FAMILY FUN MONTH: Plan a "Messy Party" by Sandy Toes and Popsicles

In celebration of August being Family Fun Month, the Center is delighted to share stories by some of Orange County’s favorite family bloggers. 

By Jill Parkin of Sandy Toes and Popsicles

Photo by Jill Parkin 

With summer ending and school starting soon, many families are scrambling to get the last bit of summer fun in before summer vacation ends and school starts. That goes for our family as well. To be honest, I wouldn't mind summer lasting all year long. I love having the kids home and exploring all of what Orange County offers, especially the beaches and sunshine.

There are many ways to expose your child to the arts and being creative. Learning how to express themselves through creative play is one way I do this. Letting my kids be creative and free with their movements and expression is great for their imaginations and for releasing any frustrations and anxiety.

One of our summer family traditions does just that. We have a "Messy Party" each year to celebrate the end of summer and back-to-school. We invite the kid's school friends over for an afternoon of messy fun, where the kids have ice cream sundaes and shaving cream fights. What? Doesn't that make a total mess!? Of course it does... and that is the entire point of having a "Messy Party." The main goal of this party is to allow the kids to be free and creative, along with helping them release the anxiety of starting a new school year.

Photo by Jill Parkin 

Messy play allows kids to express themselves in ways that they usually can't. It's not everyday that you can cover your body in shaving cream and run around outside acting silly. We love to turn the music up very loud and dance around the grass, singing at the top of our lungs. 

Photo by Jill Parkin 

I love seeing how creative the kids get, making funny shaving cream costumes and make believe superhero games. You get to see a whole different side of your children. 

Photo by Jill Parkin 

And laughter. There will be a lot of it. It is awesome to see the pure happiness exude out of those kiddies faces. The best joy a parent can have. 

Photo by Jill Parkin 

At the end of the party, be prepared for a big mess. It's gonna happen, so just embrace it. However, you will be amazed that the mess can quickly disappear with the spray of the hose. As long as the kids do not enter your house, the mess is fairly easy to clean up. Make sure to lay ground rules ahead of time so the kids know how far they can run and where they are and aren't allowed to spray shaving cream. It's not a good idea for them to spray it farther than your hose can reach...or in the neighbors’ yards. 

A "Messy Party" is so much fun, and an activity that helps the bitterness of summer ending just a little bit sweeter. 

Photo by Jill Parkin 

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Jill Parkin is the editor of one of Orange County's favorite lifestyle blogs, Sandy Toes & Popsicles, where she shares her family's adventures in Southern California, recipes, crafts and family fun ideas.

Keep the family fun going in September when ANYTHING GOES sails to Segerstrom Center!

FAMILY FUN MONTH: Toddler Trails Guest Blogger on Her Summer 2013 Bucket List

In celebration of August being Family Fun Month, the Center is delighted to share stories by some of Orange County’s favorite family bloggers. 

By Jennifer Willey of Toddler Trails

Summer is that special time of year when Daddy is home with us (most of the time). Being a teacher and coach we get 8 straight weeks with him (minus the occasional practice or basketball game he referees). The planner that I am, I’ve started a “Summer Bucket List” of all the things we’d like to do or places we really want to go. 

This year, I started off with a “Summer Bucket List Planning Night” just before school ended. This way, everyone was involved in the selection process. Even Daddy got excited with his contribution: 5 days of absolutely nothing (luckily he realizes this is just NOT possible). 

Organizing a Summer Bucket List is rather easy to do. We like to have a variety of different options from amusement parks, vacations, parties, games or just spending time with family members. Since we’ve been doing this now for the last two years, and it really starts off the summer with a lot of excitement. The kids love having the ability to walk up to the cabinet where the list is posted and decide what they want to do on a particular day. Having the ability to cross items off the list feels like an accomplishment, especially when you get to the end of the summer and realize all the fun things the family did over the summer. 

So, what is on tap for this summer? Check out our “2013 Summer Bucket List”: 

Now that it is August, we have 4 weeks left. We have already completed 17 of the 29 items, and have several planned this week. 

What would you include on your “Summer Bucket List”?

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Author: Jennifer Willey 
Website: http://www.ToddlerTrails.com 
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/ToddlerTrails 
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/ToddlerTrails 

Jennifer Willey is a Stay-at-Home Mom who loves crafting and adventures. She is the wife of an Anaheim Teacher and Coach and mom to Handsome Boy, age 5 ½, and Princess, age 4.

In celebration of August being Family Fun Month, the Center is delighted to share stories by some of Orange County’s favorite family bloggers. Speaking of Family Fun, the Broadway musical SISTER ACT will be in town from August 6-18.

FAMILY FUN MONTH: Let’s Play OC! Guest Blogger shares "Summer Play Dates in OC"

In celebration of August being Family Fun Month, the Center is delighted to share stories by some of Orange County’s favorite family bloggers. 

By Mary K. Tran of Let's Play OC!

Laguna Beach. Photo by LetsPlayOC.com

It's mid-summer and for some of us, we need motivation to keep our families from vegging out in front of the TVs. We are so lucky everything is a skip hop away in Orange County. Time to spend some quality time together. Here are my top 12 favorite things to do in SoCal: 

Laguna Beach. Photo by LetsPlayOC.com

1. Spend a day at the beach building sand castles and playing in the water. 

2. Plan a hiking trip and explore the outdoors. 

3. Plan a day trip/road trip along the coast and make stops along the way. 

4. Enjoy a family picnic at the beach or park at any time of the day. 

Da Vinci – The Genius exhibit at Discovery Science Center. Photo by LetsPlayOC.com

5. Take your family to see movies on the beach or movies in the parks (Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents free Movie Mondays through August 5 in their Arts Plaza). 

6. Pack a picnic and rock out to free summer concerts in the parks. 

7. Take everyone camping, out to the lake, kayaking around the bay, or on a fishing trip. 

8. Keep their reading skills up by visiting your local library and letting them check out their own books. 

Pretend City Children's Museum. Photo by LetsPlayOC.com

9. Visit a museum. Some have free museum days once a month. (Some of our favorites include the Discovery Science Center, Bowers Museum, Pretend City Children's Museum and the Newport Bay Conservancy.) 

10. Visit an amusement park or water park. 

11. Make s'mores and roast hot dogs at a beach bonfire. 

Sno-Biggie. Photo by LetsPlayOC.com

12. Take everyone out for ice cream. 


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Mary K. Tran blogs for a family blog called Let's Play OC! where she shares deals and family fun in Orange County. You can learn more about Mary at www.LetsPlayOC.com. 

Speaking of Family Fun, the Broadway musical SISTER ACT will be in town from August 6-18.

2013 - 2014 Season Announcement

The Center is proud to announce its 2013 – 2014 Season, featuring the very best in performing arts across dance, Broadway, jazz, cabaret, classical music, enriching family entertainment and more.

Information for renewing season ticket holders for the upcoming season will be sent to current subscribers, with new priority order for new season tickets available soon. Single tickets will go on sale approximately six weeks prior to individual engagements.

For more information and detailed descriptions, please click the respective series titles or visit SCFTA.org.

International Dance Series

• Diana Vishneva: On the Edge (November 6, 7, 9 & 10, 2013)

• Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev (January 24 – 26, 2014)
• Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo: Swan Lake (February 27 – March 2, 2014)
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (March 27 – 30, 2014)


Broadway Series

• EVITA (December 10 – 22, 2013)

• The Wizard of Oz (February 11 – 23, 2014)
• The Book of Mormon (May 13 – 25, 2014)
• Jersey Boys (June 24 – July 13, 2014)
• Ghost The Musical (July 22 – August 3, 2014)
• ONCE (August 19 – 31, 2014)


Curtain Call Series
• Priscilla Queen of the Desert (October 22 – 27, 2013)
• CHICAGO (January 28 – February 2, 2014)
• I Love Lucy® Live On Stage (March 18 – 23, 2014)


Special Bonus Productions






• Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (January 14 – 19, 2014)
• Mamma Mia! (April 8 – 13, 2014)


Jazz Series

• Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club® featuring Omara Portuondo, Eliades Ochoa, Guajiro Mirabal & Barbarito Torres with special guest Roberto Fonseca (September 17, 2013)

• ACS: Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington and Esperanza Spalding (October 25 & 26, 2013)
• McCoy Tyner and Joe Lovano (December 13 & 14, 2013)
• Dr. Lonnie Smith (February 21 & 22, 2014)
• Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis (March 14, 2014)
• Fred Hersch Trio (May 2 & 3, 2014)


Cabaret Series 
• Bernadette Peters (October 11, 2013)
• Marilyn Maye and Clint Holmes (November 14 – 16, 2013)
• Peter Gallagher (February 13 – 15, 2014)
• Patti LuPone (March 22, 2014)
• Jimmy Webb and Maureen McGovern (April 11- 13, 2014)


Concert Series

• Pacifica Quartet with Marc-André Hamelin (November 12, 2013)

• Jeffrey Kahane, Joseph Swensen and Carter Brey (December 12, 2013)
• Emerson String Quartet (January 10, 2014)
• St. Lawrence String Quartet (February 20, 2014)
• Philharmonia Baroque Chamber Players (March 16, 2014)


Family: Discovery Series
• The Okee Dokee Brothers (December 7 & 8, 2013)
• Still Awake Still! (February 8 & 9, 2014)
• Cre8tion: Fluff (April 5 & 6, 2014)
• Bristol Riverside Theatre: The Little Prince (April 26 & 27, 2014)
• Lightwire Theater: The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and The Hare (May 17 & 18, 2014)


Family: Explorer Series

• Perth Theatre Company: The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer (October 18 – 20, 2013)

• The Intergalactic Nemesis Book Two: Robot Planet Rising (November 9 & 10, 2013)
• Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (January 17 – 19, 2014) – Explorer Series subscribers have a unique and special opportunity to see the full production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in Segerstrom Hall as a part of their subscription package.


Opera Series






• LA OPERA In Concert: Falstaff (November 26, 2013)
• LA OPERA In Concert: Thaïs (May 27, 2014) – previously announced for May 22, 2014