twincitiesmom.com - Your Minneapolis - St. Paul family resources, parenting resources, community support, local activities for kids, parenting articles, twin cities activities, twin cities events, and much more.




Please visit our BUSINESS DIRECTORY to find out about our great sponsors that make twincitiesmom.com a free resource for you.

An Explanation of May Day - May 1

May Day began as a Spring festival long ago. People gathered together on the first day of May to celebrate the coming of Summer. There are a lot of different customs that have been a part of May Day festivities.

Some people would gather flowers and put them by their doors and windows to keep out troublesome fairies.Some people would put out their old hearth fires and gather with the people in their village to start a new fire to take home.Cutting down a tree and putting up a Maypole in the middle of a village is another popular custom. Ribbons are attached to the tree and are woven together by dancers. One more popular custom is filling May Baskets with flowers and other goodies to give to friends and loved ones.Some people still celebrate the pagan festival of Beltaine on the first of May. Many of the old customs are part of this celebration.

• May Day Crafts

A Little Bit About Cinco De Mayo - May 4-6

Cinco De Mayo is celebrated on the fifth day of May. It is a commemoration of the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. This battle became a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism.

Today Cinco De Mayo is celebrated with parades, mariachi music, dancing, and feasting.

• History of Cinco de Mayo
• History of Hispanic/Latinos in Minnesota
• Cinco de Mayo Craft Ideas
• Fabulous Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Things to do on Mother's Day - May 11

Mother’s Day is May 11, 2008. Discover ideas for crafty gifts kids can make and find great Mother’s Day brunch recipes and other activities the whole family can enjoy on Mom’s special day. So celebrate mom! There's lots to keep you busy together.

Bond
Spend some time with mom in a unique way. Join the Tea Party at the Park at Nokomis Recreation Center. Enjoy a special Mother’s Day tea featuring fabulous food and a visit with Minnesota’s first First Lady, Sarah Sibley. Learn about motherhood in the Victorian era during a tour at Alexander Ramsey House in St. Paul. See how roles have changed since the 1880s and '90s. Learn together with hands-on exhibits at the Science Museum of Minnesota, where mom gets in free on Mother's Day. Enjoy a free Mother's Day Concert by the St. Paul Civic Symphony at the Landmark Center.

Relax
A spa trip is a great way to unwind and pamper mom with something special that she wouldn't normally do for herself. Make an appointment just for mom, or go along and spend the day getting pampered together.

Discover
See the city from a new perspective when you take a tour on a cruise. Take a brunch or dinner cruise on Lake Minnetonka aboard Al & Alma's. The new Minneapolis Queen offers an historic look at downtown Minneapolis' riverfront, with a narrated Sightseeing and Lock Cruise on Sundays. Learn about the vital role women played at Historic Fort Snelling. Visit with costumed characters portraying officers wives, and enjoy the historic Fort Snelling, recently re-opened for the year. Enjoy the Mother's Day Train on the The Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway which is running a special Mother's Day brunch train through the beautiful Wisconsin countryside

Make a difference
Participate in the Komen Twin Cities Race for a Cure at Mall of America. Spend time together while supporting a worthwhile cause; take part in a race or walk with friends and family to help raise money for breast cancer.

Go Fishing
Take A Mom Fishing Weekend - May 10-11: Minnesota resident moms fish free.

How to "Take a Kid Fishing"? - Minnesota Fishing Opener - May 10

The biggest thing to know about taking a kid fishing is that it is about spending quality time together. Try to avoid putting pressure on yourself or the kid by expecting to catch lots of fish or especially big fish—remember they call it fishing, not catching, for a reason. Fishing provides a great time to find out what the child is interested in and just talk. But if the subject shifts to fishing, talk about the history of fishing, what fish need to survive and how important clean water and healthy habitats are to fish and people. These discussions can lead to fun expectations, but fulfillment isn’t always instantaneous, so patience is the key for both you and the kid.

The Fishing Tree is a program
allowing children & adults the
opportunity to enjoy fishing
and the great outdoors.

Click here to see this website.

• Great Fish Recipes

Gardening At Every Age

My experience is that kids take to gardens in different ways depending on their ages, temperaments and, yes, even gender. Of course, children develop at different rates; this is no abbreviated horticultural version of the popular child-raising series "What to Expect...When You're Expecting... The First Year," etc. But a trowelful of guidance goes a long way to matching the child with the gardening activity.

• Read More

Click here to
submit your photo.

If the kids turn up their noses at fruits and vegetables, you may be surprised to find that all you need to do is present the same foods in a different way and suddenly they won't be able to get enough produce. Kids love anything they can dip! A baggie full of carrot and celery sticks, cucumber and bell pepper slices, sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes will disappear like magic if there's a tub of dip to go with them.

• Dip Recipes

Contact Webmaster for Updates or Changes to the Twincitiesmom Website.

[back to top]