Week 3

Summer is in full swing and Central California Parent doesn’t want your kids saying “I’m bored!” We are going to keep you busy with things to do and places to go throughout the month of July. Be sure to check back each Wednesday for a new list of fun ideas. This week we offer up 8 more COOL SUMMER FUN items. (Don’t worry! If you missed Week 1 or Week 2 you can still check them out!)

Read All Summer

Climb to New Heights

Tasty Treat

Slip and Slide

Creative Craft

Fairytales & Fun

Amusing Museum

Scoot Around This Summer!

Read this Summer

Studies show that children who read during the summer return to school in the fall more prepared for the new challenges of another school year.

Encourage family literacy and help your children avoid summer reading loss with these great tips.

Climb to New Heights

Try something new this summer! Your kids can test their skill and stamina on a rock climbing wall at MetalMark Climbing and Fitness located at 4042 N. Cedar Avenue in Fresno. Fun for kids ages 7-13.

Open Monday-Friday 5 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 229-7900

We gave away two kids belay passes to a lucky reader!

(Healthy) Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

This healthy Greek yogurt based dip masquerades as a sweet-tooth satisfying treat that tastes like cookie dough! The Greek yogurt and peanut butter pack a great punch of protein and you can adjust the sweetness to whatever level you prefer.

Mix together 3/4 cups of Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips.
Select items to dip, such as, apples, strawberries, pretzels or graham crackers. Try drizzlng this dip on ice cream for a cookie dough sundae! This also tastes delicious by the spoonful!

Slip and Slide

When the temperature soars the water slides at Blackbeard’s Family Entertainment Center beckon. Open only on the weekends to conserve water, your kids can cool off sliding and splashing. For $8.25 you can purchase an all day pass that offers unlimited trips on the Waterslides or a 22 trip pass that can be shared amongst multiple sliders and used on multiple days. Open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Blackbeard’s is located at 4055 N. Chestnut Diagonal in Fresno. Visit Blackbeard’s for more information. 559-292-9000

If you live in the South Valley, beat the heat at Timeout Pizza & Fun Center. Open seven days a week from 12 noon-7 p.m., their slide passes are $16/hour, $19/two hours, and all day for $22. Timeout Pizza & Fun Center is located at 110 N. Mooney Blvd. in Tulare. 559-685-0322

We gave away a family four-pack of passes to Blackbeard’s Waterslides for a lucky winner!

Sponge Water Bombs

These water bombs are quite possibly the easiest thing you will make all year! Make a few to play toss or make a bunch and have an all out water war!

Purchase inexpensive sponges. The best kind are the plain, rectangle cellulose sponges. Nothing fancy! You don’t want the ones with a handle or a course scrubbing side.
Cut three sponges into thirds lengthwise so you have nine long strips, three from each sponge.
Stack the nine stripes 3 by 3, so there are three on the bottom row, three in the middle row stacked on top of the bottom row and three in the top row stacked on top of the middle row.
Wrap a rubber band horizontally around the center of the stack so that it secures all the sponges together.
Spread out the sponge ends so that you create a poofy circular sponge bomb. Dunk in water, aim, fire!

Fairytales & Fun!

Storybooks come alive when you visit Storyland in Fresno’s Roeding Park! You’ll find the Three Little Pigs, Alice in Wonderland, Humpty Dumpty, witches, Mother Goose, a castle, a pirate ship and more! Pick up a magic key upon entering to unlock the talking boxes at each exhibit. Your imagination will soar as you listen to fantastic stories and the tales of old. Hop on the Willis B. Kyle Express Train and enjoy a scenic tour of Playland and Storyland.

Storyland’s summer hours are Wednesday-Friday from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $3.50 for children 11 and under and seniors, $5 for adults. Storyland is located at 890 W. Belmont Avenue in Fresno. 559-486-2124

We gave away two family four passes to Storyland to two readers!

The Fossil Discovery Center

Plan a fun-filled field trip with your kids to The Fossil Discovery Center located at 19450 Avenue 21 ½ in Chowchilla. It offers many different exhibits documenting prehistoric life in the San Joaquin Valley during the last Ice Age.

Enjoy a brief introductory film, then explore the many exhibits of fossils, bones and full-size replicas of skeletons of animals common to the area many years ago. There’s also a collection of rocks and minerals, and a display of local Native American artifacts. Your kids will love the “Mock Dig” where they can excavate 22 replicas of fossils found in the area.

The Fossil Discovery Center is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $8 adults, $6 seniors and military, $4 students, kids ages 3 and under are free. 559-665-7107

Giveaway Alert!

Scoot around this summer on your very own Pulse Performance DX1 Scooter great for kids ages 8 and up.

No terrain riding restrictions with the extra large DX1 off-road scooter! Perfect for use on and off the pavement, the over sized 8 inch air filled knobby pneumatic tires absorb the shocks and allow for plenty of ground clearance to ride over obstacles. Reinforced composite wheel hubs and a large 6000 series aluminum deck gives kids and adults the ability to take the DX1 on any riding surface without worry. The over sized and reinforced high tensile steel four-piece bars with BMX style grips keeps the rider in control at all times. Since 2007, Pulse Performance Products has been making performance push and electric scooters with unique and innovative technology. We’re dedicated to creating the best possible product for our riders.

The Pulse Performance DX1 Freestyle Dirt Scooter Features:

Reinforced extruded 6000 series heat treated aluminum deck
Oversize steel 4-piece handlebars with 3-bolt clamp and reinforced high tensile steel bars with BMX style grips
8-inch knobby tires with ABEC-5 bearings
Polished stainless steel foot brake
Max weight limit 180 Pounds, ages 8 years and up

We gave away a Pulse Performance DX1 Scooter to one lucky winner!

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5 Weeks of Cool Summer Fun: Week 3