City of Ojai Recreation Department Programs and Activities

The Ojai Recreation Department provides many activities to residents of the Ojai Valley. Programs and activities include: youth day camps, youth and adult activity classes, youth and adult volleyball, softball, flag football, basketball, soccer, tennis; teen fitness center and boxing program, a downtown skateboard park, a comprehensive gymnastics program, summer aquatics programs, lifeguard training class, sports tournament throughout the year, youth excursions, horse shows and more. For more information and the latest recreation class brochure, visit www.ojairec.com or call 805.646.1872.

Ventura Improv Company

Ventura Improv Company has performed at 34 North Palm Street locations for 27 years, since 1994. The group announced in December 2016 that it will not be renewing its lease here in mid-January 2017 but will continue to perform and teach at other spaces in the area, including the Bell Arts Factory and Namba. 

In addition to live improv on Fri/Sat nights, VIC offers improv and acting workshops for all ages. 

More information at www.venturaimprov.com or call 805.643.5701.

Cory Kruseman's Sprint Car and Midget Driving School in Ventura

Cory Kruseman's Sprint Car and Midget Driving School at Seaside Park in Ventura (Ventura County Fairgrounds) give Fans and Race Car Driver some safe seat time and instruction in a Sprint Car or Ford. Their team takes pride in teaching each student how to safely operate these race cars, from teaching you to dress in safety equipment to taking the checkered flag.

Cory is a professional race car driver and knows quality equipment is what makes a winning formula and provides the most up to date race cars at the school.

Visit www.Kruseman.com or call 805.649.1243 for more information.

Conejo Recreation & Park District - Thousand Oaks

The Conejo Recreation and Park Districthas served the Conejo Valley since 1963 and covers 66 square miles with a population of over 140,000 people in Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and the Ventura County portion of Westlake Village. 

The Recreation Division conducts over 3,000 organized recreation and leisure programs each year.  The Parks Division maintains over 50 parks, over 1,000 acres with a variety of recreation amenities, including tot-lots, lighted sports fields, picnic areas, and community centers.  Additionally, the Parks and Planning Division, through the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA), maintains approximately 15,000 acres of open space and a 140-mile multi-use trail system including a disabled accessible trail segment on Oak Creek Canyon.

CRPD releases its Recreation Program Guide four times a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) and has hundreds if not thousands of activities for adults, seniors, kids and teens.

Visit the CRPD website at www.crpd.org or call 805.495.6471 for more information or to access community class schedules, park listings, facilities, sports and other information about local Conejo Valley events and activities. 

Conejo Recreation and Park District is located at 403 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. 

City of Calabasas Community Programs

The City of Calabasas offers a wide variety of community classes and programs year-round.  Includes aquatics, senior programs, sports, camps, mommy and me programs, tot classes, adult programs, workshops, etc.  Visit www.cityofcalabasas.com/recreation.html for more information and for winter and spring/summer and year-round schedules.

City of Agoura Hills Community Programs and Activities

The City of Agoura Hills Community Services Department includes both parks maintenance and recreational classes and events. Toddlers to teens, adults and seniors all enjoy high quality recreation activities.  There are hundreds of programs, classes and events available in the quarterly catalog at ci.agoura-hills.ca.us. For more info call 818.597.7361.

Michaels Stores Classes in Ventura County

Michaels Stores is North America’s largest specialty retailer of arts, crafts, framing, floral, wall décor, and seasonal merchandise for the hobbyist and do-it-yourself home decorator. Michaels is one of the funnest stores to visit for arts, crafts, framing, floral, home décor, scrapbooking and much more.

Local area Michaels Stores are in Westlake Village at 5780 Lindero Canyon Road (818.707.0013), Camarillo at 351 Carmen Drive (805.388.5001) and Moorpark at 816 New Los Angeles Avenue (805.552.9140).

In addition to offering up tens of thousands of items for your arts and crafts needs, Michaels offers classes at very low prices! Classes cover a wide range of fun activities, including cake decorating, art painting, jewelry making, paper crafting, knit and crochet, kids' programs and more.

Check out Camarillo classes at classes.michaels.com/OnlineClasses/control/dateView?storeId=9525

Westlake Village classes at classes.michaels.com/OnlineClasses/control/dateView?storeId=9822

Moorpark classes at classes.michaels.com/OnlineClasses/control/dateView?storeId=3848

For more information, visit www.michaels.com.

City of Moorpark Arroyo Vista Recreation Center Programs

The Arroyo Vista Recreation Center, located at 4550 Tierra Rejada Road in Moorpark, offers a variety of recreational programs for all ages. Activities include sports, library programs, seniors programs, community events, teen events, camps and more.  The facility can also be rented for private parties.

Visit www.moorparkca.gov/199/Recreation or call 805.517.6300 for a quarterly program brochure or more information. Or download the recreation guide at www.moorparkca.gov/214/Recreation-Classes.

The New Children's Museum in San Diego

We visited The New Children's Museum in downtown San Diego (200 West Island Avenue at the corner Island Avenue and Front Street) the day after Thankgiving with our young boys.  We have taken our kids to a lot of different places and have to say that this place is very unique.  I've never seen anything like this museum.

The NCM opened in May 2008.  It is a very modern, open, airy building with lots and lots of windows.  The museum offers all sorts of sensory exhibits and activities that encourage kids of all ages to experience creativity and the arts.

In the 2 hours that we were there our kids painted, worked with clay, painted (both with paintbrushes and hands) a VW Bug that was completely slathered with paint (quite unusual...and messy...though the paint was washable and they provided washing stations in close proximity of the exhibit).  The kids crawled through tunnels, climbed climbing walls, ran around in an oversized playhouse and an igloo, frolicked in beanbags and couches, and much much more.

We were told that all of the materials used in the exhibits of this 50,000 square foot, 3 story building were made out of recycled materials.  That made for some quite unusual and unconventional looking exhibits.  The building is one of the first completely "green" museums in California.

Across the street from the museum is a new park with plenty of room to run, play, swing, teeter-totter and spin. 

So if you are looking to do something completely different and unique with your kids, check it out!  Admission as of January 2022 is $15 for ages 1+, $10 for seniors 65+ and military with ID.  For more information, visit www.thinkplaycreate.org or call 619.233.8792.

Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Programs in Camarillo

The Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District serves an area of approximately 44 square miles and has grown from one park to 29 parks since its inception in 1962. Within the District, numerous recreational facilities exists, including indoor swimming pool, lighted ball fields, tennis courts, racquetball courts, skate park, senior center, a running track at Arneill Ranch Park, children's play equipment, picnic shelters, barbecues and much more.

Visit www.pvrpd.org for more information and for the PVRPD's latest Recreation Magazine with hundreds and hundreds of community classes, special events, summer camps and programs.  Or call 805.482.1996.