June 2016
Table of Contents Travel: Family Winter Getaway by Carmel L. Mooney..........................page 6 The Book Report: by Susan Roberts.............................page 8 Who Wrote That? Virginia Loh-Hagin by Patricia Newman ................... page 11 First 5 Parenting tips................... page 12 Parties! Parties!............................ page 14
www.valcomnews.com Publisher: David Herburger Editor: Monica Stark Contributing Writers: Susan Roberts, Carmel L. Mooney, Patricia Newman Art Director: John Ochoa Graphic Designer: Annin Greenhalgh Advertising: Steve Crowley 916-429-9901 Cover photo courtesy Once Upon A Child www.onceuponachildarden.com • 916-488-8861 California Kids! is published monthly and distributed to more than 1,000 locations in the Sacramento Valley, including all of Sacramento County, and portions of Yolo (Davis and Woodland), Placer (Rocklin and Roseville), El Dorado (Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Placerville) counties. Subscriptions are available for $30/year. Mail prepaid check or money order to California Kids!, 2709 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95818. Make sure to specify the person and address to which you wish issues to be mailed. Deadlines for advertising and calendar listings are the 25th of the month prior to publication. Calendar listings should be mailed to 2709 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95818, faxed to (916) 429-9906, or e-mailed to kathleen@valcomnews.com. Copyright 2016 by Valley Community Newspapers Inc. 2709 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95818. Phone: (916) 429-9901. Fax: (916) 429-9906. E-mail:calkidsmag@gmail.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide
Have fun coloring!
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CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • JUNE 2016
Sacramento Zoo summer classes and camps
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xplore your Zoo like you never have before! If you love animals and the environment, this day camp is definitely for you. Enjoy learning about the animals at the Zoo and around the world by seeing, hearing, smelling (peeeyuuu!), and even touching and feeding some of them! Dive into the world of animals through songs, games, crafts, and other fun activities. No matter what grade you’re in, we have a summer program that’s just right for you. Our summer camps have won the Nick’s Parent Connect Pick award for best day camp two years running!
Summer Class Registration Guide Camp Schedule & Descriptions Little Peeps Summer Class: Pre-Kindergarten - $35 per class Each Little Peeps summer class is 2 hours long, 9:30 to 11:30 am, and designed for 3 to 5 year olds with a caregiver. Little Peeps will gather around for story time and make a take home craft. During the class we will visit one of our animal ambassadors. Zoo Camp: K – 9th grade Each class will focus on a different theme and is packed with fun crafts, games, music, special visits with our animal ambassadors, keeper talks and animal enrichment opportunities. We
reserve the right to remove campers not placed in the age appropriate class. Please note: processing fees will apply. Red Class (Kindergarten, half day) - $160 per week Red classes are Monday – Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, and are for students entering kindergarten in the fall. Yellow Class (1st – 2nd, half day) - $160 per week Yellow classes are Monday – Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, and are for students entering 1st or 2nd grade in the fall. Green Class (1st – 2nd, full day) - $270 per week Green classes are Monday – Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and are for students entering 1st or 2nd grade in the fall. Blue Class (3rd – 4th, full day) - $270 per week Blue classes are Monday – Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and are for students entering 3rd or 4th grade in the fall. Purple Class (5th – 6th, full day) - $270 per week Purple classes are Monday – Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and are for students entering 5th or 6th grade in the fall.
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All You Can Eat Crystal Ice Cream Stone Live Music by Celtic Band Stepping e Lite Theater Performances by Shakespear Fanciful Arts & Crafts Activities Shop the Enchanted Marketplace Food Trucks • Beer & Wine
Silver Class (7th – 9th, full day) - $270 per week Silver classes are Monday – Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and are for students entering 7th or 9th grade in the fall. Teen Classes & Camps: 7th - 9th grade Silver Class - $270 per person Silver classes are Monday – Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and are for students entering 7th or 8th grade in the fall. Zoo Quest - $270 per person 7th through 9th graders who are ready for the next level experience at the Zoo will love this in-depth camp! A 3-day camp ending in an overnight camp-out at the Zoo! Zoo Quest is for students entering 7th-9th grade and runs 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Wednesday and Thursday, 9:00 am Friday to 8:30 am Saturday. Zoo Keeper Tag Along - $45 per class Keeper Tag Along classes are 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. These special, behind-the-scenes classes expose campers to exactly what is involved in taking care of exotic animals. Zoo Veterinarian Tag Along - $45 per class Vet Tag Along classes are 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. These special classes go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Dr. Murray E. Fowler Veterinary Hospital, and offer hands on experience with some tools of the trade.
YSTAL ICE
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(916) 808-7462 JUNE 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide
fairytaletown.org
Ring-tailed Lemur finds permanent home
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he Ring-tailed Lemur that was discovered in a Turlock backyard last year has found a permanent home. He will be moving to the Detroit Zoo the first week of May. The Detroit Zoo has experience working with Ringtailed Lemurs that have come to them from part of the illegal pet trade. Unfortunately as a result of their upbringing and not having many of their social needs met, lemurs that come from the pet trade often do not behave like normal lemurs and do not always know how to interact with other primates. The Detroit Zoo is currently home to five Ring-tailed Lemurs, three of which are former pets.
In order to prepare for his departure, the Ring-tailed Lemur has received a final exit exam at the Sacramento Zoo’s Murray E. Fowler Veterinary Hospital. The thorough exam checked his overall health and the final report was sent to the veterinary team at the Detroit Zoo. Animal Care Staff in Sacramento have also had conversations with staff in Detroit to discuss the lemur’s current behaviors and tendencies and have shared videos of the lemur. All of the behaviors the Ring-tailed Lemur from Turlock is exhibiting are ones that staff at Detroit have seen in other former pet lemurs are behaviors and that they are
prepared to work with. After the lemur arrives in Detroit he will be housed near the other Ring-tailed Lemurs and given as much time as he needs to acclimate to his surroundings. From there, the keepers will work with him over the next months and years to introduce him first to another Ring-tailed Lemur; hopefully he will eventually be integrated into the entire lemur group. We are happy that this lemur, who was a product of the illegal pet trade, will have a permanent, safe home in Detroit! Source: sacramentozoo. blogspot.com
K O H L’ S B U C K L E U P T O G R O W U P
Photo by Mike Owyang
Safety is Best! Wear your vest, every time you swim. A properly fitting life jacket will help your kids float safety through the summer. For more information, call 916-734-9798.
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Watercolor Classes by Art Instructor, Barbara Dow
Kids Ages 6-12 One-hour, one-on-one watercolor classes
5 sessions for $125.00 Lessons are structured according to age and ability, and each session will provide the opportunity to learn the basic application of watercolor paints and introduce a variety of techniques.
contact me: bd@dow-design.com www.barbaradow.com Artistic Edge Framing & Gallery 1880 Fulton Avenue
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CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • JUNE 2016
Family overnight safaris available at the Sacramento Zoo
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amp-out with your family (two or more people) under the stars just yards away from slumbering lions and wake to the call of flamingos – and of course a tasty breakfast. Do you have a group of 50 or more people and want the Zoo all to yourselves? Find out more about group overnights. Available dates: June 11, 17, 25, July 9, 15, 23, 30 and Aug. 5 Program: This fun-filled educational evening will guide you through all that our nighttime Zoo has to offer. This is a perfect opportunity to see animal behaviors you may not have seen before.
During your Overnight Safari you will: Take a nighttime tour of the Zoo. Watch the Overnight Safari Leaders give special animal feedings and talks – even help make one of the animal’s special treats! Enjoy a tasty dinner. Meet Animal Ambassadors up close and personal. Gather around the campfire for songs, stories, and snacks. Listen to the sounds of the wild as you fall asleep under the stars. Indulge in a fabulous breakfast.
Itinerary
Family Overnight Safari visitors enter through the back gate of the Zoo at 5:30 pm. Entrance gates close promptly at 6:00 pm. 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm: Welcome! Set up camp on the reptile house lawn. 6:30 pm – 7:15 pm: Enjoy your scrumptious dinner. 7:15 pm – 8:45 pm: Nighttime Safari tour and Nocturnal Nibbles animal feeding 8:45 pm - 10:00 pm: evening program with animal encounters - then off to bed! Campers must stay in designated areas overnight. 6:30 am - 7:30 am: Wake up with nature’s alarm clock - then break down camp 7:30 am - 8:00 am: Breakfast with the animals 8:00 am - 9:00 am: Morning Walkabout and Morning Munchies animal feeding After your program ends at 9:00 am, you may stay and explore the Zoo during the day.
Details Safaris embark at 5:30 pm and end at 9:00 am the following morning. Gates close promptly at 6 pm. Ages 4 to adult welcome. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. You must register for 2 or more people. Your group will set up camp on the Zoo’s Reptile House
Lawn. You may sleep under the stars or in your tent. The Zoo provides dinner, a snack with the evening program, and breakfast, hot chocolate and coffee in the morning. Don’t know what to bring? Check out the list of overnight items.
Pricing Sac Zoo Members: $55 per person Non-members: $65 per person Do you have a group of 50 campers or more? Try a Group Overnight Safari! The family overnight program is designed for ages 4 and older; we strongly recommend you do not include children under the age of 4 due to the nature of the program. All attendees must be pre-registered including children under 4.
Reservations Start your registration here. 2016 dates are: Saturday, June 11th Friday, June 17th Saturday, June 25th Saturday, July 9th Friday, July 15th Saturday, July 23rd Saturday, July 30th Friday, August 5th
Cancellations If you need to cancel your Family Overnight Safari please visit the cancellation page on saczoo.org/overnight
Kidz Kamp 2016
FREE registration for all 1st time attenders! $20 registration
July 25-28, 9am-11am
Lots of fun and learning for kids ages 4-10
BIBLE LESSONS, GAMES, SNACKS, CRAFTS, ACTIVE PLAY, PRAYERS, STORIES & MORE! 450 Blue Ravine Road, Folsom - (916) 983-4648 pmcclean@journeychurchhome.org JUNE 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide
THE BOOK REPORT
Animals in the Wild By Susan L. Roberts
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tories can introduce children to animals in the wild and develop in them a respect and understanding of the needs of animals in nature. This collection of fiction, non-fiction, and poetic stories may expand a child’s world and help develop in them a lifelong interest in nature. Is This Panama? A Migration Story, by Jan Thornhill, illustrated by Soyeon Kim. (Owl Kids, Ages 4-8) Sammy, a young Wilson Warbler discovers his friends have already left the Arctic Circle for Panama and starts out on his own for his ‘first’ migration. Without the guidance of other warblers, he joins other birds, insects, and mammals to make his way to his winter home. He shares the trip with Sandhill Cranes, green darner dragonflies, Monarch Butterflies, whales, and others until he arrives. Adults will love piecing together where young Sammy might be on his journey. Children will learn that many creatures migrate each year. An afterward shares the route and information on each traveler. The ‘fine art’ illustrations
are exquisite and will to be savored as much as the story. Reviewers Pick of the Month Out of the Woods, A True Story of an Unforgettable Event, By Rebecca Bond. (Margaret Ferguson Books, Ages 4-8) Antonio lived in Canada, where lumberjacks, miners, and trappers made their home. One day smoke appeared in the forest and a bell sounded. Fire! Everyone headed for the lake. Standing in the water, people watched flames roar through trees. Soon animals arrived and they, too, entered the water to watch the flames. Rabbits stood next to foxes, raccoons next to bears and moose next to people. Animals and people stood next to each other until the fire burned itself out. An amazing true story. The kind of book that enlightens children of how animals survive in natural disasters and one that inspires dreams in young minds. National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar!, edited by J. Patrick Lewis, U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate (National Geographic, Ages 4-8) This book is perfect for every child’s library. National
Geographic’s gorgeous, powerful photos illustrate 200 classic and new poems about animals. Even readers not usually interested in poetry, will pour over the photos and want to read the short poems that accompany them. The book introduces children to animals, birds, insects, and fish from all over the world. It features poets that specialize in nature poems, like Janet S. Wong; current children’s favorite poets like Jack Prelutsky and J. Patrick Lewis; as well as writers of the classics, including Emily Dickinson and Rudyard Kipling. It also includes information on writing poems, featuring Shape Poems, Haiku, and Limericks. Whispers of the Wolf, by Pauline Ts’o. (Wisdom Tales, Ages 6-8) Whispers of the Wolf quietly, deeply engulfs the reader. Supported with wind-swept pastel illustrations the reader virtually experiences the boy’s emotions of finding and raising a wolf.
Two Birds, a quiet Pueblo boy, discovers and cares for an abandoned wolf pup. As the pup grows, Two Birds becomes adept at hunting rabbits to feed the animal. When it Is finally big enough, he takes the wolf hunting with him. The boy shares with the village boys stories he heard from the wolf and new ways to hunt rabbits. When the day comes that the wolf wants to follow the other wolves, Two Birds must decide between keeping the wolf or setting him free. A poignant, turning-of-age story. Hungry Coyote, by Cheryl Blackford, illustrated by Laurie Caple. (Minnesota Historical Society Press, Ages 6-8)
Hungry Coyote addresses the trend of coyotes living in or near urban areas. Written in a rich, poetic voice that speaks of survival and illustrated with winter’s freezing details, readers enter a winter land and sense the tough times wildlife has, in particular, the coyote. But the coyote is smart and a survivor and uses its ability to adapt to its environment. The book shows how the coyote has learned to live invisibly alongside human dwellers in urban areas. The author includes information about ‘city coyotes’ and what to do if one is encountered. Highly recommended book for animal lovers.
Susan L. Roberts (www.Books4theCuriousChild.com) lives in Sacramento, CA where she reads dozens of picture books each month and reviews the best to help parents and teachers find books that will inspire and develop a child’s curiosity and love of life. An aspiring picture book author, she hopes to be published soon. CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • JUNE 2016
Make it yourself! Dad’s Dream Picture
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Dad Socks
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hether Dad dreams of driving a Mercedes, lifting the Super Bowl or scoring a hole in one, your kids can make it come true with this clever idea. They will have fun with this, too!
very year, fathers around the world get given gifts of socks. Why not stand out from the crowd? With a little bit of imagination, kids can make this year’s Dad Socks extra special!
You will need:
You will need:
Newspapers and magazines Photo of Dad (make sure kids ask permission before they cut up any photographs! We photocopied and enlarged ours) Glue stick Backing card
Socks (not ribbed) 3D fabric paint (the kind that you squeeze out) in a variety of colours
Instructions: Look through the newspapers and magazines until you find a picture of someone lifting the cup, hitting the home run or driving Dad’s favorite car. Cut out the picture and glue it to the backing card. From the photo cut out Dad’s face and glue it on to the picture.
Craft Foam Photo Frame
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ere is a quick and easy craft idea which can turn a photo into a special gift! We’ve made one for Father’s Day, but the kids can personalize these for all sorts of occasions and recipients.
You will need: Sheet of craft foam Foam stickers Photo (or drawing) Sheet of card Ribbon to hang PVA (white) glue
Instructions: Cut out a rectangle of craft foam a bit bigger than your picture. Fold the foam in half and cut out a rectangle in the middle, leaving you with a frame about 3cm wide. Decorate the frame with foam stickers. Try and make the frame match the picture. We decorated white circles to look like soccer balls, but you could do baseball, basketball or rugby, or, if Dad’s a motoring enthusiast, cars or wheels. Glue the picture to the back of the frame. Glue a loop of ribbon to the top. Cut the card to the size of your frame and glue it to the back. Why not use your frame to hang one of our Dad’s dream pictures?
Instructions: Let your imagination go wild! Bear in mind that your painted socks might not be the most comfortable socks that will Dad will own. He will probably prefer to wear them around the house in the evenings to keep his feet warm!
Dad Photo Frame
O
ur DAD Photo Frame is a perfect gift for kids to make for their Dads on Father’s Day.
You will need: A5 card (we used A4 and cut in half) Stickers and any other embellishments that you have Glue 3 Photographs
Instructions: Draw two D’s and an A shape onto the card, and cut out. Use a small pair of scissors to cut out the inside of the letters, too (younger children will need adult help or supervision). Decorate your letters. We simply used stickers but you can use gems, ribbons, sequins, pompoms or anything else from your craft box. Glue a photo to the back of each letter so that it fills the aperture. Trim any overhanging bits of photo away. Layer the letters so they overlap slightly, spelling out the word “Dad”, and glue together. You could laminate the photo frame to make it last, or enclose the whole thing within a larger Perspex frame.
Crafts courtesy of: www.Activity Village.co.uk - Keeping Kids Busy JUNE 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide
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CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • JUNE 2016
Who wrote that? KIDLIT CREATORS WHO MAKE KIDS WANT TO READ Featuring Sally Spratt
By Bitsy Kemper
Who Wrote That? is a monthly column that profiles the talented authors and illustrators who bring children’s books to life.
B
y day, Sally Spratt works in accounting. Most of her career has been in accounting but her history includes: professional pet sitter/dog walker, sales clerk at a major department store, Escrow Assistant and Office Manager. And now, she can add author. By night she’s a writer. Bitsy: Did you ever think you’d be an author when you grew up? Sally: Hah, no. My plan when I was a kid was to grow up and have a cool apartment like Mary Tyler Moore. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. B: What drew you to children’s writing? A: Actually a good friend who was a copy writer at an ad agency saw my creative streak and asked why I wasn’t writing. I started with writing for adults, but quickly found I was drawn more to writing for children. I mean, as a kid I loved to write stories and plays. I crafted plays where I was the star and my little sisters were the co-stars (playing several parts at a time). I kept a little spiral notebook, and if I could find our portable typewriter, I’d type something. That joy never left me. B: Tell me about your picture books. S: Jerry the Boy Who Cried Monster is the classic tale of the boy who cried wolf, only Jerry sees monsters. I can’t give away the twist at the end, but, let’s just say monsters may be real, and they have feelings too. Martha Miller Wants a Pet is about a neat, prim little girl named Martha. Martha’s parents agree she is old enough to take care of a pet of her own. They spend a day at the pet store trying to decide:
fit for me in terms of quality and end product.
Sally Spratt
kitten, puppy, chicken, a snake, anything. Martha says no to everything, until the sales clerk brings out the very last pet in the store. No spoiler alerts, but it has a bunch of legs and is very hairy…and Martha loves it. B: What’s different about your books? S: My books are apps! B: Why are they apps--instead of a standard picture book? S: I had submitted to many publishers, and MeeGenius was one that stood out to me. MeeGenius is part of the Houghton Mifflin Harcort publishing group, a major player in the industry. I loved their illustrations, the natural narration, and the ease of the app. And making it an app gave the reader more: more interaction, more opportunity to learn. B: Did you plan to make your books apps from the start? S: Not at all. Most picture books I’d seen in app form or on e-readers were didn’t live up to my standards. Most parents know what I mean. Pictures aren’t well illustrated…the pages don’t adjust to screen size…that kind of thing. Authors can spend thousands of dollars creating their own app, and I didn’t want to go that route. But MeeGenius was a perfect
JUNE 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide
B: Can you describe book apps in how they differ from e-books, and a traditional book? S: An e-book is simply a book re-formatted to be read on a e-reader like Nook or Kindle. You might have the ability to look up word definitions or do a word search, but interactivity is limited. With a book app, you don’t need an e-reader; you can use your phone, tablet, laptop or pc. An app is a book in electronic format that’s interactive. It has narration, sounds, music, and activities to do. Words are highlighted as the book is read so it’s easy to follow, and it allows kids to start to recognize how the written word sounds and looks. The narration can also be turned off and a kid/parent can read it by themselves. B: Do I need Internet access to read an app? S: You do need the Internet, initially, to download book apps to whichever device you’re using (smartphone, tablet, computer). In almost all cases, once you download and save, you can access on your device anytime, anywhere, without Wi-Fi. B: Amazon lists the “Top 100 children’s book apps,” and that’s just a start. Are there really that many? S: There are thousands! Many are self-created apps not backed by a publisher. And I’ll say there are a lot that are awful, just plain terrible—but you get that in paper books too.
B: How can parents best find and use book apps? S: Just like when buying a book or borrowing from the library, ask questions and do a little research. Figure out which is best for your situation, your family, your child. I myself don’t recommend the “game” type apps, like the beep-buzzer books, as I don’t believe they encourage reading or involve the child’s imagination. B: Have book apps changed the way parents and kids interact? S: I think kids, like adults, will still read with a regular old-fashioned paper book. But the app opens up doors for struggling readers and reluctant readers. There have been many studies done on how children interact with e-readers, and book apps. Young children’s brains still need to develop and the best way is through hands on paper reading. I see the apps as an additional source for parents. B: Have you seen apps change the ways kids read?
S: In my own personal experience, when I read these to kids, they always want more. It’s nice to have the ability to open up a library of books right at my fingertips. I’ve had teachers who use this particular app with kids who are reluctant readers. The narration and the word highlighting help them move ahead in their reading. But I don’t think e-books or book apps will in anyway shape or form take the place of traditional books. At least not for a long time. Bitsy Kemper is author of fourteen children’s books and frequent guest “Who Wrote That?” columnist. You may have seen Bitsy on CNN, heard her on national radio, noticed her quoted in anything from Parenting magazine to Writing Children’s Books for Dummies, or seen her work in countless newspapers, radio and TV stations across the U.S of A. Busy with three kids (four if you count her husband), she happily finds time to present at schools and writer conferences from CA to NY. www.BitsyKemper.com
LEARN MORE ABOUT SALLY SPRATT Visit: http://www.SallyWrites.com/
BOOKS BY SALLY SPRATT Jerry the Boy Who Cried Monster Martha Miller Wants a Pet Available on Meegenius: http://www.meegenius.com/store/ search?q=spratt
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Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Celebration, Just A Few Months Left to Experience the Magic By Carmel L. Mooney
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t only makes sense to plan a visit to the happiest place on Earth so why and how is this year any different than the years past? Our family has visited Disneyland and California Adventure every year for more two decades and this year stands out as, by far, one of the most most magical and memorable years, for numerous reasons. With its grand 60th Diamond Anniversary celebration, Disney has created for guests, a huge event to top all events, not to mention the opening of the new Star Wars Land coming soon.
From the moment you walk down Main Street, you will see the excitement and changes whether it be from the new attractions, attractions that have been revamped to incorporate the Star Wars theme, music, decorations, parades, or themed characters. Throughout both parks, fabulous decorations, music, and shows integrate the magic and splendor of this huge milestone for Disney, on a magnificent scale but in Disney’s California Adventure Park, the nighttime water show, World of Color, spectacular has gone all out to add a historical glimpse into the man behind the memories.
You will have to plan your evenings at both parks around the inclusion of the celebratory fireworks and light show over Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disneyland that relies on laser, high definition, LED, and infrared technology to wow and woo the guests. The fireworks are an incomparable spectacle of music, light and fireworks, choreographed in perfection, timing, and magnitude that surpasses all previous years. When planning to visit for the 60th celebration be sure to keep a few important things in mind. The crowds are especially huge and go-
ing mid-week may be your best bet if you want to be able to enjoy and experience most of the parks. Even then, the lines are extremely long and wait times are very long. We found many attractions were closed, off and on, throughout the days, probably from over load due of so many guests. This proved very frustrating for guests with Fast Passes as they would be asked to return later to see if the attractions had reopened but would lose their Fast Passes and the cast members would not give them back. At Disney World we have never seen this nor at Disneyland
in the past so it seems there are some new challenges and bugs that needed to be worked out. Some of the information on the official Disneyland website was inaccurate and some of the attractions that it said were open, were not, which was a big disappointment to many guests we encountered. When we asked numerous cast members for updated information they did not know, so that was aggravating. You may want to plan at least one additional day more than what you normally plan in See Travel, page 13
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CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • JUNE 2016
Travel:
Continued from page 12
doors down, we could enjoy our favorite ice cream parlor and diner in all of Anaheim. Tiffy’s Family Restaurant has a long and interesting Anaheim history of its own, with absolutely excellent service, great food and scrumptious homemade ice cream delights, served in large portions and at a fair price. It’s been one of our family favorites, for decades. Disneyland has gone all out. The magic is bigger, better, and grander than ever this Diamond Anniversary year at the Merriest Place on Earth. With a little extra planning, this year may be one to remember forever as one of the best. www.disneyland.com
each park, due to these new issues and challenges. In fact, one day we were there, Fantasyland was closed for over six hours, without warning, due to Elton John coming into the park to perform that evening, so a large portion of the park was inaccessible for half the day. This is yet another reason to allow extra time in the parks to do and see everything on your “must-do” list. Often we stay on property at one of the Disney hotel properties, but this most recent stay we lodged less than a
block away, at the Best Western Plus Stovall’s Inn. This hotel was very convenient as we walked to both parks daily, and we had a complimentary, fantastic, hearty breakfast each morning along with complimentary, offered snacks we could take into the parks each day. Our hotel room had wifi and a fridge and microwave, adding to the convenience factor. In the evenings, a soak in the spa was just what our tired feet needed most. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. We really enjoyed the high quality teas and coffees offered, also. Another added bonus of staying at this hotel property was that just a couple of
JUNE 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide
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Parties!
Parties!
Parties!
Parties!
Parties!
Parties!
Parties!
Parties!
Parties!
Fun Swimming Pool Party Ideas for kids!
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se these great ideas to make your next pool party extra special. Unique ideas for Pool Party invitations, decorations, food, favors, games and activities that will bring the whole pool party theme together quickly and easily! We’ve created a whole page just to hold all the pool party games - print them out and keep them handy during the party.
Pool Party Games Choose the ideas that fit your style and budget and put them together for the perfect party.
Pool Party Invitations Write party information on beach balls with a black permanent marker and send deflated to guests. Write pool party information on Frisbees and send to guests - ask them to bring the Frisbees to the party! Send sunglasses with a colorful tag that has the information for the party. For a pirate pool party send a treasure map style invitation.
Pool Party Decorations In the trees outside the party venue hang small blow
up swim rings, swim goggles, nose plugs, etc. Use colorful beach towels for table cloths. Fill buckets with sand and tie helium balloons to the handles. Hang fishnets around the edge of the party and fill with shells, crabs and seahorses. Hang blow-up beach balls around the party area. Place swim rings around the mailbox or in front of the party venue to tell party guests “This is the place!” Decorate with palm trees (easy to make by cutting out large green leaves then hang about 20 straight gold or brown ribbon strands from the middle to make a hanging trunk. These can be as tall as you want - just make the ribbons long.)
Pool Activities Make funky flip-flops Buy cheap flip-flops for each guest. Cut colorful fabric into strips 1 - 1.5 inches x 3 - 4 inches. You’ll need about 80 cloth strips per pair of flipflops. Tie the strips onto the
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top of the flip-flop - covering the whole top part. Really fun and the kids love them! For complete directions Funky Flip Flops - Party Activity, Craft and Favor Beach Ball exchange Buy enough blow-up beach balls for every guest. Blow them up and let kids autograph each others with permanent markers. Fun activity while presents are being opened or kids are eating.
Pool Party Food Ideas Hot dogs or hamburgers. Goldfish crackers served in large conch shells. Shell pasta with alfredo sauce. Blue Jell-O with Swedish fish inside. Serve in clear containers. Sandwiches cut with a fish shaped cookie cutter. Jell-O jiggles cut into fish, starfish and shell designs with cookie cutters. Set out a sundae bar where kids can make their own sundaes. Sprinkles, syrups, toppings and fruit. Taco or Nacho bar. Let the kids decorate their own BIG cookie or cupcake.
Party Favors for Pool Parties
Pool noodles - find them at the dollar store for cheap! Swim rings Large pool floats Swimming masks or nose plugs Water guns Water balloons Flip-flops Sunglasses Bubbles Beach balls Beach towels Buckets and shovels - use for goodie bags to hold the party favors For pirate parties - Temporary tattoos, eye patches, doo rags, or foam swords CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • JUNE 2016
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Alice in Wonderland Birthday Theme
F
un birthday party ideas for an Alice in Wonderland Theme Birthday Party. Choose your favorite ideas and create your own special Alice in Wonderland party. Alice in Wonderland Party Ideas There are quotes from Alice In Wonderland at the bottom of this page to use in your invitations or thank you notes. Alice in Wonderland Party Invitations White/Blue invitations Invitations with a pictures of a rabbit, stopwatch, Alice, etc. Verse for party information: Don’t be late, don’t be late ___________’s party is going to be great! Meet us in wonderland ____ ___________ (address) On _____________________ _______ (date) At _____________________ ___ (time) Wear your funniest Alice in Wonderland character costume or a big party hat. The queen requests you RSVP by __________ (date - usually 3-4 days before the party).
Alice in Wonderland Party Decorations Fun Alice in Wonderland decorations for an at home party. Set a large table with mismatched teacups and saucers, teapots, chandeliers and mismatched chairs - so that the chair heights are different. Use a white table cloth and scatter decks of cards on the top. Use odd shaped serving dishes with bright colors. Attach small labels (like old fashioned price tags with string) to the food and drinks that say “Eat me” and “Drink me”. Place several clocks that are stopped on the party table (pocket watches too).
Paint signs that say “This Way” and “That Way” and hang them throughout the birthday party room. Decorate the walls with playing cards. Make a chessboard design on the floor and scatter chess pieces on tables. On the branch of a tree (real or fake) place a Cheshire cat - or use just his grin. Hang Chinese paper lanterns above the table for a festive look. Tie white and blue helium balloons outside on the mailbox.
Fun Ideas Buy a child’s tunnel from the toy store and place it leading to the front door. Place a sign that says “Enter through the rabbit hole”. Guests have to crawl through the rabbit hole to enter the party.
Craft Idea Make a fun Alice in Wonderland craft that will let the party guests take home a piece of the party. Set out unpainted wooden picture frames. Guests can paint and then decorate them with blue paint, light blue or yellow boa feathers, jewels or ribbon.
Alice in Wonderland Party Games Tea Party Alice in Wonderland Style Set up a tea party for the Alice in Wonderland party guests
JUNE 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide
with mismatched tea cups, saucers, chairs, napkins and tableware. Serve lemonade or Kool-Aid without sugar and let the guests serve themselves from the sugar bowl with either granulated sugar or sugar cubes. For a fun treat set up a chocolate fountain with strawberries, pretzels, marshmallows, etc. to dip into the chocolate. Croquet Great game for an outdoor party. Set up the croquet game and play a round or two. Chess Chess is relatively easy to learn…and kids really like it. Teach them the basics and they can play during the meal. Pin the smile on the Cheshire Cat Played like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, except kids will pin a smile on the Cheshire cat face. Trace or draw a large Cheshire Cat onto poster board. Cut out big smiles (matching the smile of the cat you drew) and cut them out. Number them and place tape on each smile. Blindfold the guests and see who can place their smile nearest to the real one on the cat. Timed Scavenger Hunt Make the kids hurry through it. Continually tell them ... “you’re late, you’re late! See our Scavenger hunt page for free lists, set up instructions and ideas for neighborhood, mall and nature scavenger hunts.
Musical Chairs Gather several chairs and put them in a circle facing out - put out one less chair then the total number of party guests playing the game. The children will move around the chairs while music is playing. When the music stops they must hurry and find a chair to sit in. The person who does not get a chair is out and must sit out for the rest of the game. Take one of the chairs away and start the music again. (You can give prizes to the party guests who are out so they will have something to
keep them busy while the game continues. ). Keep playing until there are twp guests and one chair left … the child who sits in the last chair wins a prize. Play a mixed up musical chairs game - played just like the musical chairs game above except every round only a chair is taken away - no one leaves the game! The kids must start doubling up and sitting on each others laps trying to fit everyone in the chairs that are left in the game. The last few rounds are the funniest when they have to try and get everyone in the same chair.
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