Baja Splash Latino Cultural Festival at the Aquarium Of The Pacific - Plus #Giveaway

Celebrate Latino Heritage Month Saturday September 28th and Sunday September 29th!

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Aquarium of the Pacific will host its eighteenth annual Baja Splash Cultural Festival featuring live entertainment, crafts, educational programs, and special activities.

PC AOP



This Aquarium weekend festival celebrates the beauty and diversity of Latino cultures through song, dance, art, and cultural displays.

Younger guests and their families are invited to visit The Bernadett Family Early Childhood Education Open House to engage with activities specifically designed for preschool students.

Full deets here...
http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/baja_splash_cultural_festival/

Also you can get a Mobile-print coupon:
http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/offer/fest2

Good Luck and thank you for entering!

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Aquarium Of The Pacific #Giveaway to the African American Festival

Celebrate Culture & Diversity

Join the Aquarium of the Pacific as it hosts its seventeenth annual African-American Festival, celebrating the rich diversity of African-American and African cultures.



The festival will feature live entertainment and arts and crafts on Feb 23rd and 24th. Celebrate education in culture!

Festival performers include Mardi Gras second line dancers, hip hop and break dancers, jazz musicians, interactive drum circles, West African dancers, and storytellers.

Get the full details and a schedule of exhibit event times on line now here .

PC  Aquarium of the Pacific

 

Wait... we have a discount code too!

Marvel Super Hero Adventures Series - You Can Watch NOW! #DisneyMarvel #MarvelSuperHeroAdventures

Have You Heard About Marvel Super Hero Adventures?

Disney and Marvel, two of our favorites, collaborate to bring us awesome adventures in family - friendly entertainment.

All Opinions are my own based on our own experiences.

Marvel Super Hero Adventures

Never heard of this series? It's okay neither had I until a few days ago. Though, I am a little bummed I didn't know about the episodes sooner!

MARVEL SUPER HERO ADVENTURES is a new series of super cute preschool shorts titled “Marvel Super Hero Adventures” available on YouTube, DisneyNOW App and seen on Disney Channel between scheduled programs.

In line with this video series are age-appropriate chapter books and Playschool Toys by HASBRO

 



These days it's so easy to watch anywhere at any time. I love it.

With Disney Now https://disneynow.go.com we can watch all the kid safe programming we want.

I can even walk away and start dinner feeling comfortable knowing there will not be anything inappropriate popping up.

Last night while my older one was at soccer I sat down with my younger kiddo to catch a little bit of Marvel Super Hero Adventures and see what it's all about.

We loved it. For me anything that is kid friendly and relatable in real life is a win. It's great to see how the kids can gain courage, confidence and knowledge of basically how to be good and helpful to others and to oneself.

There is a hero in all of us.

 

 

 

My son who is on the Autism spectrum relatea to courage and confidence directly but its nice to see that others will take from the series something good for themselves and as well.

Check it out on YouTube too here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IawHF7vR0IA

Check out the videos for this show on DisneyNow App https://t.co/Am222YzzJ7 

But wait!! For being an awesome reader I've got a special Disney magical treat for you.

This a BONUS video that is unlisted! Only people with this link can see it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Zz-03yzHA&feature=youtu.be


We are officially Marvel shorts fans and cant wait to check out the comic books too. Talk about edufun!

Enjoy!! Let me know what you think of the series too.

Car-Ed.Com I Took The Quiz... So Should You! Plus #Giveaway

Car-Ed.Com The Quiz

 

Have you heard of Car-Ed.Com ?

 

It's okay neither had I until my trip this last weekend to attend the first ever A Girls Guide To Cars Conference in Greater Palm Springs.

 

See Pinterest Fun



 

All opinions are my own, thank you to A Girls Guide to Cars, Car-Ed.Com for the valuable and Car-Educational Info.

 

Event Room for A Girls Guide to Cars Conference at Miramonte Indian Wells Resort & Spa with Car-Ed.



 

Even if you are not in the market for a car, like me, and you just want to see what the quiz says... take it. It's fun, let me break it down for you.

 

While listening to the creators of Car-Ed.Com I realized they were right about a few things.

 

Did you know that most of the time the car that you want or dream of may not be the perfect car for for you and your lifestyle?!

iLead Exploration's Homeschooling Informative Park Days This Summer!

Are you interested in homeschooling or have you ever wondered if/how homeschooling could work for your family?

 

I have always wondered if this may be an alternative option for us in the future. My son is on the Autism Spectrum and I often think that if a school system program ever does not work well... we will look into homeschooling.

Urban Ocean Festival Returns to the Aquarium of the Pacific

AQUARIUM TO CELEBRATE SOCAL’S UNIQUE COAST AT URBAN OCEAN FESTIVAL 

We love the Aquarium of the Pacific!

Visiting about 4 or 5 times a year never gets boring or old. There are always things to do and it is very Autism friendly.

Both of my kiddos love to start at different areas each time we visit but when there is a special event going on we know we will not only see something new but learn something cool as well!

What's coming up? Here are the deets on the Urban Ocean Festival...

Inside Energy in Motion at Knott's Berry Farm #EduFun Plus #Giveaway

Knott's Berry Farm Gets Educational With our Girl Scouts!

Girl Scout and Proud... but thrill seeker and proud too.

 

 

When my daughter heard that there was an opportunity for her Girl Scouts to attend an Energy in Motion trip to Knott'sBerry Farm and learn all about the in's and out's of the rides she loves to ride...she jumped on the opportunity.

 

 

To say she loved the experience is an understatement!!

"It was so cool and super fun to see how it all works together to give us thrills but keep us safe!"  Zoe

 

That's how it's described from a 4th grader that is pretty harsh on education while ecstatic about everything else.

Lunar New Year Festivities in SoCal #LunarNewYear

Lunar New Year - The Year of The ROOSTER

Always a beautiful cultural display, the events of Lunar New Year, are one of my most recent favorites to explore!

Here is a beginners list to see and start to experience the amazement and culture that comes with Lunar New Year:

* Pretend City Lunar New Year Celebration - +Pretend City Children's Museum  January 28th 11am to 3pm

Gong Hey Fat Choy! That means “Happy Chinese New Year.” At Pretend City, immerse your child in a cultural experience as they celebrate Chinese New Year and learn about Chinese traditions as they celebrate the new year. There will be a special Chinese New Year theme parade to close out the day! All the deets HERE!


* OC Metrolink to Golden Dragon Parade Saturday Feb 4th 

 Catch a FREE Ride to LA's Golden Dragon Parade
On February 4, celebrate Lunar New Year by visiting the 118th Annual Golden Dragon Parade and Festival in Los Angeles. Ride Metrolink free two ways!

 Get Two Free Tickets Online Enter the sweepstakes by this Friday, January 20 for a chance to win two round-trip tickets. Winners will be selected January 25. Enter the sweepstakes.

 Get a Free Ticket at the Kick-off Event Before the parade, attend a fun event at the Irvine Metrolink Station on February 4. Be one of the first 100 attendees and get a free round-trip ticket (first come, first served). Click HERE to learn more about this event. 



* Something New? Well for me YES - I have been told that the Hsi Lai Temple has the most wonderful Lunar New Year displays and events. 
You can find all the info HERE. From what I can see, the education and the floral alone are worth the visit. Have you been? Please let me know what not to miss!



* Disneyland 
Lunar New Year Festivities  kick off January 20th and continue through Feb 5th at the Happiest Place. Follow along as we take a few trips to the Magic and bring you live fun too with in the next few weeks!



* Oshogatsu Family Festival Ring in the Year of the Rooster with New Year-themed performances and crafts. 
Featured activities include demonstrations of the ancient art of candy sculpting, sample bowls of lucky zaru soba for kids, a performance by Los Angeles-based TAIKOPROJECT, and a mochitsuki (rice pounding) demonstration.
 When: Jan. 8, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
 Where: Japanese American National Museum, 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles
 Information: janm.org 



* Tet Festival The Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California presents its 36th annual event celebrating the lunar year. 
Attractions include the Miss Vietnam of Southern California Pageant, music and dance performances, food vendors and games.
 When: Jan. 27, 4-10 p.m.; Jan. 28, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Jan. 29, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
 Where: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
 Information: tetfestival.org 

* Asian Pacific Lunar New Year Festival -Traditional Asian music, taiko drums, dance performances, art displays, martial arts demonstrations and Asian cultural displays highlight the annual lunar festival, which opens with a parade of nations at 10 a.m. In the evening, the closing ceremony includes a fireworks display ringing in the Lunar New Year.
 When: Jan. 28
 Where: Downtown Riverside
 Information: lunarfestriverside.com

* San Gabriel Lunar New Year Festival -  San Gabriel Lunar New Year celebration combines the traditional and modern with 30-foot outdoor stage with live performances, dance competition, food trucks, craft beer garden, and kids zone.
 When: Jan. 28, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
 Where: San Gabriel Mission District, 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel
 Information: sglunarnewyear.org/about 

* LET'S KEEP ADDING TO THE LIST!

Do you have a fav festival that I can add to the list of must visit, or have to experience. Please let me know and I will add it in!

Happy Lunar New Year everyone! 
#LunarNewYear

Penny

Trader Joe's Now Open at Pretend City - Shopping and Learning EduFun

Pretend City has revealed their newly renovated grocery store exhibit, sponsored by Trader Joe’s! 

A head-to-toe renovation brought many new additions to this popular exhibit, including:

SEPTEMBER 2016 AT KIDSPACE Museum Event Details EduFun Awaits

SEPTEMBER 2016 AT KIDSPACE

Have you heard all the fun that is a head for September at +Kidspace Children's Museum ?

September is not only Back to School but it is also packed with EduFun at Kidspace!

Here are all the deets for September Events!

Nature Pass Combo Ticket to Aquarium LA Zoo Natural History Museum

Visit Three SoCal Attractions with the Nature Pass Combo Ticket!

Still looking for things to fill up the rest of summer? Searching for staycation play ideas? or Just want to visit some of our all time favs?

Here is a super sweet deal that covers not only fun but education too.

L.A. ZOO, AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC, AND NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OFFER NATURE PASS COMBO TICKET 

See more than 250 animal species, many rare or endangered, at the Zoo, the Aquarium's new Vanishing Animals and Horses and Dragons exhibitions, and the Dinosaur Hall at NHM on different days with discounted combo ticket.

It is now easier and more affordable to visit three L.A. County destinations with a special Nature Pass combo ticket for the Los Angeles Zoo, Aquarium of the Pacific, and Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM), which allows you to see all three attractions for $50 or less per person.

Discovery Cube Summer Fun Now Open Two New Exhibits

Motorcycles and Dinosaurs - Can That be any COOLER!?

Check them both out at +DiscoveryCubeOC . this Summer

There are some awesome things to do this Summer right here in Orange County. 

Indoor and what I like to call EduFun - Educational and Fun - Discovery Cube OC is perfect for both.

I really love that Discovery Cube OC changes up and keeps it fresh with all their fascinating educational hands on exhibits. 

Open Now, through September 11th 2016, there are TWO new Educationally Fun things for you and your kiddos to stay cool over the Summer doing at Discovery Cube OC. 

My kids love Dinos and they have a soft spot for Motorcycles since that is the industry their mama worked corporate in for a while... 

Hot off the press and let me tell you it is exciting... 

Hands-On Harley Davidson

Get ready to hit the road this summer with Hands-On Harley Davidson! 

Engineers and motorcycle enthusiasts alike will enjoy interactive activities to learn about safety and engine parts while also conducting experiments to see what happens when you throttle-on, lean into a curve or descend a mountain road. 

This educational traveling exhibit illustrates science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts through a one-of-a-kind experience that lets visitors Dream It! Build It!... and Ride It! 

Tag your photos from your visit with #DCHARLEY 


Extreme Dinosaurs 

Watch the world’s strangest dinosaurs come to life at The Cube! 

The Extreme Dinosaurs exhibit immerses guests in a naturalistic landscape where animatronic dinosaurs roar, snarl, move their limbs and more. In addition to the life-size models, there are skeletons, a variety of real and replica fossils, and interactive activities showcasing some of the most recent bizarre dinosaur finds from the current “Golden Age” of paleontology. 

This family friendly experience blends science, excitement, and inspiration by highlighting the stories behind the dinosaurs’ most unusual characteristics.

Tag your photos from your visit with #DCDINOS

Get all the info here!

What I love most about Discovery Cube OC is that both of my kids can enjoy the education they are getting while playing and discovering. Happy Summer everyone!

Aquarium Pacific Welcomes Horses Dragons Vanishing Animals Exhibit

Now Open at the Aquarium of the Pacific!

Explore and Learn about Horses, Dragons and Vanishing Animals at the new Exhibit

Under the Sea... there are so many wonders we can only imagine what we will discover next!

I was honored to be invited to preview the new exhibit at the Aquarium of the Pacific last Thursday. The exhibit is now open and will be open to all from now until March 31st, 2017. 

Pretend City Annual Fun Wellness Fair Saturday

Fun & Wellness Fair coming up on Saturday May 21 9am-2pm. 

This is +Pretend City Children's Museum 7th Annual Fun & Wellness Fair.

PC Pretend City

The Fun focuses on keeping kids healthy and striving for their success in every aspect of life.

At the fair, Pretend City offering free developmental screenings for children up to age 10.

This is where my son got another evaluation on speech a year ago and we were referred to a speech therapist. Very grateful for these resources!

These screenings are so important for early childhood development because they can gauge whether kids are reaching developmental milestones, or maybe what areas they need to work on. Research shows that screenings are crucial to catch possible developmental delays and help kids receive the aid they need to succeed academically and socially.

The screenings Pretend City is offering are as follows:

• Speech and language

• Social and emotional

• Developmental

• Vision

• Hearing

• Dental

• Body Mass Index

(subject to change without notice)

Also, to make things even more exciting, each child that completes 3 health screenings will receive a free ticket to Pretend City Children’s Museum. When you visit all the booths, you’ll be entered to win a special prize! They will also have parent resources, yummy food, fun games, live performances, and special vendors!

Head out to Pretend City with your family this Saturday for the fun and wellness too! Get all the updated info here.

Irvine Public Schools Foundation Offers Summer Enrichment Classes - Registration Open Now!

REGISTRATION FOR SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS OPEN as of MARCH 14

PC IPSF

Each year, Irvine Public Schools Foundation offers summer enrichment classes for all incoming elementary and middle school students from any school or district. A wide range of exciting classes in subjects including STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), grade level prep, programming, language arts, performing arts, and sports will be offered, all taught by credentialed teachers and IPSF-approved vendors.

All Ages Night of the Stars Event at Aquarium of the Pacific March 18th

DANCE UNDER THE SEA STARS
AT THE AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC’S LATIN-THEMED NIGHT

Enjoy live Latin bands, DJs, underwater dive shows, a scavenger hunt with prizes, Latin cuisine, and the ambiance of the Aquarium at night at a low price. +Aquarium of the Pacific 

WHAT: Guests can party with the sea stars and learn about marine life and the environment at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s all-ages Latin-themed Late Night on Friday, March 18, 2016, from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. 

Imaginology Event at OC Fairgrounds

2016 Imaginology Event at the OC Fair & Event Center 

Blends Fun & Education

Free Event April 15-17, 2016

Costa Mesa, Calif. (February 18, 2016) — The OC Fair & Event Center welcomes students and their families to Imaginology April 15-17, 2016 with competitions, workshops and activities that will ignite young minds in the exciting fields of S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.)

Themed “Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead,” this free, annual event also features entertainment, exhibitors, vendors, design-your-own scarecrow and sawhorse contests, hands-on fun at the Centennial Farm, scavenger hunts and more.

Orange County students, grades pre-Kindergarten to high school, can showcase their talents in a variety of competitions for photography, film-making, fiber arts, computer graphics and more.

Imaginology features free admission for everyone and is open Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit ocfair.com/steam for more details.

This three-day event is an engaging and educational environment perfect for building up young minds to explore and achieve new goals through a variety of competitions. New this year, entries for the annual OC Fair Student Film Festival will be collected, judged and awarded during the Imaginology event. Winning entries will be shown during both events. All Imaginology Youth Project entries, including the Student Film Festival, must be registered online at ocfair.com/steam by Friday, March 25, 2016. All projects must be delivered by Thursday, April 7, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

A Celebration Gift of all Holidays this Season - Ring in the Noon-Year at Pretend City with a Family 4 pack of fun!

Celebrate New Years with Pretend City at NOON-Years! 

We are always looking for something to do with the kids for New Years. In our youth, pre children, we would attend a party or event and head home. Since kids we always want to have our family together on New Years eve and day. 

Looking for things to do or check out, something new, I realized that NOON-Years at +Pretend City Children's Museum is perfect fun for everyone. We will get to let the kids run around and celebrate the New Year upon us while tiring them out a bit so that later in the evening we can celebrate too!

PC Pretend City

There is always a lot of edufun going on over at +Pretend City Children's Museum so this celebration of all Holidays, turning into a new year, will be just as spectacular on the fun scale!

Here is what they will have going on:

* December 31st 10am to 5pm 

* Story Time - Twas The Night Before New Years

* Smart Art - New Year's Resolution 

* Music and Movement - New Year's Eve Confetti Countdown every two hours starting at noon with a Confetti Countdown also every two hours starting at 10am going until 4pm 

Get all the details and purchase tickets here!

This will be our first Noon Years Eve Celebration and we are very excited to attend! To ring in the new year right we are giving away a family 4 pack to Pretend City's Noon Year's Eve Celebration! 

All you have to do is enter below.... good luck to everyone!

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Happy New Year everyone! Thank you for reading, following along and supporting my blog. Best wishes in 2016!


#SeasonOfGiving #PretendCity #NewYearsEve #NewYear #Celebrate #Holidays #NoonYearsEve #EduFun #IndoorPlay #ThingsToDo #ThingsToDoInOC #ThingsToDoOnNewYearsEve #OC #Irvine #WithKids