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.

Imaginology

I took my kids to the Imaginology event at the Orange County Fairgrounds this weekend and it blew me away. What an amazing event! What could have been your run-of-the-mill youth expo, has been totally redesigned to become one of the most creative, interactive, educational, and worth-while events I've ever attended.

The S.T.E.A.M.-themed activities and vendors were so well put together and they had so much to offer to get kids thinking and creating. S.T.E.A.M. stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, so on-site we were able to explore a science fair, see 4-H exhibits and livestock, dig for dinosaur bones, build structures with toothpicks and marshmallows, build mobiles, create with clay, and build a foil boat and see how many pennies we could put in it before it sank. Oh, and my son made a cardboard rocket and got to launch it himself. Loved that. These were only a few things we got to do in our short time there. I say short because we went on Sunday at 1:00, and some vendors and activities were packing up ahead of the 5:00 closing time, but we were still able to participate in some really fun activities.

 

 

 

I love the Centennial Farm area at the Fairgrounds, and was excited to see that a lot of the event was situated here. We got to see and touch baby chicks and plant radish seeds, and they had brand new piglets and lambs that the kids thought were super cute. You could even catch a hayride.

 

 

After attending this event I'm hyped to try to incorporate more of this style of learning into my children's education at home. The School Library Journal has a great article on STEAM and a list of resources to refer to for inspiration and information. Don't forget to check out the STEAM Pinterest board. And keep an eye out for the STEAM Carnival that will be coming to the Port of Los Angeles in October.

They Might Love A Dance Party!

You might know them from one of their adult albums or from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song - either way, They Might Be Giants will get you moving. They've released more than ten albums, four of them for children. Their first family-friendly album was No! and was mostly recorded to provide music for Malcolm in the Middle. Since then they've released the Grammy winning Here Come the 123s, Here Come the ABCs, and the Grammy nominated CD/DVD set Here Comes Science. Their tunes are educational and super fun to listen to.

As the weather cools down and gets a little soggy (or icy, depending on where you live), us parents start looking for indoor activities that keep kids entertained and provide some physical fitness. Have a dance party to get kids moving, and with tunes like Photosynthesis, Fake Believe, and The Secret Life of Six, they'll also be learning about letters, numbers, science and more.

Playing with your kids doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Just turn on the music and have fun together!

 

 

Fullerton Arboretum

When I took the kids to the Fullerton Arboretum, I didn't go with soaring expectations. I went because it looked spacious and I wanted to explore a new nature center-type location. So when I was greeted with a gorgeous waterfall that pooled into a stream that swept quickly through a shady Woodlands Collection that included buckeye, cedar, juniper, pine, bamboo and countless other specimens, I was ecstatic. You can only imagine my excitement when I found the redwoods. A perfect bench sat quietly overlooking the stream as it rushed over shiny pebbles. The kids played stream-side on the banks and tried to pick the seashells out of the packed mud.

The parking lot was nearly full when we arrived, but there was rarely another group within speaking distance. Even with the occasional passerby, it felt like we had the place to ourselves. I noticed a few other groups with children lingering by the pond and the lake watching the ducks, turtles, tadpoles and fish - someone asked about feeding the ducks but signs are clearly posted here that feeding the wildlife is not allowed. We made our own lakeside stop and the ducks and turtles quickly approached. I'm sure they were hoping for a treat but they were not aggressive with us and seemed to be content just hanging out with the kids.

In addition to the Woodlands Collection you can explore the Desert Collection, the Mediterranean Collection and the gardens. You'll find a beautiful arbor draped with wisteria, a community garden area, a rare fruit garden and a children's garden complete with a hollow tree stump replica for play, a giant watering can and shovel, and my personal favorite, the gourd arbor. I've never seen anything quite like it and I must say, I felt like a kid again walking through that magical hall of gourds.

Fullerton Arboretum is definitely worth a trip. Parking and admission are free but there is a donation station at the entrance that suggests $3 per person. Please consider the suggested donation so this amazing place can keep its doors open to the public. Also, the Arboretum offers classes for adults and children like Yoga in the Garden, Thursdays in the Kitchen, and Arts in the Garden. Visit the Classes and Programs section and the Calendar of Events for more information.

If you go: Take plenty of water and wear sunblock. There's plenty of shade, but lots of sunny, open space as well. Pack a lunch or a substantial snack supply. There's a lot to explore here so you may want to stay a while. Almost all trails are dirt and stroller accessible. There are clean restrooms at the nature center, but there are no changing tables, so bring a blanket for changes on the grass. Please dispose of trash properly so others can enjoy this beautiful location.

Fullerton Arboretum is open daily from 8:00 to 4:30.

 

100 Years of Natural History

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles opened its doors 100 years ago. On June 9th, they'll reopen their doors for their Centennial Celebration showcasing updated favorite exhibits and new and exciting features both indoors and out. The 63-foot fin whale skeleton now hangs mid dive from the glass cube housing the new Otis Booth Pavilion, complete with a sound system that sends out whale calls at different frequencies and thousands of programmable LED lights to simulate waves, shadows and other undersea images. Three and a half acres of the Museum lawn have been transformed into walking paths and nature gardens for learning and interactivity. Listen to water move through tree cells at the Listening Tree, explore soil, compost and roots in the Get Dirty Zone and see plant and bug life in action at the Living Wall. The dioramas and many other popular exhibits are still intact, but thanks to generous time and money, nearly 60% of the museum has benefited from the renovations. In 1913, the Natural History Museum was a very different place than it is today. The inclusion of updated technology and new exhibits that explore the growth and evolution of the city of Los Angeles make this Centennial Celebration a milestone not to be missed. The Museum will be closed on June 8th in preparation for Sunday's celebration.

For more information follow the link below to visit the Natural History Museum's website.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone: (213) 763-DINO

The Front Lawn, pre-renovation.

Orange Empire Railway Museum

When you have children, people don't tell you that you will at some point be parenting a miniature conductor who blows whistles, "choo-choo's" around the living room and is obsessed with all things trains. It must be an unspoken rite of passage that all children will experience train-mania at some point during their toddler or preschool years.

Recently, my family and I went to Perris to visit the 90-acre site of the Orange Empire Railway Museum (OERM). A perfect spot for train lovers of all ages. Upon arrival, we stopped to take a few pictures of the ticket booths and old fashioned lamp posts that transported us back a few decades, removing us for a moment from our busy modern lives.

The ticket booths serve as an entry way, but there are no ticketing agents here. Admission to the site is free. Once you cross the tracks you'll find the Pinacate Station Reception Center. This is where you will find visitor's information, the gift shop and purchase train tickets. All day passes are $12 for 12 and over, $8 for kids 5-11, and free for kids under 5.

The gift shop had an enormous selection of train-related books, toys and memorabilia. I fell in love with the little pink conductors set for little girls, complete with hat, scarf and whistle.

OERM rotates the trains and trolleys they use. Some of the trains include Pacific Electric Red Cars, Santa Fe Railway passenger cars, Southern Pacific diesel locomotives, a selection of train cars from Union Pacific and lots more. There are generally 3 trains to ride. The train parked directly in front of the reception center does a loop around the grounds and the other two trains do a short out and back trip down a straight track path.

When you aren't riding the trains, there is plenty to explore. Lots of carhouses hold historic train cars to explore. Kids can explore the interior of some cars, while others are viewable only from the outside. The grounds are open for you to explore at your leisure, just be careful when crossing the tracks and wear comfortable walking shoes when you visit.

Pack a lunch or plenty of snacks when you go. Food and drinks here are limited to sodas and waters and light snacks available for purchase in the museum store.

Trains only run on weekends and some holidays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Grounds are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the reception store is open from 9:30 to 4:30 on weekdays and 9:30 to 5:00 on weekends. Physical address is 2201 S. "A" St., Perris CA 92570.

OERM also hosts a variety of events like the upcoming Bunny Train, Day out With Thomas and swap meets. For more information and to plan your trip, visit their website: http://www.oerm.org/.