The Buzzz

The Buzzz is about all sorts of neat stuff: Exhibits, festivals, seasonal highlights, current topics, new things, fun things and free things … if it’s fun, family-friendly and happening in our area, it’s in here! With our Clickable Calendar, you can find fun things to do every weekend, and with our weekly features you can get everything from inspiring craft ideas to tips on where to park!

The Buzzz is delivered directly to your inbox every Thursday and it’s 100% free. Below is an archive of present and past issues. Sign up here!

Ready for Takeoff | Feb. 16-22, 2012

Take your little jet-setter on a high-flying adventure without leaving the ground with a tour of a local airport. No packing required!

It’s a Date! | Feb. 9-15, 2012

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Buzzz is filled with heart-warming ways to celebrate + check out what Team Kidsguide is doing with Ronald McDonald. It’s delicious!

Make It, Take It! | February 2-8

The week’s Buzzz is full of places where you can “make” a craft and “take” it home. Plus, fun performances and a chance to win a 4-pack of Globetrotter tickets!

Gung Hay Fat Choy! | Jan. 26 – Feb. 1, 2012

Celebrate Chinese New Year with The Buzzz. We’ve got parades and festivals––even great ideas to create your own party. Plus more than 40 other cool things to do.

Under the Big Top | Jan. 19-25, 2012

The Buzzz goes under the big top with week with circus performances, circus schools and aerial classes. Also, you won’t want to miss…

Share the Dream | Jan. 12-18, 2012

Share the Dream this week with four different ways to celebrate MLK Day + theater performances, star party, family workshops & more––all in this week’s Buzzz!

New Year’s Adventures | Jan. 5-11

New Year. New Buzzz. New stuff to do! We’ve got great activities to start your year off by trying something new––a dance class, language lessons, volunteering & lots more…

Totally Tubular! | Dec. 22 – Jan. 4

The Buzzz goes totally tubular with local mountain snow tubing parks + a two-week holiday calendar packed with winter-break fun.

Chanukah Happenings | Dec. 15-21

The Buzzz is your Chanukah headquarters this week with lots of fun and free activities + a ridiculous amount of holiday events you’re going to love!

Light Up the Holidays | Dec. 8-14

Holiday lights shimmer this week in boat parades, cruises – even SUP & gondola rides! Get out there & enjoy 50+ yuletide events! Plus, it’s not too late to win 40 tickets…

Elves Everywhere! | Dec. 1-7

We’re all about elves this week: on the shelf, on the porch, in a parade + over 50 family events to get your holidays started! Bonus: Enter to win 40 tickets to…

Holidays on Ice | Nov. 24-30

Here’s your go-to list for outdoor ice skating in So Cal + chicken chucking, tree lighting and the best ways to keep your kids occupied on Black Friday while you shop.

Art-ful Activities | Nov. 17-23

Get artsy this week with free art-making workshops and the Sawdust Festival + more than 30 family fun activities to choose from. Free Pinkberry, too!

Out of Left Field | Nov. 10-16

Youth sports out of left field: rugby, lacrosse, fencing. This week’s Buzzz features free clinics and free lessons + tons more –– even a chance to win a Wii game.

Dia de los Muertos | Nov. 3-9

Celebrate Day of the Dead at three locations with lots of crafts, face painting & entertainment. Plus Pumpkin Launch, Family Croquet & lots more

Scare Your Socks Off | Oct. 27-Nov. 2

Haunted houses, from mildly scary to very hairy + more than 50 ghoulishly fun things to do, including costume parades and free scary pancakes!

How Do You Like Your Gourd? | October 20-26

This week’s Buzzz features creative ways to pick your pumpkin – from the patch, off the vine, on a train + haunted houses, Boo at the Zoo & lots more!

Maize Daze | October 13-19

Get lost in our list of corn mazes (make sure to bring your cell phone), visit Shrek at Segerstrom, see Cashore Marionettes in Cerritos, find your way to the Kitchen Den Bar, plus tons more!

Get in the Spirit | October 6-12

Get in the spirit of Halloween this week with Boo-ing, easy-to-make home decorations, and ideas for inexpensive costumes + more than 30 other fun things to do!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It | Sept. 29 – Oct. 5

It’s a book-lover’s Buzzz with the new issue of Kidsguide, a reader’s festival and OC Children’s Book Festival + more than 30 other fun family activities & a cool contest.

Wonder-Fall | September 22-28

Celebrate the autumn equinox with crafts, games, apple/berry picking, a corn maze and pumpkins! Plus 35 other wonder-fall things to do!

Heard About the Third? | September 15-21

We’re buzzin’ with freebies this week: free family art festival, free train rides, kids eat free restaurants, free pajama movie night and lots more.

Hot Buzzz Time Machine | September 8-14

Hot Buzzz Time Machine takes you back to a Tall Ship Festival, fossil exploration and a tour of the Mission. Plus enter to win tickets Phineas & Ferb.

Three for Free | September 1-7

Three for free: Free Civil War Re-enactment, free fishing day, free admission to the Greek Festival + lots of star-studded activities (Justin Bieber’s involved).

Last Days of Summer | August 25-31

Bonfires at the beach, picnics in the park, kayaking in the bay – they are all part of this week’s “must-dos” before summer ends. Lots of free stuff to enjoy, too!

Dig It! | August 18-24

This week’s Buzzz has the dirt on Mud Mania, Muddy Buddies and tons of other fabulously fun, non-mud-related, activities (62 to be exact). Plus KG’s official 25th B-day. Woohoo!

Derby Days | August 11-17

Get down and derby! The Buzzz features a free fishing derby, roller derby for kids and a monster demolition derby + 25 free things to do and tons more.

Starry, Starry Night | August 4-10

This week’s Buzzz is heavenly with star gazing, star parties and a DIY star viewer. Plus half-birthday fun, a do-you-know-your-kids quiz + 75 other fun activities.

Large and In Charge | July 7-13

“Large and in Charge” is this week’s theme, featuring the circus, $5 camel rides, the new Dinosaur Hall + more than 60 calendar events. Bring it on!

Yee-Haw | July 7-13, 2011

Could be the best Buzzz ever! A record-breaking Clickable Calendar, more chances to win circus tickets, 12 summer must-dos, plus good-old Western fun!

Carmageddon | July 14-20

Avoid Carmageddon: go to a park, walk a nature trail, see the Greatest Show on Surf along with 50 other things to do. Plus, enter to win circus tickets!

Kidsguide Goes Hollywood! | July 7-13

KG goes Hollywood with the Big! World! Fun! Family Series, the Bowl’s Summer Sounds, and horseback riding to the Hollywood sign + lots more!

Wow…Ooo…Ahh…| June 30 – July 6

4th of July guide to fireworks, festivals and parades, plus free concerts, free workshops, free admission to the children’s museum––and a pirate invasion.

Oh, Those Summer Nights! | June 23 – June 29

After-dark fun: Sunset at the Zoo, trail walks at the Nature Center and outdoor movies. Plus free bowling, free workshops, free concerts & more!

Pop Rocks! | June 16 – 22, 2011

Pop rocks in this week’s Buzz. Train rides, picnic, beach time + 27 other fun things to do with dad. Don’t miss our “Movin’ & Shakin” camp ideas too! Happy Dad’s Day!

You Know It’s Summer When…| June 9 – June 15

Kidsguide Calendar is out, summer concerts begin and libraries begin their summer entertainment. It’s all in this week’s Buzz

Take Your Pick! | June 2 – June 8, 2011

Cherry pickin’, strawberry pickin’ & guitar pickin’ – all in this week’s Buzz! Plus, summer camp ideas, Sesame Street Live discount and over 40 fabulous family activities. Yay!

Water you waiting for? | May 26 – June 1

Water exhibits, water activities and water-play fun! The Buzz this week is dripping with Memorial weekend events, summer camp ideas and an opportunity to win tickets to Sesame Street Live.

Fun FESTation! | May 19-26

This week’s Buzz is full of festivals, plus brain boosting camps for the academics.

Gettin’ Buggy With It! | May 12-19

Bug Safari, Bug Fair, Bug Catcher. We’re all about bugs this week + at least 100 other things to do!

Mom’s Nights Out | May 5-11

This week’s Buzz has a record number of family events, plus lots of special places to take mom. Cool camps too!

Mayday! Mayday! | April 28 – May 4

Boating Safety, Spring Festival & Mathbotixs, plus Urban Consignment, gold panning, unique summer camps, Festival of Books, free juggling workshop and tons more.

One for the Bunny | April 21-27

Big Bunny’s Spring Fling, Cirque de Soleil and the annual Children’s Art Festival, plus camps, cheap movies, and lots of Easter weekend fun.

Animal Farm | April 14-20, 2011

Bark! Roar! Cluck! This week’s Buzz is filled with animal fun, from pets to exotics. Plus camps, performances, events and very cool destinations.

Blinded By Science | April 7-13

Solar Grand Prix, Earth Day, Youth Expo and the best darn song ever performed by Oscar the Grouch––all in this week’s Buzz! Plus five of our favorite art camps and lots more!

Spring In Your Step | March 31 – April 6

Check out the new issue of The Buzz! It features spring-break camps, photo opps with E. Bunny, theater performances & lots of freebies! Woohoo!

Learn To Return | March 17-23

The Jedi, the swallows, and (hopefully) your money returns in this week’s Buzz! Plus, caterpillar adoptions, whale watching, family festivals, theater performances and lots more!

Grow Up | March 3-9, 2011

Family fun at the flower fields, petting zoos and public libraries + live performances, spelling bees, kids’ crafts and much more. Check out The Buzz here!

Holy Cow! | Feb. 24 – March 2

Cow Chip Bingo, home milk delivery, plus tons of family activities worth mooing about. All in this week’s Buzz. Check it out!

Happy Birthday, Mr. President | Feb. 17-23

President’s Day celebrations at local museums, plus art making, shark viewing, ice skating, whale watching + lots more!

All You Need Is Love | Feb. 10-16

This week’s Buzz is filled with “love-ly” family activities, from a musical circus to bulldog beauties and valentine parties. Don’t miss the chance to follow us on Facebook for our “Week of Love”; details in The Buzz.

Hoppy Year of the Rabbit | Feb. 3-9

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with lots of family fun activities. Check out Parent Education Nights at Westerly. Get a crash course in basic manners from Burgess Cotillion. Plan your weekend with the Clickable Calendar. It’s all in the Buzz. Woohoo!

Whale Of A Time | Jan. 27-Feb. 2

It’s that whale-watching time of year! Enjoy fiestas, whale watching and a special exhibition at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Plus, find out about local family events, daily deals, great freebies and lots more.

Where ‘Art’ Thou? | Jan. 20-26, 2011

Expose your children to fine art with fun, hands-on tours and workshops at So. Cal art museums. Check out our 30 days of great free stuff for families on Facebook! Discover awesome events in our Clickable Calendar. It’s all in this week’s Buzz. Woohoo!

The Great Indoors | Jan. 13-19

Wait until you see the indoor fun that is in store for your family: bounce houses, bowling, super arcades. This issue of The Buzz has them all, plus, a clickable calendar filled with kid-friendly events.

Bust A Move | Jan. 6-12, 2011

The first Buzz of the New Year is packed with fun and creative ways to get your kids to exercise, plus calendar events ranging from Moonlit Marshmallows to free crafts and movies.

Winter Break-tivities | Dec. 23 – Jan. 5, 2011

Yule find Science of Gingerbread, Holiday Scavenger Hunt, Asian Elephants and tons of holiday events your family will love!

Santa Cruise | Dec. 16-22

Holiday lights, cookie exchanges, Nutcrackers, skating with Santa and lots more. Plus, don’t miss the chance to win 4 tickets to Disney on Ice. Woot!

Ice Ice Baby | Dec. 9-15

Snow in the city, snow tubing in the mountains and ice skating outdoors––they’re all in The Buzz! Plus, at least 100 more family activities.

We Love a Parade | Dec. 2-8

Parades, free activities, giveaways, plus a sleigh-full of great family activities in this week’s Buzz!

Command Performance | Nov. 25 – Dec. 1

This week’s Buzz is filled with performances, turkey trots, tree lightings, parades and lots more!

Camp Cornucopia | Nov. 18-24

In this week’s Buzz: Thanksgiving Camps, Giveaway Contest + over 50 activities on the Clickable Calendar.

Ollie Ollie Oxen Free | Nov. 4-10

This week’s Buzz features local skateboarding opportunities, including camps, clinics, parties and parks. Plus, an action-packed calendar loaded with family activities.

Ghost-Buzz-ters | Oct. 28 – Nov. 3

This week’s Buzz is full of haunted houses, haunted gardens & haunted carnivals, plus, the longest Clickable Calendar ever!

Pick -A-Pumpkin | Oct. 21-27

Take the train to a pumpkin patch, pick pumpkins right off the vine, or visit one of the many theme-park-style patches. They are all in The Buzz this week, plus tons of other ghoulishly fun activities.

The Amazing Maize | October 14-20

Corn mazes, harvest fests, pig races + over 200 other family activities coming up this week. Check them out here!

Night Owls – October 7-13

Check out this week’s Buzz which features Night at the Circus, Moonlit Marshmallows, Fun-Tastic Family Night and lots more. Plus, don’t miss our Halloween HQ guide!

Fest-a-bration – September 30 – Oct. 6

This week’s Buzz if full of must-attend “Fests” along with a clickable calendar loaded with hundreds of things to do!

Blinded by Science – Sept. 23-29

In the Buzz this week: Creepy Creature Feature, Rocketry Class, Sid at Science Day, plus info on the new Kidsguide along with more than 90 calendar events coming up this week alone! And, don’t miss the chance to win a family four-pack of tickets to Pretend City.

Decidely Fall

Check out this weeks Buzz devoted to fun fall activities! There’s apple and raspberry picking, the LA Fair and Kinderfest at Oktoberfest, along with 98 other family activities coming up this week.

Greeks, Geeks & Freaks

Greek out at Long Beach’s annual Greek Fest; see the universe differently at Children’s Museum of La Habra’s spacey exhibit, Galaxy Kids; and freak out over Natural History Museum’s Mummies of the World, the largest traveling exhibition of mummies.

Do the Sprinkler

Enjoy the last weeks of summer with a visit to five special area parks to splash, soak and play in their built-in spray pools and splash pads.

Yummy In Your Tummy

There’s plenty to eat and cook this week, from Old World’s delectable Plum Festival, Tanaka Farms’ children’s cooking class and the smorgasbord of kids/teens/family cooking programs in Southern California.

Book It!

Get to know your community library, create your own kids/teen book club, and see classic stories come to life in their live stage adaptations. Feeling artistic? Drop by Averyboo Arts in Long Beach to encourage your little one’s creativity.

Family Circus

Run away (at least for a few hours) with the Greatest Show on Earth! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s “Funundrum” hits Orange County for a limited engagement. When you comeback, consider a staycation getaway at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa.

Make A Splash

Cool off at one of three amazing water amusement parks, from La Mirada’s Splash! to Orange County’s Wild Rivers and LEGOLAND’s newest and only water park. After you’ve dried off, you are invited to a month-long birthday party at Pretend City Children’s Museum.

(American) History Class

Relive historical turning points such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Musical Theatre West’s “1776″; the heroism and maritime intrigues of World War II aboard the merchant marine vessel S.S. Victory Lane; and celebrate the American cowboy (and cowgirl!) at the Autry.

Happy Fry Day!

And boy, do we mean it. Try all manner of deep-fried, sugar-dusted and bacon-garnished eats at the OC Fair; have some finger-lickin’ good fried fish at the 66th Annual Seal Beach Fish Fry; and make confetti fried rice with Cookamation at Pretend City.

Gross!

We don’t mean to gross you out, but there’s nothing wrong with getting a little muddy, getting mummified or checking out mammal fossils. Get your shivers and thrills at Discovery Cube, where you can learn the good, bad and gassy about the human body.

Get Fired Up!

Happy Independence Day! Take a ride along a scenic ocean route at Long Beach’s Kids’ Bike Parade, or make a day out of celebrating July 4th at Newport Dunes. Discovery Cube also debuts its newest permanent exhibit, the Boeing Rocket Lab; and Pretend City gears up for July by taking guests “camping.”

Get Campy

What are you doing to celebrate the Great American Backyard Campout? Give Mother Nature some extra appreciation this summer with a family campout. Other good stuff: Fullerton’s 4th of July Community Festival and Fireworks Show; and Ron Palmer’s one-of-a-kind basketball camp for athlete-scholars.

Go, Go, Daddy-o!

It’s Dad’s day! Take him on one of three weekend activities to show him your love: Averyboo Arts’ Daddy Day With Me; Surfrider Foundation’s Surf 24; or Ocean Institute’s Catch and Release Father’s Day Fishing Trip.

Summer Calendar Is Here!

Kids have about 100 days of summer vacation, and Kidsguide’s Summer Calendar has more than 1,000 ideas to spend it affordably, enjoyably and memorably. Looking for the spotlight this summer? Check out International City Theatre’s Summer Youth Conservatory and GO-FAME’s Summer Theater Camp 2010 – both enriching experiences with friendly rates.

Water World

Everyone jump in! Try a free fishing clinic in Cerritos, splish-splash at the Children’s Museum at La Habra and celebrate Ocean Day at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

A Taste of Summer

Spend a juicy weekend at Garden Grove’s 51st Annual Strawberry Festival, or hit Newport Beach’s Newport Dunes for the annual Hula-Hula Luau. Also: catch a great family flick – “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs” at Great Park.

Festivus For the Best of Us

Opa! St. John’s hosts the OC Greek Fest, a weekend-long celebration of Greek culture; experience Aztec art first-hand at the Getty Villa’s Family Festival; and briefly visit and live in Old California at Rancho Los Cerrritos’ Spring Festival. Feeling pumped? OC Fun introduces its Shou Ji Martial Arts program.

Li’l Critters

Hop over to the Muzeo for All Things Frogs; bug out at National History Museum’s Bug Fair 2010; and see what’s quackin’ at the 18th Annual Duck-A-Thon in Huntington Beach.

Mom’s the Word

Show mama your love! Take her on a brunch sail along Dana Point, take her biking in Long Beach, or surprise her with a scenic train ride through Heritage Valley. Also: East West Ice Palace knows how to find and keep your cool.

Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around

Launch a rocket at Boeing, dig up some fossils in Buena Park and get a taste of the world at Soka University’s International Festival.

Mother Earth

Celebrate Earth Day at the Discovery Cube, Santa Ana Zoo and at Ocean Institute. Also, thinking of summer camps? Consider Cal State Long Beach’s athletics, writing and academic enrichment camps for youth.

Imagine!

Orange County’s Imagination Celebration is here! Get inspired at the Great Park, an otherworldly performance of “Orchestra From Planet X,” and a night with nobility at “Magic Ends at Midnight: A Royal Family Fun Adventure.”

1 Fish, 2 Fish…

Go fish – really! Check out Fountain Valley’s Fishing in the City Program for families, G.O. Fishing Saturdays in Fullerton, and Dana Wharf’s free fishing clinic for kids.

Where Your Feet Take You

Take a (night) hike in Irvine! Springtime fave Bubblefest XIV will be at Discovery Science Center. Think your kid or teen is a community role model? Visit the California Pageants’ free orientation to see if they’re ready for the crown.

It’s For the Birds

The world’s all a-twitter! The swallows fly back to San Juan Capistrano; “Firebird Fairytale” revisits a Russian tale of romance, dragons and derring-do; and Lakeshore Learning gives a free crafts lesson on homemade bird feeders.

Go Green!

Get out there! Kids in the Kitchen serves up tasty lessons; Tanaka Farms kicks off its Strawberry Tours; and Fullerton Arboretum wants you to feel lucky. Also: Bird’s the word at the OCPAC, where the popular “Pigeon Party” returns for a limited weekend engagement show.

Membership Has Its Rewards

From free admission to special invitations to exclusive events, the rewards for area museum passes is great for families. Also: Make way for the “Lion King” and see what Kids in the Kitchen has cookin’.

Dish the Dirt

Get down and dirty with this week’s slew of nature-themed activities, like ENC’s Terrific Trees!, Fullerton Arboretum’s Worms, Worms, Worms gardening workshop and Kidspace Museum’s Minerals Rock!

Up-ROAR-ious!

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with some grrr-eat activities – downtown LA’s Chinese New Year Family Festival, the 111th Annual Golden Dragon Parade and a meet-and-greet with children’s author Oliver Chin.

Your Funny Valentine

What’s your love? Cuddle some farm critters, catch “The Frog Prince” or “The Man Who Planted Trees,” or have a whale of a good time at the Santa Monica Pier.

Putt-Puttering Around

‘Putt’ your best game attitude forward! Try up to four 18-hole miniature golf courses at Golf N’ Stuff Family Fun Center; put your own spin on “frolf,” the outdoor game combining the best of golf and frisbee; glow-in-the-dark mini-golf at the Howard Hughes Center; and take your tyke to KinderGolf USA for a one-of-a-kind preschool golf experience.

Dino-Mite Encounters

Dinosaurs come to live in Southern California! ECO Station hosts the popular DinoFaire; the Natural History Museum resumes its larger-than-life living “Dinosaur Encounters”; and meet Zed, the woolly mammoth serendipitously unearthed during a parking lot renovation near the La Brea Tarpits. Catch “Annie” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center with a special “bottom-dollar” deal!

A Whale Of A Good Time

The gray whales are coming! See them, learn about them and even watch them from the comfort of your living room: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro celebrates the annual migration and its 75th birthday with a free festival; Captain Dave’s virtually takes you along for each scheduled boat ride; and the 30th anniversary national tour for “Annie” stops by Orange County.

Ice Is Nice

Seize final skate sessions in downtown Los Angeles ad the Irvine Spectrum; slice across the region’s largest outdoor ice rink; and Cirque du Soleil’s returns to its artistic roots – Big Top traditions, acrobatics and slapstick – in its newest production, “KOOZA.”

New Year, New Look!

Notice anything…different? Three must-do things this week: three hours of trampoline jumps and foam pit dives; celebrate Kwanzaa and the Chinese New Year; and witness a chicken “hatching” at Pretend City’s mini-farm. Counselor Connie Wax invites parents to check out her 10-week workshop, Parenting Gifted Children.

A Rockin’ Christmas

Start a family tradition or invent a new one to heighten holiday cheer; some stories to put the Christmas frenzy in perspective; and Long Beach School of Music helps turn Guitar Hero dreams into reality.

Take A Break

Winter camps aren’t just lifesavers for busy parents, they’re a productive and fun way for kids to spend some of their two-week school vacation; stocking stuffers for nearly every personality type for less than $20; and Bridges Reading & Writing Institute adds a unit to its acclaimed reading and writing tutoring program.

Spread the Joy!

Christmas is coming, and it’s time to get “crafty”; heartfelt gifts for teachers; and Enchanted Fairy Tea Parties knows how to throw fantasy bashes for kids and adults.

Santa’s Survival Guide

How does Santa do it? We help you find your inner Kris Kringle this holiday season with our four-part series, Santa’s Survival Guide; Christmas lists for the modern family; and Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine proves why they’re worthy of the title “Gold Award Recipient.”

Ready, Set, Give!

Begin the season of giving with a turkey trot benefiting local nonprofits; find your everyday philanthropist without spending a dime; and see how Pretend City rewards those who give to others. Read all about it, along with the upcoming week’s activities in The Buzz!

Around the World

Walk around our planet at The Discovery Science Center’s ‘Science on a Sphere’; turn your Thanksgiving into an un-stuffy affair; and learn how the anatomy of a story is used to introduce kids to the joys of reading and writing.

Onward, Brave Ones

There are many ways to say ‘Thanks’ to our men and women in uniform; a Marine and his mutt visit Mission Viejo to share a death-defying tale of war, peace and friendship; and Greater Long Beach YMCA has nature-oriented adventures for families.

Got Costume, Will Parade

Celebrate the autumn harvest, 1920s-style, at Rancho Los Alamitos; stay safe when you go trick-or-treating this weekend; and Kidnastics continues to provide stand-out programs to develop tykes’ motor skills and keep kids at tip-top shape.

Ama(i)ze Yourself

Today’s corn mazes are precise works of spatial art; get free hands-on lessons from more than a dozen professional artists at Huntington Beach Art Center’s Free Family Arts Day; and see if your little cook has what it takes to reign as King or Queen Pasta.

Witch Way To Go?

Halloween is a different animal at the zoo; altruistic witch Strega Nona rescues a town from a sea of pasta; and learn how word families are used to instill the joys of reading and writing at a young age.

Trains, Pumpkins & Other BOO-tiful Things

Get your Halloween fix with vintage train rides to a private pumpkin patch or a tour of an Irvine farm before picking your own pumpkin; get BOOed in a good way; and experience a strikingly different way to bowl.

Free To Be

Green Port Fest displays the best of the Port of Long Beach’s green programs; take a breath to battle the back-to-school blues; and learn about the numerous free and low-cost services of the Children’s Home Society of California in Long Beach and Orange County.

Big Little Things

Fall/winter Kidsguide is out! Fold an origami butterfly plane invented by British scientist and origami enthusiast David Petty; and see what Norwalk’s premier miniature golf and gaming center, Golf ‘N Stuff, has to offer your family.

Handy Dandies

You won’t really miss the remote during TV Turnoff Week when there are a ton of family-friendly activities to enjoy at home and outdoors; make your own kiddie abacus; and stop by My Gym’s new facility in Signal Hill.

Find Your Joy!

Free skating and ice hockey lessons; whip up Sloppy Joses, a spicy twist on the all-American fave, Sloppy Joes; and it’s still not too late to register your little one in Bridges Reading & Writing Institute’s popular reading and tutoring class for 1st- to 3rd-graders.

Stay Connected

Are you ready for school? In this issue: tips on making that first day super; the month-long Festival of Children celebrates youth and the nonprofit advocacy groups that support and serves them; and make sure to catch the exciting Robots & Us traveling exhibit during its last weekend at the Discovery Science Center.

What Tickles You?

Five must-do activities to enjoy before the summer ends; two cookbook authors turn the foodie trend into something fun, accessible and quick for families on the go; and Pretend City, Orange County’s newest museum, opens its doors for the first time this Sunday.

Big Island, Big Fun

Celebrate South Pacific’s many island cultures from sunrise to sundown in Long Beach; lessons on kindness that stick; and a casting call for talented kids and teens for Youth Cultural Arts Foundation’s 10th Annual Talent Show.

See What You Can Build

One of the nation’s oldest and largest sand sculpture-building competitions comes to Long Beach; understand the science of lightning; and an Irvine-based program offers to give your kids the academic edge this summer.

You Can Make It!

See how robots can mimic our movements at the Discovery Science Center this weekend; make your kite from scratch; and learn how one Long Beach nonprofit turns old things into new treasures.

Row, Roll, Run

Get your share of sun and surf at Long Beach’s annual Dragon Boat Races and Festival; pencil in some good, old-fashioned family time by scheduling a board game night; and take your feet (and paws) for a run and stroll at a 5K, 5K Dog Run/Walk and 1K Kids Fun Run in Fountain Valley.

In Good Taste

Tickle your tastebuds at the chili and salsa cookoff at Cypress’ 29th Annual Community Festival; test your tongue with a fun, kid-friendly science experiment; and learn how to be your best on and off the court with Complete Player Basketball Camps.

Plan Your Getaway

A Huntington Beach hotel resort and spa proves to be a staycation destination; the circus comes to Orange County; and Rowbics offers an indoor rowing camp for kids.

Full Reign of Fun

Orange County Great Park celebrates a milestone; www.kraftfoods.com shows how much fun can be had with snacks; and Irvine’s Bridges Reading & Writing Institute has just the thing for budding writers.

Always Spectacular

Celebrate our country’s independence with free fireworks shows, a kids-only bike parade on the beach, and the largest July 4th Parade west of the Mississippi. Also in this issue: “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” comes to Orange County.

How Do You Like Your Fun?

Sword fights, trail games and a flying car, oh my! In this issue, pirates drop anchor in Long Beach; up the fun factor in your family hikes; and a classic children’s story is adapted for the musical theater stage.

Treats For Dad & Family

Celebrate at home or take Dad, Gramps and your favorite father figures to a host of Father’s Day events happening Saturday and Sunday. Also happening: the longest day and shortest night of the year. Oh, yeah, it’s a busy weekend.

Mark Your Calendar!

Ever wonder what races through the mind of your little daydreamer? They may have a story to tell, and Project Ink 2009 knows just how to coax out them out. Also in this week’s Buzz: we help you plot out your summer.

That’s the Spirit!

From a Pacific Islander Festival in Long Beach and philanthropic Saturdays, to atypical summer “college” classes for kids, take a sneak peek at what’s hot and happening this weekend.

New Approach, Classic Dessert

Making your own ice cream isn’t as tough as you might think. You’ve got this dessert in the bag – literally!

Make a Splash!

Take a load off this summer at Splash!, La Mirada’s award-winning water park. Fun features include the colorful Buccaneer Bay, party packages and classes for all ages and abilities.

Two Words: Backyard Camping

From enjoying a nearby hotel’s amenities to using your city as the backdrop for a scavenger hunt, staycationing options available to families working with tight budgets are plenty.

Have fun without busting the bank!

We termed it “cheap fun,” but don’t be mistaken: we’re talking about quality places and activities for families, kids of all ages, and most importantly, of nearly all interests.