M.A.M.A.s Take on the parade!

This past Saturday, we went to our city's annual tortchlight parade. Last year I did not attempt to do this for a few reasons; I was pregnant, the parade runs until 11 pm, and the walk to the streets is long. This year, I decided to face my fears when my assistant organizer decided to post it for an event. I suppose it also helps that my husband was marching in the parade again this year (The first year we were in spokane he also marched in it.).

Thankfully another assistant's wonderful mother had the nerve to save spaces for us from early in the morning. With space saved there was no worrying over the kids getting bored too early. Just in case, I headed over to the dollar store beforehand to stock up on entertainment. Here is what I bought:

Glow sticks (to avoid the "Mommy I wants" on the mobile vendors)
Box of jumbo crayons
Activity coloring book
Stickers booklet
Snacks (okay; these were from walmart)

I also brought sunscreen, but thankfully we didn't need it.

I had unbelievable luck. The parade started at 7 :45 pm and my kid's bed time is 8:30 pm. Being the drive took 20 minutes, the parade does not end until 11pm, I knew the kids would miss bedtime. Lucky me, my middle child did not go to bed on time for nap, and slept from 5 pm to 6pm instead.

Boredom fighters worked like a charm. When the parade came, the kids had used everything, at least once. I was pleasantly surprised that my 2 yr old watched it. It made caring for my baby easier. Both the girls got dirty, but what can you expect?

So here is a local town idea you can use as an event for playgroups. You can check with parks and rec or city hall for any annual parades. Also check with your schools and universities. My high school has a homecoming parade every year.  Most parades are free to watch, and don't have to be costly otherwise.  I only spent $17 and actually didn't use all the glo sticks.