Ever wondered what Pune has to offer to kids? I did! When I 1st moved here with my infant about a year back from Houston! Since then I have discovered tons of stuff you can do with kids here!
As long as they love the outdoors - and I don't know a single kid who does not!
Go hiking...
Law College Hill (Tekdi as Puneites call it) bang in the center of the city! Accessible from law college road, Kanchan Galli (lane next to Barista), its a 10-15 minute leisurely climb to the top of the tekdi.
We put our baby in the sling and he loved it! You can always do one of the trails on top if you want a longer hike. And what a great way to lose the Mommy weight!!!!
If you are not up to climbing it yet, drive up from ARAI road. There are multiple trails you can do on top. A couple are even stroller friendly (as long as you use a slightly sturdy stroller).
Now that our baby is a toddler, we do a few trails, let him run around on them (we have even come across peacocks from time to time) and then we find a nice empty spot and let him do his favorite thing -play in the mud and collect rocks! He absolutely loves it. It is by far his favorite place in Pune!
Have a picnic...
Want to do a picnic away from all the hustle bustle of Pune? You won't have to go too far! Just go to the zoo!
Its more like a safari than a zoo really. The animals are not in cages but in huge moats. Their natural habitat has been recreated for them so you don't have to stare through a grill to spot them.
Its covered in trees and has tons of places to spread your blanket and do a little picnic.
The kids will love the tigers (especially the white tiger), but there are loads of other attractions - deer, bear, porcupine, bison, alligator, turtles, snakes, leopards etc.
Make sure you have your walking shoes on as it is a long walk inside the zoo. It is entirely stroller friendly though : -).
It opens at 9h30 AM and remains open till 7PM. It would take you at least an hour to see the main attractions! And you could easily spend half a day there.
Although I did not have to use the restrooms, I hear they are clean (don't expect the Ritz).
They do not sell any food or drinks inside, so please carry your own stuff.
There is a parking lot on the main road just before the zoo! Its not stroller friendly though.So its better if you get off with the child at the entrance and let someone else worry about parking!
Have a great time!!!!
Take them to a park/play area..
Poona Club has a great play area. They have different sections per age group and all the play gyms are per age/ height etc.
For the toddler section, they have a soft tarp on the ground making it very safe if your child slips or has a tumble!
They have the nice swings in which you can strap your child in, a little slide and a small rocking horse. Our kid loved it!
Very Stroller friendly!
Tip: Do carry bug repellent/ mosquito patches with you
Sambhaji Park has a nice play area, lot of gardens to run around in and a small puny aquarium.
If your child is 2, the aquarium is not a bad place to take him. It takes under 5 minutes to show him the fish and then he can run around in the park. Entry is free for kids and 2 Rs/- for adults!
The park is stroller friendly. Aquarium does not allow you to take your stroller inside, but its small enough to carry your child. They let you keep your stroller by the door and keep an eye on it for you!
Chittaranjan Vatika
Full of trees, covered in shade (great park to take your kids to even in the midst of summer).
It has something for all ages, that's why we love this place. Our kid loves to play on the merry-go-round and in the sand pit. I love the fact that there are no hawkers here - so no one dirtying the place with bhel etc. It is really a park just for kids to play in!
The park has a nice path that you can take the stroller on too!
Tip: Parking is very difficult to find. Find a friend to go with :-)
If its raining..
take them to Kids Ahoy in E-Square
They have a more complicated play area, but your kid will love it! Ladders, slides that land in a pool of bright colored balls, trampoline et all. They have helpers to bring your kid down slides if he can't make it down on his own.
They also have a separate section for even younger kids (blocks, toys, for crawlers etc.)
You have to carry a pair of socks for yourself and kids. No bare feet allowed.
Tip: Supervision required for kids under the age of 3 in some sections. You have to climb down by the stairs, the elevator only takes you up (so best to leave your strollers/ car seats in the car).
Phoenix market city mall..
Extremely stroller friendly (they have elevators and travelators everywhere).
They have a food court, with a play area, and nice shops!
On weekends, they have special activities going on for kids! You could easily spend a day here!!
Initiation to history.. Pataleshwar Caves
*not stroller friendly. We took our baby in a sling.
Its very peaceful though and never crowded. Making it a great initiation to history! Bang in the center of the city, parking can be a problem. Do take a friend with you, so he can let you off by the entrance.
More stuff to do coming up....
As long as they love the outdoors - and I don't know a single kid who does not!
Go hiking...
 |
| Collecting stones along the trail on top |
Law College Hill (Tekdi as Puneites call it) bang in the center of the city! Accessible from law college road, Kanchan Galli (lane next to Barista), its a 10-15 minute leisurely climb to the top of the tekdi.
We put our baby in the sling and he loved it! You can always do one of the trails on top if you want a longer hike. And what a great way to lose the Mommy weight!!!!
If you are not up to climbing it yet, drive up from ARAI road. There are multiple trails you can do on top. A couple are even stroller friendly (as long as you use a slightly sturdy stroller).
Now that our baby is a toddler, we do a few trails, let him run around on them (we have even come across peacocks from time to time) and then we find a nice empty spot and let him do his favorite thing -play in the mud and collect rocks! He absolutely loves it. It is by far his favorite place in Pune!
 |
| Beautiful skies at law college tekdi |
Have a picnic...
Want to do a picnic away from all the hustle bustle of Pune? You won't have to go too far! Just go to the zoo!
 |
| In the kiddie cave at the zoo |
Its covered in trees and has tons of places to spread your blanket and do a little picnic.
The kids will love the tigers (especially the white tiger), but there are loads of other attractions - deer, bear, porcupine, bison, alligator, turtles, snakes, leopards etc.
Make sure you have your walking shoes on as it is a long walk inside the zoo. It is entirely stroller friendly though : -).
It opens at 9h30 AM and remains open till 7PM. It would take you at least an hour to see the main attractions! And you could easily spend half a day there.
Although I did not have to use the restrooms, I hear they are clean (don't expect the Ritz).
They do not sell any food or drinks inside, so please carry your own stuff.
There is a parking lot on the main road just before the zoo! Its not stroller friendly though.So its better if you get off with the child at the entrance and let someone else worry about parking!
Have a great time!!!!
Take them to a park/play area..
Poona Club has a great play area. They have different sections per age group and all the play gyms are per age/ height etc.
For the toddler section, they have a soft tarp on the ground making it very safe if your child slips or has a tumble!
They have the nice swings in which you can strap your child in, a little slide and a small rocking horse. Our kid loved it!
Very Stroller friendly!
Tip: Do carry bug repellent/ mosquito patches with you
Sambhaji Park has a nice play area, lot of gardens to run around in and a small puny aquarium.
If your child is 2, the aquarium is not a bad place to take him. It takes under 5 minutes to show him the fish and then he can run around in the park. Entry is free for kids and 2 Rs/- for adults!
The park is stroller friendly. Aquarium does not allow you to take your stroller inside, but its small enough to carry your child. They let you keep your stroller by the door and keep an eye on it for you!
Chittaranjan Vatika
Full of trees, covered in shade (great park to take your kids to even in the midst of summer).
It has something for all ages, that's why we love this place. Our kid loves to play on the merry-go-round and in the sand pit. I love the fact that there are no hawkers here - so no one dirtying the place with bhel etc. It is really a park just for kids to play in!
The park has a nice path that you can take the stroller on too!
Tip: Parking is very difficult to find. Find a friend to go with :-)
If its raining..
take them to Kids Ahoy in E-Square
They also have a separate section for even younger kids (blocks, toys, for crawlers etc.)
You have to carry a pair of socks for yourself and kids. No bare feet allowed.
Tip: Supervision required for kids under the age of 3 in some sections. You have to climb down by the stairs, the elevator only takes you up (so best to leave your strollers/ car seats in the car).
Phoenix market city mall..
Extremely stroller friendly (they have elevators and travelators everywhere).
They have a food court, with a play area, and nice shops!
On weekends, they have special activities going on for kids! You could easily spend a day here!!
Initiation to history.. Pataleshwar Caves
*not stroller friendly. We took our baby in a sling.
Its very peaceful though and never crowded. Making it a great initiation to history! Bang in the center of the city, parking can be a problem. Do take a friend with you, so he can let you off by the entrance.
More stuff to do coming up....
No comments:
Post a Comment