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!

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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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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My daughter just started 1st grade on Monday and so now I just have my two boys to play with while she is at school.  I have been excited but nervous about finding things to do with them that don’t require big sister to lead the way!  Yesterday was my three-year-old’s birthday and I wanted to take him somewhere fun since he was having a difficult time being patient for his 6:00 party!  This was my criteria:  a place he could play hard (hoping to ensure a nap!), indoor (to beat the 90 degree heat), and suitable for one-year-old little brother.  So I decided on Funtastic Play Center in the Natomas.

The Experience:

I had a hard time getting the boys’ socks on fast enough!  They were ready to run and play as soon as they saw the colorful play equipment.  “Itsy Bitsy Spider” was playing and birthday boy got a huge grin as he recognized the music, while little one started bouncing to the beat.  There were quite a few kids there, from crawling to an eight-year-old.  They all played hard and my three-year-old even got sweaty!  He happens to be a very cautious boy and never got quite brave enough to venture up to the bridges and slides…yet was still occupied for 2 hours!  Another mom said the last time she brought her kids, they ended up staying for 7 hours!  Unbelievable!

Since my older boy is cautious and my baby is really active, I interacted with them almost the entire time, but most of the parents were able to sit and relax while watching their kids.  You can see them easily from the little cafe tables and they can not run off without running past you!  I met some very nice moms and enjoyed myself in this clean, air conditioned play center as much as my kids did.

Today my three-year-old looked at these pictures and said, “Me want to go there again Mommy, peeease!”

Expenses:

The cost is $8.00 per participating child of any age and free for adults.  So it was a total of $16.00 for my two boys.  Admission is for the entire day, which was a plus since many indoor play centers have a time limit of one or two hours.

Tips:

Don’t forget socks for the kids and yourself!  No playing without socks.  They do sell them just in case…but $2.00 a pair.

They sell drinks, snacks and even some hot food for very reasonable prices.

If you have little ones be prepared to help them figure out how to use the moveable play equipment.  There was a mom there that was even making up an obstacle course and building a tower which made it even more fun!

I definitely recommend this indoor playground for your little ones…especially when it is too hot or too cold to go to the park.

Funtastic Play Center
4421 Gateway Park Blvd. #130
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 263-9900

Open Monday - Thursday 9:30 - 5, Friday 10 - 8, Saturday reserved for Birthday Parties, Sunday 12 - 4

Age 8 and under recommended.

$8.00 per child; $65.00 for 10-pass VIP card

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