Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in san diego, CA

Soil Toil - a List of Community Gardening Projects for City Dwellers

by Terese Farmen

March 31, 2009

At preschool, my daughter is learning how to grow a plant in a Dixie cup. She has finally begun to understand that flowers die when they are no longer planted in soil and has some concept that the vegetables on her plate came from a seed like the one she planted in school. Being in the heart of the city, understanding the concept of the planet's contribution to our survival in the form of food seems completely abstract, if not bizarre to her.

In an effort to instill some of the more country roots (sorry for the pun), we researched various community garden projects to find out who was doing what in San Diego County to allow city dwellers a chance to get dirt under their fingernails. We added ourselves to multiple waiting lists where we get to rent a section of dirt to grow our own food. We even found various organizations that use this community gardening project to feed the less fortunate members of our community fresh, organic produce grown and harvested on this community land.

Introducing the water conservation garden...for those unfamiliar

by Jenny Ciampa

November 19, 2008

A girlfriend of mine, who is a preschool teacher, asked me if I have taken my girl to The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College . The what? "Take her," she declared. Her class of preschoolers went there on a field trip, the kids LOVED it. Housed on 5 acres at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, this non-profit and eco-friendly garden is fascinating...and free. The purpose of the  Read more...

An Escape for the Senses in Little Italy

by Jenny Ciampa

July 18, 2008

Saturday mornings in Little Italy are easy on the senses. Store owners sweep their patios, neighbors sip coffee while walking their dogs, and the aroma of homemade pastries seep out of bakeries. Mornings in Little Italy are a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of lifeand it just got better. The Little Italy Mercato is a breath of fresh, Saturday morning air. This open air  Read more...

A Secret Garden, Not for Naked People Anymore

by Jenny Ciampa

June 13, 2008

I thought we knew Balboa Park pretty well and the other day, I found out just how much we don't know. Time after time we have passed by Zoro Garden on our way down El Prado without even noticing. It's tucked away, actually it's sunk away, and it's a treasure. The stone pathways that zigzag down the sides of this hidden grotto create an exciting, downhill journey for kids determined  Read more...

5 Best Day Trips within an Hour of San Diego

by Jenny Ciampa

May 16, 2008

[photo credit: stockx.chng] When another hour in the urban jungle will cause you and your babe to go apes, hit the road for a day trip. Your babe will play the day away at Cottonwood Creek Park in Encinitas . The water feature is where my girl makes water and sand soup. The climbing rock and play structures action is as constant as the bikes and scooters speeding by. We try to picnic  Read more...

How to Cultivate the Tiniest Green Thumb in San Diego

by Jenny Ciampa

May 14, 2008

[picture credit:wikimedia] If my daughter's thumb is anything like mine, a lot of plants are in jeopardy. Visiting the Botanical Building in Balboa Park allows her to revel in the wonder that not all plants are brown like Mama's, and it allows me to revel in the wonder of how the heck they keep everything so green. Man, it is lush. If you want your child to be excited about this  Read more...