Yesterday morning, Sacramento Sidetracks was lucky enough to be featured on the KCRA Morning News!  I was interviewed by Deirdre Fitzpatrick about my Top 3 Picks for FREE things to do before the Summer comes to an end.  It was such a fun experience!  You can watch the interview by clicking here.

Here are the Top 3 Picks that I mentioned:

1.  Spraygrounds - local parks with great water features.

2.  Hagan Petting Barn - cute barn animals in a “real” barn.

3.  TrailMix.Net - Old Sac Scavenger Hunt and free art project.

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!

5th Stop - LONE TREE PARK in Rocklin

Our 5th stop on our Sprayground Tour was Lone Tree Park in Rocklin.  This park has a sprayground equipped for all ages to enjoy and a huge playground.  As you can tell from the photos, this is a popular spot to cool off!  From May 15 through October 1, it’s open 10am to 7pm daily.

The sprayground has pony water guns, a fire hydrant fountain, a tall shower, and best of all a horseshoe tunnel that sprays water in all directions.  The kids got drenched and then had fun climbing, sliding, swinging and hanging on the really cool play structure!  This park is right down the street from the Fountains at Roseville so we headed over there for some frozen yogurt to top off the afternoon!

Extras:
Bathrooms
Drinking Fountain
Picnic areas

Stay tuned for several more stops on our Sprayground Tour!

Click here for a current list of Sacramento Spraygrounds which we are continuing to update.

Lone Tree Park
6101 West Oaks Blvd.
Rocklin, CA

The California State Fair at Cal Expo is here!  Kids Day is every Tuesday; all kids 12 and under receive FREE admission all day. Butler Amusements is offering $1 carnival rides for everyone until 11 PM.

Besides the cotton candy and rides, here are two new exhibits that I am excited about:

“Days of the Dinosaur” Adventure
Families are invited to embark on a prehistoric adventure at the world-renowned “Days of the Dinosaur” Exhibit, in its first US appearance. The all-ages indoor attraction will feature more than a dozen life-sized dinosaur robots, skeleton replicas, interactive areas and photo opportunities. The exhibit is FREE with Fair admission and includes hands-on activities like an paleontological dig site where children will have the opportunity to find their own fossils using authentic paleontology tools!

Jungle & Reptile Experience
This new interactive animal exhibit will be housed in a whimsical garden environment full of lush tropical plants. The jungle adventure will feature a variety of birds, amphibians and reptiles, including colonies of alligators and large tortoises. Fairgoers will be able to see and touch these wonderous creatures up close and personal in a family-friendly and educational environment. Located in the Floriculture tent.

Click here to see all the details and plan your day at the Fair!

[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!

4th Stop - MORSE PARK in Elk Grove

Our 4th stop on our Sprayground Tour was Morse Park in Elk Grove.  We have been to this park many times since it opened and continue to love it!  Besides the sprayground, there is a large playground for big kids, a smaller playground for the little ones, and a fitness area (that counts as a third playground according to my kids).  To top it off, the playgrounds are shaded.  You can really spend hours in this park!

This sprayground has water features for kids of all ages, from toddlers to 12-year-olds.  There is a palm tree that dumps water from its coconuts, fish water guns, and lots of less-intimidating fountains that are great for toddlers.  It is open 7 days a week, from 10am to sunset.  You cannot go wrong with this Elk Grove favorite!

Extras:
Bathrooms
Shaded benches
Skateboarding park
Dog Park

Stay tuned for several more stops on our Sprayground Tour!

Click here for a current list of Sacramento Spraygrounds which we are continuing to update.

Morse Park
5540 Bellaterra Drive
Elk Grove,CA

*Click on the location for directions

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3rd Stop - BRIDGEWAY LAKES PARK in West Sacramento

Our 3rd stop on our Sprayground tour was Bridgeway Lakes Park in West Sacramento.  This park has such a relaxing ambience since it sits next to a man-made lake in a great neighborhood.  We sat facing the lake for our picnic and I felt like we were on vacation!

The kids loved the water guns, the dumping cones, and the red spraying log they could turn around by themselves.  There are water features for kids of all ages, from toddlers to 12-year-olds.  This sprayground is open from 10am - 8pm through, 7 days a week.  There is also a very unique playground with a climbing structure like I’ve never seen before.  What more could you ask for?  This park is the perfect place to spend hours on a hot summer day!

Extras:
Bathrooms
Picnic Benches
BBQ’s

Stay tuned for several more stops on our Sprayground Tour!

Click here for a current list of Sacramento Spraygrounds which we are continuing to update.

Bridgeway Lakes Park
3650 Southport Pkwy
West Sacramento, CA

*Click on the location for directions

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2nd Stop - MUIR PARK in Downtown Sacramento

Our 2nd stop on our Summer Sprayground tour was Muir Park in Downtown Sacramento.  The water features at this park are those yellow poles you see in the photos.  They are misters and they turn on when you push a button.  The kids loved that they could operate them all by themselves.  They would run from one to the next and try to keep them all going.  You do not necessarily need bathing suits for this park.  It was fun with them on but the kids did not get drenched.

The playground at this park has been updated and it has an ocean them.  So cute!  The big hit was the huge net climber with a trampoline in the middle.  I’ve never seen anything like it!  We were there early on a cloudy  morning and had the park to ourselves, so I am not sure how crowded it usually is.  A while back a reader emailed me and told me about this park.  I am so glad that she did because it is sort of hidden back on C and 16th.  I think that a great outing would be going to to the Central Library and then head over to Muir Park to play!

Extras:
Sand play area
Entire park is gated
Shaded areas
Picnic benches

Stay tuned for several more stops on our Sprayground Tour!

Click here for a current list of Sacramento Spraygrounds which we are continuing to update.

Muir Park
1515 C Street
Sacramento, CA

*Click on the location for directions

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1st Stop - SWANSTON PARK

You might call them Splash Parks, Spray Parks, or parks with Water Features…but one thing is for sure…your kids love them!  The spraygrounds around Sacramento are one of the best ways to stay cool this summer.  They provide hours of fun and they are FREE!

My kids and I have been checking them out one at a time so that we can give you a first hand look.  I’ll be sharing lots of pictures of each park and then update my complete list of spraygrounds for you.  The parks all have a regular playground as well, so remember to bring tennis shoes with you.  We bring a picnic lunch along to make it even more fun!

Our first stop was at Swanston Park in between Arden Way and Folsom Blvd.  This is one of the biggest and best spraygrounds around.  It has lots of fun, colorful water features and is fun for kids of all ages.  This sprayground is open 11am -7pm, 7 days a week up until Labor Day, then weekends only until October 10th.  It has a great updated playground as well that the kids played on when they were ready to dry off.  This park is now on our favorites list!

Extras:
Bathrooms
Benches
Shaded Areas

Swanston Park
2350 Northrop Ave.
Sacramento, CA

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Stayed tuned for more stops on our Sprayground Tour!

Regal Cinemas is offering FREE  movies during their Family Film Festival!  It starts this week and runs through August.  All movies will be G or PG.  There is a wide range of movies…so you’ll be sure to find ones that are perfect for your kids.  We can’t wait to go see Monsters vs. Aliens and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs on the big screen.  Films are shown at 10:00 am every Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival.

Everyone loves free stuff.  So if you’re planning to take the kids to a free or cheap showing, be sure to get there early. Many summer movie programs are run on a first-come, first-serve basis.  You can also be prepared for regular prices for popcorn, soda and candy at the concession stand.

Click here to see the movie schedule.  Locations include El Dorado Stadium 14, Olympus Pointe 12 in Roseville, Natomas Marketplace Stadium 16, Market Square 6 on Arden, and Laguna Village 12 in Elk Grove.

If a Century Theatre happens to be more convenient for you…they are offering $1.00 movies this summer.  Click here to see the movie schedule and locations.

Going to the movies will be a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer!