My kids and I are big fans of  the books If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, If you Give a Pig a Party, and If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.  So I was super excited to find out that Laura Numeroff, the author of these fun favorites will be visiting our Central Library this Friday night!  She’ll be discussing her work and reading her newest book, The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza. The program will include a kids’ question-and-answer segment and copies of Numeroff’s books will be available for purchase and signing.  Hope to see you there!

When: Friday, March 12;  6:00 - 8:00 pm  (Seating is limited and doors open at 5:30 p.m.)

Where: Central Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento

Cost: FREE

Info: (916) 264-2700 or www.saclibrary.org

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Looks like this weekend we’ll need to find our fun indoors!  Here are three great events you may want to check out with the kids…

Prehistoric Fish Prints

Did you know that fish have been around even longer than dinosaurs? Learn about these prehistoric creatures, touch real fish fossils and make a fish print poster to take home.

Where: Discovery Museum Science and Space Center, 3615 Auburn Blvd, Sacramento

When: Saturday, March 6th and Sunday, March 7th; 12:30 - 3pm

Cost: Free with admission: $6 adults, $4 children (4-12), free for age 3 and younger

Info: www.thediscovery.org or 575-3942

Seed Planting Workshop – Flowers

The first seed planting workshop was a huge success!  Come in and pick up your own soil, seed containers, and seeds. Kids get to decorate the containers, and learn how to plant and care for their seedlings.  This is sponsored by Green Acres Nursery of Roseville and Sacramento.

Where: Trailmix.Net - Family Adventure Products in Old Sacramento
116B I Street, Sacramento

When: Saturday, March 6; 1:00-3:00pm
(activity can be done any time between these hours)

Cost: FREE!

Info: www.trailmix.net, facebook.trailmix.net or 888-95-TRAIL

Family Concert with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra

Bring the family to a free concert with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra.  Instrument Petting Zoo at  1 p.m. in the West Meeting Room.  Enjoy a pre-concert program.  See various musical instruments and meet musician ‘zoo keepers’ as they demonstrate how many instruments are played.  Concert at 2 p.m. in the Library Galleria.  The Camellia Symphony Orchestra will present a free concert designed to introduce children and their families to live classical music. The orchestra will be under the direction of guest conductor, Michael Goodwin and features guest artist soprano, Carley Neill.

Where: Central Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento

When: Sunday, March 7th; 1:00 - 3:00pm

Cost: FREE!  (and free parking downtown on Sundays)

Info: www.saclibrary.org or 264-2700

If you’d like more ideas for places to go with your kids in Sacramento that are indoors, check out my INDOOR page here.

Now playing at Magic Circle Theatre in Roseville is The Wizard of Oz!  Little Dorothy Gale of Kansas, like so many girls her age, dreams of what lies over the rainbow. One day a twister hits her farm and carries her away over the rainbow to another world. Join Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion and Toto as they travel the universe of Dorothy’s imagination. Based on the timeless 1939 MGM film starring Judy Garland.

When: February 19, 20, 26, 27; Curtain Time 7:30 PM
Matinees February 20, 21, 27, 28; Curtain Time 2:00 PM

Where: Magic Circle Theatre, 241 Vernon Street, Roseville

Price: Tickets are $13.00 for all ages

More info: Call the theatre box office at (916) 782-1777

Happy Valentine’s Day!

My birthday happens to be today, so I have been celebrating and will be back with a new post soon!  Enjoy this beautiful weather and have fun with the ones you love!

♥Keilah

The kids and I love Library activities!  We have been to some of the most fun, most cultural and most educational events at libraries in Sacramento.  The added bonus…and it is a big one…is that they are FREE!  Each month I add the library activities happening around the county into the Upcoming Events Calendar, but I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the really neat ones.

Tomorrow, the South Natomas Library is hosting a special music event.

Music from Around the World with Don O’Brien

Celebrate the cultural diversity of musical instruments around the world with musician Don O’Brien. Listen to music from diverse corners of the world, including Africa (double flute from Ghana), Ireland (Irish tin whistle), Native American (Navajo Indian flute), Australia (didgeridoo), Tibet (singing bowls and tingsha), and Italy (baroque recorder). The audience will have the opportunity to play some instruments. All ages are welcome.

When: Wednesday, February 10th, 4:00 pm
Where: South Natomas Library, 2901 Truxel Rd., Sacramento
Info: 916-264-2919 or  www.SacLibrary.org
Cost: FREE

Hope to see you there!

It’s here!  One of the most fun days of the year in Sacramento!  This Saturday, February 6th is Sacramento’s 12th Annual Free Museum Day.  The museums will all be open from 10 am to 5pm (last admission at 4pm).

Take advantage and visit museums you’ve never been to or revisit your favorites!

Here’s a list of all of the participating museums:

Aerospace Museum of California
California Automobile Museum
California Foundry History Museum
California State Military Museum
California State Capitol Museum
The California Museum
California State Indian Museum
California State Railroad Museum
Crocker Art Museum
Discovery Museum Science and Space Center
Explorit Science Center (Davis)
Fairytale Town
Folsom History Museum
Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park
Heidrick Ag History Center (Woodland)
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
Museum of Medical History
Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
Sacramento Zoo
Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
Sacramento History Museum
Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum
Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park
Wells Fargo History Museum (Old Sacramento and Downtown locations)

Click here for more details and tips from the Sacramento Museum Guide.

I am in love.  My kids are in love.  We just met Art Beast.

This place is amazing!  Where else can you take your kids to explore different forms of art to their hearts content?  Where else can you let them make a mess with paint, glitter, glue, clay, sand, water and gravel?

Our Experience:

Our family went to Art Beast on a Saturday after lunch expecting to spend an hour…maybe two…of our afternoon there.  Little did we know it would suck us in and provide enough fun to last under dinner time!  My kids lit up when they walked into a room filled with every possible art medium they could imagine.  Where to start?  They painted, drew, glued, molded and built.  Even my 18 month old was able to participate and have a ball.

The kids got to use their imaginations in a room with a playhouse and a room that had a puppet theatre, stage and dress-up clothes.  My husband and I did not have to do much except guide them to the next thing so that they wouldn’t miss anything.  There were even musical instruments for them to form a band.  Our boys sat in a rocket ship while our daughter played in a coffee can castle.

Outside, there is this beautiful courtyard with hanging metal “instruments” to makes lots of fun noise.  The kids banged and banged until they eyed the gravel and water play area.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  They poured and scooped…and got wet!  They were fascinated and giggled that they were actually allowed to get wet and dirty.

The Expense:

Admission to the Art Beast is $8.00 per person.  They only charge for one adult per family and kids under 1 are free.  They offer a punch card and memberships at a very discounted rate.

An exciting fact I found out…every dime your family devotes to Art Beast directly supports and sustains Tubman House, a nonprofit serving young, homeless parents and their children!

Tips:

Be prepared for your kids to get messy!  The paints and other supplies they use are washable and so you can just let go and let them go crazy.

You may not want to bring in a big purse or diaper bag with you because you will want to be able to move around and be hands on with your child.  There are bins in their entry where you can hold your non-valuables.  Oh…and their bathroom has a changing table!

Art Beast also offers some really neat classes and birthday parties.

Go!  Make a mess!  Have a blast!

Art Beast
2226 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 441-1233

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is now playing at  Magic Circle Theatre in Roseville.  Judith Viorst adapted her own award-winning children’s book into a delightful musical.  When I read the following description on the Magic Circle Theatre’s website, I knew we were in for some fun. “To be quite honest, it’s a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. But then, everybody has bad days, sometimes. Not only does Alexander wake up with gum in his hair, but his mother forgets to pack him dessert, and his best friend decides he’s not his best friend anymore. And if that’s not bad enough, Alexander’s brothers don’t have any cavities but—he does. And just when it can’t get any worse, there are lima beans for supper and —yuck!—kissing on TV. It is enough to make anyone want to go to Australia.”

Our Experience:

The kids and I went on Saturday to check it out.  We anticipated a fun time but did not know quite what to expect.  There were five actors in the production and a modest use of props.  The idea was clearly to let the singing, dancing and acting carry the show.  Well, they did just that!  They brought the story to life…and boy did they make us laugh!  The young man who plays Alexander was adorable and we loved repeating, “It is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!” along with him.

Expenses:

Tickets for the show are just $8.00 a piece, which is a deal in my book for live theatre.  There are snacks and drinks available at the snack bar during intermission.

Tips:

Kids as young as three will enjoy this show.  The audience was made up of kids from three to about twelve…and all sat still and interested for the entire show.

If you haven’t been to Magic Circle  Theatre, be aware that they actually have two theatres on Vernon Street.  One is the Tower Theatre and one is the Roseville Theatre.  It is a good idea to check which one the production you are seeing is at!  Alexander is playing at the Roseville Theatre and we accidentally went to the Tower Theatre on Saturday afternoon…luckily the right one was within walking distance!  We ran right over and did not miss the show!

You can catch Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day at 2:00 on Saturdays until February 13th.

Magic Circle Theatre
241 Vernon Street & 421 Vernon Street
Roseville, CA  95678
(916) 782-1777

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KidzArt, an international children’s art education company that has 60 plus franchises throughout the US, has been providing Sacramento area children with afterschool art education at over 70 local schools since 2005.  They are now expanding with the opening of a new art studio in Natomas.

Read the rest of this entry »

Whether your child is a toddler or school-age, they probably love storytime just like mine do!  Not only is it a fun outing, but it plays an important role in introducing kids to the magic of books.   Another plus is that storytimes are FREE!  We are lucky in Sacramento to have so many storytimes offered all week, every week!  Here’s a quick roundup of storytimes in the area you may want to check out.  Be sure to verify before you go as times may change.  Enjoy!

Barnes & Noble Storytime

Arden Faire
Tuesday 11:00 am, Saturdays 2:00 pm
Citrus Heights
Tuesdays 10:30 am
Natomas
Tuesdays11:00 am, Saturdays, 11:00am
Roseville
Wednesdays 11:00 am, Saturdays 11:00 am

Big Spoon Yogurt Storytime

Elk Grove, Rocklin, Land Park, Natomas, Fair Oaks, Jackson, Dixon, Folsom, East Sac
Every 3rd Thursday 1 - 2:00 pm
Kids 6 and under receive a free yogurt!

Pottery Barn Kids Storytime

Roseville Galleria Mall & Arden Fair Mall
Tuesdays 11 - 11:30 am

Learning Express Storytime

Roseville Galleria Mall (next to Nordstroms)
Wednesdays & Fridays 11:00 am

Sacramento Public Library

Preschool Storytime (3-5 years old):
Arcade Library
Thursdays 10:00 am

Arden-Dimick Library
Thursdays 10:00 am

Belle Cooledge Library
Tuesdays 4:30 pm
(Sing along for 3-7 years old)

Colonial Heights Library
Thursdays 4:30 pm

Courtland Library
Wednesdays 11:00 am

E.K. McClatchy Library
Tuesdays 10:30 am

Elk Grove Library
Thursdays 11:00 am

Franklin Community Library
Thursdays 11:00 am

Galt-Marian O. Lawrence Library
Thursdays 11:00 am

McKinley Library
Wednesdays 11:00 am

Rio Linda Library
Tuesdays 6:30 pm

Southgate Community Library
Wednesdays 11:00  am

South Natomas Library
Thursdays 11:00 am

Sylvan Oaks Library
Thursdays 11:00 am

Toddler Storytime (1.5-3 years old):

Central Library
Thursdays 10:05 am

Elk Grove Library
Wednesdays 10:00 am

McKinley Library
Tuesdays 11:15am

North Sacramento-Hagginwood Library
Tuesdays 11:15am

South Natomas Library
Thursdays 10:00am

Sylvan oaks Library
Wednesdays 11:00 am

Baby Storytime (6-18mos old):

Belle Cooledge Library
Thursdays 9:30 am

Elk Grove Library
Tuesdays 11:30 am

Galt-Marian O. Lawrence Library
Saturdays 10:00 am
(Baby/Toddler - birth to 2 1/2 years old)

Folsom Public Library

Toddler & Preschool Storytime (2-6 years old):

Georgia Murray Building
Tuesdays 10:00 am & 11:00 am, Fridays 10:30am, Saturdays 10:30am
Norman R. Siefkin Library
Wednesdays 9:30 am

Baby Storytime (birth - 18 mos):

Norman R. Siefkin Library
Wednesdays at 9:30 am

Family Time (2 year olds and up):

Norman R. Siefkin Library
Thursdays 6:30 pm