San Diego Zoo & Safari Park - kids free!

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/kidsfree/

Kids free for the month of October at the San Diego Zoo & San Diego Safari Park (formerly Wild Animal Park)!  No coupon necessary.  For ages 3-11.  Enjoy!

LA County Fair!

Besides the animals and carnival games/rides for the kids at the LA County Fair, there are also exhibits on sharks, monkeys, and dinosaurs!  Kids 5 and under are free everyday.  Go to the end of the post to find discounts for everyone else.

Live Shark Encounter - Following a captivating discussion on shark facts and fiction, a diver plunges into the tank and swims with these intriguing animals. After the diver returns to safety, the audience is invited to come up to the stage and “stare down a shark…”.

The Great White Encounter Exhibit - Have you ever wanted to get up close and personal with a Great White Shark? The Great White Encounter is a unique exhibit where visitors can step into the world of sharks and see a life size replica of a great white shark, as well as several other interesting species of this unique animal.

Under The Sea Adventure - Learn more about other fascinating creatures that reside in the deep blue sea. Visit our tide pool touch tank where you can admire and examine live invertebrates, such as starfish, crabs, and sea urchins. Participate in a variety of fun, hands-on activities that are not only entertaining, but educational as well!

Mojo's Jungle

It’s a jungle out here at the L.A. County Fair – literally! The hillside above the Flower & Garden Pavilion has transformed into an interactive, living jungle.

• Mojo’s Monkey Mania, home to our jungle ambassador and his friends, explains all there is to know about these intriguing mammals.

• The Australian jungle is explored in Joey’s Outback Hideout. Find out the differences between kangaroos, wallabies and joeys as you watch them play.

• Explore Spike’s Reptile Territory. From snakes and alligators to lizards and turtles, if it walks, slithers or waddles in a reptilian fashion, it will be here to meet you.

• Visit Fiona’s Jungle Perch, where you will find a knowledgeable jungle guide to answer questions on many breeds of birds.

Jurassic Planet

The Bio-Research Facility - Learn all about the Giganotosaurus, Dimetrodon, Saurolophus, Tyrannosaurus, Baryonyx, and many more along your journey through Jurassic Planet.

The Prehistoric Stage - Come see our stage show featuring our very own paleontologist where you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions about these amazing creatures in our question and answer portion of this show. Five daily shows

Dinosaur Movie Theater - In our movie theater, you will learn about a real dinosaur dig and help solve the mystery behind these interesting creatures from long ago. Seven daily shows

Dinosaurs Descendants Exhibit - Who do scientists believe to be the direct descendants of meat-eating dinosaurs? Live animals including birds, amphibians and lizards help explain the connection between past and present.

Dinosaurs Descendants Show - Grab your field gear and come along on a dino discovery adventure! In this brand new show, our very own Paleo Explorers explain why scientists think birds and dinosaurs are linked. Three shows on weekdays and five on weekends and holidays.

Dinosaur Museum & Store - Learn fascinating facts and see real dinosaur bones on display. You can even purchase your own replica of these creatures.

Fossil Fun - Learn to be a paleontologist as you uncover dinosaur bones from long ago in our new interactive area located just outside Jurassic Planet.

Fossil Prep Lab- Learn to be a dinosaur detective as you watch our skilled paleontologists prepare real dinosaur fossils in our working prep lab.

Discount/free admission!
McDonald's has a $20 coupon for admission and unlimited rides on Wednesdays. Regular weekday admission is $12/adults, $7/kids.

Fair admission is just $5 after 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays; a perfect way to spend an evening. Coupon must be presented to receive discount. To download your coupon, click here.

$5 Kids Meals (+tax) on Wednesdays - Offered at various concession stands after 5 p.m. every Wednesday. Find a complete list of concessionaires at guests services.


Ralphs Food Drive Fridays begin today. Guests must bring five Ralphs private label canned products Fridays for a free Fair admission good that day only, noon- 6 p.m. This is good on 9/9, 9/16, 9/23, and 9/30.

Costco Fair Savings Pack at participating Costco stores for just $54.99, includes four any-day Fair admissions, one parking pass and 44 RCS ride/game tickets. Rides and games require multiple tickets. Click here for a list of participating locations.

Low cost counseling at CSULB

Did you know there was a low-cost counseling clinic at CSULB?  Neither did I.  Counseling takes place on campus and costs from $7.50 to $15 a session.  Services can be for adults, couples or children.  You are counseled by trained MFT interns who have quality supervision.  Sessions take place on Monday or Wednesday evenings.  They also do assessments for learning disabilities.


http://www.ced.csulb.edu/clinic

The Community Clinic for Counseling and Educational Services has been the setting for affordable counseling, academic intervention, and psychoeducational assessment services for over 40 years.

They are currently recruiting for the early childhood assessment clinic. Children ages 3 to 6 years of age will be assessed on one Saturday, October 8th in the areas of cognition, fine and gross motor skills, communication and early numeracy and literacy. A final report is presented to the parents on a few weeks later. 

The Community Clinic offers counseling, psychoeducational assessment and tutoring (academic interventions for struggling students) services to children ages 6 through 17, and developmental assessments for children ages 3-6.  The Community Clinic is a primary training site for the School Psychology, School Counseling, and Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics Education Master's Degree Programs while providing comprehensive educational and psychological services to children at a moderate cost. Services at the Clinic are provided by graduate students under the supervision of faculty in the College of Education. Clients are accepted for services twice yearly (September and February) with the addition of the Early Childhood clinic in early November. At the end of the services, parents receive a progress report detailing assessment results and suggestions for further interventions.

Affordable, professional counseling services for adults and families is offered at the Community Clinic in Long Beach, CA. Individual and couples therapy are provided by advanced graduate students in Marriage and Family Therapy, under the supervision of licensed University faculty. Potential clinic clients will be invited to participate in a 50 minute intake session that will determine suitability for clinic services. 

Daycare

Here are some recommendations from other moms:

Roxanne Townsend, licensed home daycare
562 673-9851

Deanna Green, licensed home daycare
562-920-0275

Park Church Preschool (formerly known as Singing Fountain)
Audrey Bill
562.430.6570
3655 N Norwalk Blvd
Long Beach 90808

July events!

In case your family enjoys Wild Rivers in Irvine, it will be closing for good at the end of this summer. :-(

A great website to check out everything going on in Long Beach is 100daysofsummer.org

Finally, be aware that the 405 freeway will be completely CLOSED between the 10 and 101 freeways during the July 16-17 weekend.  This is really unprecedented and probably a good weekend to stay close to home.

Places to cool off besides the beach…Sigler Park in Westminster has a splash pad for kids which is free and open every day from noon-5pm...Another splash pad in Stanton at Harry Dotson Park, 10350 Fern Ave...Lakewood (scroll to bottom for info) has wading pools for little ones 3-7 at 6 sites…and there is Buccaneer Bay in La Mirada - go here for $2 off.

And now for all the goings on in our fair city!
Now: Adventure Playground is open; Aquarium of the Pacific discounted summer nights
June 25: Port of Long Beach 100 Birthday Celebration
June 25: Party with Julius and Paul Frank, Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood
June 25: Great American Backyard Campout
June 27-September 1: Movies in the Park
June 28-July 27: Long Beach Municipal Band Concerts in the Park
June 28: $1 summer ice-blendeds at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
June 28, July 12, & July 26: Family Nightlife Walk ($4)– El Dorado Nature Center – 7pm – RSVPs required
June 30, July 7, July 14, July 21, July 28: Food trucks at St. Isidore, Los Al - 5pm-9pm 

July 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29: LB Museum of Art - free every Friday
July 1, 15, & 29: Family Campfire ($3) - El Dorado Nature Center - 7pm - RSVPs required
July 2: Independence Day with Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, & John Adams at the International Printing Museum in Carson
July 2: Pirate Invasion, Belmont Pier
July 2: Fireworks preview and family festival, Rainbow Harbor
July 4: July 4th Bike Parade for kids, Granada Ave.
July 4: Independence Day fireworks shows: Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base ($5 parking) & along the shoreline - Long Beach
July 4: Fireworks show at Veteran's Stadium - $5/person
July 6: Deadline for LA County Fair entries – just need to send in the form; actual entries are delivered on July 23.
July 6, 8, 13, 15: Storytimes in the Garden – Rancho Los Alamitos – 6-9 years
July 6: LBSO Instrument Petting Zoo - El Dorado Library - 2pm
July 7 & 21: Summer Concerts at the Nature Center – 6:30pm

July 9: Long Beach Street Food Fest - Rainbow Lagoon
July 9: Bixby Knolls Dragster & Car Show
July 9: Health Fair - free bone density, stroke, & cholesterol screenings - 4401 Atlantic Ave. - free refreshments, prize drawings - 9am-1pm
July 10: DanceFest 2011 - Center Theatre - Free
July 11-15: Video game design camp – gee!
July 11-15: Harry Potter marathon at the Block in Orange

July 15-August 14: OC Fair
July 15: Get into the OC Fair for free - Noon to 1pm only on the first day
July 16-17: 405 Closure from the 10 to the 101
July 16: New Dinosaur Hall opens at the Natural History Museum
July 17: Origami Festival – CSULB
July 17: 50th anniversary at Der Weinerschnitzel - 61 cent hot dogs
July 19: Free day at South Coast Botanical Garden - Palos Verdes Peninsula
July 21: LBSO Instrument Petting Zoo - Dana Library - 3:30pm

July 22: Capture the Wind Festival and Youth Beach Day – Granada Beach
July 23: Take entries to LA County Fair - Pomona
July 25: Multiple Intelligences Parent Info Meeting – gee!
July 25: GlowMoms - Dance party for the mom set - $15 before 7/21

July 30-31: Civil War Re-enactment – El Dorado Park
July 30: Shakespeare by the Sea – King Lear – Rossmoor/Los Alamitos – Rush Park
July 31: Shakespeare by the Sea – Much Ado About Nothing – Rossmoor/Los Alamitos – Rush Park

Summer Concerts at the El Dorado Nature Center

Thursday, July 7
6:30pm-8pm
$3/adults, kids 12years+, under 12 free!

El Dorado Nature Center
7550 E Spring St
(562) 570-1745

Enjoy a sunset picnic by the lake with some of SoCal's local musicians. Bring low chairs or blankets and an earth-friendly picnic dinner.  Gates open at 6:30pm, and the concert will begin at 7:00 pm.

For more information, please visit our website or call (562) 570-1745 or e-mail us at lbparks@longbeach.gov.

More dates:
Thursday, Jul. 14 (6:30pm—8pm)
Thursday, Jul. 21 (6:30pm—8pm)
Thursday, Jul. 28 (6:30pm—8pm)
Thursday, Aug. 4 (6:30pm—8pm)
Thursday, Aug. 11 (6:30pm—8pm)
Thursday, Aug. 18 (6:30pm—8pm)

Garden Grove Strawberry Festival

A Memorial Weekend tradition.

THE GARDEN GROVE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL CELEBRATES ITS 53^rd YEAR!
The Festival is held at the Village Green, between Euclid and Main Street Streets in downtown Garden Grove, CA 

MAY 27-30, 2011

Friday (11am to 10pm)
Sat & Sun (10am to 10pm)
Monday (10am to 9pm)
Admission is Free!
Carnival Ride Ticket Bargains Available
Garden Grove Strawberry Festival