Baton Rouge Family Fun

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Tiany made her way to Baton Rouge over 25 years ago after meeting her husband, Baton Rouge native Jazz drummer, Troy Davis, in Paris, France.

She has over 15 years of experience blogging, microblogging, managing social media, and building online communities.

One of her greatest passions is supporting families where they live and love – locally! Oh, and she homeschools four boys.

Bluebonnet Swamp 25th Birthday Party

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Everyone is invited to join Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center for their birthday bash – 25 years of connecting people to nature! To celebrate this milestone, they are inviting bakers of all skill levels to participate in a birthday bake-off.

Sweet treats of all shapes and styles with a nature-inspired theme will be judged on appearance and taste.

Bluebonnet Swamp

Bluebonnet Swamp Birthday Party

Admission fees will be dropped for the day! Guests will get to participate in live animal encounters, crafts, games, and birthday cake – while it lasts!

Event: Swamp Birthday
Date: May 21
Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center

Theme: Celebrating Louisiana Nature

In commemoration of Bluebonnet Swamp’s 25th Birthday, BREC is hosting a BAKE OFF. Cookies, cakes, brownies, and pies – all sweet treats and elaborately decorated creations are welcome.

The theme for this competition will be Celebrating Louisiana Nature to show off how you interpret the natural beauty around us.

Learn more and register to enter the bake off: https://www.brec.org/index.cfm/form/home/194

 

Baton Rouge Bike Festival – BREC Park

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Are you bananas for bicycles? Join BREC for the first inaugural Baton Rouge Bike Festival. Come enjoy velodrome demonstrations, free rides on BREC’s BMX track, BMX skate park competition, and guided bicycle rides along the Pennington Trail.Baton Rouge Bike Festival

This event will feature many bike-related organizations throughout East Baton Rouge Parish, and aims to support two-wheeled locomotion and a love for all things bicycling. It’ll be wheely fun! 😉

Event: BR Bike Fest
Date: April 9
Time: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Location: Perkins Road Community Park
7122 Perkins Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Geaux Fish Catfish Rodeo

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Grab your fishing pole and head out with the family to GEAUX Fish! BREC’s Geaux Fish Catfish Rodeo is an excellent opportunity to introduce new anglers to the sport of fishing or for the old veteran to test their skills.

Geaux Fish Catfish Rodeo

They will be stocking the pond with adult channel catfish to ensure you have plenty to catch and prizes galore. Don’t miss this chance to bring home channel catfish for dinner and spend the day outside with the family. This event is weather-dependent. Early registration is encouraged to guarantee a spot.

Geaux Fish Catfish Rodeo

Date: March 5
Time: 7:30 a.m. – noon
Location: Howell Community Park

Prizes will be awarded based on age group, number of fish caught, and size of fish. Open to all ages and skill levels.

Fishing equipment is not provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their rod and reel, bait, and an ice chest to easily store and transport their fish.

Participants 16 and older are required by state law to have a Basic Fishing License to fish recreationally in Louisiana waters., which can be purchased at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

For More Information: 225-218-4979
conservation@brec.org

Family Friendly Mardi Gras

BREC Art – Saturday Morning Studio

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Saturday mornings are full of artsy fun. This spring Saturday Morning Studio is meeting new cultures, seeing America, visiting Europe, and writing poetry! Each month BREC Art will treat students to a new art experience with history and an emphasis on culture and fun!

BREC Art

BREC Art  – Saturday Morning Studio

WHERE: Milton J. Womack Park
WHEN: 10:30 a.m.-noon

Feb. 19 – Hometown America
Following the wonderful work of Mattie Lou O’Kelley (1908-1997) students will draw and paint a primitive art landscape.

March 19 – Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein urged his readers to catch the moon or invite a dinosaur to dinner—to have FUN! In this class students will hear and discuss Mr. Silverstein’s work and then write a few, fun, imaginative poems of their own!

April 9 – Gnome Home
Inspired by German garden statues, students will love using their imaginations to create a toadstool home that is perfect for a little gnome. Flap door and gnome included!

May 14 – Fish and Chips (rescheduled from original date in January)
Join us chaps for a morning of Fish and Chips! Students will use mixed media to create a fun take on the British favorite. Cheerio!

Ages:8-12

Cost

$10/class per EBR resident; $12/non-EBR resident

For More Information

225-281-9509
Robin.mcandrew@brec.org

Register Here

Mardi Gras Activity Book – Free Printable – Baton Rouge Family Fun

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Our Mardi Gras Activity Book has every element that makes Mardi Gras fun: trumpets, music, drums, jester hats, king cake, confetti, masks, and more! These 16 worksheets will help preschoolers, kindergarteners, and beyond develop early learning skills with ABCs, numbers, shapes, fine motor skills, handwriting, educational games, and more.

Mardi Gras Activity Book

Mardi Gras Activity Book

Mardi Gras Activity Book – What’s included:

16 Pages

  • Flashcards / Memory Game
  • Mardi Gras, I  Spy
  • Trace the Letters
  • Trace the Numbers
  • Mardi Gras King Maze Game
  • Match the shapes
  • Count and Trace
  • Mardi Gras Words
  • Cutting Practice
  • Trace the Lines
  • Trace the shapes
  • Which is Bigger

Get instant access to our Free Mardi Gras Activity Book Printable – 16 pages of Mardi Gras Fun! 

Mardi Gras History & Facts

What Is Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday that’s celebrated the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the day that begins the Christian season called Lent. During this season, which lasts until Easter Sunday, Christians are supposed to give up bad habits or fast from certain foods. Mardi Gras literally means ‘Fat Tuesday’ in French. It is a day (and night) to live it up and enjoy one last day of fun before the discipline of Lent.

History

Originally celebrated in medieval Europe, particularly Italy and France, Mardi Gras was declared a legal holiday in Louisiana in 1875. The first record of a Mardi Gras celebration in the United States is from the early 1700s. Celebrations took place in New Orleans and were more like fancy balls or dances. The carnival atmosphere did not occur until later in the 1700s. The first parades began in the 1800s, and the parade king became a regular symbol of the festivities.

Symbols & Colors

There are many famous symbols that represent this exciting holiday. Many people enjoy a king cake, a sugary dessert that has a plastic baby baked inside. According to tradition, the person who gets the piece of cake with the baby inside will have good luck and prosperity.

The beads in Mardi Gras necklaces are often made in the official Mardi Gras colors of gold, representing power; purple symbolizes justice; and green, which represents faith. You may see people wearing masks in these colors as well.

Why is Early Learning important?

Simply put, a child’s early years lay the foundation for all that is to come. In recent years, researchers have learned that the human brain develops the vast majority of its neurons and is most receptive to learning between birth and three years of age. In fact, the intake of new information is critical to the formation of active neural pathways (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000).

Early education can play a critical role during this important developmental period. Research linking early intervention to both cognitive and socio-emotional gains has fueled the proliferation of early childhood programs since the early part of the twentieth century. The last four decades, in particular, have produced many new practices and principles for use with young children. 

Source: study.com

Check out our full Mardi Gras Guide for more Mardi Gras Family Fun, King Cake Guides, and more!

Family Friendly Mardi Gras

BREC’s 75th Birthday Celebration – Cancelled

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***** This event has been canceled. We will update this page when a new date has been announced.

 

Celebrate 75 years of making East Baton Rouge Parish a better place to play, discover, and grow with BREC! Join us for an evening of family fun and entertainment at BREC’s 75th Birthday Celebration! The festivities take place this Saturday, December 18 from 6-8:30 p.m. at Independence Community Park!

BREC's 75th Birthday Celebration

BREC’s 75th Birthday Celebration

BREC’s 75th Birthday Celebration will feature sparkling holiday lights, snow, magicians, face painting, and a host of activities that the entire family will enjoy, including live music, giveaways, free food sponsored by the BREC Foundation and a Fireworks Finale sponsored by Coca-Cola!

For more information on BREC’s 75th Birthday Celebration visit https://www.brec.org/index.cfm/event/75th-birthday

WHAT: BREC’s 75th Birthday Celebration

  • Sparkling Holiday Lights
  • Live music
  • Free Food
  • Snow
  • Zoo mobile
  • Face painting
  • Magicians
  • Jugglers
  • FIREWORKS FINALE

WHEN: Saturday, December 18 from 6-8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Independence Community Park

About BREC

BREC is the agency that connects people to parks and nature in East Baton Rouge Parish with a system that has more than 170 parks including a unique mix of facilities, which mirror the history and rich natural resources in south Louisiana.

This includes a state-of-the-art observatory, swamp nature center located in the urban core, equestrian park, Zoo, performing arts theatre, arboretum, botanical garden. As well as a water park with the only surfing simulator in the state, golf courses throughout the parish and an expansive 30,000-foot concrete extreme sports park.

Throughout its history, BREC has taken seriously its responsibility to improve the health, safety, environment and quality of life for all citizens.

Since 2004, BREC has constructed community parks, dog parks, a family-sized Aquatics Center, a growing trails system, fishing ponds, larger playgrounds and procured two mobile recreation units to serve play deserts in the area.

Looking for more festive family fun? Find more a plethora of holiday events to enjoy this season in our 2021 CHRISTMAS EVENTS IN BATON ROUGE: {GUIDE TO THE HOLIDAYS}.

Disclosure: This is a “sponsored post.” The company that sponsored it compensated BRM via a cash payment, gift, or giveaway. Opinions expressed herein are that of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of the sponsor.

Ice Skating on the River – Baton Rouge Family Fun

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The Raising Cane’s River Center will once again magically transform into a “Winter Wonderland” just in time for you to create your holiday memories. Ice Skating on the River is an annual holiday tradition that will kick off on Friday, December 17, 2021.

A fun-filled holiday event for all ages, Ice Skating on the River will have 75-minute sessions nearly every day from December 17, 2021, until January 3, 2022. Tickets will be on sale for $12-$14 per person with special group packages for parties over ten people.

Skating lessons for beginners covering basic skating skills will be available from 9:00 AM until 9:45 AM on December 18, 19, 24, 26, and 31.

Ice Skating on the River

The lesson is a 20-minute Instructor-led class with the remaining time devoted to practicing skills taught. Skating lesson costs are $20 for one lesson, $50 for three lessons, or $75 for five lessons. To get additional information, please email rivercenterskatinglessons@gmail.com.

What better way to celebrate the holiday season than with Ice Skating on the River? Please join us for a skating session and create winter memories that will last a lifetime.

Tickets will be available online at www.Ticketmaster.com or at the River Center Box Office on River Road soon. For more information, please contact the Raising Cane’s River Center at 225-389-3030.

Ice Skating on the River

WHEN: Friday, December 17, 2021 – Monday, January 3, 2022

SESSION TIMES*: 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: Raising Cane’s River Center Arena, 275 S River Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70802

ADMISSION: $12-14

*Session times some days may vary.

GIVEAWAY

We’ve partnered with the River Center to host a giveaway for a family 4-pack for Ice Skating on the River and a Three pack of Skating Lessons! Simply enter via our Rafflecopter Giveaway widget below with more entry options on our Facebook and Instagram pages!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Looking for more festive family fun? Find more a plethora of holiday events to enjoy this season in our 2021 CHRISTMAS EVENTS IN BATON ROUGE: {GUIDE TO THE HOLIDAYS}.

Disclosure: This is a “sponsored post.” The company that sponsored it compensated BRM via a cash payment, gift, or giveaway. Opinions expressed herein are that of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of the sponsor.

225 GIVES – Giving Tuesday – CASA Toy Drive

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Today is Giving Tuesday #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that brings people together around the values of service and giving back to others, the perfect time to bring back our Baton Rouge Gives Back series where we highlight local nonprofits. Our local Giving Tuesday effort, 225 Gives, highlights local nonprofit organizations that uplift and strengthen our community. We will highlight some of the organizations taking part in this year’s “225 Gives” on our social media platforms throughout the day. You can also go to 225gives.org to learn more about the participating organizations!

225 GIVES

This holiday season and throughout the year, we can make a difference right here at home by giving and volunteering our time.  There are over 100 nonprofit organizations to support in the Baton Rouge area. Make it a family effort, go through the list of organizations, and ask the kids who they would like to support and why. There is no better way to teach our children that we value our community and our neighbors than by giving back as a family.

225 GIVES

One organization in particular that we are supporting this year and every year is CASA with their annual CASA Toy Drive. Capital Area CASA accepts donations from the community so that volunteers can select gifts for their CASA children to open during the holidays.

What is CASA?

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Capital Area CASA Association serves East Baton Rouge Parish and trains volunteers to advocate for these children. Children need to do more than survive;  they need to thrive in the safety and love of a family. CASA volunteers do not provide legal representation, nor do they replace social workers. A CASA volunteer is an independent voice speaking solely for the best interests of the child with the ultimate goal being a safe, permanent home.

CASA volunteers get to know the child and talk with everyone involved in the child’s life to gather facts about the child’s history and current situation. Using this information, the volunteer submits recommendations in a report to the juvenile court judge.

Since most CASA recommendations are accepted by the court, children with CASA volunteers are more likely to find permanent homes and spend less time in foster care. CASA volunteers also ensure that children’s needs are being met while in state custody.

Abused and neglected children will spend this holiday season living in foster care, rather than in a safe and permanent home with a family of their own. This holiday season, you can help bring a smile to a child served by Capital Area CASA Association by donating a new and unwrapped item. Please deliver to the CASA  office at 848 Louisiana Avenue by Friday, December 3, 2021. Contact Sarah Tranchina at (225) 379-8598 or email stranchina@casabr.org for more information.

Collectively, we can strive to make a difference in the lives of those in need; our efforts will, in turn, help create a stronger, healthier Baton Rouge for all! So join your neighbors today and become part of a growing tradition of helping and giving. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to learn more about this year’s 225 Gives Baton Rouge participants!

Baton Rouge Family Fun Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt

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One of our favorite family traditions is taking an evening car ride in search of the best Christmas Lights in Baton Rouge. From the houses with thousands of synchronized dancing lights to the simple and elegant, we appreciate the time it takes to share the beauty of their Christmas lights with the community. As you are driving around looking at Christmas Lights, add some more fun with a Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt!  You can add your own ideas to the list, too!

Find our giant list of Amazing Christmas Lights in Baton Rouge & Beyond here!

Baton Rouge Family Fun Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt

Click on the image below for a FREE printable to take with you on your next adventure!

Christmas & Holiday Events in Baton Rouge & Beyond

Creole Christmas + Holiday Fair

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Are you looking for things to do in Baton Rouge this weekend? Looking to get into the holiday spirit? BREC’s Magnolia Mound Plantation‘s Annual Creole Christmas and Holiday Fair is the perfect way to kick off the Christmas season! This is one of our favorite Christmas traditions; it’s a perfect mixture of Christmas cheer, education, and supporting local makers – there is something for every member of the family to enjoy.

Bundle up the family and join us Sunday, November 28th, from 12-5 at  BREC’s Magnolia Mound Plantation to celebrate Christmas with French Creole traditions.

Creole Christmas + Holiday Fair

Magnolia Mound’s popular annual holiday event returns this year. Enjoy the first sounds of the holidays on the historic grounds of Magnolia Mound. Local artisans, musical performances, and traditional craft demonstrations. Be sure to visit the gift shop in the Turner Family Visitor Center for special gift items for family and friends. Friends of Magnolia Mound receive 20% off any item in the gift shop. Admission to Creole Christmas is FREE.

Creole Christmas + Holiday Fair

WHERE: Magnolia Mound 2161 Nicholson Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70802
WHEN: Sunday, Nov 28, 2021 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
ADMISSION: FREE