North Hills launches its kids programming Monday

I'm going to have more on this next week, but I wanted to give everybody a heads up that the popular and free North Hills Kids activities will start up for the season on Monday.

They'll be doing things a bit differently this year - more free play, indoor play at Sparians on Thursdays and less scheduled activities. The free play is under a tent in the North Hills Commons next to Starbucks and Ben & Jerry's and across from the movie theater and involves giant foam blocks that kids love to build with and climb all over.

The hours will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Friday. The second Friday of the month will be Chick-fil-A Friday.

And on Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the blocks will move over to Sparians, the new upscale bowling boutique, which is across the street on the Harris Teeter side of North Hills. In the evening on Thursdays, there also will be a children's dance floor from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. as part of the Midtown Beach Music Series.

Of course, Go Ask Mom was part of North Hills Kids last year and I'm excited that we'll be part of it again this year. Mark your calendars for April 27 and June 15 when I'll be there from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with giveaways, a contest for Museum of Life and Science tickets, crafts, free snacks, the Chick-fil-A cow, a free Stroller Strides class, a sheriff's deputy car, a visit from Lynda Loveland and much more! So stay tuned for more on that!