Ronald McDonald House Block Party
It was one of those weekends in NYC that you just want to bottle up and treasure. It was a perfect 80 degrees, barely any wind, the sun was shining…you get the point–it was glorious.
I took advantage of the great weather by taking my family to the Ronald McDonald house annual block party. As the Ronald McDonald NYC Blog Ambassador, I didn’t hesitate to bring my family to experience some of the great vibes I experienced when I toured the house in May.
The block party was a free and public event, there were rides and games and food, and of course arts and crafts. It was a cross between a traditional block party, a fair, and a carnival. We took a very long train ride from Brooklyn and it was SO worth it!
When we got there we jumped right into the arts and crafts. The five year old has really been showing his artsy side lately…between all the pictures he draws of me and the general crafty projects that he loves to do, there were so many activities at the Block Party that he absolutely loved.
First the boys decorated a birdhouse, there were jewels and stars, hearts, glitter, letters and pretty much everything you need to make the coolest birdhouse ever! The volunteers were phenomenal too, so patient, so encouraging and I appreciated that because often times the people who man arts and crafts booths usually seem so disinterested. These volunteers took the time to learn the boys’ names and applaud them with every artistic stroke of the paint brush.
Next we moved on to make some sand art. I don’t know about you guys, but I definitely LOVED Sand Art as a kid. Different colored sand was like Christmas to me. The kids loved it just as much.
After that we headed over to the Crest booth where they were giving out free bubbles, toothbrushes for kids and adults as well as free toothpaste for kids and adults. They (re)introduced us to the Oral-B App that we reviewed a few months back.
The main attraction at the Crest booth? The balloon artist. Now, these weren’t your normal heart/sword/hat balloons. They were FANCY! Check out the minion balloon that he made for my youngest. Unbelievable!
We came upon the baked goods table and the boys (helpless sweet tooths) all got chocolate covered marshmallows with sprinkles. I had never seen this before but my hubby loved it. The kids did too until they were lured into the cupcake decorating table next door…and they started eating the frosting instead of decorating anything.
After visiting some more booths we decided to get some toys for the boys. There were $10, $5 and $1 toys. We got a couple $5 toys, and a bunch of coloring books for $1.
Finally it was time to EAT! I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there was home cooked food from the many volunteers of the Ronald McDonald House. There was Pernil (Roast Pork), Rice and Beans, Empanadas, Chicken, and Hot Dogs/Hamburgers/Mac & Cheese for the kids. You can tell that everything was made with so much LOVE. It reminded me of my aunt in laws cooking that I absolutely would hurt someone over but I digress. It was REAL down home Spanish cooking and I really couldn’t get enough.
After that the toddler was fading quickly, so I left him with daddy and took the kindergartner to the bouncy house. What is it about bouncy houses that make these kids so happy?! I guess if I could bounce around all day I’d love it too.
Finally as it was time to go we got a cotton candy to split between all three guys…they all love cotton candy. I’ve never been into it so I let them go to town. We danced a lot to the amazing DJ then we headed home for some much needed rest.
The Ronald McDonald House Block Party was so much fun, very well done and the day couldn’t have been more perfect. We can’t wait to attend next year. The best part? All funds exchanged during the day actually was donated directly to the house. It was an awesome day of fundraising and I can’t wait to be a part of it next year!
How was your weekend? Did you enjoy the glorious weather? Are your kids obsessed with bouncy houses? Did you attend any block parties this summer?
Author information
Nellie Mommy. Fitness Addict. Socialite.
Schnelle "Nellie" Acevedo is a busy mom of two young boys (2 and 5), she is a career woman by day and a self proclaimed fitness junkie by night. Brooklyn Active Mama is a positive community that focuses on demonstrating to all women that you can always find time for fitness. She features a Weekly Wednesday Workout and a Friday Fitness Check-in series where she encourages her readers to check in and remain accountable for their fitness and nutrition goals weekly. Nellie also is a co-founder of the annual A Healthy U Conference which is a conference dedicated to helping women improve their mental, spiritual and physical health. In addition to getting in the gym 5 times weekly, Nellie is a licensed Zumba instructor in Brooklyn. Since beginning to blog Nellie has lost 27lbs (and counting)! You can find Nellie on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, & Google Plus. TwitterFacebookGoogle
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