All it takes is a short drive to a local Woodland Hills Starbucks and a walk from the air-conditioned car to the front door to know that summer in L.A. has arrived – and that it’s shaping up to be a hot one. Here at Woodland Hills Magazine, we hope that you and the family get a chance to spend some valuable time outside this summer, but we also want to stress staying safe as you do so. Indeed, summer is one of the best times to be outside and active with the kids – from radiant sunshine and being out of school to a plethora of activities to indulge in, this season represents the perfect opportunity to get away from the cell phones and just explore.
We’re excited to share some of our favorite ways to beat the summer heat with the kids, so keep cool and make the most of your long summer days.
Verdugo Aquatic Facility, located at 3201 West Verdugo Avenue in Burbank, is a sought-after summer fun spot due to the amazing Activity Pool – but be warned: this place has sold out every day since they opened, so you must show up in person to purchase wristbands for the Activity Pool/swim area. Burbank residents only can purchase advanced bands starting at 9 am Monday through Friday, and there are no advanced sales on Saturday and Sunday. Only 40 bands per session held for pre-sale daily, with only five bands per family allowed for purchase during pre-sale. Note that pass holders to the pools must still wait in line to purchase Activity Pool wristbands.
San Fernando Recreation Park and Aquatic Center, located at 208 Park Avenue in San Fernando, is a fun and exciting aquatic facility for the whole family to enjoy, featuring an Olympic-sized pool complete with starting blocks and three diving boards, a small recreation pool with water slide and spray features, splash pad, patio area with tables, a park-like setting and landscaping, large banquet room with outdoor veranda, small classroom/meeting room and concession stand. Open Monday through Friday from 6 am to 8 pm and Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm; closed Sundays.
LA King’s Valley Ice Center, located at 8750 Van Nuys Boulevard in Panorama City, is a full-service ice arena featuring two sheets of ice perfect for hosting hockey/ice skating sessions, curling events, birthday parties, special events and even film shoots. This is a great place for Angelinos to catch some local ice time, whether it’s on the general public rink or the private area for parties, and the maintenance of these rinks and all facilities within the center are second to none. Open daily from 6 am to 12 am (the next day).
Steve & Kate’s Camp, located at The Country School, 5243 Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Valley Village, has been putting kids in charge of their own learning experience for 43 years, enabling them to try, fail, learn on their own – while learning to trust their own judgement – and tackle the challenges of an ever-changing world with creativity and confidence. Campers here choose minute-to-minute from a variety of activities, deciding what they want to do and for how long; it is the job of the Steve & Kate’s Camp staff to get out of their way, cheerlead creative risks and provide just enough guidance to ensure nobody engages in complete senselessness. Speaking of staff, all team members working at this facility are tireless child advocates who balance structure and guidance with staying out of campers’ ways, background-checked and trained in CPR and first aid. Camp runs from June 12 to August 18 from 8 am to 6 pm.
Hansen Dam Aquatic Center, located at 11798 Foothill Boulevard in Lake View Terrace, is often referred to as a mix between a pool and a beach, its large v-shaped rectangular-esque pool boasting shallow ends on both sides, and a deeper part in the middle surrounded by sand. It remains an LA County pool, so all rules apply including having the necessary swimwear to enter the water and no flotation devices – but these regulations are put in place with everyone’s safety in mind, and to prevent drowning. Rent all-day canopies for $45 with four chairs, making for a nice private area in which to set up a family get-together or celebration, or bring your own sun tent or gazebo and set up a spot on the sand. Stay cool, follow the rules and you’ll have fun with the family. Open daily from 7:30 am to 7 pm.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park, located at 7741 Hayvenhurst Avenue in Van Nuys, offers infinite summer fun by reinventing epic new ways to play, gather and compete – indeed, here’s a facility that boasts space to move, create and allow kids to be themselves, with enough room for everyone (even kids at heart) to play together. Sky Zone is the world’s largest developer, operator and franchisor of trampoline and active entertainment parks, with a network of more than 300 global locations, where all ages can indulge in activities such as Freestyle Jump, SkySlam, Ultimate Dodgeball, SkyHoops, SkyJoust, SkyLadder, Warped Wall and more.
Heatwaves and cranky kids are no joke, and although the summer break can be lots of fun, no Woodland Hills mom wants a house full of children complaining because it’s just too hot to do anything. That’s where the aforementioned activities and attractions come in – we hope you try at least one of them to keep the kids cool this summer.
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