Start Here

Hi and welcome to Out and About Mom!  If you are looking for things to do with kids in (and around) Connecticut, you’re in the right place.

We created this page to help new readers learn about our site!

Because we have been writing since 2011, we’ve built a huge archive of posts (over 500!) and we know it could seem a little overwhelming trying to figure out where to start.  So below you will find information about us, our site, when we post, how to keep up with the latest information and more.  And if you read through all of this and have any suggestions, comments, or questions, let us know by leaving a comment below.  We LOVE comments!

Get to Know Us

We have always enjoyed an active lifestyle, and when our little ones came along, we wanted to find ways to continue to be active and spend time exploring new places and trying new things.

But with new little ones, came new challenges. And we found that the information we craved to make our outings easier and more fun, just wasn’t readily available.

Then one day, Mandy had an epiphany: what if you could go somewhere for the first time, but it would feel like you had already been there before? And just like that, Out and About Mom was born.

Since then, we have been stocking our site with hundreds of photo-filled “virtual tours” of local family-friendly destinations. We visit each location ourselves and detail everything from stroller access to parking to restrooms to snack areas, giving parents the firsthand knowledge they need to make all their family outings a success.

We know being a new parent can be overwhelming at times, and we hope to make the transition a little less stressful and a lot more fun. At Out and About Mom, you’ll find a community of parents who love getting “out and about”  with their little ones. We share outing ideas, swap travel tips, and just generally support each other on the greatest adventure of all: parenthood. And we’re so glad you’re here!

If you want to know a little more about Mandy and Shawna, check out our personal profiles on the “About Us” page.

Learn How Our Site Works

We try to keep things as organized as possible on the blog, so that you can find what you need easily. It might be helpful to know a little bit about when we write and other resources we have to share helpful information.

• It may not be apparent when you read them, but our blog posts take many, many hours of work for us to assemble. Sifting through all the information to make sure we single out precisely what we think our readers need (and not wasting their time with anything they don’t!) while also creating a readable narrative is a long and methodical process. Because of this, we don’t add content at the speed you might be used to with other blogs you follow. But we promise, every post will be worth the wait!
• If you want to keep up with our latest posts, you can Subscribe to Out and About Mom by Email.  Please note that we only use your email address to send you the latest post.  Nothing else.
• You can also follow us on Facebook  and Instagram to be notified about new content.  We are active on our social media channels and often use them to share our new blog posts. We also share lots of fun extras and other helpful tidbits with our readers, so you’ll want to follow us there to get the most out of the Out and About Mom community experience.

Discover a New Adventure

There are so many ways to find a fun, new adventure on Out and About Mom.

• Start with our first post on the blog and read all the way through to our most recent post.  Settle in if you are going this route. We’ve been blogging for almost 15 years now, so reading all those posts would definitely take some time!
• Take a look at one of our blog post listings.  We’ve organized the Places We’ve Been in a variety of ways including:
  • by Activity Type
    • This option is great for looking for specific types of activities. Need to find an indoor play place fast? This list has you covered!
  • by Posting Date
    • This option is great for browsing seasonally–looking for fall outing inspiration? Check out what we have been doing each year in October!
  • by OAAM Guides
    • We frequently put together roundup posts highlighting outings in a specific category–like the best mini golf courses, our favorite FREE activities and seasonal outings. You can browse these themed guides to check out and compare multiple destinations at one time!

Support Us!

We love sharing our adventures on Out and About Mom and we look forward to writing for many years to come!  If you enjoy our blog and are wondering about ways you can support this site, we have a few suggestions for you:

• If you own a business, consider becoming a site sponsor!  Earlier this year we developed an advertising program that offers a variety of sponsorship opportunities for businesses to share their products and services with our readers.
• Like and share our social media posts. If you love one of our posts, then please go ahead and hit that “like” button  This little action helps spread the word throughout social media about our site!
• Share our site and posts with family and friends.  There is nothing more powerful than word-of-mouth advertising.
• If you visit a destination because you learned about them here on our site, let them know that you found them on Out and About Mom!

Thank you so much for visiting our blog.  We hope you find exactly what you need on our site to get you “out and about” on a fun adventure with your family as often as possible!