This is the week of LOVE and it seems that love can be found with our families out in nature. There are so many family Valentine’s Day programs and walks going on this week. In addition, on Saturday families with children ages 8 and up can participate in planting and weeding at the Native Seed Farm in Irvine Ranch. There is a family beginning mountain bike ride in Limestone Canyon on Saturday morning and an Astronomy Night program at Casper’s Wilderness Park that evening. On Sunday you can slither into the Nix Nature Center and meet live snakes. Enjoy your week!
Ongoing / Week-long Events / Museum Happenings
Pottery Barn Valentine’s Day Card Making Station
All Pottery Barn Kids Locations
potterybarnkids.com
There’s nothing sweet than a homemade card! Stop by your local store, where we will be partnering with Bright Horizons Foundation for Children to spread the love this Valentine’s Day. Kids are invited to create one Valentine to give away to a child in need and one to take home for their favorite someone. Event runs February 6 – February 14.
Children’s Museum at La Habra
301 South Euclid St.
La Habra, CA 90631
lhcm.org
Our mission
is to encourage enthusiasm about learning in a hands-on environment that opens the world even to the youngest child. Our museum features 7 galleries and 14 different hands on exhibits, many of which remain unique to the field today. In addition to these exhibits, an outdoor dinosaur topiary and historic 1942 caboose, the Museum features an exhibit which changes 3 times a year. The Children’s Museum welcomes local, national and international visitors. Children can ride a kid-size carousel, take a walk in T-Rex’s footprints, pet an Arctic fox, pump gas, drive a bus, dress up and perform, and dig for fossils all in one afternoon!
Wednesday, February 11: Little Picasso Family Art Center – Make a “paint” date every Wednesday (11:00am – 3:00pm) at the Museum for lots of messy time exploring color and texture! There are easels, washable paints, brushes and paint smocks ready for little artists to use. This is a drop in art studio and subject to change. All programs free with paid admission (Kids and Adults $8, La Habra residents $7, Kids Under 2 Free).
Discovery Cube Orange County
2500 N Main St.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
discoverycube.org
LEGO Travel Adventure runs January 17 – May 10, 2015. Embark on a travel adventure with LEGO at the Discovery Cube Orange County! You can go anywhere over land, sea, and air by creating extraordinary vehicles to take you where you want to go! To go on a travel adventure to exotic locations, you need to think creatively, plan, and build vehicles to move through all types of terrain, including mountains, oceans, jungles, deserts and more! Where will you go? What will you build? How will you get there? Join us at the Discovery Cube Orange County to find out!
National Geographic Presents: Earth Explorers runs January 17 – May 3, 2015. Travel to the wildest places on earth in National Geographic Presents: Earth Explorers. This hands-on exhibition allows you to let your imagination run wild as you become an explorer of the world, taking part in adventures to discover new science and technology. Come follow National Geographic’s explorers as they venture off to dangerous and remote parts of the world!
Kidseum (art-based children’s museum operated by the Bowers Museum)
1802 N Main St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706
bowers.org
The newly renovated Kidseum is high-tech and interactive with a focus on its new mission, “Igniting imagination through exploration,” stressing the excitement of art and archaeology. Be sure to check out the new “Glow Cave” with its fun art making activities, ride the magical Wells Fargo stagecoach through time in the “Green Screen Time Machine,” and explore archaeology like never before in our new Archaeology Lab. There will be a lot of visual stimulation and engaging education with new smart tables, smart boards and computers.
Special Weekend Programs for children and adults! (included with admission). Admission is $6 for Ages 2 and Up, Under 2/Members are Free. Adult free admission with current Bowers Museum ticket stub.
Face painting all day
Drop in Art Studio all day
Live Storytelling in the Story Room – 11:00am – 11:30am and 1:30pam – 2:00pm (Saturdays & Sundays)
Glow Cave Paintings – 11:30am – 12:00pm and 2:00pm – 2:30pm (Saturdays & Sundays)
Archaeology Lab Coin Impressions – 1:00pm – 1:30pm and 2:30pm – 3:00pm (Saturdays & Sundays)
Saturday, February 14 – Junior Archaeologist: Every Second Saturday (February 14, March 14), 1 PM – 3 PM. Spots are limited and advance reservations are recommended at least 3 days prior to event date. Fee: Admission, plus $10 for every participating child ages 4 and up. Members: Free admission; $6 for every participating child. Become an archaeologist for a day – think, learn, explore and get your hands dirty! Participate in an archaeological dig, learn how to record your findings and create an artifact to take home.
Sunday, February 15 – Family Drumming Circle: Join professional drummer Martin Espino on Sunday, February 15 from 1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. at Kidseum to participate in a family drumming circle. Recommended for ages 2-8! Martin will teach children the basics of drumming and music. Then children participate in the indigenous Mexican drumming circle and sound great! The drumming circle and the art studio are complimentary with admission. In the Art Studio today (from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.) children can make their very own maracas and rainsticks and take the music home!
Pretend City
29 Hubble
Irvine, CA 92618
pretendcity.org
Tuesday, January 13 – February 24: The Little Red Hen Theater Education Program (7 Week Class) - Come one, come all to the best show in town – where your child is the STAR! If your child loves to create scenes, develop stories, and design this is the production for them. Pretend City has partnered with Creative Kids Playhouse to provide a theater education program to our guests. This unique program utilizes classic stories to prompt children’s imagination. Children will work together to develop the characters, plot, and scenes of the show. Our first program focuses on The Little Red Hen, a classic folk tale about working together, farm to table foods, and family dinner time. Director Jennifer Estrada will lead children making every minute of rehearsal fun with games and songs and utilizing developmentally appropriate practices to support children at all levels of development. Children will learn to work together as a team, express themselves, and hone memorization skills. Come join the fun!
Class Session: Weekly every Tuesday, January 13th – February 24th
Class Time: Rehearsals (Tuesdays) at 1:45 – 2:30p.m.
Performance Day: Saturday, February 28th at 11:00a.m.
Specifically for: Children 3 – 7 (preschool & school age); Parents must remain on the premises.
RSVP: Register here. Registration is done online through Creative Kids Playhouse.
Class Minimum: 14 children; Class Maximum 25 children
Admission to the museum included for parent and child after each class with purchase of class series
Fee: $134 for 7 week series (7 classes) includes all instruction, materials, a cast T-Shirt, rehearsal CD and major costume components.
Wednesday, January 21 – March 13, 2015: Mindfulness for Children Class. This 8-week class series helps children (ages 4-6) explore self awareness, kindness, compassion and self-control. Each class will include either an art activity or a mindfulness exercise designed to encourage positive behavior. Children will also practice identifying feelings, effective communication and problem solving, as they recognize the benefit that mindfulness can bring to their lives.
Time: Meets twice per week, every Wednesday and Friday from 3:00 – 3:30p.m.
Play Partner: Sandee Bandettini MS, MFT, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist that offers counseling and classes on mindful ways to live healthy and happy lives.
RSVP: Register here.
Fee: $160 per child for entire 8 week class series. *Members receive 20% discount! (Includes admission into museum for grown-up and child on class dates)
Monday, February 9: Celebrate Toothache Day! - If you have ever had the misfortune of suffering from a toothache, it can be an excruciatingly painful experience. National Toothache Day serves as an important reminder to get your pearly whites checked out to keep those toothaches at bay. Today is the perfect day to learn about how to prevent toothaches. Children will enjoy all the fun activities taking place throughout the day, including:
Smart Art: To eat or not to eat? That is the question of the day as children work to identify things that are bad and good for their teeth.
Sensational Story Time: Everyone knows toothaches are impossible! But sometimes they really are impossible, just like the story Arthur’s Impossible Toothache! Parents and children alike will see themselves in this endearing tale of a small turtle’s struggle to be believed and understood.
Good to Grow: Join us throughout the day for a variety of oral hygiene lessons from America’s Tooth Fairy that will promote positive oral health behaviors!
And while you’re at it, why not pick up a new toothbrush for the family too? Make sure to request yours from the front desk. Smile! Activities run 10:00am – 1:00pm and are included with museum admission (Adults and Child 1 and over: $12.50, Infant to 12 months: Free). Show receipt within the past 30 days of a visit to your pediatric dentist for $1 off your child’s general admission ticket!
Monday, February 9: Baby Steps through Pretend City! Would you like to attend a fun event dedicated specifically for babies? Do you have questions about feeding, napping, crawling, or just want to enjoy an event where you and your baby can come and play, and socialize with other parents in the community? If so, please join us at Baby Steps through Pretend City! This is your opportunity to ask questions, meet other parents, and engage your baby in developmentally appropriate activities and exhibits. You may not have realized that Pretend City was designed with your infant in mind, but with so many excited, older children playing in the museum, it may be hard for your little one to get around. This monthly event allows you to take advantage of an exclusive, infant only times by engaging in age-appropriate facilitated activities which will teach you about your baby’s developmental milestones. Event runs 2:00pm – 3:30pm. RSVP: Register here. Registration required; max 220. Fee: $10 per adult, infants and Pretend City Members are FREE!
Friday, February 13: Way to Play, A Package of Learning! – How serious are you about play? Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Join us for a fun Way To Play Day, which is specially designed to assist parents in finding answers to questions about their child’s development through play.
Free ASQ Developmental Check-ups from 10:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. Specifically for: Children 0 – 5 ½ years old. (first come, first served; limited spaces available)
On Way to Play Days, Pretend City also hosts ASQ Developmental Screenings. The screenings will assess your child’s speech, motor, cognitive and social areas utilizing the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Early diagnosis and treatment of developmental delays can help give a child the best opportunity to reach his/her full potential.
Use our Way To Play Adventure Guide for activity ideas that will enhance your play at Pretend City. Try these fun activities during your visit to help keep your family on the healthy lifestyle track: Explore the various songs in the Amphitheater! Have your child get on stage and dance to the music – shaking high, low, and side to side! Encourage your child to speed up or slow down to the music. This will get their heart beat racing and show them another way to work on physical fitness! Complete each Way To Play activity sheet during your visit for your chance to take home a prize!
RSVP not required. Check-up and activities are included with museum admission (Adults and Child 1 and over: $12.50, Infant to 12 months: Free).
Saturday, February 14: Celebrate Valentine’s Day! - Cards, candy, flowers…Valentine’s Day is here! Children will love making Valentine’s Day art and celebrating this holiday at Pretend City with the sweetest of activities.
Sensational Story Time: The Very Special Valentine is a heartwarming story that will encourage your child to appreciate the gift of love.
Smart Art: Heart art will fill the art studio today! From love bugs to a heart scape your child will enjoy creating and learning about this holiday symbol.
Good to Go Game: Your child will enjoy using their critical thinking skills during this Hearts and Showers scavenger hunt through Pretend City! Children will learn about symbols of this holiday while using clues to find the next hidden heart.
Activities run 10:00am – 4:00pm and are included with museum admission (Adults and Child 1 and over: $12.50, Infant to 12 months: Free). Wear pink or red to receive $1 off general admission!
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