Enjoy the glorious sights and sounds this Labor Day weekend (September 4, 5, & 6th) as hundreds of sidewalk chalk artists and dozens of live music acts come together for yet another fun-filled, family-friendly Chalk It Up! festival.  Chalk-It-Up! is a nonprofit organization created to benefit children’s arts education and art activities.  The festival features over 200 sidewalk paintings created at the festival by local artists who donate their time, energy, and talent. These concrete masterpieces are left on the sidewalk for the public to enjoy throughout the month of September. The pieces are done with soft chalk pastel mixed with water.

During the festival local bands, musicians, and other performers entertain the artists and the public.  Since the aim of Chalk-It-Up! is to encourage children’s art programs, all children’s activities at the festival are FREE.  These include chalk drawing and a variety of other art activities.

We went last year and had such a fun time!  The kids were really impressed with the artwork and thought it was so neat to watch some of the artists in the process of creating their square.  They loved drawing with chalk themselves, painting, playing on the playground and listening to the bands.  This is a fun way to spend some time together over the long weekend!

Labor Day Weekend, September 4-6, 2010
10am - 6pm each day
Fremont Park, 16th & Q Streets
Click here for the Chalk It Up! website.

I discovered that The Fountains at Roseville have some fun…and FREE ways to entertain your toddlers!  Right in the middle of this beautiful shopping center are a few amenties just for kids.  They can take a train ride, watching the dancing water fountain, get wet in the interactive fountain, and play on the playground.

The Train runs from 11am to 6pm daily, with a break from 2 to 3pm.  Tickets are $2.00 normally but on the last Wednesday of each month, Train Rides are FREE!

Here’s a place that you AND your kids can have fun!

[Thanks to everyone who entered this giveaway by "Like"ing Sacramento Sidetracks and Raging Waters on Facebook!  We appreciate all the new friends!  THE LUCKY WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY IS SHANNON H.!  Congratulations!  Please contact me with your email address.]

Enter to Win 4 Free Tickets!

If you are looking for an extra special way to cool off this summer,  Raging Waters at Cal Expo is the way to go!  The water park features more than 25 exhilarating water attractions, breath-taking slides, crystal clear pools and fun-filled activities for children and adults of all ages.  Their thrill slides include favorites such as, Cannonball Falls, Hurricane, Cliffhanger Speed Slides, Breaker Beach Wave Pool and the Shark Attack Waterslide complex.  When you are in the mood to chill out you can float out in the tranquil waters of the Calypso Cooler Lazy River or play in Hooks Lagoon (our favorite spot - pictured here), a 5-story water kingdom with water slides, secret tubes and hundreds of water activities.

Our family loves that going to Raging Waters feels like we are on vacation!  We can spend the entire day there because there is so much to do.  The little ones stick to the Lazy River, the Wave Pool, and Hooks Lagoon for the most part.  Then my husband and I get to have our thrills with our oldest by taking turns going on the crazy slides with her.  It is so much fun!

You might be surprised at what a good deal it is to get your family in because of the fact that they have a BUY A DAY AND GET THE SUMMER FREE promotion!  When you buy a single day ticket, you automatically receive a summer Splash Pass.  General admission is $29.99 and Kids are $20.99.  Remember that parking at Cal Expo is $10.00 but once you have your season pass then that is the only fee you have each time you go back.

Raging Waters has generously offered to give one lucky Sacramento Sidetracks reader a FREE 4-pack of Tickets!

To enter, all you need to is the following 3 things that will take you less than 5 minutes!:

• Click here and “Like” Raging Waters Sacramento on Facebook
• Click here and “Like” Sacramento Sidetracks on Facebook
• Leave a comment on this post letting me know that you did the first two things.  (If you have already “Liked” Sacramento Sidetracks on Facebook in the past just “Like” Raging Waters and let me know.)

The Giveaway will close Sunday, July 18th at midnight and the winner will be announced next Monday, July 19th.  The winner will be selected at random using Random.org.  Good luck!

Sat, July 10th - Sun, July 11th

1. Learn about the Maidu Indians at MAIDU MUSEUM’S FAMILY FUN DAY.
2. Admire wildfowl artworks at the WILDFOWL ART FESTIVAL.
3. Enjoy MONKEY KING: BOLLYWOOD SUPERSTAR at Fairytale Town.
4. Construct a paper TRICERATOPS PILLOW at the Discovery Museum.
5. See PIRATES OF PENZANCE at Civic Theatre West.
6. Make a NATIVE AMERICAN CRAFT and learn about the Nisenan Maidu at TrailMix.Net.
7. Giggle at the FROGGY’S BIG SPLASH puppet show in the Rancho Cordova Library.
8. Watch A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM at The Shakespeare Festival.
9. SING ALONG with wild & wacky Mr. Candee in the Courtland Library.
10.Enjoy songs and stories of CYRUS THE UNSINKABLE SEA SERPENT with Francie Dillon.

Have you been to the TrailMix.Net store in Old Sacramento yet?  If not, add this to your summer to-do list!  I am kicking myself that we have not gotten over there sooner.  My kids and I were in awe of all they have to offer…and instantly in love!  Mike & Sara Barlow opened it about a year ago and this store is more than just a store.  TrailMix.Net “helps parents create family outdoor learning and adventure experiences” with their outdoor gear, educational toys and all the nature resources you need.  If you are already an outdoorsy family, then this is where you will find all of things you need to enhance your experiences with your kids.  If you are not already outdoorsy, then this is where you will be inspired!

While wandering the store we found Animal Watching With Kids, Backyard Safari Gear, Hiking With Kids, Geocaching With Kids, Birding With Kids, Gardening With Kids, Astronomy, and more.  So once you pick a type of outdoor adventure…you’ve got the gear, the maps, and the books all in one place.  To top it off, you have friendly owners that are more than happy to provide the information you need.  I’ve been wondering for a long time where the best hikes are and where the best spots on the river for kids are.  Mike helped me out with that and so I’ll share our adventures in the near future.  On the TrailMix.Net blog, you can download a FREE e-book called Educational Expeditions that helps you plan your outdoor adventures with kids.  I’m telling you, they are a plethora of information!

Besides offering awesome products, they have an activity center which really turns the store into an outing destination.  Their Activity Menu has craft projects for kids of ALL AGES that start at just $2.00.  You can have fun with a 15 minute Paint-A-Critter like we did or you can spend more time and do something like building a birdhouse or painting a fossil necklace.  My kids loved picking out their critter, painting, gluing eyes on and then being able to take their creation home.

TrailMix.Net also holds FREE workshops for parents and children each month.  Click here for their calendar.  This Saturday Culture2Classroom is presenting Before Sacramento, Life for the Nisenan Maidu.  Along with learning about the Southern Maidu tribal group, kids will have the opportunity to make a craft with a Native theme.

Check it out and gear up for some incredible adventures with your kids!

TrailMix.Net
116B I Street
Sacramento, CA  95814
888-95-TRAIL
Open daily: 9:30am - 5:30pm

*Located right across from the California State Railroad Museum.
*Parking validation provided with minimal purchase.

Ready to have a blast with the family on INDEPENDENCE DAY?  Looking for a Parade, a Picnic, Fireworks?  Here’s a list of celebrations happening all over Sacramento.  With all of these choices, it just might be hard to decide!   Happy 4th of July!

Sacramento Independence Day Celebration

Before the fireworks, the celebration begins with Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers performing at 6:30 p.m.  Poppy, the State Fair Mascot, will also be on hand to entertain and delight both young and old. The elaborate Sacramento Independence Day Celebration will include musical entertainment and fireworks.
When: Sunday, July 4, 2010; Starts at 6:30 p.m.; Fireworks 9:30 p.m.
Where: Cal Expo; guests should use the East Gate, located at the intersection of Exposition Blvd. and Challenge Way, as the main entrance to the event. Enter through the D Lot parking area.
Cost: General admission to the July 4th celebration is free, but parking is $10 per vehicle.
What to know: Arrive early and bring lawn chairs and blankets.   Fireworks, cans, glass bottles and alcoholic beverages are prohibited. Bags and ice chests will be searched at the gate. The grass infield will be open on the north side with a section for persons with disabilities set up on the apron by the Winner’s Circle.
More info: Click here or call (916) 263-3000

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Last summer our family was invited to go out on Folsom Lake in our friends’ boat.  We hesitated to accept the invitation because we do not own life jackets and were not prepared to invest in three!  I spent a little time checking the internet to see if it was possible to rent life jackets.  It was then that I happened upon information about the Life Jacket Loan Program.  Cal Boating has partnered with local fire stations and the CSUS Aquatic Center to make life jackets available to the public on a loan basis. Local fire stations are supplied with life jackets for children and adults. An individual or family can check out life jackets for a day or a weekend simply by completing a loan form.

I went to the nearest fire station on the list and was hesitant to even go in since it looked like nobody was there.  When I knocked on the door, a friendly fireman came out from the back and was more than happy to help me find life jackets in the right sizes for all three of my kids.  I signed a form, agreed to bring them back after the weekend was over, and was on my way!  So if you are planning on spending Memorial Day weekend or any time this summer out on the lake or at the river, this may come in handy.  Click here for a list of Life Jacket Loaner Stations.  We had one of the most fun times we’ve ever had as a family and were so grateful to be able to do it for free!

Yesterday morning I decided that staying in was not an option for the boys and I.  We took advantage of the gorgeous sunshine and went to McKinley Park.  In my opinion, it is the best park in Sacramento!  I recently saw that Sacramento News & Review listed it as Best Picnic Spot and Best Playground.

Our Experience:

We wandered through the huge Rose Garden admiring all the beautiful colors.  Then we headed on over to the lake where we fed the ducks.  Isn’t it always fun, no matter what age you are?!  Once our bread was gone, we found a shady spot for our picnic.  Throughout our entire lunch, we were entertained by squirrels playing chase.  With the gorgeous greenery, the ducks, geese and squirrels, people walking their dogs and families playing…this park has a wonderful ambience!

The playground is a hit with kids of all ages.  The castle-like climbing structure is perfect for playing tag and hide-and-go-seek.  There are swings, bridges, slides, a tire swing, and monkey bars for the big kids and a tot lot complete with a sand pit for the little ones.

After getting their wiggles out, we walked over to McKinley Library for Toddler Storytime.  They really enjoyed the stories, songs and craft.  The librarian there is so great with kids!

The Expense:

A three hour outing filled with a variety of activities for FREE!

Tips:

Sometimes parking close to the lake and playground is limited, so if you have little ones, I suggest bringing a stroller for heading back to the car when they are exhausted.  If you have toddlers or preschool-age kids then try to combine your trip to this park with storytime at the library.  It is right next to the playground.  Toddler storytime is 11:00 on Tuesdays, Preschool storytime is at 11:00 on Wednesdays.

Don’t forget to bring bread for the ducks!

McKinley Park
601 Alhambra Blvd.
Sacramento, CA

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Stake your claim at the Discovery Museum’s gold panning event this weekend.  Rent a pan for $3 per person and try your luck at finding gems and semi-precious stones to keep!  A real gold miner will show you the ropes and answer gold-hunting questions.  Don’t miss seeing the large gold specimens in their Gee Whiz Geology exhibit, discovered right in this area! Kids 12 and under bring home a gold-panning activity sheet.

When: Saturday, April 10th and Sunday, April 11th;  12:30 - 3:00pm (Museum open 10:00am - 4:30pm)
Where: Discovery Museum, 3615 Auburn Blvd., Sacramento
Cost: Admission for Adults on the weekend $6.00, Kids 4-12 $4.00, 3 and under FREE
Info: Call 575-3942 or click here

Celebrate Spring by enjoying some time out in nature this weekend at Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Carmichael.  Every month they have fun and educational activities for the whole family.  It is also a very inexpensive activity since there is just a $5.00 entrance fee per car.

If you have never been there before, take a look at a few pictures of our first experience a couple years ago at one of Sacramento’s best outdoor spots!

After learning about butterflies and making a butterfly craft, we went on a guided hike along a dirt path.

We cooled down and learned about more animals inside the nature center.

We were surprised at how many fun, interactive exhibits there are!

The activities this weekend:

Saturday Safari
Saturday, March 27, 10:30 am
Grab your binoculars (or borrow some from us) and take a guided walk in the Effie Yeaw Nature Area to see the animals and plants that make up the unique habitat along the American River.
Nature Story Time
Sunday, March 28, 10:30AM
Join a Nature Center Naturalist to hear a tale read
aloud from some of our favorite nature storybooks.

Effie Yeaw Nature Center
(inside Ancil Hoffman County Park, off Tarshes Drive)
2850 San Lorenzo Way, Carmichael

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