Erin Donoghue Baldwin thought she knew all the local places where she might entertain her children on a Saturday until she started working on a book about it.

Her new book, "The Big Fun Guide to Tar Heel Country," details more than 135 activities for families in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Pittsboro.

Among the surprises for her? The Ackland Art Museum's education resource room, events at the N.C. Botanical Gardens where children are invited to wear their fairy wings and hear stories and watch magic tricks, and an array of classes offered by Duke Gardens.

The book offers short descriptions of festivals, parks, playgrounds, nature trails, farms and annual events. It details whether there are bathrooms and food nearby, as well as listing which places are stroller-friendly, picnic-friendly and geared for certain ages. For annual events, Baldwin includes a rough guide to when the event is scheduled.

The book has a small design like a coupon book, for easy stashing in a glove compartment or diaper bag.

While writing the book, Baldwin, a Carrboro mother of three, packed her own family off on more Saturday adventures than usual.

She found it helped her children ease back in to playing with one another after being busy with school and other activities all week long.

"I think it's important for parents to get out of the house, away from the chores," she said. "It's not just me vaccuming and yelling at them for not putting their shoes away."

She is hoping the book will also appeal to the large number of grandparents who have moved to the area to be closer to their grandchildren.

"The kids will have good memories with the adults in their lives," she added.

Baldwin was looking for a writing project when her friend, Adrienne Bashista, approached her with the book idea.

Bashista is growing her own publishing company, DRT Press, in her Pittsboro home. She'd like to create "Big Fun Guides" for Durham, Asheville, Greensboro and other localities around the state.

The book is available at Bull's Head Bookshop on the UNC campus, Cameron's in Chapel Hill, the visitors center in Hillsborough, The Children's Store in University Mall and Amazon.com.