What got me through a busy week is planning a family day out, in between tasks and jobs. Like every mom in the country, I struggle to find a family-friendly place with fresh air, lots of space, and some attractions. The last park we went to was Ayala Triangle Park and with the news I heard of a renovated Luneta Park, I just had to check it out. Here is my family day out at Luneta Park plan:
4:00PM – Arrive at Luneta with bottled drinks for each member, snacks, baby food, alcohol, baby wipes, diapers, extra baby clothes. The most important thing to bring is a picnic mat, without it you have nothing to do at this park.
Take a stroll around the park, visit Rizal’s monument, and just continue walking ahead. Almost all gardens like the Orchidarium are closed (or lacked appeal). We walked ahead to the new Children’s Playground. We had a peak at the newly painted structures and play ground but Ashton was asleep and there were LOTS of other kids. I wanted to check it out and take photos but then I’d have to bring my entourage along and pay 35 per head.
You can also set up a picnic mat inside the Children’s playground so you can relax and let your children run wild. The next best thing to do for us then, is buy dirty icecream and enjoy it while walking towards DOT and back to the fountain area (near Rizal’s monument).
5:00PM – Setup a picnic in front of the fountain, our picnic mat was very useful. Sitting on the ground was very relaxing after the long stroll. The weather was great and breezy, at 5PM the sun is just at the right place 🙂
Try out other food from the vendors. My husband and sister were buying from every vendor that approached us, from fish crackers, donut, to taho. Though it’s best to bring lots of packed snacks, I brought Tostitos, Oishi Smart C+ drinks, and water. Wished I had prepared sandwiches for everybody.
Take lots of photos from our small picnic setup. I think every family member are concerned to have good photos and shooting is one of the most enjoyed activities every time.Not to mention, talking more about the latest deals on laptops and other gadgets.
If you did not plan any activities for your kids, there are kites for sale and those flying LED elesi. They can also ride horse carriages or the Thomas & Friends train. Lie on the mat, play and wait for the Fountain Show.
6:00PM – the fountain show starts. The show did not have any background music, hard to tell if it was the actual show or if it already ended. Nonetheless, the kids loved it. Ashton did and was behaved the whole time. I am thankful for this attraction, the government should provide more and do their best to provide wholesome family venues to enjoy history, environment, and culture.
After the show, we headed to Blue Wave and even saw the fireworks show at Mall of Asia from where we were. I figured there’d be less crowd and no stress ordering at KFC for dinner but factually speaking, the crew were slow and there were lots of complaining diners. The queue was short but felt like 10 years, when I had my orders complete, we had to wait some more for utensils. My glass was also broken with my iced tea leaking. The gravy refill was also empty. I’ve made a mental note not to bring my family there again, I had a headache.
Now I recommend bringing dinner to Luneta, if at all possible. The family beside our spot had adobo rice, next time, I am definitely cooking! I should get a serious picnic basket 🙂 As a child, I have blurry memories of Luneta, and that giant shoe in the playground. I am happy I can bring my family here, complete with a mommy, daddy, and a baby 🙂 It was a fun day afterall.
Where is your next family day out and what do you think of Luneta today?
Mommy Lace is a blogger from the Philippines. She started this blog to share information on pregnancy, breastfeeding, childcare, family, and health.
