Solar System Fact Sheet and Activities

My son loves learning about everything. One of his favorite subjects is Space and our Solar System. Since we are planning on transitioning to homeschooling this fall, I've started playing with making my own fact sheets and mini-workbooks for him to use.

After reading the fact sheet, he can move on to answering the questions in the activity book, filling out the creative writing prompt, and doing the mini-activity. If your little one loves space, feel free to download the fact sheet and workbook below.

Happy learning!

 



Fact Sheet



 



Workbook



 

 

A Weekend Hike at Oak Canyon Nature Center

We decided to spend our Sunday morning exploring the great outdoors (one of my favorite things to do). Oak Canyon Nature Center in Anaheim is the perfect spot for hiking with the kids. We visited quite a while ago, but with two little ones and a double jogger to push, our options were limited to the Main Road, which offers a wide packed dirt trail to follow alongside the meandering stream heading uphill, so you still get a bit of a workout and a super enjoyable experience.

This time, we were free to travel several of the other trails the area has to offer as both of our little ones are now sure-footed and eager to explore. We didn't hold back. We walked the Tranquility Trail up to the scenic outlook, caught the Main Road to Bluebird Lane, hitched back on the Bluebird Loop, connected to the Quail Trail and Roadrunner Ridge, passed through the Heritage Trail to see the Butterfly Garden, and hooked up with the Stream Trail to visit the Oldest Oak Tree. We also stopped by the Caves Formed By Erosion and the small Old Time Mining Display.

Most of the trails are shady and pleasant, as you stroll through oak woodlands and enjoy the peaceful trickle of the nearby stream. Bluebird Lane has some shade, but Roadrunner Ridge runs along the top of the canyon and gets full sun. Also, Roadrunner Ridge has steep drop-offs alongside the trail so keep your kids close and hold hands if they're little.

The nice thing about this hike was my son's involvement. Generally, he's not much of a hiker, unless he has something to keep him interested. He loves maps, and the trail guide available at the Nature Center has an image of the trails with a legend and identifiable landmarks. He loved navigating the trails, leading us from one landmark to the next, and helping determine which way to go at the trail intersections. I need to get this boy a compass.

In the end, we were able to hike two and a half miles of trails with a 5-year old and a 2-year old. I had to carry my little girl for a bit, but she's such a trooper and loves to run, so she had plenty of opportunities for that here.

The Interpretive Center is a great place to stop in before and after your hike. There's a small library with children's books, several terrariums with Western Toads, snakes, and bearded dragons, and a few things to explore like animal pelts, horns, and a small box with a mini dinosaur skeleton to excavate. Don't miss the viewing window along the far wall - it looks out at an area that has a small stream, bird feeders, and squirrel feeders. We saw tons of squirrels and birds stopping for water and a bite to eat, and there are binoculars available for getting a closer look.

And if you're an information-nut like me, the area near the front desk has lots of reference books to look at.

If you haven't been, I definitely recommend a trip to Oak Canyon Nature Center. If you have been, you should probably go again. This place rocks.

Oh, restrooms - the brick building near the parking lot is fine, but if you go when the Interpretive Center is open there are a few there, too and they are a bit more comfortable.

For information call 714-998-8380

Hands-On at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

Last weekend we headed to 22nd Street Landing in San Pedro for Day At the Docks. We took the kids on board some of the local fishing boats to see what it's like, and since their Dad spends a lot of time on fishing boats, they were excited to see where he spends his time when he's away from home. Their favorite parts: the free hot dogs and candy, and the bunks on the overnight charter boats.

Once we finished up with the boat tours, we had lunch and made our way to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. This was our second visit, but it's been quite a while since our first. This is hands down one of my favorite aquariums, in fact, I enjoy my visits here even more than The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Here's why: The walls are covered with facts and information about the ocean and the animals that inhabit the waters just outside our door. There's a giant poster with a drawing of a kelp plant, and at the root of the kelp plant, they've glued the approximate amount of all the tiny organisms and animals that live down in the sand, under water, thriving in the roots of kelp. And case after case offers something new to explore - seashells, fossils, sand dollars. One of my favorite displays is the preserved footballfish. This guy is odd and eerie, but amazing. He is the largest of his kind and only the 10th to be caught, according to records.

Footballfish Photo Courtesy of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

The touch tank here is full of sea anemones and urchins and abalone and starfish and lots of other fun fish. But keep your hands out of the water on the backside - there are sharks in there! Once we were done at the touch tank, we met a group in the courtyard to hatch grunion. They distributed baby food jars of sand, seawater, and grunion eggs. We shook the jars as directed and sure enough right before our eyes, the tiny clear eggs popped into tadpole-like fish.

Throughout the aquarium you'll visit exhibits that focus on different areas of the ocean from kelp forests to sandy beaches to the open ocean. In the aquatic nursery you'll meet a baby octopus and tiny seahorses. The Exploration Center is a hands-on interactive area for kids to play with puzzles, costumes, coloring activities and more. Keep an eye out for the scavenger hunt list on the wall. And don't skip the library. They have a huge selection of books about all things aquatic and the children's section has coloring pages and tons of fun books to read.



Aquatic Nursery

 

 

Admission to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is free but they do ask for donations. When you visit, please kindly contribute to keep this amazing aquarium open.

Make a day of your visit and head out to the surrounding area for a nature walk. Pick up the Walk Cabrillo guide located throughout the aquarium and follow the map to explore the Coastal Native Plant Garden, cliffs full of fossils, the salt marsh at Salinas de San Pedro, and tidepools at Point Fermin State Marine Park. Don't forget the sunblock!

For information on educational youth programs visit the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium website at http://www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org/education.asp.