Goldfish Swim School Theme of the Month -- December is Winter Wonderland

 ** A Geek Daddy is a brand ambassador for Goldfish Swim School**

When you think of swimming trips to the beach, outdoor pool parties and visits to water parks during the summer normally are what first come to mind.  For our family though as the snow starts to fall that is our ideal time to have the kids jumping into the water.  We regularly have our children enrolled in swimming programs throughout the cold weather months here in Michigan and this winter they are taking lessons at Goldfish Swim School.  So while the temperature may be 9 degrees outside, they'll be enjoying swimming in the shiver-free indoor pool at Goldfish Swim School that is always heated to 90 degrees.

Swimming during the winter is a fun activity to help keep kids exercising and healthy when temperatures may prohibit them from getting outside to play.  It also reinforces water safety skills so that when the weather heats up your child is prepared to safely enjoy swimming at a beach or pool.  Plus swimming throughout the year just overall makes a child a stronger swimmer making them confident and comfortable in and around water.  Goldfish offers programs for children from 4 months to 12 years old of all skill levels.  They offer infant sessions to get children comfortable with being in the water, swimming lessons for both beginners and kids who want to improve upon their abilities, plus a team program that helps experienced young swimmers who have mastered their lessons develop racing skills and participate in some friendly competition.

To help make lessons a bit more fun, Goldfish Swim School also has a special theme they promote each month with decorations around the facility, activities such as coloring contests, and special giveaway items they hand out each week to children after they've completed their lesson.  December's theme is Winter Wonderland.  A very fitting one with both the holiday season and the nearly foot of snow that has fallen on the ground here in Metro Detroit.  My kids received a small maze game as their themed prize of the week after their most recent lesson for example. In addition to Winter Wonderland some of the other themes in 2016 were Olympics to tie-in to July's Summer Games, Farming in September, and Outer Space in November.  Having a different theme each month is just one of the many ways Goldfish Swim School differentiates itself as an ideal location that truly caters to providing a great experience for families who bring children to go swimming there.

For more information, please visit goldfishswimschool.com

A Geek Daddy is a brand ambassador for Gold Fish Swim Schools receiving complimentary lessons and services for his children in exchange for promotional consideration by the blog.  Opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Goldfish Swim School Holiday Giveaway

  ** A Geek Daddy is a Goldfish Swim School brand ambassador**

My kids had been taking swim lessons at our local community pool the last few years but this winter we decided to try a different approach by enrolling them in Goldfish Swim School.  I was interested to see how well their skills might improve with the smaller class sizes and more personal attention provided by Goldfish Swim School.  At the community pool, they'd be participating in sporadic multi-week sessions with class sizes that ranged from eight to twenty students.  Goldfish Swim School will be providing quite a bit more attention to my kids with a maximum of 4 children per class and perpetual lessons where a child just keeps swimming throughout the year without constantly having to sign them up for new instructional sessions.  I'll be documenting my family's experience over the next few months as A Goldfish Swim School brand ambassador so keep an eye out for updates.

Also one lucky blog reader will be going beyond simply reading A Geek Daddy's posts about my kids' swimming lessons experience because you will will receive your very own 2 month membership for a child (4 months to 12 years old) to Goldfish Swim School.  This giveaway is limited to Michigan residents and the swimming lessons must be redeemed at one of Goldfish Swim School's 7 Metro Detroit locations (Ann Arbor, Birmingham, Canton, Clarkston, Farmington Hills, Macomb, or Rochester).  The Goldfish Swim School Holiday Giveaway has a $374 value and includes the following:

+  2 months of Goldfish Swim Group Swim Lessons at one of the 7 Detroit area locations for one child;

+  Waived New Member Registration Fee;

+  4 Family Swim Passes;

+  Bubbles goldfish plush toy;

+  Goldfish Swim School Towel.

Just complete the following instructions prior to Sunday, December 11, 2016 @ 11:59 pm to throw your name in the hat for a chance to be the randomly selected winner of this Goldfish Swim School Holiday Giveaway.

ENTRY 1 (Required) -- Email thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com sharing who you would give these lessons to and why they would be appreciated.  Please include your full name, mailing address and phone number so you can be contacted if selected as our lucky winner.

ENTRY 2 (Optional) -- Follow @Geekdad248 and @GoldfishSwimSchool on Instagram, LIKE the Instagram post embedded below and tell us your Instagram handle within the email mentioned above to receive a bonus entry.

Give the gift of water safety skills to a child this Christmas with #goldfishswim lessons -- 7 Metro Detroit locations to choose from -- @goldfishswimschool #spon

A photo posted by @geekdad248 on Dec 6, 2016 at 12:10pm PST

RULES/DISCLAIMER

A Geek Daddy is hosting this promotion as a benefit to our readers. Must be a US  resident over the age of 18 to participate who resides within the State of Michigan.  Each eligible entry will be assigned a number with a maximum of two entries per person.  A number will be randomly generated to determine the winner.  Attempting to utilize multiple email accounts or Instagram accounts or otherwise trying to participate in this contest more than once per person will disqualify an individual.  If you win this prize through another blog participating in this promotion you will be disqualified.  Goldfish Swim School is responsible for the fulfillment of this prize.  Goldfish Swim Schools will be closed December 23, 2016 - January 2, 2017.  Entrant emails will be deleted at the conclusion of this promotion and not shared with Goldfish Swim School other than the recipient of the prize to assist the sponsor with contacting the winner.  By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog.

Give the gift of water safety skills to a child this Christmas with Goldfish Swim School lessons.  In addition to providing children with the ability and confidence to enjoy a fun and healthy activity Goldfish Swim School also teaches important skills to help keep kids safe around water such as rolling onto their back, treading water and doing the crab walk.

It is important for a swimmer to know what to do when he or she becomes tired or needs to catch their breath.  Goldfish Swim School trains all its students to roll over onto their backs mid-swim.  This allows a swimmer to stay safe while floating for a bit and avoids them panicking while taking a second or two to regroup.

Goldfish Swim School students also learn how to stay safe by treading water.  Every student practices treading water for 10 seconds, 30 seconds or one minute depending on his or her skill level. If students they find themselves in deep water where they can't touch the bottom, they'll have learned to tread water as a survival skill.

Teaching children to do a crab walk along the side of the pool helps them to be able to be safe in the water by knowing what to do if the water is too deep or they can’t swim to a ladder. Early swimmers are taught this skill when they first start lessons at Goldfish Swim School.

This holiday season give a child in your life a present that will be appreciated for a lifetime with the gift of swimming lessons.  Provide a child with the skills and confidence to be safe and comfortable around the water by enrolling him or her in Goldfish Swim School.  For more information on options, prices, and locations, please visit goldfishswimschool.com

A Geek Daddy is a brand ambassador for Gold Fish Swim Schools receiving complimentary lessons and services for his children in exchange for promotional consideration by the blog.  Opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Halloween Fun Runs

Fall is one of my favorite times to get outside and participate in running events because of its moderate temperatures, the brilliant coloring of the trees that decorates the Michigan landscape during this time of year, and there are always fun and interesting themed races going on -- especially revolving around Halloween.  There are races where participants are chased by zombies, fun runs where everyone is encouraged to wear a costume, events that have runners trick or treating along the route and others that are like taking a jog through an outdoor haunted house.  There is plenty of spooky fun to be had if you are up to running a 5K right before Halloween.

2016 MICHIGAN HALLOWEEN THEMED FUN RUNS:

Midland Zombies 5K Trail Run -- Saturday, October 15

Run through a 3 mile route through the trails of Midland's City Forest park trying to avoid a hoard of local middle school and high school kids who have been transformed for the day into flesh eating, human loving zombies.  Dodge the zombie-infected teenagers without them capturing the flags attached to your waist to win the race.

Headless Horseman 5K & Monster Mile -- Saturday October 22

Round up your family and friends to run this nighttime race through the sleepy streets of downtown Howell and into the shadows of Lakeview Cemetery dressed in costume as your favorite Halloween character.  Just one of the Halloween themed activities going on in the city that weekend as part of its The Legend of Sleepy Howell festival.

Waterford Coalition for Youth Zombie Run -- Saturday, October 22

Run through the scenic trails of Hess Hathaway Park and beware the zombies! They don't chase you in this fun run but they may scare you.  Runners are actually encouraged to dress up as zombies themselves and their are some awards for best costumes.  There may be a lot of zombies at this event but they won't interfere with you while running the race course.

Shepard Haunted Trail 5K -- Saturday, October 22

Run a haunted 5k trail after dark through the Shepard High School Cross Country Course which will be full of Halloween fun!  The woods will be filled with ghosts, goblins, zombies and other spooky things positioned throughout the course who will try to scare you out of your running shoes.  All entrants will receive a headlamp to wear as part of their registration to help them safely navigate the fun run route.

Troy Frightful 5K and 1K Pumpkin Family Fun Run -- Sunday October 23

All entrants are encourage to wear a costume.  All Pumpkin Run participants receive a pumpkin at the finish line.

Halloween Hustle -- Sunday, October 23

Support United Way with your entry fee for this race through the historic neighborhoods of Marshall, Michigan.  Costumes are optional but encouraged.

Costumed 5K Run and Monster Mile Fun Walk -- Sunday, October 23

Burn off some calories before you eat all of that Halloween candy and get extra use out of your awesome costumes with your family, friends, and neighbors. This event will make you laugh, smile and sweat all the way to the finish line at the Clinton Township Civic Center Trails and grounds.

Waterford Halloween Spooktacular -- Sunday, October 23

3 spooky themed events in one event - 1 Mile Fun Run; Wicked Witches 5K; Ghost & Goblins 5K, Run all three or just pick one or two of them to participate in.  Participants receive unique swag for each race they run at Waterford Oaks County Park.

Brown City Days Zombie 5K Run & Halloween Fest -- Saturday, October 29

Jack-O'-Lantern 5K & Kids' Pumpkin Patch Trick-or-Treat Fun Run - Saturday, October 29

This event's 10K provides a super natural challenge as participants run through wooded trails filled with obstructions and challenging terrain.  Race across floating and stationary superdecks, fields and a small stretch of road.  Be prepared to hurdle downed trees, wade through tall grass, and sludge through some mud.  The 5K is a slightly less strenuous course that pits runners against one another on a narrow trail.  For the kids are two options -- a 1/2 mile fun run or a two loop 1 Mile race.

Spooky Scarecrow 5K Run / Walk -- Saturday, October 29

Run through the beautiful backwoods of historic Almont Townships Orchards in a fun Halloween themed race.  Prizes for both Best Times and Best Costumes for event participants with cider and doughnuts provided at the finish line.

Trick-or-Trot 5K Run / Walk -- Saturday, October 29

Support the Meridian High School Band Department in this fun run/walk with prizes for best costumes, medals for top finishers, and t-shirts guaranteed for all participants registered by October 21, 2016 that takes place in Sanford, Michigan.

The Scare for CARE Halloween 5K  -- Sunday, October 30

A spooky fun run and walk taking place in Ann Arbor to help tackle a scary problem troubling many families --  substance abuse. Proceeds support CARE of Southeastern Michigan which has served as the area’s lead referral source for substance abuse treatment since 1977.  There are three options to choose from: Thrilling 5k, Mummy Mile, or Kids Monster Mash Dash.

The Scare for CARE 5K starts just before sunset, that spine-tingling interval between daylight and dark. Dress up as one of the ethereal spirits known to roam the earth at this hour or wear your favorite costume. Then run, walk, or creepily crawl our dusk-lit 3.1 miles, but beware: you never know what frightful sights conceal themselves along the course, just waiting to provide even more hair-raising fun to your race!

For those guys and ghouls who prefer a less eerie distance, we offer up the Mummy Mile. Ideal for those seeking a spirited sprint, the Mummy Mile is also perfect for walkers, for families and fiends, and especially for younger participants, who can trick-or-treat along the way at our Candy Aid Stations, manned our friendly, non-frightening cast of characters.

Our littlest wizards and witches can enjoy a fun run all their own: the Monster Mash Dash! Open to competitors ages 8 and under, the Monster Mash Dash features a kid-friendly 100-meter sprint leading to the very same finish line that Mummy and Daddy will cross.

Wicked Halloween Run -- Sunday, October 30

Earn a fantastic glow-in-the-dark finisher medal by participating in the largest Halloween Run in the state. It promises to be a wicked good time! Costumes are encouraged and there is a contest that rewards the most ghoulishly dressed. A great event that starts and finishes from Plymouth's Kellogg Park that includes 10K, 5K and 1 Mile options to participate in.

Fun Runs / Walks are a great opportunity to get outside for some exercise, experience an out of the ordinary activity, and often times support the fundraising efforts of a charitable or community group.  Is there a Halloween running event near you that is fun to participate in?  If you don't know there are a multitude of online running directories that provide a calendar of events taking place either regionally, state-wide, or locally.  Lace up your sneakers and get out there if you can! Just don't let the zombies bite!

University of Michigan Museum of Natural History

The week of my kids' Spring Break from school was dreary filled with cold and wet weather conditions, so we looked for something indoors to do that would get them out of the house for a bit.  Our family accomplished that goal by taking an afternoon road trip to the city of Ann Arbor to check out the University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History.  The facility is open Monday through Saturday 9am - 5pm and on Sundays from Noon to 5pm.  A very attractive aspect of this museum is that admission is FREE.

The University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History is located in a 1930's era building located on the college's campus.  Walking into the Ruthven Museums Building is like stepping into a scene from an Indiana Jones movie as you make your way into its entrance rotunda.  Visitors head up a set of stairs to make their way to three upper levels of exhibit halls.

The second floor houses The Hall of Evolution which is full of fossils, models and dioramas featuring prehistoric life.  As you first walk into this display area you are greeted by the skeletons of two huge mastodons.  For my kids though the highlight of this area, and our visit overall, were the fossils of dinosaurs on display here.

While this area has some impressive dinosaurs on display, you can also view the fossils of other prehistoric creatures including a saber tooth tiger and giant lizards while exploring the Hall of Evolution.

The building's third floor is a Michigan Wildlife Gallery devoted to showcasing a collection of taxidermy mounts consisting of native Great Lakes amphibians, birds, mammals,and reptiles.  This area also showcases a long line of mastodon tracks that had been preserved and fossilized in mud which is the largest such display in the world.

Of course they have a wolverine on display!

The fourth floor has a variety of exhibits that allow scientific hands-on experiences plus hosts a geology display of various local rocks and minerals. While we were visiting the museum, my kids agreed to help out with the Living Lab program where they were interviewed for a psychology study being done by college students and earned a small toy for their participation.  They were shown cartoons of various types of robots and were asked survey questions regarding their impressions of the video being shown.  The goal of this study is to determine ways new smart technology can be designed to make it user-friendly for children. My kids felt very important to be able to contribute to this experiment which they talked about quite a bit during our car ride home.

A planetarium is also located on the upper floor of the museum.  It provides a 45 minute show several times per day.  Tickets are a flat rate of $5 per person to take in the planetarium show.

We had a nice time exploring the museum and I'd recommend if you are ever in the Ann Arbor area making some time to check it out.  There is an underground parking deck located a block north of the building that charges $1.40 per hour which isn't bad when you consider admission to the museum is free.  Click here for directions on getting to the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History and information on parking when you get there.

If you want to check out the pre-WWII architecture of the museum building don't wait too long for a visit.  The university is building a new state-of-the-art facility next door to house its Biological Science department where the museum will also be relocated to upon its completion in 2018.

You can be a Super Hero! Join me in participating in a Super Run for Charity - Sept 6 in Ann Arbor MI

Caped crusaders will be running the streets of Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday September 6 2014 to raise money to help people in need.  Join me and other runners dressed up as super heroes (costumes/capes optional) as we zip through 1K and 5K courses circling Gallup Park with registration fees going to support Lutheran Social Services of Michigan.  Lutheran Social Services of Michigan provides assistance across the lower peninsula of Michigan with adoptions, foster care, family preservation, group homes and assistance for people with developmental disabilities, senior housing and home-care options, refugee assistance, and a number of other programs to help communities in the area it serves.

Each participant in The Super Run will receive their very own Super Cape and Super Run swag.  If you want to join me in the 5k Super Run, or maybe come out for the 1k if that is more your speed, the entry fee is $25 per adult and if you sign-up online and provide them with my special code SUPERGEEKDAD5 they will deduct $5 from your entry so it only costs you $20 to participate.

To sign-up for The Super Run or for more information, including the race course and parking locations, visit:  thesuperrun.com/locations/ann-arbor-michigan  Remember to enter code SUPERGEEKDAD5 to save $5 on your entry fee when registering.  I hope to see you there!  If you are looking for me I'll be the blur with the Flash t-shirt on!

A Hands -On Adventure in Ann Arbor

We took a road trip with our kids this weekend to Ann Arbor to check out their children's Hands-On Museum.  The museum has a focus on teaching children about the science behind everyday life through more than 250 exhibits that let kids touch, feel & experience demonstrations & experiments.  Admission is $10 per person for both children and adults.   It is located on Ann Street tucked away along a nice neighborhood in downtown Ann Arbor in close proximity to 2 parking decks and numerous restaurants.  The museum is divided up into 9 areas covering four floors: the "Concourse", "All About You", "Preschool Gallery", "Legacy Gallery", "Michigan Nature", "World Around You", "Lyons Country Store", "Light & Optics" & "Media Works".

The "Concourse" is the main floor of displays for the Hands-On Museum.  Some of the fun and interesting things they had on display were whisper dishes at either end of a hall that reflected sound waves so that you could hear someone whisper to you from one dish to the other, the Building in a Building that shows you how things like a toilet, furnace, insulation, and electricity work inside your house, Google Liquid Galaxy that provided a 3-D computer generated view of the world around us as if you were exploring the Earth from a visiting space ship, the Tornado Generator that recreates miniature tornadoes in front of your eyes, along with an area where you can play with huge building blocks, water tables, and an original World War 2 flight simulator.

The "All About You" area of the Hands-On Museum has a real ambulance on display where you can climb aboard and pretend you are on an emergency run.  They also have machines that you can interact with that let you hear your heart beat and do other things to explain health topics and let you examine your own physical fitness.

We spent the bulk of our trip in the "Preschool Gallery" that had a huge exhibit that demonstrates how physics work by shooting rubber balls through a metal obstacle course in addition to water tables, a fish tank with a real life Finding Nemo clown fish, a building blocks room, a play house and a miniature fire truck.

The "Preschool Gallery" is designated for children 5 and under.  It is a shame that the museum doesn't have the another physics display like the one in this area for older children to have access to because I believe it would be entertaining and educational for most grade school kids of any age.  It's nice to have a space for younger children to enjoy without being overwhelmed by "older kids" but this was one of my son and daughter's favorite parts of the museum and they'll be too old to experience it again if we go back again as they will be turning 5 in a few months.  My 4 year old twins did have a blast in this area though during our trip!

The "Lyons Country Store" is an early 20th century general store that shows store goods and toys from this time period.  What is most interesting about this display though is the 21st century tech it demonstrates ... there is a realistic 3 dimensional hologram that tells you about the store in the exhibit.  This probably was the Geek Daddy's favorite part of our visit. I wish I'd gotten a good picture to share with you but unfortunately all my photos just show a blur.

The "World Around You" had a really fun exhibit where you walked inside a circular area and pulled on a chain.  This action raised a screen around you that created a bubble film screen around you.  I hadn't seen this type of display before, based on the same premise as blowing bubbles in the back yard, and it was fun to play with.  The area also had a bee hive, a piano you could walk on and play like the one in the movie "Big" and some pipes that you banged on with a sandal to make music.  There also was a fun climbing wall for the kids along the back wall of the room. This was another interesting and amusing part of the museum.

The "Legacy Gallery" had some interesting mechanical displays including an awesome exhibit called the Magnetoscope which allows you to manipulate magnetic fields to create amazing patterns in fluid.  It also had an interesting maze display that shoots metal balls through it to explain how the Internet and email work.

Unfortunately, I have to say that the last three areas of the museum were somewhat lame and could use some work, even though our kids did have some fun in the "Media Works" area dancing in front of a screen that re-displayed their images on a big screen as colorful images that vibrated to their motion. That being said overall it is a very nice facility with friendly staff and we had an enjoyable experience with our visit.

If you live in Southeastern Michigan or may be visiting and have preschool, kindergarten or young grade school kids, I'd recommend stopping by the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.  For families with older children, you may want to consider a trip to the Imagination Station in Toledo though.  Check out my post from our family's visit there: "Our Trip to the Imagination Station."