Field Trips is our middle name!
photo credit: Luc Viatour
Calling all Space Cadets! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1……BLAST OFF!
Southern California is home to numerous Space Field Trips for Kids, where children can learn and explore our outer universe! Whether playing at Moon Park in Costa Mesa to watching the night sky at the Palomar Observatory, children have the opportunity to go more in depth with this topic.
So pick a place and take your child on one of these 19 Space Field Trips for Kids today!
Oak Glen’s Apple Picking Season officially kicks off over Labor Day weekend and runs now through Thanksgiving weekend. The apple crop is good this year and the majority of farms officially start welcoming visitors in September.
Oak Glen’s apple orchards produce a variety of apple selections including the Vasquez and King David varieties, which are grown only in Oak Glen, as well as antique varieties no longer commercially available such as Ben Davis, Gravenstein and Pink Pearl.
Before 1940, Oak Glen mainly grew apples for export purposes. Then several farmers got together and began to sell apples, apple pies, apple cider and apple butter at roadside stands to locals passing by. Today growers earn the majority of their profit from visitors who pick apples directly off their trees in the orchards.
My family and I have visited Oak Glen on more than one occasion. One of our favorite spots in town is Riley’s Farm. Nestled in the apple growing foothills of historic Oak Glen, Riley’s Farm is a working apple orchard and living history farm featuring pick-your-own fruit, living history education, dinner theater, group banquet facilities and extended and historically-themed overnight stays.
They also offer year round educational field trips for schools and homeschool groups.
Did you know that there are three additional apple farms in Oak Glen that are owned and operated by different members of the Riley family?
Riley’s at Los Rios Rancho features apple-wood smoked BBQ dishes and a bakery with homemade pies, hand-held pies, turnovers and cookies. Picnic grounds, a petting zoo, nature trails are also on the property. During apple season, they are open 7 days/week from 9 am – 5 pm.
Logon’s Candies is a unique custom candy store located off the beaten path in downtown Ontario, California. A few years ago, my family and I had the opportunity to visit Logan’s Candies on a field trip to see a live candy cane making demonstration.
Logan’s Candies has been making signature candy canes and chocolates by hand for over 80 years. It is a home grown business and ran by the same family today. Logan’s Candies makes candy canes year round in all sorts of shapes and flavors. You can even custom order their candy canes for special events such as birthday party, the birth of a new baby or anniversary.
photo credit: Logan’s Candies
Logan’s Candies candy cane making process is fascinating to watch. Here’s how they do it! First, they melt the ingredients. Next, they put the melted candy on a hook on the wall and pull it over and over again. Then they twist a red candy strip together with a white candy strip. Finally, they cut the strip into small sizes, mold the tip of the candy cane into a hook and package it up. They even share the candies that they make right in front of you. When the candy is first melted and served warm it just melts in your mouth. It is delicious!
Moms! Dads! Sign your kids up for Kids Bowl Free this summer!
Kids Bowl Free is a program designed by bowling centers across the nation to give back to the community and provide a safe, secure, and fun way for kids to spend time this summer. Children (whose age limit is determined by each participating bowling center) are eligible to register for 2 free games a day, all summer long, courtesy of the participating bowling centers.
Happy Field Tripping!
Jilleen
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Splish splash I was taking a bath! I mean taking my kids to our local splash pad in Southern California for some fun! Where else can you go on a beautiful summer day that is FREE on most occasions and refreshing?
This summer several communities throughout Southern California have designated certain areas in their cities as cool down stations. Cool down stations are designed to help people ward off the heat when it reaches a certain temperature and becomes unmanagable. Your local splash pad is sometimes one of those stations.
Splash pads are also recreational areas, often in a public park for water play that has little or no standing water. This eliminates the need for lifeguards or other supervision, as there is little risk of drowning. However, I highly recommend that parents always keep a close eye on their children when playing at a splash pad. In fact, Los Angeles County requires a one on one ratio per child and adult. Plus with water flowing it can get very slippery, very fast. Therefore, a good pair of water shoes goes a long way in this situation.
So this summer when you just can’t take the heat anymore, pack a picnic lunch, put on some SPF 30+ and head on over to your local splash pad in Southern California. Don’t forget a few lawn chairs too! Seating can be limited.