Dinosaur parks + SoCal SNOWY OWL
Plus, a new breakfast + park pairing in Irvine
Last week, I had the pleasure of seeing a screening of PBS SoCal’s “SoCal SNOWY OWL” documentary short at Rivian South Coast Theater in Laguna Beach.
This award-winning documentary short tells the extraordinary story of a rare Arctic snowy owl’s unexpected visit to a California neighborhood in 2023—sparking wonder, uniting a community, and revealing the fragile connection between people and nature. Do you remember it from the news?
It was so nice to bring my husband and a friend, plus serendipitously run into others who I know from other parts of my life in OC. It was an uplifting reminder that community is all around us and it doesn’t take much besides some caring and kindness to start making the connections!
In play,
Michele
As a friendly reminder, make sure you ALWAYS check official sources when you are heading out to any of the locations I share. These are merely suggestions. Only you know what works for your family. Plus, your experience may not be the same as mine — and there can be changes to the hours or unforeseen circumstances or conditions at the suggested locations.
Fun Question of the Week
This is just something fun to start the newsletter each week! Thanks for playing here - because the more of you who participate, the more representative the results.
LAST WEEK’S QUESTION: When choosing PLAY this spring, what’s your favorite?
For spring, it’s clear you are wanting to move out of winter into the sunshine. The top vote getter was “Exploring nature and wildflowers” (31%), followed closely by “Beaches or pools or water play” (29%) which tied with “Can’t choose! All of the above.” (29%). “A new playground” alone only got 6% and same goes for “Our neighborhood park” (6%), but I actually think a lot of you who would choose those ended up choosing them ALL. I never claimed to be a good pollster. This is just for fun.
Basically, 100% of you answered with PLAY. No matter where you do it! And that’s the key. Around here, we expand our definition and don’t limit the places we can play! It can happen anywhere and everywhere.
Play Trips: Dinosaur Parks
I don’t know what it is about dinosaurs, but I love when some kids go through this stage! My oldest knew the name of every one and would devour books about dinosaurs. I had an adult correct me on one of these parks saying it’s a “fossil” park and not a “dinosaur” park. Yes, more fossils than dinosaurs but everyone calls it Dinosaur Park, so it’s okay to have fun with names in the case of parks. In fact, I usually prefer kid nicknames to the official names!
Another dinosaur/fossil hotspot is Clark Regional Park in Buena Park. The Interpretive Center there has lots of hands-on exhibits and Prehistoric OC is an event often held at the park in the fall (a free family-friendly event celebrating local paleontology, archaeology and the rich natural and cultural history of Orange County).
This next one is just across the border in the City of Long Beach (LA County) and has an impressive dinosaur, but local parents warn of: the proximity to a busy street, “at least one toy vendor every time we go,” a fast slide (rated for 5-12 year olds), and questionable/unreliable restrooms. I only say those things as a “Be Aware.” Those are the reasons it hasn’t made it to the blog, but the dinosaur is impressive and I have seen meetups happening here! It’s at Recreation Park in Long Beach, 4900 E. 7th Street, Long Beach. Audrey from Raising Little Explorers pointed it out to me and we made a Reel about it last summer, if you want to see the video pairing it with a coffee stop.
Here’s the info from the City of Long Beach: “The Recreation Park playground reopened on June 14, 2022 after a renovation that provides safe, updated facilities for hours of play and exploration. The renovations include two new separate age-appropriate playground structures for children ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. Rubberized surfacing allows playground enthusiasts of all abilities to access each of the different types of play offered including, swinging, balancing, climbing, sliding and spinning. Playground panels include American Sign Language basics to interact with all playground users and interactive play areas include features such as a “Dino Excavation Zone” digging area, multiple dinosaur structures, a megaphone and color play. Xylophone and bongo drums offer playground users an auditory experience.”
Parque de Los Niños in Placentia (1701 Atwood Ave) is another park that has a dinosaur but is not recommended by local parents. Heather at OCParentGuide shared her honest review of the park after it opened which was backed up by parent and local comments on her Reel. See her video.
Did I miss any dinosaur or fossil parks or playgrounds in Orange County? Make sure you leave a comment or just hit reply to this email and let me know! I’ll make a list for you.
PLAY: SoCal SNOWY OWL on PBS SoCal
This is the section of the newsletter where we talk about PLAY or connecting to nature each week. I might share a video, an article, a book, or something inspiring. Just trying to help keep you empowered to prioritize play to benefit development and preserve childhood!
You can see SoCal SNOWY OWL from your own home since it’s showing on PBS SoCal right now!
“SoCal SNOWY OWL” centers on three residents of Cypress, California, who come from diverse backgrounds and find comfort in a rare visitor - the snowy owl. This extraordinary bird encourages them to not only connect with nature but also with each other, bringing positive change to their lives. The documentary explores the owl's unexpected journey, the excitement it generated within the birdwatching community, and the environmental factors that may have influenced its migration to Southern California.
Denver Holt, an internationally recognized wildlife biologist, snowy owl expert, head of the Owl Research Institute, comments: “Records show there has not been a sighting of a snowy owl in Southern California in the last 100 years. We may never know how this owl made it to Cypress, but as they generally don't go that far south, this was a significant and exciting sighting.”
Kids will like the snowy owl info, but the story will be more meaningful for adults since it’s about a neighborhood united in their observations of the owl. And since it’s a documentary short, you might actually be able to catch it after the kids go to bed (and then go back and show them the highlights the next day)!
I was actually invited to see it back when it premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival in October 2024, but I missed that opportunity. I was happy to get a 2nd chance when I saw this event in Sea & Sage Audubon’s newsletter.
It turns out that one of the featured residents in the film is the person who reached out to me in the first place about the Film Festival! I didn’t know that until I saw the film. You’ll get to know Roy Rausch through the film and I was happy to meet him in person.
I hope all of you get a chance to catch the documentary short. It’s very uplifting. Thanks for the invitation, Roy! Glad I finally made it so I can share with all of you.
Breakfast + Park in Irvine
This is a fun Play Trip starting at a really popular breakfast spot off Irvine Center Drive near Irvine Spectrum and ending at a musical park.
Yes! We did get fries for breakfast. But that’s only because you wait in line to order and I was noticing a lot of tables with an order of fries to accompany THEIR breakfast order. Had to try and found out why! That’s not Ranch dressing! It’s Garlic Aioli! Total surprise and total YUM! I would go there just for the fries!
Burnt Crumbs is well-known for their Fluffy Soufflé Pancakes and their Spaghetti Grilled Cheese. Yes - spaghetti in a grilled cheese sandwich with a marinara dipping sauce. The service is awesome and you get to eat outside! It’s open every day from 8:30am-3pm.
📍Burnt Crumbs, 8549 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine @burntcrumbs
Only a few blocks away is the site of the former Irvine Meadows Amphitheater where the Los Olivos Community Park is now with its musical instruments and funky play equipment.
Here’s the Reel if you want to see this whole Breakfast + Park on video.
Summer camps
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