Christmas Lights in Orange County

Looking at Christmas lights with the family is a great way to feel the holiday spirit and spend some quality family time together. Staying in the car? Let the kids put on their PJ's and bundle up with blankets. Planning to walk a few neighborhoods? Wear comfortable shoes and warm clothes with heavy coats. And however you are going, don't forget the hot chocolate!

 Here are a few spots to see the twinkling lights here in Orange County:

Northwestern Way, Westminster, CA 92683 - Located one block north of Westminster Blvd. off
Bolsa Chica Rd. This Cul de sac is a winter wonderland of lights with flying reindeer, giant Santas, and lots of penguins.

Old Towne Orange: Glassell and Chapman, Orange, CA  92866 - A one-mile square section of the city surronding Plaza Park is decorated with lights and large wreaths hanging overhead. Get the small town Christmas feel while window shopping this quaint and popular downtown locale. I've heard that there are a few streets nearby, Palm Avenue and Pine Street, that are also well lit, though I have not been personally to confirm that.


Want to see Christmas lights from the water? Climb on board for a boat ride on the Cruise of Lights in Huntington Harbor. This annual event raises funds to support Youth Music Education Programs and is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year! The 45-minute boat ride tours the beautifully lit homes of Huntington Harbor. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone or in person. Visit the Cruise of Lights website for more information. Tonight, December 20, 2012 is Value Night and adults get $2 off their ticket price. Bundle up if you're going. It gets cold on the water!

Know of another neighborhood or street that is decorated for the holidays? I'd love to know about it! Please share your favorite location with me here or on twitter @kidsworklife.

Enjoy the lights and have a happy holiday!

Christmas lights on the boats and houses in Huntington Harbor.



PlaySpaces: 20 of OC's Best Places to Play and Explore with Kids

It's official! The first PlaySpaces Guide has been released and is now available at amazon.com. The guide features locations around Orange County that are unique and exciting, from an especially cool neighborhood park like Harry M. Dotson in Stanton to a multiuse regional park like Ralph B. Clark in Buena Park. You'll find places to meet farm animals, cast your line and catch some fish, and get your own workout post-playdate on stroller friendly walking paths.

The PlaySpaces Guides are a busy parents' best friend. It frees you up from web searches and online reviews, giving you the best parks in great locations with a variety of features. Want to play and educate at the same time? Try Centennial Farm, Turtle Rock, or Peter and Mary Muth.

As a special introductory promotion, PlaySpaces: 20 of OC's Best Places to Play and Explore with Kids, will be available for free from December 9, 2012 through December 11, 2012. Get your copy and spend some time exploring Orange County with your little ones. Have fun!



Marina Park, Seal Beach

I met a friend and her little ones at Marina Park in Seal Beach the other day. It was my first time there and I really enjoyed the location. The kids had a blast, too, so it will be on our list of parks worthy of return visits. Marina Park is located at 151 Marina Drive in Seal Beach, on the corner of Marina and 1st Street. There are about 20 parking spots on the side of the park facing Caravel Way.

There is a community center on site with restrooms, classrooms, and rental space. The community center was closed when we arrived around lunch time so the restrooms were not available, but they opened for a class around 2:30. Don't count on the restrooms being available at all times at this location, but even without access it's a fun place to play.

The playground area is mostly sand with a few rubber mats. The structure has a balance beam, climbing elements, slides, a pre-schooler accessible set of mokey bars, and a playhouse area underneath. The structure provided a nice shady area in the middle where the kids dumped their sand toys and spent about an hour digging and sifting for seashells. There are two bucket seats at this location but no big kid swings.

There is one covered picnic structure with one table. It looks like there are supposed to be two tables but one has mysteriously vanished. There is a large grass area, tennis courts, basketball courts and raquetball courts. Parts of this park are reservable for parties and events.

For more information about Marina Park visit the City of Seal Beach website.



Gone Fishin'

Fishing can be fun for the whole family. My husband is a fishing fanatic and so, it turns out, my son is too. We often go together to local parks with stocked lakes. The boys throw in a line or two while I do laps with the baby in the stroller. The kids can even get some exercise on the playground while Dad enjoys some time alone by the waters' edge.

Lately, my husband has been taking our son to fishing derby's and other youth activities sponsered by local prominent fishermen like Phil Friedman and Dan Hernandez. A few weeks ago they went to the Dan Hernandez event at El Dorado Park in Long Beach, Ca and reeled in seven catfish! Yes, they brought them home. And yes, we ate them.

Children under 16 don't need a fishing license to fish, but adults do. You can get day passes or annual passes at local sporting goods stores. There are a variety of license types available and there are free fishing days offered by the California Deparment of Fish and Game. Check the Fish and Game website for license information and fees and for additonal information about fishing.

Another good source of information about fishing in Southern California is ADOutdoors.com. This fishing blog talks about local events and activities in the area. You can also find out what kind of fishing gear or tackle you will need for different fishing spots.

Remember to practice safety when fishing. The hooks can be dangerous - and painful! Also, smaller kids need smaller poles. Junior size poles are available at Target and sporting goods stores. Our son had a small pole that had a little rubber fish attached where the hook should be and since he was so young, we didn't feel comfortable arming him with fish hooks. So we left the fish on and he loved practicing his cast and reeling in the little fish. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. Need a change? Take off the fish and tie on one of those fancy shiny rubber fishing lures (hook-free of course).

Want to give it a try? Here are a few parks in the L.A. and Orange County area:

Free Parking:

Huntington Beach Central Park
For the best lake access parking look for a spot in the lot at Edwards Street and Inlet Drive, or head down Inlet Drive and park right next to the lake. Walking paths, restrooms, and playground equipment also available.

Carr Park
Carr Park is on the corner of Heil and Springdale in Huntington Beach. Only street parking is available. Play equipment is available here but there are no restrooms. And there are lots of geese at this location.

TeWinkle Park
970 Arlington Avenue, Costa Mesa. There is a large lot for parking or you can park on the street. Restrooms, play equipment, and walking paths available. It's ok to feed the ducks here, but remember that bread, crackers, and cereal are not healthy food items. Take frozen vegetables or bird seed instead.

Cerritos Regional County Park
19800 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos. Free parking lot. Play equipment, paths, and restrooms available.


Pay to Park:

El Dorado Park
7550 E. Spring Street, Long Beach. $5 Monday-Friday; $7 Saturday-Sunday. Restrooms, playgrounds, and walking paths available. Nature Center across Spring Street (Closed Mondays).

Ralph B. Clark Park
8800 Rosecrans, Buena Park. $3 Monday-Friday; $5 Saturday-Sunday. Restrooms, playgrounds, and walking paths available. Interpretive center with fossils (Closed Mondays).

Mile Square Park
16801 Euclid, Fountain Valley. Multiple entrances. $3 Monday-Friday; $5 Saturday-Sunday. Restrooms, playgrounds, and walking paths available. Nature trail also on site.

Have fun fishing, and drop me a line if you find a favorite fishing hole!

One of the two lakes at Mile Square Park

When PlaySpaces Attack!

Yesterday I took my kids to the Environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach. It's a great location that I will be featuring in my upcoming PlaySpaces e-book, and I wanted to get a few more pictures and let the kids explore. We headed out towards the butterfly house, which is closed for the season, but quickly got sidetracked when my 16-month old, Isabel, grabbed the red fruit of a prickly pear cactus that loomed much too close to the hand rail of the steps. I intercepted as soon as I saw what was happening and tried to carefully remove the tiny hairlike spines that were stuck to the palm of her hand.

A staff member conveniently walked by and I asked for assistance. She took me to the administrative office where she pulled out their bag of cactus spine removal tricks. First we tried using duct tape. On a larger surface it might have been effective but on tiny moving hands it just wasn't working. Then we tried flicking the spines with a credit card. Again, could have worked on a stable surface. Finally, we got the tweezers which work every time. After a few stressful minutes Isabel was finally free of the cactus spines. I found one or two more later that day but overall we did a good job of getting them out there in the office.

What could have been a horrible experience was made much more pleasant with the help of the attentive ENC staff and I thank them for their assistance. Isabel was surprisingly calm about the cactus spines. It was only her fear of strangers that caused her tears. Still, while one kind staff member helped me with Isabel, another entertained my son, Dennis by looking for spiders.

Once again, we made our way out to the trail - this time being extra careful to avoid the cacti.

I was reminded that accidents can happen on any adventure and it is important to always be prepared. So here are a few reminders to keep you and your little explorers safe and healthy when you're out and about.

• Keep a small first aid kit in your car for on-the-road emergencies.
• Keep a change of clothes in the car for each child and a blanket or a few light jackets for each family member. You never know when someone will get wet, muddy, or when the weather might shift.
• If you aren't sure how to address an injury, ask for help.
• Stay away from cacti or other thorny and spiny plant species.
• Know what poison oak and poison ivy look like and keep your distance.
• Keep an extra gallon jug of water in the back of your car to be used for drinking, cleaning, or flushing.
• Follow all safety warnings posted on-site.

Enjoy your next family outing, and stay safe out there!

Prickly pear cactus looming near the handrail at ENC.
 

Play in Your Pajamas!

November 17, 2012 is National Family Pajama Night. A suitable event for the chilly winter weather that has settled into most parts of the nation. National Family Pajama Night is an initiative started by The Company Store to encourage families to spend a quality evening together making memories and having fun.

Make it fun for the little ones and put your PJ's on early. Cook dinner together. Bake cookies. Make  hand turkeys to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Get out the board games. Curl up on the couch together and watch a movie. The point of this event is to spend some quality time together and have fun doing it. Take pictures and turn off your phones and computers for a few hours and give your full attention to each other. It can do wonders for strengthening your family bond to give each other a little uninterrupted attention.

Just in case you are wondering what a hand turkey is, trace your hand onto a piece of paper and cut it out. Cut colorful feathers from construction paper and glue onto the fingers. Add a beak and an eye to the thumb and voila - instant hand turkey. No construction paper? Trace it on plain paper and color the hand with crayons. Get creative and make your own variation of the hand turkey. And please share your creations or your family activities with me here or on twitter @kidsworklife. I'd love to see your great ideas!

Have fun with your family and enjoy your National Family Pajama Night!

Visit The Company Store for more information about National Family Pajama Night and the foundations they support or to get you and the kids a stylish new pair of jammies.

Not-So-Frightening Family Fun for Halloween

All Hallow's Eve is upon us. Have you carved your pumpkins and prepared your costumes already? Halloween is a fun holiday for kids and a great opportunity to create a family tradition. Corn mazes, hay rides, pumpkin carving contests - they're all available for fun-seeking families to enjoy during the weeks before winter weather approaches.

Pick-your-own pumpkin patches are few in the Southern California area. Instead, you'll find pumpkin patches with pre-picked pumpkins, petting zoos, carnival rides, haunted houses and food trucks. Kids love this stuff.

Corn mazes are a popular seasonal activity and you can find a few in Southern California. But don't let you little ones go it alone. These can be confusing and you don't want your kids to panic if they think they are lost. Forneris Farms in the San Fernando Valley has over 4 acres of corn maze fun carved into a different image every year. They also have a market with fresh produce, and until November 4th, you can visit their 2012 Harvest Festival complete with tractor pulled train rides and pumpkins grown on-site. If you live in Orange county, you can visit the largest corn maze in Southern California (over 11 acres) at Big Horse Feed & Mercantile in Temecula. Their Harvest Festival includes costume contests, the corn maze, a pumpkin patch and a corn cannon. Harvest Festival activities are available on weekends only and the corn maze is open daily through October 31st.

Some other notable locations to visit for fall festivities and Halloween fun are:

Irvine Park: Daily activities with pumpkin patch, bounce house, gold panning, train rides and hay rides. 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869
Pa's Pumpkin Patch: Petting zoo, roller coaster, pony rides, a pumpkin patch and lots more. 6701 E. P.C.H., Long Beach, CA 90803
Johnson Brothers Pumpkin Patch:  Pumpkin Patch with pony rides, giant pumpkins, barnyard animals, and a play area for kids. 15500 Jeffrey Road, Irvine, CA 92618

Looking for a corn maze outside of Southern California? Corn Mazes America has a directory to mazes across the country.

Find a pumpkin patch, pick your own pumpkin farm, fall festival and more at Pumpkin Patches and More. They have listings for the United States and six other countries!

Happy Halloween!

Eat Better, Eat Together!

October is National Eat Better, Eat Together Month, a campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of eating healthy meals with your children at the family table. For many families it's difficult to get everyone in the same place at the same time, or often, time constraints posed by hectic work and school schedules make preparing family meals a stressful event rather than an enjoyable one. However, the potential benefits of this single activity are many. Kids who regularly sit down to family meals are less likely to get involved with drugs and alcohol, have fewer behavior issues, do better in school, and are more respectful of family values and traditions. In addition, family meal time is a great way to encourage open communication with your children.

If your weeknights are difficult to manage commit to eating together on the weekends at the very least and add more mealtimes whenever possible. Preparing meals together is also a great way to spend time together. Even little hands can tear lettuce or add toppings to salads or other menu items.

An even better way to encourage better eating habits is to garden together. Get outside and grow a family garden with everyone's favorite produce and seasonal items. If you have a backyard pick a spot to section off, or if you have a patio, get a few large planter pots or window box style containers. Pick a few easy to maintain fruits and vegetables and plant them according to the directions on the package. For those of you who are relatively unskilled at gardening, like myself, visit a local nursery or gardening center and ask the people who work there about what grows best according to your setup. Let them know you are starting a beginners family garden and they should be able to help you get the basics and prepare you with the knowledge you need to successfully plant your first crops. You can even have a themed garden like "Classic Salad" or "Pizza" and grow the items that you will need to make your favorite meal.

Gardening with the 5 and under crowd can be fun (and dirty) and is a great way to educate them about where their food comes from and also encourages them to try new foods they might not try if they hadn't grown it themselves! Let them dig holes to plant seeds, pull weeds, and help water. And they'll be totally excited when they get to pull those strawberries, carrots, or peas when the time is right!

For more information about National Eat Better, Eat Together Month visit:
Washington State University
Dairy Council of California
Meals Matter

For information on gardening:
KidsGardening
Gardening With Kids 

The Super Salad Garden at Centennial Farm in Costa Mesa, CA.

October 21: Reptile Awareness Day

Snakes! Turtles! Lizards! Oh my! Celebrate Reptile Awareness Day by taking the kids to a local venue that features some of these scaly, cold blooded creatures. Visit them in their terrariums indoors at local nature centers or zoos, and then head outdoors to see if you can spot any in their natural habitat. Here in Southern California you can find lizards scampering along almost any trail or sunning themselves on park fences. But depending on your location, you may find other reptilian sightings are more common.

Places to explore indoors and out:

OC Zoo at Irvine Park: 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869

For $2 you can see a few reptiles, bears, mountain lions and more. Enjoy the petting area and when you’re done here, explore the rest of Irvine Park.

El Dorado Nature Center: 7550 East Spring Street, Long Beach, CA 90815

You’ll see lots of turtles in the lake and lizards on the trails. Head inside the nature center to see more reptiles up close!

Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center: 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660

You can see snakes, turtles and a bearded dragon here. Then, take a walk near the water’s edge and see if you can spot a lizard or a water snake slithering across the surface of the stream.

Prehistoric Pets and the Reptile Zoo (indoors only): 18822 Brookhurst Street, Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Hands down, the best place to go if you want to see some serious reptiles. Alligators, snapping turtles, the world’s largest snake and a two headed snake are a few of the awesome reptiles you’ll find here.  If you live in the area, this place is a must-see! Visit their website for fun facts and activities for kids, too: http://www.thereptilezoo.com/.

To find a nature center in your area visit:

http://www.naturefind.com/

http://www.koddler.com/directory.aspx/dir/special/nature-centers

 

Roll Out for National Roller Skating Month!

October is National Roller Skating Month. And if you haven’t put on a pair of skates in a while (or ever), why not give it a try. Roller skating is a great way to have fun and get fit with the kids and the entertainment factor spans all age groups. So pick your favorite pair (do you prefer quads or inline?) and get rolling!

Here are a few suggestions for getting your skate on:

Roller rinks are a great place for skaters of all ages and skill levels. At Fountain Valley Skating Center you can join the Tiny Tots skating hour. For $6 you can skate with your age 5 and under kids. Skate rentals are included in the fee and you can even push your stroller on the rink! Skate Depot, located in Cerritos, has family friendly skate sessions on Saturdays from 12:00 to 3:00 and on Sunday nights from 5:30 to 8:30.

To locate a rink in your area, visit the Roller Skating Associations’ locator at http://www.rollerskating.com/locator/rink.asp.

For outdoor skating adventures visit a local park with paved walking paths. Be sure to walk your course ahead of time to be sure you and the kids won’t run in to any steep hills or unskateable terrain. If you live in Southern California, Venice Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Long Beach all have paved paths on the beach that are great skating options.

A few safety notes:

·         Pads and helmets are important! Protect kids and yourself from severe injury by wearing these when you skate.

·         Keep kids on flat surfaces where they will be comfortable, and have places to jump off the path if they get moving too fast like soft patches of grass or sand.

·         Stay away from streets and intersections. Choose paths away from traffic for optimal safety.

It's National Wildlife Refuge Week: October 14-20!

This week is National Wildlife Refuge week and that means it's the perfect excuse to get out and explore with your family. Visit one of your nearby favorites or find a new refuge near you that you've never been to and learn along with your kids about the habitat and wildlife that are being preserved there. Our family favorite is Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach, California. We walk there several times a week and spot coyotes, herons, brown pelicans, lizards, egrets, cottontails and most recently - the American White Pelican. These beautiful white birds made their appearance at the wetlands about 3 weeks ago and we are watching their population grow steadily. Today we saw the pelicans, alongside many other species of birds, feeding on schools of fish at high tide. If you live in Southern California this is a great place to visit. There are trails accessible from the interpretive center near the corner of PCH and Warner or from PCH, across from the entrance to Bolsa Chica State Beach. You can also access the bluff top trail from the parking lot in the Brightwater community located off of Brightwater Drive and Fordham Lane (4512 Oceanridge Drive, Huntington Beach, California 92649).

For a list of other wildlife refuges visit http://www.fws.gov/refuges/.

Happy exploring!

 

National Fossil Day is October 17th!

Did you know that October 17th is National Fossil Day? This annual event is hosted by the National Park Service and the American Geological Institute as a way to promote the awareness of and appreciation for fossils and their educational and scientific value. Check out one of these great Southern California locations for some fossil fun with the kids (scroll to the bottom for a link to locations nationwide):

Ralph B. Clark Regional Park
8800 Rosecrans Ave. Buena Park, CA 90621

Clark Regional Park has paved walking paths, a dirt trail around the park's perimeter, multiple play structures, a stocked fishing lake, and an interpretive center complete with fossils from the Orange County Area. You'll see million-year-old fossils from marine animals and fossils from younger land mammals.

The Interpretive Center is open Tuesday - Friday 12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. It is Closed on Mondays.

La Brea Tar Pits and The Page Museum
5801 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036

Explore L.A. Ice Age-style by taking a walk in the Pleistocene Garden. Look for plants, animals, and fossil related items throughout the tar pits and the Page Museum on a self-guided scavenger hunt. See fossils being unearthed before your very eyes at Project 23. There is no shortage of fossil fun here! For more information about the activities listed here or to begin planning your visit, click here: http://www.tarpits.org/visit/plan-your-trip

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007

You'll find the only display of T. Rex's at three different ages here at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. You'll find over 300 real dinosaur fossils, the Paleoparadoxiid, or Mystery Mammal - an unknown mammal found in southern California, giant Jaguars and countless other replicas and skeletons of life forms from millions of years ago. After the museum, explore the Exposition Park Rose Garden to see over 200 different kinds of roses. For more information about the Natural History Museum, click here: http://www.nhm.org/site/

The locations listed here are located in southern California, but National Fossil Day is a national event! Visit the National Park Service website for a list of fossil-rich locations in your are: http://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/fossil_parks.cfm

Also check with your local parks and nature centers to see if you have an unlisted location near you. You never know what kind of treasures you'll turn up when you do a little digging!