Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona Del Mar is another one of those places I always wanted to visit while I was a UCI student. I can’t believe it took me this long to pass through the gate of this magical place!

Directions to Sherman Library and Gardens:  Exit Interstate 405 at MacArthur Boulevard and take it all the way to Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).  Turn left onto PCH and the gardens are ahead on your right. Park in one of two small lots off Dahlia. (Address: 2647 East Pacific Coast Highway, Corona Del Mar)  MAP TO SHERMAN LIBRARY AND GARDENS IN CORONA DEL MAR

Highlights:

• Tranquil spot for kids to explore all the hidden corners of the garden – inspires a spirit of adventure and wonder
• Like every good garden, Sherman gardens has outdoor “rooms” or spaces which feature different plants
• I absolutely loved the succulents and cactus garden which is designed to resemble a coral reef. It’s breathtaking!
• The other highlight is the Discovery Garden where children can smell and touch the plants
• Let the kids lead you to the koi pond and find the turtles outside
• Go on a color walk or have your budding photographer bring his/her camera
• The concrete pelican sculptures caught my eye — look out for other outdoor art in the garden
• Cafe Jardin is open for lunch and Sunday brunch (but closed until February 1st)
• There’s a monthly tea on the last Wednesday of the month (by reservation)
• Browse the small garden-inspired gift shop
• We didn’t get to go into the library on our visit, but it is a research library all about the Pacific Southwest
• I would love to return for some quiet alone time or for a lunch date

Be Aware:

• This is not the place for children who don’t understand “Don’t Touch” rules.  The whole garden is “don’t touch” except for the Discovery Garden where kids are free to smell and touch the textures of the plants.
• I would also feel awkward if my kids were especially loud. We treated it like an outside library. Adults visit gardens to gain peace and be thoughtful.  Kids need to respect the quiet in the garden.
• It’s bigger than you’d think it is just from driving by, but it’s not an all day outing. I think we spent an hour inside, but we really took our time exploring.
• The library isn’t open the same hours as the garden. Make sure you consult the hours before you go.
• Cafe Jardin is re-opening February 1st, 2012

Checklist:

• The garden is not designed as a child play place, but children under 12 enter for free (otherwise admission is $1 for 12-16 year olds or $3 for adults)
• Mondays are free admission
• Memberships are available
• Gardens are open 10:30-4:30 daily (Click here for more on the hours of operation)
• Official Sherman Library and Gardens website
• Nearest public library branch: Newport Beach Public Library

Nearby parks:

• Grant Howald Park (walking distance)
• Irvine Terrace Park
• Corona del Mar Beach
• San Miguel Park

The Butterfly Habitat at Mason Regional Park in Irvine opened in November 2010.  The kids and I finally stopped by to find the hidden garden during our summer exploring in 2011.

As with most of our amazing regional parks (OCParks.com), Mason is pretty massive to cover on foot.  There are 3 play areas scattered throughout the park.  I thought the Butterfly Garden would be back in the corner of the park closer to Harvard. I was right, but it took a little searching.  It’s not necessarily a “destination garden,” but it’s certainly a destination park!  It’s beautiful for a lazy afternoon and there are some lessons to be learned about native plants and local wildlife.

Where is the Garden? The easiest way to find it is to turn right when you enter and park your car by the playground and fitness course on that side of the park.  Walk straight in, past the playground, and turn right at the Amphitheater in front of you.  We took a more “mysterious” approach by parking at the far end of the playground parking lot — closer to the exit.  There’s a sidewalk that leads through the trees and we turned left back towards the playground.  We investigated the rustling in the bushes and marveled at how big the leaves are on the oak trees here.

Butterflies? Yes! We saw a few butterflies, but I can never catch good photos of them.  Look for little placards on the plants to identify their names (like the coast sunflower on the right of this post.)  All different kinds of sage seem to be popular and native to our area.

Location: Between Culver Drive, University Drive, and Harvard Avenue winds around it. Very near Tanaka Farms and the San Joaquin Golf Course. MAP to Mason Regional Park in Irvine

Checklist:

• Parking is in the county fee-based parking lot. During peak season it’s $3.00 on weekdays and $5.00 on weekends. Check official OC Parks website for more info. (I think the annual parking pass is a great investment in our beaches and parks, especially if you go often.)
• Drinking fountain in the garden
• Restrooms near the lake and playgrounds
• Lots of trees in the park and shade on the edges of the garden
• Picnic tables and grills everywhere in the larger park – many under shaded gazebos

More about Mason:

• Dara talked about Mason in her Scooter-Loving Mom post.
• Read my original review of Mason.
• A long time ago, my husband and I used to cross Culver and hike/bike around on the sidewalks in the wilderness area between Culver and Tanaka Farms.
• The UCI Marketplace is also within walking distance and there is a HUGE Farmer’s Market there on Saturday mornings.
• Drive a little further on University and you can turn right onto Campus for a visit to the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary.

*Added to KaBOOM.org as part of their 2011 Park-A-Day Summer Challenge

Centennial Farm is a great excursion located at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.  I took the kids on a lazy afternoon and there were way more animal residents than people visiting. Plus, we had the added enjoyment of seeing a lot of little baby farm animals. I was overwhelmed by the cuteness factor of the baby pigs, chicks, goats, and sheep.  I can’t guarantee there will be babies on your visit, but it’s still a fun trip.

Location: At the Orange County Fairgrounds off the 55 Freeway at Fair Drive.  I’ll defer to their map and directions. I’ll still put it on our playground map, though. MAP TO CENTENNIAL FARM AT THE ORANGE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IN COSTA MESA

Highlights:

• Many Orange County Kindergartners get to take field trips here. You can preview with your toddlers or preschoolers.
• Great for teaching kids where our food comes from — and for helping them identify animals by: the sounds they make, their English names, and their Spanish names.
• The gardens have interpretive signs about the edibles growing there.
• Download FREE activity sheets from the Centennial Farm website to complete before your visit.
• Don’t miss the bee hive at the back corner of the education building.
• If you remember the old wooden silo at the corner of Bison and McArthur in Newport Beach – you’ll recognize it at its new home near the entrance.

Be Aware:

• Very busy when the OC Fair is going on. I’d suggest planning a visit outside of the OC Fair dates which occurs July and August.
• No picking up or feeding the animals. My daughter wanted to hold a chick so badly, but this isn’t really the place unless you’re will a school group.
• Check the website to see if there are any special events which might cause the farm to close to the public.
• The hours are a little funky M-F (from 1pm-4pm) and Sat-Sun (9am-4pm).
• Some might complain “there’s nothing to do here” — but I loved it because we could explore on our own and read all the signs. We learned a lot on our visit.

Checklist:

• Free parking at the fairgrounds
• Restrooms and handwashing station
• The trip took us about an hour – taking our time and strolling.

Costa Mesa

Here’s a little teaser for what I’m working on for tomorrow!

Creative kids don’t wait for someone to hand them directions. They just grab available items to create their own crafts. Here are some of the SIMPLE AND CHEAP things I always try to have around the house:

• Loads of recyclables (save those cereal boxes, bottle caps, toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls and egg cartons)
• Air Dry Clay – for special projects
• Construction paper
• Glue sticks
• Kid size scissors
• Buttons
• Pipe cleaners in various colors
• Colored pom-pom’s
• Googly-eyes
• Yarn
• Popsicle sticks (or craft sticks)
• Scotch tape and masking tape
• Washable paints
• Felt
• Hole punch
• Washable markers and crayons

Here’s what they kids came up with COMPLETELY on their own. A clay kitty face:

My daughter has been wanting a hula ensemble – when I didn’t deliver – she came up with this idea on her own. I helped with the yarn, but she had all the pieces cut out and ready for me.

On a play date at the park with a HUGE group of kids, they all decided to make a ladybug habitat! Yes, they actually called it a “Ladybug Habitat” and spent a lot of time making it cozy for the little bug.

Sometimes the kids need a little help with projects. My 9 year old wanted a Zen Rock Garden. So we went to Home Depot and came up with a solution he could help build! He used the saw and the power tools to put it together!

Here’s the finished product:

Of course, my daughter wanted one, too. But she made hers into a beach for her Little Humbug dolls:

Decide what’s age-appropriate and let your creative kids be crafty kids!

Disclosure: Michele is friends with the creator of the Little Humbugs dolls, Marghanita Hughes, but this photo was too cute not to post.