Fri, June 11th - Sun, June 13th

1. Enjoy a movie under the stars at Gibson Ranch’s OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT tonight.
2. See YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN! at Civic Theatre West.
3. Build a picture frame at Lowe’s BUILD AND GROW CLINIC for kids.
4. Talk to scientists and learn about BOHART’S BUGS at the Trailmix.net store.
5. Play games and win prizes at Funderland’s SUMMER FUN & GAMES.
6. Laugh at the LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD puppet show in Fairytale Town.
7. Picnic at the POPS IN THE PARK concert in Glen Hall Park.
8. GET CRAFTING, eat and win doorprizes at the Central Library
9. Learn about ANCIENT OCEANS at the Discovery Museum.
10. Hear stories and learn about the Maidu Indians at Maidu Museum’s FAMILY FUN DAY.

Sat, May 22nd & Sun, May 23rd

1. BOUNCE together at Bounce Spot’s Family Night tonight.
2. Create a DINO DIORAMA at the Discovery Museum.
3. Enjoy STORYTIME at Barnes & Noble book store.
4. Attend the theatre for Runaway Stage Production’s KING ARTHUR.
5. Spend a DAY ON THE FARM at the American River Ranch.
6. See THE PRINCESS AND THE PAUPER at the Chautaqua Playhouse.
7. Giggle at THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF Puppet Show at Fairytale Town.
8. Ride a pony at Elk Grove’s SPRING FESTIVAL and Chili Cook-off.
9. Meet ANIMALS from 5 continents at the Rancho Cordova Library.
10.Celebrate the Asian Pacific Island culture with food and entertainment at the PACIFIC RIM STREET FESTIVAL.

Saturday, May 8th & Sunday, May 9th

1. Wish the Crocker Art Museum a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
2. MEET THE AUTHOR of 60 Hikes in 60 Miles at TrailMix.
3. Be impressed by GRAVITY-DEFYING TRICKS at Journey’s Backyard BBQ Tour.
4. Make a MOTHER’S DAY CARD at Michael’s.
5. Watch a mind boggling MAGIC SHOW at the Rancho Cordova Library.
6. See the HANSEL AND GRETEL PUPPET SHOW at Fairytale Town.
7. Enjoy an ARTSY EVENING at Second Saturday on Sutter.
8. Learn about ANIMALS OF AFRICA at the Valley-Hi/North Laguna Library.
9. Experience KING ARTHUR at the 24th Street Theatre .
10. Get a PASSPORT TO SUMMER at Southside Park.

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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All month long, the Sacramento Public Library offers fun, educational, and cultural experiences for our kids.  To top it off, they are completely FREE!  I love to take advantage of these events and take my kids to as many as I can.  Instead of sticking to your local library, check out some of the events at other libraries in Sacramento.  I have always thought that it is worth it to make the trip to a library outside of my neighborhood.  It is also fun to see what different locations have to offer.  In our experiences, many of them have a park right outside which makes for an extra fun outing.

We have seen Magic Shows, sung with Francie Dillon, watched movies, met Star Wars Characters, had our books signed by Laura Numeroff, played on African drums and much more!

Here are the Library’s Kids Events for this week:

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Besides all the Easter Egg Hunts in my previous post, there are all kinds of awesome Easter events happening this weekend!  Take your pick!

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Time to pull out the Easter baskets!  There are several FREE Egg Hunts around town this year sponsored by councilmembers.  Get ready…there are already two happening tomorrow!

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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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