Check out what fun you can have all month long at +Pretend City Children's Museum !
Aside from their newest exhibit Growing up in Korea, the summer can be filled if you want it to be...
See you there,
OnTheGoOC & OnTheGoOCKid
#PretendPlay #PretendCity #Irvine #OCFun #SoCalFun #SummerFun #PretendCityIsAwesome
Friday, July 3: Celebrate 4th of July!
Time: Activities throughout the day
Specifically for: Children of all ages; Grown-ups
Come celebrate USA’s birthday the child’s way! Before the fireworks light up the sky, visit Pretend City as these Independence Day festivities will celebrate life, liberty, and the pursuit of fun! Special events and activities of the day will include:
- Smart Art: Patriotic Cap – Red, white, and blue are in fashion today. Children will celebrate this special day by creating their own patriotic hat in the Art Studio.
- Simple Science: Pop, Fizz, Crackle! – Fireworks aren’t the only things that will be exploding this holiday. Join us for some cool science experiments that will get your children excited for the real things.
- Let’s Move: Red, White, and Blue Tag – Your little one will have fun collecting all the colored tokens in this active game.
- Sensational Story Time: The Night Before the Fourth of July is a fun book that captures all the fun, excitement, and pride of the best summer holiday!
Join us at 4:50 in the Orange Plaza to show off your child’s stars and stripes as we proudly wave the U.S. flag through the city for our Independence Day Headin’ Home parade.
RSVP: Not required
Fee: Included with museum admission;
Discount: Wear red, white, and blue for $1.00 off of your general admission ticket!
Friday, July 3: Summer Time Fun Grown-Up & Me Cooking Class
Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm (class may run over)
Specifically for: Children 2 years of age and up; Grown-ups
Celebrate the Fourth of July with food and recipes that play up the colors red, white, and blue. Plus, learn to select healthy choices for picnic foods that children and adults will love.
Play Partners: Kunaal Kumar, Child Development Specialist
RSVP: 20 max; Registration requested by Friday, June 27th
*Please make sure to note any allergies or dietary restrictions.
Fee: $5.00 fee per one grown-up and one child pair
Tuesday, July 7: Partner In Play Day – All Aboard!
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Specifically for: Children of all ages; Grown-ups
Climb aboard for a journey along our California coast! This “boat” will take you above and below the surface to look at the undersea creatures which inhabit our coast with a special focus on whales. Children will get to grab a pair of binoculars to understand their use on the high seas while using their imaginations to spot various whales in the ocean. Real ocean artifacts will connect their imaginations to reality. Fun take home activities will let the learning continue!
Play Partner: Newport Landing Whale Watching
RSVP: Not required
Fee: Included with museum admission
Wednesday, July 8: Bring a Bear Day!
Time: Activities throughout the day
Specifically for: Children of all ages; Grown-ups
Today we celebrate the iconic children’s teddy bear with a very special picnic and other events. Pretend City will be hosting “Bring a Bear” day in honor of the upcoming Teddy Bear Picnic Day that is celebrated on July 10th. Today’s activities will include:
· Smart Art: Bear-y Cute. What type of bear-y cute bear will your little one decide to turn into? Children will learn about the different types of bears and then create their very own bear to become.
· Partner In Play: Choco the Bear. Choco will be stopping by for a visit to take pictures and share his experience at CHOC.
· Sensational Story Time: The Teddy Bears’ Picnic – is a fun story and song that children will love to sing. A yummy teddy snack will make sure the picnic is complete!
RSVP: Not required
Fee: Included with museum admission
Event Link: http://pretendcity.org/event/bring-a-bear-day/
Friday, July 10: FREE Vision Screening
Time: 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
Specifically for: Children Ages 2 ½ years and up; Grown-ups
This vision screening focuses on young children from ages 2 ½ to 6 years old. It is a screening utilized for visual acuity, external eye health, and binocular vision. The HOTV letter chart is used as a fun and developmentally appropriate testing tool.
RSVP: First-come, first-served basis; limited spaces available
Fee: Free; Museum admission neither required nor included
Monday, July 13: Baby Steps through Pretend City
Time: 2:00-3:30p.m.
Specifically for: Infant (0-18 months), grownups. For the comfort of our infant guests, no older siblings please.
Do you have questions about feeding, napping, crawling, or just want to enjoy an event where you and your baby can come and play? If so, Baby Steps through Pretend City is the event for you! This monthly event is a great opportunity to ask questions, meet other parents, and engage your baby in developmentally appropriate activities and exhibits. Pretend City was designed with your infant in mind, but with so many excited, older children playing in the museum, it may be hard for your little one to get around. This monthly event allows you to take advantage of an exclusive, infant only times by engaging in age-appropriate facilitated activities which will teach you about your baby’s developmental milestones.
Cost: Free for infants 0-18 months; Adults are $10. (Free for Pretend City Members)
Tuesday, July 14: Partner In Play Day – Sea Lion Shenanigans
Time: 11:00 a.m
Specifically for: Children of all ages; Grown-ups
This special story time is focused on those adorable sea creatures that we see along the California coast – sea lions! This video and story presentation will share facts and a fun tale about these marine mammals. Children will even be able to take their photo with a life-size sea lion. If that wasn’t enough to continue the ocean learning fun at home, children will have the opportunity to create their very own sea lion mask.
Play Partner: Newport Landing Whale Watching
RSVP: Not required
Fee: Included with museum admission
Tuesday, July 14th: The Three Little Pigs Theater Education Program
Class Session: Tuesday, July 14 – Thursday, July 16 & July 21 – 23
Time: Rehearsals (Tuesdays) 1:30-2:30
* Performance Saturday, July 25th at 10:00a.m. *
Specifically for: Children 3 - 7 (preschool & school age); Parents must remain on the premises.
Musical Theatre helps children learn to express themselves, hone memorization skills, develop literacy skills, work as a team, and learn how to tell a story. And it is great fun for kids! Register your child to be in the mini musical The Three Piggy Opera, a spoof of the classic folk tale The Three Little Pigs, and invite all of your friends and family to see the show. Your child will be so proud! Children will love being directed by experienced early child development and musical theater instructor Jennifer Estrada.
Rehearsals will take place Tuesday through Thursday from 1:30-2:30 on July 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23. It is highly suggested that performers are present each day.
Play Partner: Creative Kids Playhouse
RSVP: Registration available online at Creative Kids Playhouse
· Class Minimum: 14 children; Class Maximum 25 children
· Admission to the museum included for parent and child after each class with purchase of class series
Fee: $134 for 2 week series (6 classes & show) includes all instruction, materials, a cast T-Shirt, rehearsal CD and major costume components.
Sunday, July 19: Celebrate National Ice Cream Day!
Time: Activities throughout the day
Specifically for: Children of all ages; Grown-ups
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream today at Pretend City! This yummy treat is the first thing that comes to mind on a hot summer day. Therefore, it's only fitting that ice cream be given its own special day. We hope you enjoy these fun ice cream themed activities with us:
· Smart Art – Ice Cream Dough will be a sensory experience! Your children will get to mold and create with “ice cream” without the worry of it melting!
· CafĂ© Creations – Ice Cream Cart fun will allow your child to create and sell their very own ice cream creations!
· Math Matters – Taste Test is an especially fun kind of test your child will want to take again and again! Your child will have the opportunity to taste test a variety of flavors and vote for their favorite. Let’s see which flavor comes out on top!
- Sundae Funday - Create your own ice cream sundae. We have all the ingredients you can imagine!
RSVP: Not required
Fee: Included with museum admission
Monday, July 20: Stress Management for Parents Workshop
Time: 6:00-8:00p.m.
Specifically for: Grown-Ups; childcare not provided
Summertime…and the living is easy—right? Well, not always. While we tend to expect a more relaxed lifestyle during summer, and the season definitely has its perks, summer can bring its share of unexpected stress. Child Development Pathways is here to help give grown-ups some insight into summer stressors. They will help grown-ups understand what stress is and how it can affect the family as a whole, but most particularly, the children. They will provide insight on the importance of relaxation and some tips to help keep grown-ups sane this summer.
Play Partners: Child Behavior Pathways
RSVP: Registration required.
10 minimum; workshop subject to cancellation if minimum is not met
Registration requested by Friday, July 17
Fee: FREE
Tuesday, July 21: Partner In Play Day – Biggest Animal Ever
Time: 11:00 a.m. Lil’ Me Morning Activity
Specifically for: Children of all ages; Grown-ups
Everyone knows whales are large and in charge – but which whale is the biggest? Come find out during this interactive hands-on presentation. Children will not only explore this animal’s size but their body composition as well. A silly science experiment will get them talking all about blubber. They’ll have fun comparing and seeing how they measure up against one of the sea’s largest creatures.
RSVP: Not required
Fee: Included with museum admission
Sunday, July 26: Celebrate Parent’s Day!
Time: Activities throughout the day
Specifically for: Children of all ages; Grown-ups
Parent’s Day is a special day to recognize, uplift, and support the role of parent’s in the rearing of children. This is our day to say thank you to all the parent’s with fun grown-up and me activities throughout the day, including:
· Family Fun Fitness: Piggy Back Obstacle Course will delight your child and make them feel closer to you! Piggy-back rides can help to strengthen parent-child relationships and enhance attachment because they involve fun and physical closeness.
· Growing Up Great Game: Move Like Me is a fun activity where you will have to move like your child, and they will have to move like you! This mirroring game focuses on eye contact, smiles, and laughs which promotes play and relationships.
· Sensational Story Time: Only One You is a simple, yet powerful story about the lessons parents can teach their children. Your family will have fun creating your very own rock fish family to take home.
RSVP: Not required
Fee: Included with museum admission; Parents receive $1.00 off today with paid child’s general admission ticket!
Tuesday, July 28: Partner in Play Day – Litter for Lunch
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Specifically for: Children of all ages; Grown-ups
Trash doesn’t look like food! Or does it? Join us as we educate children about the various objects and models which can look like food to sea creatures. They will understand the importance of keeping our beaches clean and making sure to throw garbage away where it is supposed to go. Children will even get to experience Pretend City’s own beach clean-up as they explore our trash interactive.
RSVP: Not required
Fee: Included with museum admission
Wednesday, July 29: Celebrate Harry Potter’s Birthday!
Time: Activities throughout the day
Specifically for: School Ages (6 years and up); Grown-ups
Harry Potter books are a great way to introduce fantasy to your school-aged children! These books provide material for children’s imagination, free play, and help them distinguish between what is real and what isn’t. Today, however, we turn make-believe into reality with fun activities based off of the magical Harry Potter Series:
· Smart Art: Harry Potter Art – Fly into the art studio where your children will delight in making their own Hedgwig or magical wand and creating their own version of Hogwarts Castle.
· Nature Tales: Magical Creatures Scavenger Hunt - The magical creatures from the Care of Magical Creatures class have escaped and are lost in the city. Help us use the clues to find them!
· Simple Science: Potions Class - One of the most popular classes at Hogwarts. This fun activity will make sure you have an ample supply of Gillyweed and Hippogriff Gizzards on hand!
RSVP: Not required
Fee: Included with museum admission; Come dressed as your favorite Harry Potter character for $1.00 off general admission ticket!