PlaySpaces eBook: FREE Downloads through April 26th!

PlaySpaces: 20 of OC's Best Places to Play and Explore with Kids is full of fun and educational locations that offer families the opportunity to create great memories together. From hiking the trails at Bolsa Chica to fishing in the lakes at Mile Square and Ralph B. Clark to getting to know the animals at Centennial Farm, you'll find something here.

Each location features all the important know-before-you-go information: parking fees, restrooms, stroller accessibility and more!

 

Are you new to the Southern California area, a new parent looking for someplace to enjoy an afternoon out in the fresh air, or an experienced parent looking to find a new favorite hangout for you and the kids? PlaySpaces has something for everyone.

Download your FREE copy today to your smart phone, Kindle, tablet or PC! Click on the picture below, or the link above for your free download.

 

 

 

 

Sunday at the Mission

Sunday morning I decided to get the kids outside to explore someplace new. Being that it was Sunday, and I don't dare take a 1-year old and a 4-year old to church by myself, I thought we should head south and explore Mission San Juan Capistrano.

The grounds here are beautiful, with lots of paths winding through gardens. And the mission living quarters are open for walk throughs so you can experience how the space was being used when it was occupied. There are several fountains around the grounds, one with lots of koi for the kids to watch. The fish seem to enjoy the company, often coming to the surface to make faces at little ones hovering over the water. Koi feedings are daily at 12:45.

An activity center is set up in one of the rooms for educational purposes. No one was there to discuss the activities that take place there on our visit, but it looks like it offers plenty of educational information about the mission and serves as an area for students to take part in crafts or other mission-related activities while on field trips.

To the left of the entrance they had panning for gold and adobe brick making for kids. They charge $3 for each activity, or you can do both for $5. This was a winner for our group. We each made bricks, which are still outside curing. They said to leave the brick in the sun for two days. And even though we paid for the activity, we feel a little richer having two dixie cups with gold on the bottom sitting on our counter.

On California's central coast, you can visit Mission Santa Cruz. A few miles north is a fantastic place called Wilder Ranch. We visited these locations often when we lived in the area and learned that Wilder Ranch was once a working ranch that supplied the mission with all of the food and resources it needed for the mission occupants. I am interested in finding out how Mission San Juan Capistrano was supplied, and if there is still an existing rancho from which the mission once received its goods. If you have any information about this topic please feel free to contact me by leaving a comment below, or by emailing me directly at heidideal711@gmail.com.

Exploring Mission San Juan Capistrano is a great family activity that offers an educational and historical element not to be missed. Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for kids 4-11 and children 3 and under are free. The Mission is open daily from 9:00 to 5:00. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and closes at noon on Good Friday and Christmas Eve. Check the Mission Calendar of Events to plan your visit.

Also worth mentioning is the gift shop. They have an amazing selection of beautiful crosses and rosaries here as well as books and other gifts available for purchase.

Play in the Dirt for National Garden Month

April is National Garden Month. What a perfect reason to get outside and get your hands dirty with the kids. Gardening and growing healthy food with your children is a great opportunity for enrichment in so many areas. It offers physical activity, helps improve motor skills and problem solving skills, and teaches children how to nurture and care for something. It gives them the opportunity to be proud of something they accomplish, and it introduces them to a selection of healthy foods, which they are more likely to eat because they helped grow it.

Try a themed garden, like a pizza garden, and grow all the veggies you might need to top your favorite pizza. Or a pasta primavera garden - toss all of your garden goodies with fresh pasta and enjoy!

My family recently began a new garden. A few weeks ago, my husband and I took the kids to get some seeds and we chose carrots, peas and cherry tomatoes. We have a patio so we started the seeds in a Pellet Greenhouse Kit. It comes with 20 discs of soil to which you add your seeds. My husband and the kids took great care to mist the seeds to keep them moist, and soon they had 20 sprouts! The kids were so excited every day to see the changes that were taking place with the plants, and looked forward to caring for them.

Today, they transferred their plants to fresh potting soil in planter pots on our patio. The kids got to get a little messy in the soil and helped set up the stakes for the peas to grow on. Then they helped to put the plants in the soil. My 4-year-old son asks questions everyday about why the plants look a certain way or why they are changing. What started out as a small garden turned into an everyday activity that provides an ongoing opportunity to teach that involves everyone in the family.

Fun ideas: 101 Ways to Celebrate National Garden Month

For more great ideas about gardening with kids: Kidsgardening.org

For tons of garden Information: National Gardening Association




Enjoying the tomatoes from the garden a bit early!

Our newly planted peas.