On Feb. 14, 1912, our great state of Arizona became the 48th state to be part of America!
Bet you thought this Friday was just going to be Valentine’s Day! Turns out, here in Arizona, we have a second reason to have a party - Arizona's Statehood.
So Happy 113th Birthday, Arizona!
Take some time to celebrate those 113 years by enjoying and exploring this place we call home. Here are some ideas:
A - ARIZONA has the greatest amount of biodiversity of any inland state in America! That’s due to the wide variety of ecosystems which, in turn, supports a huge range of plants and animals. This week happens to be the Great American Backyard Bird Count Week. Why not spend 15 minutes per day watching the birds in your backyard? You are probably outside anyway since the weather is so mild right now and it makes for a great science project the family can do together. https://www.birdcount.org/
R - ROUND up the family and head down Olive for the Nature Center and trails at the White Tank Regional Park to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Sonoran Desert. The Nature Center (open 8-4 daily this time of year) is in the same building as the library and has live desert animals for the kids to see and learn about. There is an entrance fee of $8 to enter the park but it’s money well spent because there are many trail options, playgrounds, picnic spots and bathrooms, all well maintained. You can explore on your own or there are ranger programs on their calendar that you can pre-reigster for. https://www.maricopacountyparks.net/park-locator/white-tank-mountain-regional-park/
I - ICE CREAM is a must since it’s such a delicious way to beat the desert heat. Did you know that according to Instacart, the most popular ice cream flavor in Arizona is Vanilla! A true classic that can be enjoyed with a wide range of toppings. Make sure to have some as you sing Happy Birthday to Arizona. Hit your favorite ice cream parlor or try making your own as described in a recent MacaroniKID website article: Ice cream in a bag recipe
Z - ZIP on over to these websites to access interesting, informative and fun facts about Arizona in a kid friendly format:
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/states/article/arizona
https://funfactsbook.com/arizona-facts-for-kids/
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Arizona/345453
O - OH, how we love Arizona’s take on Hot Dogs! Make Sonoran Hot Dogs this weekend. This street food actually originated south of the border but it’s pretty firmly established here in Arizona now. If you don’t already have your favorite way to prepare them, here’s what you’ll need: Bacon wrapped hot dogs, sweet hot dog buns, and toppings such as diced tomatoes, crema/sour cream, jalapeno peppers (probably just for the grownups eating), refried beans and cheese. Yum!
N - NOW is a perfect opportunity to go to that museum you’ve been meaning to take the kids to. There’s a wide range of museums around Phoenix or in smaller towns as you head up to the mountains. Why not check one out and learn about Arizona’s history? For many museums you can actually get in FREE using the Culture Passes library card holders are able to check out. https://mcldaz.org/en-US/subject/culture-pass/
A - ASTRONOMY and enjoying the beauty of a huge star filled night time sky is a big deal in Arizona. Cities are designated Dark Sky Communities, astronauts and robots train for missions on Mars and the moon here, and world famous observatories exist only 2 hours from us. Tucson and Flagstaff both have observatories open to the public so jump on the 10 or the 17. Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory (where Pluto was discovered from!) recently renovated their facility so it’s definitely worth a visit with the kids. https://lowell.edu/ Kit Peak National Observatory, near Tucson, has some great night time programs back up and running after a Covid break too. https://kpno.noirlab.edu/
Happy Birthday Arizona and thank you for having so much to offer families!
