-4157). Or venture further afield to Foster Farm in South Windsor, CT, Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, CT or Mikes's Corn Maze in Sunderland, Mass.

Roaring Brook Nature Center - Canton, CT - (860) 693-0263 - This center has 6 miles of self-guiding trails and 115 acres of woodland. The interpretive building houses permanent and seasonal exhibits, including a small animal collection and a replica of an eastern woodland Indian longhouse. Folk concerts are offered weekend evenings in spring, fall and winter. They also offer many children's outdoor and indoor nature classes and programs for ages as young as 2 1/2. Lots of summer camp options too. (by Doreen McWhirter 4/06)

The GranVal Scoop. This is located on 189 in Granville, MA. It has delicious ice cream treats, and a live animal farm for children. In October, they also have a hay maze for children. (by Sharyn Hitchiner)

Farmington River Tubing - (693-6465) Farmington River Tubing will put you and your friends on bright yellow or green river tubes for a 2.5 mile ride down the wild and scenic Farmington River. Tubers must be at least 10 years old, and at least 4 feet 5 inches tall, and must be able to swim. (by Doreen McWhirter)

Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining navigational skills and rubber stamp artistry in a charming "treasure hunt" style outdoor quest. A wide variety of adventures can be found to suit all ages and experience levels. There are letterboxes in Granby at Holcolmb Farm! Visit the State of CT letterboxing site for info and links to other great sites. (by Sandra Fischer 10/05)

The Connecticut Trolley Museum- Located at 58
North Road in East Windsor (860) 627-6540. The museum is owned by The Connecticut Electric Railroad. They have lots of fun seasonal events (even in the winter) for families. Ride the outdoor trolleys and indoors houses displays plus trolleys to climb in too. For details see their website at www.ceraonline.org. (by Donna Austin 10/05)

Look Park- in Florence, Mass. (413-584-5457) is about an hour away from Granby. The park includes a steamer railroad, pedal boats, bumper boats, mini golf, a small petting zoo, playground, scenic walking path and a water spray park. A great way to fill a day! Many details on their web site.

Sledding in Granby- There's a great sledding hill located at the McLean Game Refuge entrance on Barndoor Hills Road. Directions: From Granby center follow Route 20 west for about a mile. Barndoor Hills Road is on your left. The sledding hill is about a mile up on the left.

Whip City BMX - Westfield, MA (413)562-6651. BMX stands for "Bicycle Moto Cross". Do you have a child that loves to ride bikes and may want to race? BMX may be a great thing to do. Race events, trophies and lots of fun for all ages available. Read the website for important details. (by Doreen McWhirter 8/06)

Whip City Speedway - Westfield, MA (413)562-8092. Located on Airport Industrial Rd. in Westfield Mass. The track is a 1/4 mile clay oval with a 1/8 mile inner oval. Race events to watch (or race!) include: Competition Go Karts, Micro Stocks, 250cc Youth Sprints, Open Wheel Sprints & Modified Lites.

Storytimes

Libraries- All the area libraries offer storytimes for youngsters. Call Granby (844-5275), Cossitt (653-8958), East Granby (653-3002) and Simsbury Libraries for specific times.

Simsbury Library often offers a drop-in playgroup once a month. Suffield Library offers drop-in playtimes in the winter months.

Indoor Fun

Play Time USA 693-6886 or 693-0590. Indoor playtimes with play equipment held at the Jewish Community Center, 55 Bushy Hill Road, Siimsbury. Price is about $12 per 45 minute session. Great way to get some physical activity time in those winter months! (by Liddy Doyle)

Jumping Jumpies at Peak Fitness in E. Granby. For 2-4 yr. olds. They hold it in the aerobic room, and the parent can either be in the room, or watch through the glass. (by Liddy Doyle)

Creative Hearts Center - The Creative Hearts Center, LLC (677-7917) has been committed to providing unique, high-quality, interactive programs conducted by instructors with professional experience in the arts and education since 1997. Classes, playgroups, and birthday parties are offered for children ages 1-10 at our facility in Avon, CT. Our goal is to provide rewarding, enriching experiences for children through drama, music, art and creative writing.

Gymnastics - Mom & tot classes: at The Gymnastics Training Center in Simsbury (658-7540) or at Whip City Gymnastics in Southwick, Mass. (413-569-3231)

Dance at the New England Dance School - Granby, Simsbury & Southwick/Westfield. (by Liddy Doyle)

Science Center of CT - West Hartford (860) 231-2824 - Science learning and fun! Experience live animal demonstrations, science workshops, planetarium shows, Science Center exploration, book birthday parties, and more! (by Doreen McWhirter)

Nature's Art - Montville CT(860) 443-GEMS - This is about an hour away but it's an interesting place. Family fun includes a mine where kids can dig for gems, and pan for gold. There is a fossil gallery and bone zone and geode cutting. The upper floor has gorgeous merchandise, toys, gems and jewelry plus a snack bar. Visit the dinosaur nature trail here, it's great! It has it's own web site at Dinosaur Crossing . (by Doreen McWhirter)

Wings 'n Things Live Butterfly exhibit in nearby Southwick. View live butterflies and caterpillars in a pretty greenhouse with guided explanations. A gift shop and beautiful gardens surround the exhibit. Located at 50 Foster Road (off ROute 57) in Southwick. Call 413-569-5599 for directions and hours. Open May through October. Group and school tours available.

R and B Sportsworld - Winsted, CT (860) 738-9799 - R&B Sportsworld is the place for Family Entertainment. They offer batting cages (indoor & outdoor), mini-golf, go-carts, various arcade games, a billiards room, ping-pong, ice cream and the one of a kind experience of PHAZERBALL (ages 10+) or Battle-Ball (ages 5+)! Open year round.

WhipperSnappers Play Gym - 360 Sandbank Road, Cheshire, CT 06410 (203) 272-4FUN

Giggles Party and Play - RiverDale Farms Building 11, Avon, CT 06410 (860) 966-7098, Manners classes...Fantastic Birthday parties...Brownie & Daisy troop programs...Summer Arts and Activities camp...Art classes..more.

Clubs like Newcomers...

Mothers' Connection- lots of "organized field trips" for moms & kids of various ages. Also mother activities and couple activities. Membership is $25 a year, extensive newsletter sent out quarterly with trips/activities listed. Visit their website at www.mcfun.org for more information or contact Jennifer Abbott at 860-673-8433. (2/07)

YMCA

The Farmington Valley YMCA (653-5524)- Has programs for all ages. Request a catalog for each season. Also, a class is offered for 2 and 3 yr olds. They're like mini preschool classes that run in 6-wk sessions. Each involves play time, craft time, story time and maybe a snack time. (by Liddy Doyle 3/07)

Music and Performing Arts for Kids

Kindermusik- This is typically a 12 week program. You receive a kit with your registration and the kit contains a CD/tape with the songs that the kids learn, an instrument and usually a book too. Kindermusik is a nationally recognized program and is offered in our area either through Musical Steps in Granby with Beth Galloway (860) 983 -1482) or Creative Hearts Center in Avon (677-7917). (by Doreen McWhirter)

Music Time with Carrie Davis (658-7541)- Carrie plays the guitar and offers fun times with sing-a-longs & instruments for the kids to use. This is a less structured program than Kindermusik. The class is held on Route 44 in Canton at Perfect Parties. (by Liddy Doyle)

Music with Fern (800-224-FERN) Fern Michonski offers music programs for children through most of the area parks and recreation departments including Granby. Call her anytime to find out her next location and schedule. (by Liddy Doyle)

HART School of Music -(651-3570) First Steps in Music - The Hartt School Community Division offers dance, early childhood music, and private music lessons for individuals of all ages and experience levels. The new satellite location in Simsbury offers professional dance facilities, studios, dance, and music to the Canton, Avon, Simsbury, and Granby communities.

Performing Arts Programs - (860) 432-9890 - Performing Arts Programs, Inc. is a Performing Arts Educational and Talent Development Program for children of all skill levels. Acting, singing, dancing and puppetry classes cultivate each child's own unique creativity. They offer a professional program that comes to your community (the classes are offered through Granby Youth Services each semester and through Granby Recreation in the summer) .

Holcomb Farm offers art classes, nature programs, birthday parties, hiking trails, cross country skiing trails, and more to the general public, school groups, and private organizations. Please call the Farm at 844-8616 or visit the web link for further information. Come visit the Farm anytime!

At Holcomb Farm is the Community Supported Agriculture Project. CSA grows more than 50 varieties of organic produce including pick-your own crops such as herbs, peas, beans, strawberries, and flowers, for area households and lower income members in Hartford. Our season runs for 20 weeks starting in June. Members pick up produce at the farm each week. View their web link for membership prices and details.

Jewish Life

Chai: The Center for Jewish Life, 166 West Main Street (Route 44), Avon, CT, 677-1235, www.jewishhartford.org, valleychai@jewishhartford.org

CHAI is the community’s meeting place for Jewish life in the Farmington Valley. CHAI offers classes, family and holiday programs, playgroups, trips, clubs and The Mothers Circle for non-Jewish women raising Jewish children. Newcomer or native, empty nester or young family, CHAI is here for you.

Mother’s Circle - Mondays, 11:30 am – 1pm, Starts in the fall
If you are a non-Jewish mother, raising Jewish children you are not alone. Join the Mother’s Circle where you can connect with other moms, Jewish educators and rabbis and deepen your connection to family while learning how to create a Jewish home and celebrate Jewish holidays. Please call 677-1235 or motherscircle@jewishhartford.org for more information.

Play at Chai! - If you are raising Jewish children and are looking for a fun morning activity, the Chai Center is the place for you. All Playgroups will be starting in the Fall contact us for start dates.
Birth – 12 months, First Friday of the month, 9:30 - 10:30 am
12 – 24 months, Second Thursday of the month, 9:30 - 11:00 am
2’s & 3’s, Third Friday of the month, 9:30 - 11:00 am
3’s, 4’s and 5’s, Last Thursday of the month, 9:30 - 11:00 am
All playgroups will be facilitated by staff from the Mandell Greater Hartford JCC Early Childhood Centers. There will be a $5.00 fee for each session to cover the activity costs.

For more information please call 677-1235 or email valleychai@jewishhartford.org.

Science Center of CT - West Hartford 231-2824
Holcomb Farm - Granby 844-8616
Big Family Adventure - Westfield, MA (413) 562-6146 Large Indoor Playscape, Arcade and Party center.
Blue Fox Rock and Bowl (bowling and mini-golf parties) - Simsbury 658-4479
Gymnastics Training Center - Simsbury 658-7340
Roaring Brook Nature Center - Canton, CT - (860) 693-0263 (see above)
The Farmington Valley YMCA (653-5524) Granby CT
Cuisine with Jill Nicolson Cooking School - Torrington, CT 860-489-1003, holds cooking parties for kids of all ages .
Fitness First Fitness Center - Feeding Hills, MA- (413) 786-1460
Supervised swimming, games, goodie bags, paper goods, birthday T-shirt and more.
Build-A-Bear-Parties - Farmington, CT 1-877-789-2327
R and B Sportsworld - Winsted, CT (860) 738-9799 Bbatting cages (indoor & outdoor), mini-golf, go-carts, Phazerball(ages 10+) or Battle-Ball (ages 5+).
The Mine Studio - Simsbury, CT (860) 305-6621 - Local artist, Matt Ryan, comes to your home to draw caricatures, and give cartooning lessons. A big hit no matter what age!
Sports World - (soccer/sports dome) 226 Main Street East Windsor, CT 06088 (860)254-5137
We can do any sport or game you can imagine, including Flag Football, Soccer, Kickball, Dodgeball, Wiffleball, Frisbee, Tag, Capture the Flag
Sports Domain - (soccer/sports dome) 147 Torrington Road, Winsted, CT 06098
(860) 738-3306
WhipperSnappers Play Gym - 360 Sandbank Road, Cheshire, CT 06410 (203) 272-4FUN
features Fabulous Birthday Parties for children 12 months to 8 years of age. Our parties are designed to incorporate age appropriate activities and non stop fun! We handle everything from set up to clean up.

Kidtivity.com - list of Kid's activities

Kidtivity.com strives to make YOUR life easier by providing timely information about children's activities within Connecticut .

Covenant Day Camp at Covenant Presbyterian Church on Old Farms Road in Simsbury, CT. This is a Christian based day camp for children from ages nursery school age to Jr. High. It takes place in August for one week Mon thru Friday from 9am to 12 noon, with a family picnic on Thursday night. It is fantastic for
children who want to learn about Jesus. They have lots of activites including songs, carpentry, basketry, beaded crosses, clay pots, bookbinding, and jewelry. This program is open to all people. For more information, please call 658-9772.(by Sharyn Hitchiner 4/04)

Summer Fun at Stanley Park in Westfield, Mass. - A summer jewel is Stanley Park. It's a beautiful park and only about 25 minutes away from Granby. It's a very large park (see map on web site). There is a large playscape area at one end. A duck/geese pond and trails are along the back. Almost every summer Friday mornings there are free childrens programs plus other summer camps and programs too. These are listed on their web site.

Useful Area information

Clean Out Time! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Support local charities with donations of clothing, household goods, books, toys and more. Use the following as a guide. Please call ahead for shop hours and to check which items are accepted as these vary widely.

Friend to Friend Thrift Shop of East Granby- 32 Spoonville Road, East Granby, 651-1659. Proceeds support the East Granby Food Bank. 3 miles from Granby.

The Second Chance Shop of Simsbury - 12 Station Street, Simsbury, 658-7152. Proceeds support the Village for Families and Children in Hartford. 6 miles from Granby.

The Second Chance Shop of Suffield - 50 Mountain Road, Suffield, (this is on the "back way" to the Enfield Malls near the Suffield Green) 297-0519. Proceeds support the Village for Families and Children in Hartford. 9 miles from Granby.

The FAVARH Thrift Shop of Canton - 50 Albany Tpk. Route 44, Canton, 693-2899. Proceeds support FAVARH which serves people with intellectual disabilities. 15 miles from Granby.

Harriet's Thrift Shop at Southwick Congregational Church, 488 College Highway Route 10, Southwick, MA, 413.569.6362 - Proceeds benefit missions programs.

Lost Acres Fire Department (Granby) Annual Tag Sale. Usually held in late April or Early May. Items can be dropped off in the evenings the weeks prior to the sale. Look for signs around town or for donation details call 860-844-5318.

All-4-Kids bi-annual Consignment sale allows you to earn some money for your used childrens' clothes, equipment, toys, games, books and more. Sales are held Spring and Fall at a Simsbury School. Unsold items that are not picked up are donated to charity. Call Laura at 860-651-9793 for details.

FreeCycle! A nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns by posting items on FreeCycle's website. There are several local groups with thousands of items posted. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Membership is free and involves creating a Yahoo account.

Book Recycling: the Town of Granby now takes MEDIA at the transfer station (653-8960) on Saturdays starting November 2006. Accepted items are books, videos, DVDs, CDs, Records/LPs, Sports cards, computer software, games and comic books. Please bring the items in a box to protect them. They are given to a variety of charities and non-profit groups via the organization Got Books? Actual recycling is only a last resort.
Both Granby Libraries collect books and more year round for their book sales. Call our Cossitt Library at 653-8958 or GPL at 844-5275 for drop off points.
To organize your own book drive for Connecticut children check out this unique organization Read To Grow.

Hazardous waste collection dates/times (not so easy to find):

DEP website: www.dep.state.ct.us/wst/recycle/hhwsched.htm
CT Resource Rec. Authority: www.crra.org (electronics recycling schedule too)
MDC Hazardous waste collection schedule: www.themdc.com

Electronics Recycling

WeRecycle (Meriden , CT) 1-877-937-3292 or (203) 630-0344
Earth 911: Making every day Earth Day
Consumer Education Initiative: The EIA Consumer Education Initiative or "CEI" is a web-based information resource that provides consumers and others with information on recycling and reuse opportunities for used electronics.


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