How did we get to July already. I feel like the year just started and we are halfway through it. Added to that it is summer {In the City}. I chose the theme this month. There is so much going on that I asked the blog contributors to head out into their city, town, neighborhood and share what catches their attention.

For me it was what I could do with our toddler on a Friday in South Florida. Turns out there is quite a bit.

First up is the county run natural environmental complex / nature center. I thought I would take Luka along to see the fish. We are learning about fish through puzzles, books and small toys, and for that matter stuffed toys. He is slowly learning their names and has quite a collection going on. The turtles are his favorite and I loved that he got to see some of them. Gumbo Limbo is on the A1A in Boca Raton and it is a fun experience for children of all ages.

Another favorite is Lion Country Safari out in Loxahatchee. Now I have to confess, I have lived in the USA for around 20 years and we have never visited Lion Country Safari, because I have spent many a visit in real game parks in South Africa and I felt that seeing animals in closed environments may not sit well with me. I will say I was pleasantly surprised. We encountered some impatient people who were irritated at those blocking the driveway, but overall everyone seemed to be happy to hang out and look at the animals

For Luka, this was the opportunity to see wild animals. We have a zoo animal book that incorporates a lot of wild animals and he has learned the names of so many of them. We had the opportunity to book an unlimited summer entrance pass, which has really been used for the splash pools more than the actual safari rides.

We did get to see some interesting animals and his favorite going through the park was the zebra. Some of the animals were quite friendly and keen to look in the window. An ostrich went up to every car and pecked on the window. I guess some people leave food on the front of their car.

Of course feeding the giraffe was a treat and Luka was super excited about that. But there is a cost for the 3 leaves of lettuce so one round of feeding the giraffe and we were done. How cool is it that the giraffe has a black tongue.

What keeps us going back is the two swimming areas. For the toddlers there is the splash pads which the younger kids love. Beyond that is the collection of slides. Smaller for the toddlers and bigger for the slightly older kids. On top of the framework is a large bucket that slowly fills up with water until it tips over and splashes every one. The pool area is what has drawn us back over the summer. In case you are wondering, there is more than enough life guards keeping watch over the pool area and slowing the running kids down.

We had plans for Luka but decided to combine it with the Norton museum in West Palm Beach. Luka did not get the concept of being quiet in the museum so we had to plug the pacifier in. It was a first time visit to the Norton Museum and I thoroughly enjoyed walking through it.

And then it was on to Luka’s fun. Not far from the museum is the Cox Science Museum and Aquarium just off Southern Blvd. Well there is a small area for the aquarium which Luka did enjoy. Then we moved on to the ball area. It reminded me of one of the challenges on Survivor where they had multiple balls on a tracking system and could not drop them. On this particular day the museum was crowded and one little boy loved to catch all the balls. We eventually moved to a different area but quickly discovered that Luka loved the tracks where the balls were rolling along and he could run along with them.

Another really fun outing is to head over to The Girls in Delray Beach. I had seen an advertisement for a farm animal adventure. When we arrived I was confused as to where the place was. You have to walk through a restaurant to the back and beyond the double doors is the farm animal adventure. For little kids and even slightly older kids this was a great deal of fun. Birds, goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, rabbits, a few reptiles, donkeys, some pony’s and geese to name a few. This really worked well with our farm book, puzzles and farm animals. As you know I have built Luka a farm to play with but when it is real, it is super fun.

Added to that they have a train ride through the back area. It’s not long but for our little guy it was a blast. He is getting to experience new things and we are loving how excited he gets.

And of course, there is the Palm Beach Zoo, just off Southern Blvd. We have annual passes for the zoo, and we generally start out at the splash pad for a while before walking the zoo. There is also a great restaurant where you can stop down and cool off before walking some more. The zoo offers a great variety of wild animals and we have been there a number of times this year.

Talking zoo’s, Friday we are off to the Miami Zoo. It’s been a while since I was last there but I remember it being one of the best zoo’s I had visited. It is big, lots of walking and a monorail to get back to the entrance from the furthest point.

I did not mention that the Lion Country Safari unlimited summer pass also came with free entrance to the Cox Science museum, the Miami Zoo and the Gator Farm. So I am sure at some point we will be visiting the Gator Farm.

One more biggie for our summer of exploration. We are taking the little guy off to Magic Kingdom the home of all things Disney. I’m not sure what that is going to be like with lines of people and hot days. The combination is not that appealing but watching him have fun totally is.

So happy summer exploring to you all. I hope that you get to get out and see something new. Having a toddler with you really helps the adults to enjoy it all as well.

This is a circle blog and as I mentioned, we have some very talented artists in the group. Take some time to follow the links and see what they have for you this month. My incredibly talented friend Janet of @wiredtothemoon_ is up next. I can’t wait to see what she has to share. You can see more of her work by clicking on her Instagram page.

Until next time, stay well.