The Southwest Voice

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Well, it’s here … the heat of summer. After a beautiful spring, it was inevitable that our 100-degree weather would hit. And, of course, the hot weather comes at the time that our children are all getting out of school. This is the time to start thinking about what to do during the coming summer months. You can have a plan in place long before the fated words, “I’m bored” ever exit your child’s mouth.

Over the past six years I’ve been trying to master the art of what makes for a great summer here in Bakersfield. Thankfully, the options are getting broader all the time. For you veterans of Bakersfield summers, I hope to offer a few things you haven’t considered, and for those of you who are new here, don’t fret, you can make the summer one of your favorite seasons. And fall will eventually be here again (sometime in mid-November).

Water fun
There’s nothing like water to cool off during the heat. If your children need to take swim lessons, it isn’t too late to sign them up. You can call Cal State Bakersfield (654-2071) and enroll your children in two weeks of half-hour lessons for $70 per session running from June 9-July 31. American Kids Sports (589-2100) has swim lessons at $109 per session. Their sessions are eight weeks in duration with one class day a week. Our Bakersfield Parks and Recreation also offers swim lessons as well as recreational swimming. Visit: www.bakersfieldcity.us or call 326-FUNN for details. All city pools are open June 2 to Aug. 8 from around noon to 5 p.m. daily. If you aren’t up for a swim, you can check out the water spray parks around town at Beale, Jastro, Jefferson, MLK, Planz and Wayside parks. The McMurtrey Aquatic Center (located behind Rabobank Arena) has family fun nights and extreme teen nights as well as “float in” movies (June 13 is “Free Willy” and July 18 is “The Water Horse”). 

  If you feel like a bit of a road trip, you can visit one of the many waterparks that are within a two-hour drive of Bakersfield. Our family went to the new waterpark “The Ravine” in Paso Robles last summer and it was a great way to spend a day. Six Flags Magic Mountain has “Hurricane Harbor” in Valencia (255-4100); Knotts Berry Farm has “Soak City” in Anaheim; and there’s the “Wild Water Adventure Park” in Clovis. 
 

Get creative
A few local stores have year-round FREE (yes, free!) activities for children. Michael’s has Saturday classes at least once a month and plans to have more over the summer from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (call the store for details at 587-5334). Home Depot also has a little builder event the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to noon, and your child can build something there for FREE (yes free). In addition, Color Me Mine at the Marketplace (664-7366) has Adventures in Art camps Mondays through Thursdays 2 to 4 p.m. Or you can just pop in with your young ones and decorate some pottery for a crafty, air-conditioned break in your day. One friend of mine likes to take her children to Simply Scrapbooks (325-2767) for a day of making memories together. Michelle at Simply Scrapbooks is planning a Kids Camp where children can spend a week doing a Clear Acrylic Beach Ball Album to put their summer memories together. The class will run for one week from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (B.Y.O. lunch) for ages 7 and up.

For the more dramatic child, there are several theater productions for children each summer. Stars Theatre (716-0316) has four productions this summer—two of “Willie Wonka” and two of “Jungle Book” — which are performed by children (ages 6-18) enrolled in their summer workshops. You can enroll your children in these workshops, or you can purchase tickets to go see the plays (325-6100), which will be performed at the Harvey Auditorium at BHS. In addition, they offer a “Fairy Tale Theatre” for children ages 2-6, which runs from June 2-27 from 10 a.m. to noon. The Gaslight Melodrama Theatre (587-3377) also has a six-week workshop starting June 30 with two sessions available each day (9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.). 
 

Don’t just sit there…
The local miniature golf and go-cart family fun center Camelot Park has discount admission Saturday mornings from 10 to 11 a.m. Have you been bowling lately? The Southwest Lanes (834-2695) and Westchester Lanes (324-4996) are great places to bring a group of kids for some summer fun. And, what could be cooler than ice-skating on a hot summer day? The Bakersfield Ice Sports Center is located directly behind Rabobank Arena on the corner of 13th and Q streets. Public skating hours are offered through the summer every Wednesday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. If ice skating sounds too challenging, you may want to try wheels instead. Rollerama (589-7555) has skates for rent. For children ages 2 to 6, Pump It Up has public play time from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays and during the summer they add another session from noon to 1:30 p.m. This is a great way to get the bounce out of your little Tigger without breaking the furniture.

If you want a more sedate activity, there are story times all around town through the summer. Russo’s at The Marketplace has a regular story time Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Barnes & Noble on California has regular story time Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. The Beale Library (downtown) has story time Mondays at 10:30 a.m. The Southwest Library has story time Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. through July. You can check out all the summer library events at: www.kerncountylibrary.org.

And when you just need to get out of the house for a little treat, I want to recommend a new hot spot in town: Daddy-O’s frozen yogurt (in the shopping center on the corner of Brimhall and Calloway) has homemade gelato and self-serve frozen yogurt. Also, Sonic has happy hour from 2 to 4 p.m. every day where all drinks and slushies are half price. And, at night several times a month, there are “Movies in the Park” at one of our city parks around town. Check: www.bakersfieldcity.us, or: www.NORfun.org Web sites for details. 
 

Road trippin’
Despite the cost of gas, it’s just so hot you want to get out of Dodge. If you don’t feel a breeze in the next 24 hours, you might go mad … well, then, hit the road! There are so many fun things to do with children within a two-hour commute from Bakersfield. The Hollywood Bowl has a daily summer program from 10 to 11:15 a.m. for children ages 3-11, which includes a concert and craft.

The first Thursday of the month is “free day” at Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, but you must reserve your tickets online or by calling (800) 838-3006. The gardens are a beautiful 120 acres with a library, bookstore and tea room on the grounds.

We recently discovered the Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena, which is a very hands-on experience for children. They have climbing areas, a “bug” café, and much more. There are several zoos (Santa Barbara, LA, Fresno, Atascadero) within driving distance. If you join as a member at one, you receive discount admissions at all affiliated zoos.

Our local “zoo,” CALM, has summer camp from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 23 to 27 and July 21-25. They are partnering with the Kern County Museum for their camp this year. Find out more at: www.calmzoo.org. And, starting in July, they feature twilight at CALM by opening the grounds from 5:30 to 8 p.m. We love taking a picnic dinner there and then walking around to see the animals when it is cooling off in the evening. 
 

Around the house
You don’t have to get out of the house to make great memories. You can build forts or pitch a small tent in the living room — then eat lunch in there. Let the children get out their sleeping bags and really camp out one night in the living room. Host a movie event at your home. Invite some friends, pop popcorn and enjoy a great film. Play a board game. It sounds old-fashioned, but it brings the family together and breaks the habit of always having the TV or video games on. Get out some water guns and water balloons and have a full-fledged war in the backyard! Your imagination (and your kids’ imagination) is the limit. For more fun ideas check out: www.familyfun.com.

Teach them values
With all this togetherness during the summer months, not all your activities have to focus on entertaining your children. Summer is a great opportunity to teach your children values such as how to care about others and think outside themselves. The Salvation Army, Here’s Life Inner City and Jesus Shack all have local opportunities year-round that your children can do with you. Or, your children could sell cookies or lemonade to raise money to donate to the victims of recent tragedies in other countries (such as the Cyclone victims in Myanmar or the Quake victims in China). Almost all the local churches host a week of VBS (vacation Bible school) through the summer where for about $15 for the week you can enroll your children in a week of fun morning activities that teach foundational principles for living. 
Here’s to a great summer!