Hidden Gems of the Mall of America

Remember a few weeks ago when it was so cold that people all over the frozen tundra threw boiling water into the air and it froze instantly?  No?  Don’t worry, you’ve probably just wiped that painful memory from your brain FOREVER.  But what I haven’t forgotten was how desperate I was to entertain my kids (and myself) during those crazy cold days, especially since every school in the entire state of MN was closed.

When school was called off the 2nd day, I knew we needed to implement a new plan for the day.  I mean you can only play Spot It for so long before you start shouting “zebra” and “clown” in your sleep.Insert Plan B = the Mall of America.I have always loved the mall, and not just because of its ideal central location.

When I was single and carefree, my friends and I danced the night away on the 4th floor and I nursed both my boys’ in the Nordstrom bathroom when I finally became a mom. When they were a little older and infatuated with animals, I would take them to eat amongst the gorillas and tropical fish at the Rainforest Café while my boys looked on with wonder every time a “storm” blew through. I have had multiple makeovers at Sephora or Bare Minerals and I enjoyed countless chopped salads at Tucci Benucch…either with my mom or my girlfriends or my husband on date night. {Oh, if those walls could talk, I would be in trouble}I guess what I’m trying to say is the mall has major mass appeal for all ages and stages of life.

But the mall is so much more than the place where you can get married, get a tattoo AND get a blowout all under the same roof. Aside from the obvious Nickelodeon Universe, the enchanting Sea Life aquarium and the small {but still entertaining} Lego Land, the mall offers many opportunities to entertain kids.  So away we went to burn off some energy and let the warmth within the walls fill our hearts and keep us safe from the frigid temperatures outside.Our first stop was JM Cremps. This is a new store and it has ALL THINGS BOY. After a quick family sword fight my youngest found a table with Lincoln Logs inside a fort and my oldest was off to fight a fake gun duel with his dad.

There were plenty of girls enjoying themselves at JM Cremps, I promise, but if your girl likes more…shall we say girly things, there is a Hello Kitty store nearby that might suit her fancy.

And if she can be patient, soon there will be a one-of-a-kind Barbie Dreamhouse Experience complete with a Barbie Cafe, Barbie Boutique, and a fun interactive exhibit where you can become a real life Barbie. {I wonder if there is a real life Ken opportunity?}

It’s a good thing we got some physical activity at JM Cremps because multiple mental challenges were waiting for us at Marbles: the Brain Store. My oldest made a beeline for this neat marble balance game:

and the boys worked together for a long time on this problem solving puzzle that I can only describe as Tetris-like. Because it hasn’t happened naturally, we work hard on fostering a sense of brotherhood at our house so I must admit, any time I see them working together-my heart soars.

Can you spot the fun little message I left for future customers on this new digital tablet they were debuting?

After an hour of playing with games and puzzles, the boys were legitimately hungry for a snack and needed some glucose to refuel after all those brain teasers. We made our way past the  Mirror Maze (and a quick peek inside with a promise to return on another day)

and found this charming, little, Old fashioned candy store, Northwoods Candy Emporium.

Now that my boys are 7 and 9, I am always looking for opportunities to teach them about math in the real world, so I typically give each of them a couple of dollars and let them decide what they want to purchase for a snack.  I told them they could buy whatever they wanted, as long as it was under $3.

And I immediately regretted saying that.  The Mother of all jawbreakers? um… NO.  Thankfully he was happy with a rock candy sucker.

His brother, who prefers to indulge in the salty over sweet, was not as impressed and wanted to keep looking.  He was almost ready to save his money for our next adventure when we spotted Doc Popcorn.  Go figure, Mr. Salty got some sweet caramel corn for his treat, and thankfully the bag was big enough to share.

We were on our way out, when one more place caught our eye, Air Traffic. This place had lots of hands-on toys to play with and many were educational in nature. And if you are looking for unique Rainbow Loom accessories, this is your store.

-learn to juggle. Now we can check that one off the bucket list.

And if all else fails or you get tired and need a rest, grab a bench (there are comfy leather ones on the swanky south avenue) and people watch…it’s free and no trip to the mall is complete without it.