Mommy/Daughter Playdates - SEA LIFE Aquarium
As a new mom; I am trying to build relationships to moms, with kids in the same age range of my daughter. As a new mother; it is important for me to build a strong network with other moms. One of the key benefits of meeting parents with kids in the same age range as my daughter, are the playdates. At 9 months, Tori still isn’t fully interacting with other kids, but I still think it’s necessary for her to be in the presence of children. Playdates also allow parents to kill two birds with one stone; entertain the child and gain (much needed) adult interaction.
I planned a trip last Saturday to visit SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord located in the Concord Mills Mall. Those that know me are well aware that I am totally obsessed with aquariums. Every state or country I have traveled to; a trip to the local aquarium was mandatory. Being new to Charlotte it was a no brainer to make this scene the first playdate of many to come. I met a fellow mom/daughter duo at the entrance at 1pm. This mall gets crowded on the weekend, so if you can get their early I highly recommend it. Because the aquarium is in the mall you won’t find large
whales, dolphins, or my ultimate favorite… baby belugas. Although the aquarium is compact, believe me there was no shortage of fascinating, aquatic creatures to view.
We were greeted at the entrance by Corey; who was warm, inviting and very educated about the offerings (talk and feed times) that day at the aquarium. Walking in you have the opportunity to snap 4 photos to capture the day before the kiddies are tired. We made our way to see the stingrays first as you enter the tank area. I loved the setting of
rocks and coral reef embedded into the design of the aquarium. It reminded me of the underwater coral walk my husband and I took while on our honeymoon in Bali.
There are 10 various zones in the aquarium, however the 4 of us got a chance to visit the
following exhibits
Freshwater
Seahorse
Stingray Bay
Jellyfish
Coral Reef
Sea Turtles
The 180 degree tunnel was amazing to walk through, but there were temporary traffic jams as everyone paused to take pictures. Tori was mesmerized by the school of fish that hurried by and the really big fish that slowly floated near the opening we peaked through. I truly appreciated the fact that the aquarium was spacious in width and the viewing windows were low enough to cater to small tots and kiddos in strollers; making this place VERY kid-friendly.
All around the aquarium were signs with fun facts about individual tanks and exhibits. This was one of the most interactive aquariums I have visited. Children and adults are able to touch Caribbean Hermit Crabs, Pencil Urchin, and varieties of starfish. We opted not to, just because Tori is a little small for that just yet.
Ethan led our “Behind The Scenes” tour giving the group an inside look of how the aquarium is run and what the life of a aquarist consists of. All I can say is sign me up for this job! No spoilers, but it ends with you getting a full view atop the large tank. Seeing the animals from that view was mesmerizing. You can see the video via my Instagram highlights here.
Tori and I will definitely be back to visit the Aquarium again as we intend on accompanying her cousin when he comes on Sensory Friendly Sunday in September. I recommend it to all Charlotte parents looking for a place to take the children.
