A Modern Mom's Guide to Family Memberships

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Ever feel as if you spend all of your activity money on your children?

What if you could maximize your budget by investing in things that both you and the kids would enjoy? I've found that limiting memberships to facilities that service the whole family is a great way to spend time together and get that much needed time apart.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden

We initially purchased this family membership on date night. For what we'd spend on admission in two visits, we figured why not buy a membership the whole family could enjoy. The garden offers adult and children's classes, wonderful story times throughout the week, and a children's garden full of frogs, butterflies, bees and other fun things to discover. Just a couple of months ago my then 2-year-old remarked, "Mommy it's beautiful that someone built a beautiful garden for me to enjoy!" As you can imagine, this membership is one of my favorites. Take a look at the garden's holiday events calendar at http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/.

The Fernbank Museum

Any place that gives me chocolate is on my hot list! In addition to the recent Chocolate exhibit, the museum boasts an IMAX theatre and gigantean dinosaurs. I'd attended the martinis and IMAX night before becoming a mommy and figured with the specialty exhibits they have it'd be a great investment in a young mind. They offer young explorer classes, story telling, hiking field trips, summer camps, and wine tasting classes - the full spectrum of family learning. Additional information can be seen at http://www.fernbank.edu

The High Museum

Have a budding artist at home? The museum offers Toddler Thursdays and weekend family studio programs. Need ideas for date night? The Friday Jazz series is a popular event every third Friday of the month that incorporates music and art. Films at the High offers a smorgasbord of cultural exploration. Don?t miss their upcoming movie marathon on Friday, November 24 during Go All Night. Find additional information on the High online at http://www.high.org.

The YMCA

The family that plays together stays together! The local YMCA provides free childcare while you workout. This, unlike my pre-pregnancy corporate gym that didn't allow children at all, is a welcome change for many moms. The Y also offers prenatal yoga, mom and tots aerobics, and youth sports leagues. My daughter and I swim together weekly at the Y, we held her first birthday party there and if I need a night out (or she needs a night away from me) they offer Fun Fridays where children as young as 2 can enjoy swimming, gym games, movies, food, arts & crafts. To learn more about your local YMCA programs go to http://www.ymcaatlanta.org/.

I hope you will take a closer look at these and other facilities that cater to the whole family. A small investment of $60 - $100 annually in any of these memberships yields timeless family memories, something to truly be grateful for.