Here are a few more ways to have family fun this week.
Bump it up for family fun, at the Alex and Ani City Center Ice Rink in Providence with its newest attraction: ice bumper cars. These brightly colored beauties are easy to navigate as you slide, glide, bump and spin your way around the rink, with the gentle collisions punctuated by roaring laughter in the crisp winter air. Providence is the third city in the country, first in New England and first outdoor rink to offer this all ages entertainment, so get the clan on board and bump your way to family memories.
Families love bowling – and in Rhode Island, they love Dudek Bowling Lanes in Warren, a family owned and operated duckpin bowling legend in the state where kids’ birthday parties have been held for generations. The business began with 8 lanes in 1938, jumped to 18 a decade later and today is a state-of-the-art fun center with automatic scoring, a snack bar, arcade games - and of course one of the best duckpin alleys in the state. How much do they love bowling here? The Dudek Junior Bowling Team won the 2015 Nationals!
Love animals? One long-time favorite to check them out in exotic style in Rhode Island is the Roger Williams Park Zoo, which was founded in 1872 and is one of the country’s oldest. It’s set amid a beautiful, 40-acre park setting where families delight in seeing animals from the world over, in naturalistic surroundings home to more than 100 species of animals – some more than a million years old – including a Komodo dragon, zebras, red pandas, African elephants, Masai giraffes, snow leopards, bears, anteater, flamingos, sloths and much, much more.
Kids of all ages can feed the giraffes and harbor seals as well as a variety of farmyard critters. New is the Explore and Soar area, with a train excursion through the woodlands, as well as camel rides. And if you go, wish a happy birthday to Paul, a Matschie tree kangaroo who turned 23 in January – and is now the oldest of his species in the country!
Local tip: On your way in or out, do what families have done for generations: Take photos of the kids astride an iconic, life-sized bronze dog statue at the park entrance, a lovely way to document your day at the zoo.
