Keep those little ones learning with these baby utensils

So you’ve figured out your little one is ready to start feeding themselves. And while it’s a super exciting time, it’s also a super…messy time. It’s totally worth it, but helping your babe learn to feed themselves is a lot easier with the right tools. Baby utensils have come a long way and we’ve found some of the best. Plus, these great products make the baby-led weaning thing far less daunting—for both you and your little learner.


ezpz

ezpz Mini Mat

$22 BUY NOW

Not only is this set soft and durable silicon, offers separated compartments in the shape of a smiley face, and comes in multiple colors, but it's also dishwasher- and microwave safe.


haakaa

Pacifier Feeder

$19 BUY NOW

If your babe is used to their pacifier, it's easy to get that self-feeding thing down with this feeder. Fill it with soft foods, frozen liquids, and more.


Olababy

Olababy Soft-Tip Training Spoon for Baby-Led Weaning

$15 BUY NOW

If your family is practicing baby-led weaning, a whopping over 11,000 Amazon customers highly (4.8 stars!) recommend this silicon set Olababy!


Construction-themed plate, fork, and spoon
Amazon

Construction-Themed 3-Piece Dinner Set

$25 BUY NOW

Encourage your little digger to dine with this fun construction site set. It also comes in 3 other colors.


The First Years

SenseAbles Finger Foods Placemat

$10 BUY NOW

The wavy grooves of this placemat make it easy for baby fingers to grasp their food, plus it fits most standard high chairs.


Olababy

Silicone Training Cup with Straw & Lid

$16 BUY NOW

Designed by independent pediatric feeding experts, this cup is the perfect transition from the bottle while still preventing spills.


haakaa

Reusable Baby Food Pouch

$25 BUY NOW

Pouches are great for soft foods, and these reusable pouches let you fill them with anything you want, plus reduce waste.


WYOK

Homemade Silicone Popsicle Maker

$14 BUY NOW

Popsicles are super fun, but they're also a mess (especially for little ones). These molds are designed to prevent the popsicle from sliding off the stick, plus they let you control the ingredients your kiddo is eating in their treat.


KidsFunwares

Chew Chew Train Dinnerware Set

$30 BUY NOW

If they're not really digging diggers, this precious dinnerware set is 6 pieces of train fan fun.


Bumkins

Bumkins Baby Utensil Set

$13 BUY NOW

These gentle baby utensils are perfect for the first stage of baby-led weaning. They're gentle and are shaped so they're super easy for little one's hands to grasp. They come in a bunch of colors, too.


Tiny Twinkle

Mess-Proof Baby Bib

$22 BUY NOW

No one promised that baby-led weaning would be a clean process (though totally worth it!), so mitigate the mess with these full-sleeve bibs that stay on while they're learning.


Amazon

Rice Husk Kids Dinnerware Set

$30 BUY NOW

This cute set is created from natural rice husk to provide a BPA-free and eco-friendly alternative to other materials. Plus, all five pieces fit together for easy on-the-go feeding!


Runde

Bee & Hippo Dinnerware Set

$20 BUY NOW

Clearly, we're charmed by darling dinnerware (and we can't say we're sorry), but this silicon set comes with two really cute characters.


Two puree pouch holders with handles
Amazon

Squeeze-Proof Flipping Pouch and Juice Box Holders

$23 BUY NOW

Keep their puree pouches and juice boxes secure in these flippable holders! They're designed to fit most pouches and boxes, so we recommend grabbing a few to keep on hand.


Set of two silicon bibs
Ava & Oliver

Ava + Oliver Silicon Bib Set

$20 BUY NOW

Yep, we're singing the song in our heads, too. These silicon bibs allow you to simply wipe for clean-up, offer multiple colors, and have a mess-catching design (though we apologize to all the family dogs laying by the high chair).


NumNum

Pre-Spoon GOOtensils Baby Spoon Set

$14 BUY NOW

Spoons can be a lot easier to master than forks, and this set of baby spoons makes them even easier thanks to the no-wrong-way-to-hold design and no need to balance. This set comes with both a first and second stage spoon, too.

All the products listed are independently & personally selected by our shopping editors.

If you buy something from the links in this article, we may earn affiliate commission or compensation. Prices and availability reflect the time of publication.

All images courtesy of retailers.

Get ready for major spring refresh inspo

January and February tend to feel a little…bleak. It’s after the hubbub of the holidays. The excitement has died down. We’ve settled into our new year’s routines. It’s still cold outside, but it feels a little less fun and a little more we’re-totally-over-this-weather. That’s probably why, when spring starts to float through the air, our entire mood changes for the better. Things start getting lighter, fresher, and newer. There’s more energy, more sun, and more color. We can’t think of a better time to really lean into those vibes than as soon as February ends. This calls for a whole spring refresh!

Even if it’s still chilly where you are, starting the season off with a bang lifts our spirits and sets the tone for the weeks ahead. You can start working from the inside out with these ideas. Refresh your kiddos’ rooms, your wardrobe, your living spaces. Start getting geared up for warmer days. Dive into that spring cleaning. Throw off all the heaviness of winter and get ready for our guide on how to spring refresh it all!

Kids Spring Refresh

OLLY Kids Immunity Gummies

With Elderberry, acerola cherry, and zinc.

OLLY Kids Immunity Gummies ($13.99)—Buy Now

KiwiCo Colorful Chemistry Crate

KiwiCo Colorful Chemistry Crate ($29.95)—Buy Now

Janie and Jack Palm Floral Jumpsuit

Available in sizes 12 months to 12 years.

Janie and Jack Palm Floral Jumpsuit ($34.99)—Buy Now

Cricket's Candy Creations Lickable Finger Paint

Complete with edible paint and edible paper.

Cricket's Candy Creations Lickable Finger Paint ($39.99)—Buy Now

Starfish Warmies

New from Warmies! Weighted, microwavable, and filled with French lavender.

Starfish Warmies ($29.99)—Buy Now

Carter's Hilary Duff Baby 2-Piece Thermal Set

Available in Rust, Ivory, and Pink.

Carter's Hilary Duff Baby 2-Piece Thermal Set ($22.00)—Buy Now

Okabashi Toddler Carter Camp Shoes

Easy on/off, slip resistance, waterproof, and machine-washable.

Okabashi Toddler Carter Camp Shoes ($21.99)—Buy Now

Kids Black Bubby Tee

Available in Faded Black, Off-White, Football (rust), and Medium Grey. Sizes 2T—8Y.

Kids Black Bubby Tee ($28.00)—Buy Now

Thule Urban Glide 2 Jogging Stroller

Voted Best Jogging Stroller of 2023 by Women's Health.

Thule Urban Glide 2 Jogging Stroller ($649.95)—Buy Now

Nuby Floating Purple Octopus

With 3 hoopla rings. BPA free.

Nuby Floating Purple Octopus ($7.53)—Buy Now

Mightly Kids Organic Cotton Graphic Tee 2 Pack

Itch-free labels, Fair Trade Certified factory, gender-neutral, available in multiple color combinations.

Mightly Kids Organic Cotton Graphic Tee 2 Pack ($29.95)—Buy Now

SLEEP ZONE Kids Twin Bed Comforter Set

5 pieces, available in 16 patterns.

SLEEP ZONE Kids Twin Bed Comforter Set ($54.99)—Buy Now

Costzon Foldable Triangle Climber with Reversible Ramp

Wooden Montessori indoor playground.

Costzon Foldable Triangle Climber with Reversible Ramp ($175.99)—Buy Now

Boutique Rugs Kids Giraffe Bowtie Round Nursery Rug

Multiple options available, three sizes.

Boutique Rugs Kids Giraffe Bowtie Round Nursery Rug ($83.00—$249.00)—Buy Now

 

Moms Spring Refresh

Boden Ruched Bodice Dress

100% cotton, sizes 2 through 22.

Boden Ruched Bodice Dress ($152.00)—Buy Now

SPANX AirEssentials Tapered Pants & ‘Got-Ya-Covered’ Pullover

Available in 3 colors. Sizes XS to 3X.

SPANX AirEssentials Tapered Pants ($110.00)—Buy Now

SPANX AirEssentials ‘Got-Ya-Covered’ Pullover ($118.00)—Buy Now

RENPHO Eye Massager

With heat and Bluetooth. Comes in Black and White.

RENPHO Eye Massager ($51.79)—Buy Now

Kitsch Castor Oil Nourishing Shampoo Bar

Formulated to hydrate, balance, and calm scalp irritation. Saves 2 bottles of liquid shampoo.

Kitsch Castor Oil Nourishing Shampoo Bar ($12.60+)—Buy Now

XCVI Terraced Wide Leg Pant

Available in 8 colors, sizes XS-XL.

XCVI Terraced Wide Leg Pant ($83.00)—Buy Now

Hair Regrowth with Oral Minoxidil (Rx)

Oral Minoxidil is only available if prescribed after an online consultation with a healthcare provider. Hers makes it easy with 100% online consultations and free shipping if prescribed.

See if Oral Minoxidil is Right For You Now

saalt Free Flow 6-Pack

2 boyshorts, 2 briefs, 2 hipsters. Menstrual protection.

saalt Free Flow 6-Pack ($209.00)—Buy Now

EyeBuyDirect Peony Glasses

Available in Clear Brown, Clear Teal, and Black Tortoise. Rx and non-Rx options.

EyeBuyDirect Peony Glasses ($32.00)—Buy Now

Urban Decay Stay Naked Quickie Hydrating 24-Hour Multi-Use Concealer

Full coverage, natural finish. Available in 16 shades.

Urban Decay Stay Naked Quickie Hydrating 24-Hour Multi-Use Concealer ($33.00)—Buy Now

SPGPK Watches Unisex Brentwood Watch

Silicon band, 44mm.

SPGPK Watches Unisex Brentwood Watch ($79.99)—Buy Now

Quince Tencel Jersey T-Shirt Dress

Available in Black, Red, Dark Olive, and Heather Grey. Sizes XS to XL.

Quince Tencel Jersey T-Shirt Dress ($39.90)—Buy Now

Act+Acre Scalp Build-Up System

Stem Cell Scalp Serum and Scalp Detox for those with visible product build-up, excess flaking, itchiness, and soft water.

Act+Acre Scalp Build-Up System ($88.00+)—Buy Now

Quince French Terry Modal Jumpsuit

Available in Rose, Navy, and Black. Sizes XS to XL.

Quince French Terry Modal Jumpsuit ($39.90)—Buy Now

KURU CODA SUVI Sandal

Sneaker support with sandal style. Available in Jet Black or White Sand.

KURU CODA SUVI Sandal ($135.00)—Buy Now

Kizik Women's Roamer Sneaker

Step-in, 9 colorways available.

Kizik Women's Roamer Sneaker ($129.00)—Buy Now

shortyLOVE Amuse Crossbody

2-in-1 (crossbody and top handle carry), can hold wallet, tablet, a book, sunglasses. Available in multiple colorways and interchangeable straps. 

shortyLOVE Amuse Crossbody ($158.00)—Buy Now

Angara Capital Letter Initial Pendant

Full alphabet. Available in 14K Gold, 14K Rose Gold, 14K White Gold, and Platinum.

Angara Capital Letter Initial Pendant ($159.00+)—Buy Now

Ford and Wyatt Raising Legends Tee

Available in White and Football (burnt orange).

Ford and Wyatt Raising Legends Tee ($38.00)—Buy Now

Women's True Energy Lightweight Liner Socks

Infrared thread that aids in recovery and circulation, mesh venting, multiple colorways.

Women's True Energy Lightweight Liner Socks ($22.99)—Buy Now

Girlfriend Collective Peak Track Pant & Track Jacket

Ultra-lightweight woven, available in Black, Palm (green), and Wisteria (blue). Sizes XXS to 6XL.

Girlfriend Collective Peak Track Pant ($88.00)—Buy Now

Girlfriend Collective Peak Track Jacket ($98.00)—Buy Now

LAPCOS Sheet Mask Variety Pack

Amazon Bestseller, available in multiple options.

LAPCOS Sheet Mask Variety Pack ($26.00)—Buy Now

Of An Origin Everywhere Joggers

Fits through pregnancy and beyond! 

Of An Origin Everywhere Joggers ($64.00)—Buy Now

HUM Nutrition Complete Gut Health Bundle

Daily Cleanse, Flatter Me, Pro ACV Gummies.

HUM Nutrition Complete Gut Health Bundle ($46.41)—Buy Now

JTV 18k Yellow Gold Over Sterling Silver Mosaico Ring

Available in ring sizes 6-12.

JTV 18k Yellow Gold Over Sterling Silver Mosaico Ring ($69.99)—Buy Now

Steripod Toothbrush Protector

Clip-on toothbrush protector.

Steripod Toothbrush Protector ($11.78)—Buy Now

Luli Bebé Petit Monaco Diaper Bag

100% stain-resistant exterior and wipeable interior. Available in 6 colors.

Luli Bebé Petit Monaco Diaper Bag ($129.00)—Buy Now

 

Home Spring Refresh

Roomba j7+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum

Save $200.00 through 3/18!

Roomba j7+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum ($799.00 $599.00)—Buy Now

GuruNanda HaloXL Ultrasonic Humidifier & Diffuser

Cool mist humidifier for large rooms, aromatherapy diffuser, lasts up to 22 hours.

GuruNanda HaloXL Ultrasonic Humidifier & Diffuser ($77.99)—Buy Now

Martha Stewart Sheet Set

4-piece queen set (1 flat sheet, 1 fitted sheet, and 2 pillowcases).

Martha Stewart Sheet Set ($74.99)—Buy Now

Pillowpia Trina Macrame Plant Hanger

Planter pot not included. Multiple accent color options.

Pillowpia Trina Macrame Plant Hanger ($48.00)—Buy Now

Material Kitchen Aperitivo Set

The Forever Peeler, the Almost 4" Knife, and the (mini) reBoard cutting board.

Material Kitchen Aperitivo Set ($85.00)—Buy Now

ettitude Vegan Cashmere Woven Throw Blanket

Sustainable and cruelty-free cashmere.

ettitude Vegan Cashmere Woven Throw Blanket ($169.00)—Buy Now

Harlem Candle Co. Speakeasy Luxury Candle

Palo santo, tobacco, bourbon, plum blossom.

Harlem Candle Co. Speakeasy Luxury Candle ($48.00)—Buy Now

Rylee + Cru Cooler Bags

Available in large and small sizes.

Rylee + Cru Cooler Tote ($77.00)—Buy Now

Rylee + Cry Cooler Bag ($58.00)—Buy Now

Letterfolk Lettermat

Tile Mat + Spring Tile Set Bundle

Spring Cleaning! Save 20% off Sitewide with Code: HAPPYCLEAN (3/9-3/13)

Letterfolk Lettermat Tile Mat + Spring Tile Set Bundle ($105.00)—Buy Now

Hot Pink Throw Pillow Covers

17.7"x17.7" covers.

Hot Pink Throw Pillow Covers ($15.99)—Buy Now

HAUS AND HUES Vintage Prints

Available framed or unframed.

HAUS AND HUES Vintage Prints ($19.99+)—Buy Now

ban.do Cowboy Boot Vase

Fill with flowers or use as a pen holder. Ceramic.

ban.do Cowboy Boot Vase ($26.95)—Buy Now

Arcadia Home Storage Basket

100% recycled cotton, 10" high.

Arcadia Home Storage Basket ($29.00)—Buy Now

Boutique Rugs Burdette Neutral Rug

Available in multiple sizes and shapes.

Boutique Rugs Burdette Neutral Rug ($54.00-$979.00)—Buy Now

GIR 7-Piece Ultimate Tool Set

100% platinum-cured silicone, dishwasher safe.

Spring Cleaning! Save 20% off Sitewide with Code: HAPPYCLEAN 

GIR 7-Piece Ultimate Tool Set ($70.95)—Buy Now

KAYAVILY 10 Piece Glass Bud Vases

Mini colorful bud vases. Set of 10.

KAYAVILY 10 Piece Glass Bud Vases ($29.99)—Buy Now

Kate and Laurel Blake Bright Abstract Framed Printed Glass

Two sizes available.

Kate and Laurel Blake Bright Abstract Framed Printed Glass ($47.99+)—Buy Now

If you buy something from the links in this article, we may earn affiliate commission or compensation. Prices and availability reflect the time of publication.

All images courtesy of retailers.

Every parent wants their newborn to grow into a strong and healthy baby. While every interaction helps them develop, parents can take extra steps to ensure they are maximizing playtime. With the right toys and activities, parents can foster creative growth and development at home, long before the age of one.

Here are six fun and unique activities worth trying.

1. Tummy Time
Tummy time is an activity you can start on the first day you bring your baby home. As the name suggests, you should turn your infant onto their stomach for a short period. This allows your baby to develop vital motor skills while strengthening their neck and shoulder muscles. You should aim to complete two to three sessions each day that last approximately three-to-five minutes.

As your child grows, the time spent on their belly will increase, especially as they become more comfortable with lifting their head. They can use tummy time to explore their surroundings and play with age-appropriate toys. It will also help to prevent your child from developing flat spots on the back of their head.

2. Food for Sensory Development
Developmental activities can be inexpensive and straightforward, such as using food for sensory development. As your child ages, you may tell them to stop playing with their food, but while they’re young, playing with food can be a good thing. Lucky for parents, they can use everyday items—like noodles—which most families have stocked in their cabinets.

As the child feels, smells and plays with the food, adults can rest easy knowing the food is safe and non-toxic. However, as with all activities, parents should monitor their babies to avoid accidents. Since the child is young, you’ll want to use soft foods that are not potential choking hazards. Food games can help to develop motor-function, vocabulary and sensory skills.

For little ones beginning to eat purees, you can use applesauce, pudding or whipped cream and encourage them to draw pictures and feel the textures. As they get older, you can begin activities using more sold foods. An example might be how picking up small foods like peas can help with developing fine motor skills. Another option is to use crushed cereal as if it were sand.

3. Music Maker
Sounds intrigue babies—even if they don’t understand what they represent. Parents can make simple music devices using a plastic bottle or sippy cup and some noodles or nuts. With the lid on tight, babies can shake the noisemaker to their heart’s content. This activity helps to form new neural pathways through neuroplasticity. In other words, learning and playing with music can physically change the way your child’s brain develops.

You can also practice singing with your baby to improve language development and parental bonding. Lullabies can calm a baby since your voice will be one of their favorite and most comforting sounds. If you’d prefer not to sing, you could listen to child classics like the Hokey Pokey and dance with your baby. Dancing can help your baby develop a sense of space, time and rhythm.

4. Reading for Cognitive Development
Reading helps your child’s growth and development long before they can understand the words on a page. As your baby listens, their vocabulary and language skills improve. If you decide to read in a secondary language, that can also help with neuroplasticity.

Even how you read will make a difference. By expressing different emotions and using various voices or personas, you can support your child’s emotional and social development. As they grow, they’ll begin to recognize pictures and may even point at things in the book.

5. Baby-Friendly Obstacle Course
Babies learn through experience, and they love to use their senses to explore. By making a baby-friendly obstacle course, you allow your baby to adventure around the room to discover different textures and sounds. This will help them improve their motor function and sensory skills. You can use various materials like carpeting, a wool sweater and a fuzzy blanket while encouraging them to crawl through the course. Most babies will begin crawling by 9-months-old, but they’ll likely be able to grab materials around them much sooner.

6. Open-Ended Play
Have you ever heard that boredom is a good thing? While children need structure in their lives, open-ended play has numerous benefits. More specifically, it’s an opportunity for babies and young children to explore without restraint and exercise their imagination. As your baby freely expresses their emotions and desires, they demonstrate creativity and emotional intelligence.

Open-ended play materials could include:

  • Wooden blocks

  • Cardboard

  • Sand or playdough

  • Musical instruments

  • Edible paint

Remember to monitor your baby during open-play sessions to reduce the risk of accidents or injury.

As a parent, you can use these six activities to encourage your baby’s healthy growth and development. Every action you show has a response for your child. When you speak, they are learning, and when you hold them close, they are bonding with you. Feel comfortable adapting these games and activities to suit your household. Each second is worth cherishing, so remember to embrace the moments you have because kids grow up quick!

Kara Reynolds is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Momish Magazine.  A mom of four and matriarch to her big blended family, Kara wants nothing more than to normalize differences in family structures.  She enjoys peeing alone, pancakes, and pinot noir - but not at the same time. 

Summer is supposed to be a time of relaxing and spending time with your family, but too often it turns into running from one activity to another while wilting in the 95 degree heat. Well, stop, its Hammer Time, er, we mean Hershey Time. Take a 3-hour trip to our neighbors a little to the south and visit the Sweetest Place on Earth, Hershey, Pennsylvania.

What to Do in Hershey

Hershey Park

Hershey Park (100 W Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, Pa) is by far the largest attraction in Hershey. Compared to other theme parks, it’s not too big, it is not too small, it is just right. Hershey Park seems to have the most rides per square mile of any park that we have been to, which means you won’t have to walk miles and miles pushing a stroller uphill. Here, all the villages are very close together and each of them have multiple rides, sometimes right on top of one another.

Not only does Hershey Park have dry rides, but it also has a water park called the Boardwalk. For the younger set, the Boardwalk has three play areas with slides, splashers and dumping buckets. For the older crowd, there’s a lazy river, bigger water slides, and a splashdown ride. The Boardwalk is only open for the summer season and will close on Labor Day.

We recommend heading straight to the Boardwalk when the park opens. You’ll be able to experience the majority of attractions within this section in a couple of hours. Once it hits midday, it gets very crowded and the lines increase exponentially. Bathing suits are only allowed in the Boardwalk area of the park. So even if you are heading straight to the water park, you must wear a cover-up or clothing over you swimsuit on the way.

If you like shows, then Hershey Park has a pretty good selection of them, including a dueling piano show, a wild west show and an oldies show starring Patty and the Peppermints, an all girl band. Don’t you feel like throwing up your fist and yelling, Girl Power? Well, maybe it is just us. There is also roaming entertainment in the park, if you don’t feel like sitting down in a theater.

Good to Know About Hershey Park

There are a lot of food options in the park, from pizza and chicken strips to barbecue ribs and turkey legs, to please those discerning kiddie palates. We recommend buying a Hershey Park Meal Ticket for $13.75. It allows you to choose set menu items from 20 different eateries in the park and comes with a souvenir cup; refills of the souvenir cup are only 99₵ in the park or at the Hershey Lodge or The Hershey Hotel.

One day definitely wasn’t enough to experience everything there was to do at Hershey Park. We recommend getting at least a 2-day flex ticket. Single day admission costs $57.95 for adults and $36.95 for kids 3-8 and a 2-day flex ticket costs $76 for adults and $58 for kids.

Hershey’s Chocolate World

Right next door to Hershey Park, you’ll find Hershey’s Chocolate World (251 Park Boulevard, Hershey, Pa), which, go figure, is all about chocolate. You can learn about it, try it, create it and even package it here.

Insider Tip: A lot of the attractions at Hershey’s Chocolate World are not stroller friendly, so we recommend bringing the baby carrier.

To start, take the Great American Chocolate Tour, which is a free ride showing how chocolate is made. The ride is informational, but at a level that kids can understand and singing cows are thrown in to keep them entertained. After the ride, take in the Hershey’s Great Chocolate Factory Mystery in 4D. Kids can help solve the mystery and save chocolate. Was there ever a more worthwhile challenge?

Next, get creative at the Create Your Own Candy Bar ($14.95 per person). Enter an assembly line area where you’ll done a hair net and apron to create your own Hershey’s Bar from the kind of chocolate and fillings to the label. At the end of the process, your chocolate bar is given to you in a keepsake tin.

At the Dessert Creation Studio, choose a cupcake, cookie or ice cream to decorate with items from the toppings bar. Every Hershey’s product imaginable is available including Symphony Bars, Reese’s Pieces and Rainbow Twizzlers, plus different flavors of icing to put on your cupcake or cookie. While waiting for the canvases for their future masterpieces to come out, kids can paint with edible paint, or eat it if they so desire. The prices at the Dessert Creation Studio vary depending on what item is chosen.

Other Attractions in Hershey, Pa

The Hershey Story: The Museum on Chocolate Avenue – At the Hershey Story (63 West Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, Pa) learn about Milton S Hershey and how he created Hershey the business and the town. Take a class in the Chocolate Lab and learn about different kinds of chocolate or how to make a chocolate bar or s’mores. Do the Countries of Origin Chocolate Tasting and taste drinking chocolate from 6 different countries. Museum entrance fee and chocolate lab class is $10 for adults and $7.50 for children up to age 12; kids must be a minimum of 4 years old to take a Chocolate Lab class. If staying at Hershey Hotel or Hershey Lodge, you’ll receive a complimentary entrance ticket. Chocolate Tasting is $9.95 per person.

ZooAmerica – ZooAmerica (201 Park Avenue, Hershey, Pa) is a walk through zoo that showcases animals from five regions in North America, including the southern swamplands and Big Sky Country. See alligators, mountain lions, prairie dogs and owls, among other animals. Entrance to ZooAmerica is included free in your Hershey Park ticket. On other days, the cost to enter is $10.50 for adults and $8.50 for kids ages 3 to 8.

Where to Stay

We recommend staying at Hershey Lodge (325 University Drive, Hershey, Pa) because it’s an amazing hotel for kids, with special amenities from check-in to departure. Some of the amenities for kids included: a separate check-in desk for kids where they can sign the log-book and get their own “key” on a lanyard, a mini-golf course and a wii room. Hershey Lodge also has three pools, two indoor and one outdoor, where kids can go swimming. We recommend the one in the back of the lodge by the mini-golf course. It’s less crowded and has a small splash park. In the rooms, kids will love the sheets decorated with Hershey Kisses as well as the Hershey Kisses wallpaper in the bathroom. Chocolate shampoo and conditioner will elevate hair washing from a chore to a fun experience. Kids will also enjoy dining at the Bear’s Den named after the Hershey hockey team. Eat on the “ice” and watch different sports games while dining.

Good to Know About Hershey Lodge

Transportation to and from Hershey Park and Chocolate World is available free of charge from the Lodge. They will ask to see your room key. If you are going to the Spa at The Hotel Hershey or The Hershey Story, transfer buses at the park. Buses run very frequently; there was never a wait longer than 15 minutes between buses.

Complimentary admission to The Hershey Story and to Hershey Gardens is included with your stay. Ask for the tickets when you check-in.

Getting There

To get to Hershey, Pa, you can drive, which takes 3 hours from New York City or take the train, which takes 3.5 hours; Amtrak stops at the Harrisburg Train Station which is only 15 minutes from Hershey. If you’re staying at either Hershey Lodge there’s a shuttle that will pick you up at the train station for a minimal charge by calling 717 533-3311.

Have you taken your family to Hershey, Pa? Tell us about your visit in the comments below.

–Mikaela Walker

Photos courtesy of Hershey PR.