Kid-Friendly Fun at the Carousel or the Bowling Alley

Looff Carousel at Crescent Park

Since 1895, the at Crescent Park has been a Riverside staple. Originally part of the Crescent Park Resort that spanned from the shoreline to the current area off Bullocks Point Avenue, the Looff Carousel is all that remains from those fabled times.

The carousel has not been moved since it was built and even survived the possibility of being torn down in the late 1970s when the remainder of Crescent Park closed. East Providence locals fought to keep the carousel alive and succeeded.

Over the summer, approximately 100,000 visitors take a ride on the antique carousel, one of fewer than 100 in the country, according to carousel manager Ed Serowik Jr. The carousel is on track to hit its usual number of visitors for the 2011 season, although Serowick noted that most visitors this year seem to be from the greater East Providence area, possibly due to a spike in gas prices.

The carousel has been maintained by the Serowik family for decades. Ed Serowik Sr. has spent his lifetime working at the park, and his son soon followed. Serowik Jr. now runs the day-to-day operations of the carousel, while Serowik Sr. is in charge of maintenance.

Riding the carousel can be both an enjoyable and an educational experience for children because of the carousel's history.

"When people come here, it's like going back in time," Serowik Jr. said.

East Providence Lanes

Kids can be bowled over by happiness after an afternoon at the bowling alley. in Rumford has been supplying the area with kid-friendly fun for more than 50 years, according to manager Dave Abate.

East Providence Lanes provides snacks, shoes, and anything else possibly needed for a few hours of bowling. For the truly enthusiastic children, there is also a junior bowling league in the winter and the option of hosting birthday parties. For the unenthusiastic bowler, there are arcade games.

Abate considers the appeal of East Providence Lanes to lie in the fact that bowling is a "family-oriented" activity.

The , at 354 Taunton Ave., is another great option for family fun.