Dana Shemesh

Latest posts by Dana Shemesh

Best Pumpkin Patches Near Atlanta for Fall Farm Fun

Submitted by Dana Shemesh on Sun, 09/15/2024 - 9:30am

Pumpkins at Callaway Gardens welcomes guests during the day AND night for major fall fun! Photo by Rebecca Leffler

Pumpkin patches near Atlanta open up this fall and offer a million ways to carve, decorate, pie, seed, and lots of other verbs you can apply to pumpkins. An Atlanta pumpkin patch allows local families to welcome fall, bond with each other, and spend time outdoors. Many of these Atlanta pumpkin farms offer additional attractions like corn mazes, petting zoos, playgrounds, slides, and more to keep kiddos entertained the whole day.

For more fall farm fun, check out our guide to Atlanta Farms for Apple Picking. Read on for our list of the best pumpkin patches near Atlanta, and get more seasonal ideas by visiting our Atlanta Fall Guide!

Best Petting Zoos, Animal Farms, and Wildlife Parks Near Atlanta

Submitted by Dana Shemesh on Fri, 05/10/2024 - 10:10am

Kids get up close to gentle farm animals at Zoo Atlanta's petting zoo, Outback Station.

Visit a petting zoo or animal farm in Atlanta when the weather warms up and kiddos want to mingle with friendly, four-legged critters. Petting zoos and animal sanctuaries beckon Atlanta families to enjoy creatures, big and small, from pigs and horses to giraffes and camels. Perhaps even lions, tigers, and bears...oh my!

Most petting zoos and animal sanctuaries advise visitors not to feed the animals unless it's feed that they provide (either included with admission or purchased for an additional fee). So grab plenty of hand sanitizer, wet wipes, plastic gloves (bison slobber is no joke), and snacks for the kids and head out to an Atlanta petting zoo, animal farm, or animal sanctuary.

Best Mother's Day Brunch in Atlanta

Submitted by Dana Shemesh on Sun, 04/14/2024 - 10:30am

Celebrate mom this Mother's Day and treat her to a lavish brunch or dinner at Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails. Photo courtesy of the restaurant

Mother's Day brunch is all about honoring the queens in our lives! Mom gets quality family time with the ones she loves and a much-needed break from cooking and cleaning, Plus, everyone will have time to enjoy a Mother's Day stroll, shopping spree, or garden visit after brunch. Take a look at tasty Atlanta restaurants offering a special Mother's Day brunch. Make reservations in advance as spots fill up quickly.

28 Top Easter Egg Hunts in Atlanta

Submitted by Dana Shemesh on Fri, 03/15/2024 - 9:05am

Grab a basket--it's time for the Hop-a-Long Easter Egg Hunt at Avalon in Alpharetta. Photo courtesy of Avalon

Easter egg hunts in Atlanta are the ultimate scavenger hunts, with plastic eggs, melting chocolate, and lots of awesome treasures. We've got every kind of Easter egg hunt in Atlanta and beyond to make sure children get the most out of this spring holiday. And besides the actual Easter eggs, some of these Atlanta Easter egg hunts also provide activities like face painting, bouncy houses, and delicious food. And to increase inclusivity, more Easter egg hunts in Atlanta offer special-needs, sensory-friendly egg hunts, too.

Christmas Tree Farms Near Atlanta for Family Fun

Submitted by Dana Shemesh on Sun, 11/12/2023 - 11:15am

Pick your tree then enjoy the festive atmosphere at Yule Forest, with a mug of hot apple cider. Photo by Bethany Paquette

Most Atlanta Christmas tree farms offer an unforgettable experience for families, with helpful staff who aid in cutting, prepping, and hauling Christmas trees. Besides finding the perfect spruce, fir, or pine, many of these Christmas tree farms offer even more holiday highlights, like hot chocolate, a glimpse of Santa, and more! The holiday atmosphere is not to be missed: A visit to a live Christmas tree farm offers the perfect photo opportunity for your newfound or recurring family holiday tradition.

We've rounded up awesome Christmas tree farms near Atlanta perfect for families! Make a day of it and venture out to a festive Christmas tree farm to find the perfect holiday tree. And for even more holiday happenings, keep checking our Atlanta Christmas and Holiday Guide for up-to-date info about the best events and ideas this holiday season.

Best Playgrounds Near Atlanta for Kids and Families

Submitted by Dana Shemesh on Fri, 09/22/2023 - 11:42am

Enjoy the colorful textures and climbing structures at Abernathy Greenway Park's playground in Sandy Springs. Photo by Melanie Preis

Atlanta playgrounds are the best spots in town for kids to explore the outdoors. Atlanta offers access to so much lush, green space, and Atlanta playgrounds make use of these idyllic spots by attracting the most energetic park enthusiasts: kids! These playgrounds, from Buckhead to Smyrna, have special attractions like water canons, climbing nets, rope pulls, and splash pads—as well as the tried-and-true classics like slides, swings, and monkey bars.

Looking for something else to do outside? Check out Atlanta's best playgrounds for toddlers, hikes for the whole family, and more in our Guide to Playgrounds and Parks in Atlanta.

Best STEM and Science Summer Camps for Atlanta Kids

Submitted by Dana Shemesh on Sun, 03/12/2023 - 12:10pm

The projects at STREM Summer Camp can get highly innovative! Photo courtesy of STREM HQ

STEM or science camp allow Atlanta kids to have loads of fun with opportunities to launch rockets, develop game apps, build robots, make slime, play in the dirt, and more! The benefits of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and science camps are numerous. Kids learn better with hands-on activities in a relaxed environment and they gain confidence by developing problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Aside from all the technological fun, these summer camps require collaboration, which provides socialization opportunities for campers as well.

Who knows? Your child may become the next Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Jacques Cousteau, or Bill Gates!

For more camp opportunities, refer to our Atlanta Summer Camp Guide, which includes preschool, sports, and overnight camps. And if you don't want to miss out on exciting Atlanta happenings, subscribe to our free Mommy Poppins newsletter.

Best of January: 16 Cool Things To Do in Atlanta with Kids

Submitted by Dana Shemesh on Fri, 12/30/2022 - 7:55am

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Americans are encouraged to help make communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. Photo courtesy The King Center

From New Year's Day to MLK weekend, January can be a great time for indoor and outdoor activities in Atlanta. Don’t miss our favorite kid-friendly events and activities in Atlanta in January.

As we remember Atlanta's own Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this month, kids can learn about Dr. King's legacy by participating in events around the city, like those in Lawrenceville and Buckhead, on MLK Day (Monday, January 16). Also, MLK Day is a National Day of Service, which is a great time to get your kids involved in service projects throughout Atlanta, like feeding the community and cleaning public spaces.

Winter fun continues as families hit ice skating rinks, like Avalon on Ice and Skate the Station at Atlantic Station, wrapping up for the season mid-January. Even if we don't get real snow in Atlanta, Southern kids can tube downhill at License to Chill at Margaritaville through the end of February. Find more ideas for crafts, recipes, and trips in our Winter Activities Guide for Atlanta Families.

We’re adding more events to our Atlanta activity calendar every day, so don’t forget to check it frequently. Be sure to sign up for our newsletters to get our top picks for every weekend.