[Parent-Child Days Summary] Places I'm Really Glad I Took My 2-Year-Old and 0-Year-Old, and Places That Were Honestly Still Too Early

Sorry to bother you again!
It's Basha.

In "Parent-Child Days," where I record our outings together,
I've realized we've been to quite a few places.

This article is a summary of those experiences,
focusing on places I'm really glad I took my 2-year-old and 0-year-old,
as well as places I want to visit again once they are a little older.

I will also introduce limited-time events,
and indoor play areas that were a lifesaver on rainy or hot days.
I hope this serves as a helpful reference for those

planning outings with children of similar ages.

[First, the conclusion!]

It looks like this!
I've summarized it in an illustration.

・Places I'm really glad I visited
・Places I want to visit again when they are a little older
・Limited-time places I'm glad I visited
・Indoor play areas that were a lifesaver on rainy or hot days

This time, I will divide them into these four categories
and honestly summarize what I felt after actually visiting.

[My criteria for this]

It's not based on whether the facility or event is simply amazing,
but rather on "how it was to take small children there."

・Did the 2-year-old enjoy it?
・Was it easy to spend time there with a 0-year-old?
・Was it easy to travel, eat, and take breaks?
・Did the parents want to go back?

I have summarized these points honestly
based on my own experience.

[Places I'm really glad I visited]

First, I'll start with the places where I honestly felt
it was "really great to visit" with a 2-year-old and a 0-year-old.

I chose places where both parents and children could have fun,
and even when looking back at the photos later,
"I'm glad we went."I can feel that way.

・Ueno Station Shinkansen Viewing

We went to see the Shinkansen at Ueno Station when my child was 1 and a half.

We could fully enjoy it even in a short time,
and they were thrilled by the power of the Shinkansen right in front of them.

Being able to see various Shinkansen trains at once is also a charm.

・Thrilled by the power of the Shinkansen
・Easy for children to understand
・For children who love trains

This was a highly recommended outing for children who love trains.

・Nakayama Racecourse

A place where both children and adults can have a great time!

You might have the image that a racecourse is for adults, but when you actually go, it is spacious, open, and has many play areas.
The powerful races and the loud cheers.

It was a stimulating place for children as well.

I think just seeing the horses was quite a fresh experience for them.

・Spacious and open
・Powerful races and loud cheers
・Parents can enjoy it too

It was an outing spot that parents and children could enjoy more than I imagined.

・The Railway Museum (Omiya)

With many real trains and Shinkansen lined up, it is a dream place for children who love trains.

You can enjoy just looking at the exhibits, and even just walking around the building, the child's excitement never stops.

・You can see many real trains
・Fun just walking around the building
・Definitely recommended for children who love trains

If your child loves trains, please take them at least once!

・Tama Zoological Park

It was a spacious zoo with many highlights.

There is also a Lion Bus where you can see lions up close.

There are many animals that are fun for adults to see, and it was a place that parents and children could thoroughly enjoy together.

・Many types of animals
・Lion Bus where you can see them up close
・Parents can enjoy it normally too

Getting around is a bit tough, but it was a zoo that you could thoroughly enjoy to make up for it.

・Nasu Animal Kingdom

A zoo where the distance to the animals is very close!

It's not just about looking at the animals, but the appeal is being able to feel them up close,
and I think it was easy for my 2-year-old to understand.
You can also learn about endangered species.

You can also learn about endangered species.

The restaurant is also delicious.

・Close proximity to animals
・Can learn about endangered species
・Delicious restaurant

It was a zoo with very high satisfaction that appealed to both my 2-year-old and us parents.

・Nagareyama City Sports Park

It's a large park with a D51 steam locomotive!

It's not a theme park, but it was just right for a 2-year-old to play on the playground equipment
and run around.

Admission and parking are free,
and the appeal is being able to move your body and play with lots of playground equipment.

・Can play well with playground equipment
・Can see a D51 steam locomotive
・Easy to visit for free

It was a park I was grateful for on days when I wanted to let my child play freely.

[Places that were honestly a bit too early]

Next, these are the places I actually visited and
felt, "Maybe it was a bit too early for their current age."

However, this doesn't mean "I shouldn't have gone."

The place itself is attractive, but
it was a bit too early to enjoy with a 0 to 2-year-old.
I think they'll be able to enjoy it more when they're a little older.

That's the kind of place it is.

・Taikeien

Personally, I found it quite interesting.

There were many exciting things like arcades, rides, and sports-related games.

However, my honest impression is that it was
a bit too early to take small children.

There are things to play with, but
for the child to fully enjoy it on their own,
it seemed better to wait until they were a little older.

・A wide variety of activities
・An atmosphere that is fun even for adults to see
・Likely to be very enjoyable once they are a bit bigger

It was a place I thought I would like to visit again in a few years.

・Sanrio Puroland

A theme park where you can enjoy the world of Sanrio!

It is indoors so you are not affected by the weather, and
the world of Sanrio is very well crafted.

The facility is somewhat narrow, and
you cannot use strollers.
It might be easier to enjoy
once they are at an age where they can walk well on their own.

I thought the level of enjoyment would change significantly
once they are old enough to know the characters' names
and truly understand who their favorites are.

・Easy to spend time indoors
・The world-building is solid
・Likely more fun if you go after they have started to like the characters

This is a place I want to visit again when they are a little older.

[Places that were limited-time only but glad I went]

Outings for limited-time events.

Some are no longer being held,
but I hope this serves as a reference when going to similar events.

Limited-time events have
an excitement that you can only experience at that time.

On the other hand, because of the crowds and the difficulty of traveling,
I felt that some preparation was necessary when taking a 2-year-old and a 0-year-old.

・Super Kuuga Exhibition

An event I was looking forward to!

Rather than the child fully understanding and enjoying the content,
they tagged along with their parent's hobby.

However, the child was also very excited
by the cool Kuuga exhibits.

・Can share parent's hobbies with the child
・Photos and the atmosphere remain as memories
・Since it is an exhibition, there are parts that are a bit difficult for children

It was entirely my own hobby, but
the event itself became a memory because we were able to go together.

・Pokemon Stamp Rally

This was an event that was
a great match for a child who loves Pokemon and trains.

Since you collect Pokemon stamps while moving between stations,
there is both the fun of riding the train and the fun of finding Pokemon.

Every time we stamped,
there was the excitement of "Which Pokemon is next?" and
the sense of an event we were doing together as a family left a lasting memory.

・Very fun for children who love Pokemon and trains
・Parents can also enjoy the event atmosphere together
・A bit tough with a newborn since there is a lot of moving around

It was a very compatible event where the child's favorite Pokemon and trains overlapped well.

・Tokyo Mega Illumi (Ohi Racecourse)

Highly recommended for an evening outing!

It is one of the largest illuminations in Tokyo.

Since it's a racecourse, you can take pictures with ponies and
there are also events where you can see lead horses up close.

・The illumination is easy for children to understand
・You can take pictures with ponies
・Since it's an evening outing, cold weather protection is necessary

It was a winter event held every year.

【Indoor playgrounds that helped on rainy and hot days】

Finally, here are the indoor playgrounds that helped on rainy and hot days.

When going out with a 2-year-old and a newborn,
indoor playgrounds were a truly grateful presence.

On rainy, hot, or cold days,
having a place where you can let your children play even when it's difficult to play outside
is a huge help as a parent.

・Kidsland US (Tokiwadaira)

Kidsland US was
an indoor playground that helped on days when we just wanted to move our bodies.

It is spacious, has many play structures, and
is a place where everyone from small children to slightly older children can play thoroughly.

Since you can play there even on hot or rainy days, it was a
"I can't go outside but I want them to burn off some energy"
kind of lifesaver on those days.

・You can really move your body indoors
・Lots of play equipment so it's hard to get bored
・Not affected by the weather

You need to be a little careful about how crowded it is and the distance from older children,
but it was a helpful place for days when I really wanted them to play.

・Chikyu no Niwa (Kashiwa)

Chikyu no Niwa was a very easy indoor playground to use with small children.

It's easy for a 2-year-old to play in, and it feels relatively easy to spend time there even with a 0-year-old.

Since it's inside Aeon Kashiwa, it's also nice that it's easy to combine with shopping and meals.

・Easy for even small children to play
・Easy to combine with shopping and meals
・Easy to use on rainy or hot days

It doesn't have the flashiness of a large theme park, but there is a sense of security in being able to go without having to get too worked up.

It was an indoor playground where you can play with peace of mind.

[Tips for outings with a 2-year-old and 0-year-old that I learned from going]

What I felt after going to various places is that outings with a 2-year-old and a 0-year-old are all about

"whether it remains as a family memory".

Things like trains, animals, illuminations, and parks, which you can understand immediately just by looking, got good reactions from my 2-year-old, and were places where I as a parent felt it was easy to be glad I took them.

Conversely, places where you have to understand the content, like exhibits or shows, might be more enjoyable when they are a little older.

If I look back at photos and articles later and see moments where the child looked like they were having fun, or if there are photos of the family outing, I think that alone is enough to make it a good outing.

[Summary]

Honestly, outings with a 2-year-old and a 0-year-old are often tough.

There's a lot of luggage, and moving around is hard. Sometimes they get sleepy, fussy, or things don't go as planned.

Often, I'm carrying them the whole time. (I'm always muscle-sore the next day)

Even so, after actually going to various places, there were many places where I could think
"I'm really glad I went".

On the other hand, there are also places where I felt they might be more fun once they are a little older. I felt that way about some spots.

But I don't see that as a failure;
I think it just means there's something to look forward to for our next visit.

I want to continue documenting our Parent-Child Days,
including the places we loved and the ones that were a bit too early,
honestly and transparently.

I plan to update this article little by little
as we find more great places to visit on our Parent-Child Days.

I hope this serves as a helpful reference for those
planning outings with children of similar ages.

To all of you who love outings, see you next time.

[Special Thanks]

We are supported by the izakaya 'Kabukiya' in Shin-Matsudo.

It's a restaurant with the most delicious yakitori.
A few minutes' walk from Shin-Matsudo Station. If you're interested, please check it out!

I introduce it in detail in this article.

I would be happy if you read it as well!

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