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!

What a beautiful little zoo!  The kids and I ventured there with some good friends for the first time this summer and had a great time!   The Folsom Zoo is not a “mainstream” zoo.  This unique zoo provides sanctuary to some very special animals.  Many were raised and rejected as wild pets.  Others were injured or orphaned in the wild.  All have names and personalities, and their individual stories are posted at the exhibits, along with factual, up-to-date information about their species.  The zoo teaches about common and uncommon animals, both wild and domestic, while promoting responsible and appropriate behavior toward all animals.

After visiting all of the animals in the zoo, which took us about an hour, we enjoyed our picnic lunch in the shaded area right outside the entrance.  There is also a playground for the kids to finish wearing themselves out before going home!  We did not happen to be there when the train was running but apparently The Folsom Valley Railway (located between the zoo and the library) can be a real highlight of the Folsom Zoo experience.

Another plus for this zoo is that admission is so inexpensive.  Kids ages 2 - 12 are $3.00 and Adults are just $4.00.  I only spent $10.00…what a deal!  You can get in for even cheaper if you go on the first Tuesday of the month (September through February) on their Half-off Admission days.

I recommend checking the zoo out on one of these cooler fall days as you’re more likely to find the animals playing or eating.  The crowds are likely to be smaller when summer’s done and you’ll be able to spend more time walking and enjoying eachother’s company.  So go visit the animals while the weather is still great!

Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary
403, Stafford Street, Folsom, CA 95630
(916) 351-3527

Normal Hours (Sept through May): Tues - Sun 10am - 4pm
Closed Mondays for animal rest days
Summer Hours (June 1 - Aug 31): Tues - Sun 9am - 3pm

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At Hagan Community Park in Rancho Cordova sits the cutest little Petting Barn.  It is taken care of by the Rancho Cordova Girl Scouts.  I was aware that they open on weekends for FREE…but when I called for more information, I was told that every Tuesday they hold a Storytime in the Barn.  Well, we had to check it out!

The Experience:

The kids were excited to go to a “real barn” and see the animals.  They were even more excited when we got there and they were able to have  a more interactive experience than we expected.  There was a donkey, a goat, a rabbit, chickens, birds and the sweetest baby lamb.  The kids and I agreed that the highlight was feeding the chickens out in the chicken yard!  Friendly Ms. Lu made this a wonderful experience by guiding their interactions with the animals, giving them some tips, and answering their questions.  She then read a few animal stories while the children all sat on haystacks.

Expenses:

The fee is $5.00 per child and it was well worth the experience!  On the weekends the petting barn is FREE.  (There is a $4.00 parking fee that you do not have to pay when attending Storytime on Tuesday).

Tips:

You can bring your own carrots and crackers to feed the animals.

There is a playground close to the petting barn.  We brought a picnic lunch and played with the new friends we met at Storytime.

Storytime: All year long, Tuesday 10:00 - 10:45 AM; $5.00/per child or $16.00 for 4-pass punchcard

Weekends: Petting Barn open May - September,  Saturday and Sunday 12:00 - 4:00 PM.

Steam Train rides are available behind the Petting Barn on the 1st Saturday and 3rd Sunday of the month from 12:00 - 4:00 PM!

Petting Barn & Steam Train rides are FREE!  (Donations suggested)

Hagan Community Park Petting Barn

2197 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova

(916) 362-1841

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Choo Choo!

There are some things that all kids seem to be fascinated with. Trains are definitely one of them! We have been anxious to check out the Railroad Museum and finally did for the first time on Sacramento’s Annual Museum Day in February.

The Experience:

Upon entering, we felt like we were back in time with an exhibit of a huge vintage train and coal miners. The whole first floor was filled with real trains, old and new, that we could walk around or through. It was fun to peek inside the windows of an old excursion train…the dining car, the kitchen car, the lounge car…and just imagine what it used to be like. The kids had a ball climbing on a freight car and pretending they were taking a ride. My favorite was the postal train…there was a guide explaining how the postal system used to work between the trains and the pony express.

The 2nd floor was an even bigger hit with my little ones, who are ages 5 and 2. What could be better than a Thomas the Train display? There were several train cars running the tracks and a clear bubble they could stick their heads into for an unbelievable view. There were a couple of small train tables for them to play with and even with all of the children there, they were satisfied with the amount of play time they were able to get. The rest of the 2nd floor was filled with model trains…old and new. It was truly amazing to see so many trains in one place! This museum is both educational and fun-filled…definitely memorable!

Our kids gave it 2 thumbs up!

Expenses:

General admission is $8.00 for adults, $3.00 for kids 6 - 17, and FREE for kids 5 and under!

[Parking for Old Sac varies. The Parking Structure off of J street is $1.50 per 1/2 hour or a flat rate of $5 - 10.00 on weekends or special event days. Parking off of I street has an electronic meter...you can purchase a block of time for just a few dollars. There is quarter-metered parking along both streets inside Old Sac.]

Tips:

Due to stairs on and off the large trains and stairs up to the second floor, it is much easier to get around the museum without a stroller. We brought our 6-month-old and just carried him…it worked out great.

As it is located in Old Sacramento, there are many other things to do before or after the museum. When we were finished, we hopped on one of the horse-drawn wagons parked out front and had a really fun ride around the streets of Old Sac. Then we walked around the Delta King Riverboat before we headed back to our car.

The museum also offers tickets for a Train Ride along the river.  The train runs every weekend between April and September. It is a 40-minute ride and costs $8.00 for Adults, $3.00 for Kids 6-17 and FREE for Kids 5 and under.

The California State Railroad Museum
www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org
Old Sacramento, 111 I Street, Sacramento, CA
(916) 445-6645

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