Winter can be one of the most dismal times of the year. Trapped inside with the kids on your back and the usual entertainment leaves them to saying, “I’m bored!” more than you would like and while Spring seems like it is just around the corner there are many months between now and your beach sandals in the back of your closet. Here are a few of my favorite family excursions that will entertain the kids and let you get out of the house before cabin fever sets in.
1. California State Railroad Museum – Located in Old Town Sacramento is an extraordinary complex perfect for those with adventurous kids. Rich with history and fun, kids can ride a train, learn about crate art, view sketches of train depots, and experience “Building America” an exhibit on President Abraham Lincoln’s role in expansion of the railroad from coast to coast.
www.csrmf.org
2. Country Club Lanes Family Entertainment Center – No matter the age of your children they will enjoy the myriad of offerings from laser tag and arcade games to billiards and bowling there is something for everyone and best of all there is a lounge where the adults can watch the latest game and a café so lunch is a no brainer.
www.countryclublanes.com
3. Sacramento Children’s Museum – If you have little ones under the age of eight this is a wondrous and delightful hands on learning and entertainment experience in the areas of science, art, math and music. Kids are able to learn, relate and communicate while participating in sing-a-longs, story time, yoga, and cultural connections where kids learn about foreign cultures.
www.sackids.org
4. Discovery Museum Science and Space Center – An ideal destination if your kids are in grade school. From nature and animals to fossils and astronomy this center has it all, even a rocket engine in the parking lot! Kids can wander through the museum touching, drawing and experimenting while they learn. A personal favorite is the planetarium where you sit back in the darkened room and watch the night sky above as you hear the story of our universe from exploding red dwarf stars to whether Pluto is really a planet.
www.thediscovery.org
5. Monterey Bay Aquarium – A busy and crowded destination in the spring and summer this is an ideal place to visit in the winter. Exhibits include penguins, sea otters, sharks, tropical fish, jellyfish and sea horses just to name a few. Kids will be wowed with all the sea animals they can touch in the shallow pools, movies to watch in the theatre and plenty of photo opportunities around every corner. Best of all no matter the weather outside you can spend hours wandering through the wonders of the sea then eat them for lunch at Bubba Gump’s a block away.
www.montereybayaquarium.org
Now get out there and have fun!
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