10 “Family Summer Fun” Activities In Northern California Including: Butte, Glenn, Shasta, Siskiyou, & Tehama Counties
COVID-19 has canceled events and activities large and small across the world, but not even a pandemic can cancel summer! NSP has culled this list of 10 Things to Do This Summer In Northern California for families to help you and your family find fun ways to keep busy in the North State area.
Even as COVID-19 continues to disrupt our customary summer activities. Please remember to follow state and local guidelines, wash your hands, stay home if you’re not feeling well, and make Summer 2020 in Butte, Glenn, Shasta, Siskiyou, & Tehama Counties safe as well as fun!
Mosey through Packway Materials’ outdoor sculpture “museum.”
While many museums may face ongoing restrictions, this outdoor art collection in Shasta County allows for social distancing while admiring an unusual art medium: junk! Family-owned Packway Materials, Inc. usually produces concrete mixes.
Once a year, however, Packway makes something a little more unexpected, adding to a whimsical collection of junkyard sculptures. Kids will love the hulking spotted dinosaur, the bespectacled metal grasshopper sporting a top hat, the giant skier slushing his way through the grass and more!
22244 Cassel Rd., Cassel, CA 96016
Engage in aquatic exercise at the Forebay Aquatic Center.
Reducing contact has not reduced the fun at Forebay Aquatic Center!
With new equipment thanks to the City of Oroville, located in Butte county, families can rent by the hour or by the day on weekends:
- kayaks
- pedal boats
- canoes
- hydrobikes
- rafts
- inner tubes and more!
During the week, starting on July 22, kids ages 8-12 can learn to kayak, canoe, paddle-board, and sail during aquatic camps.
930 Garden Drive at Hwy. 70, Oroville, CA 95965
Face the wild at Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Although the adjective “volcanic” could make just about anything sound exciting, Lassen Volcanic National Park does not disappoint. Located in Tehama county, driving and hiking through the park bring visitors face to face with breathtaking mountain views and crystalline blue lakes, but also with some of the stranger sides of nature, like eternally-boiling pots of mud and fumaroles wafting the unmistakable scent of sulfur.
Since facilities like the visitor center and museum will be closed due to COVID-19, fill up your gas tank, pack a picnic, and immerse the family in pure, unfiltered nature. Check conditions on the park website in advance to avoid a disappointing dead-end; snow can block access to some areas of the park well into summer!
38050 Highway 36 East, Mineral, CA 96063
Work out your science brain at Science Works Museum.
Since it focuses on hands-on activities and exhibits, Science Works Museum has needed to make some creative adjustments to respond to COVID-19. Thankfully, science and creativity go hand-in-hand, so your family will find plenty to enjoy.
This summer’s special exhibit on pterosaurs will keep your budding paleontologists especially enthralled! Buy two-hour visiting tickets in advance online.
1500 E. Main St., Ashland, OR 97520
Take a walk through the park.
After trekking up to Ashland for the Science Works Museum, enjoy a stroll, a bike ride or a picnic in Lithia Park. This 93-acre span of gem-like greenery includes tennis and pickleball courts, and has hidden ties to California: John McLaren, the designer of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, also designed Lithia Park.
59 Winburn Way, Ashland, OR 97520
Make animal friends at Turtle Bay Exploration Park and Museum.
Located in Shasta County, all ages will love Turtle Bay’s Walk on the Wild Side Animal Shows, where trainers exhibit the amazing natural abilities of some of the park’s non-releasable wild animals, including:
- red and grey foxes
- bobcats
- raptors
Families who fall in love with these animal ambassadors will enjoy Turtle Bay’s special new event: a virtually-shared Walk for Wildlife, which will support care of the park’s animals. To visit the museum itself, reserve a two-hour time slot in advance to help ensure adherence to public health guidelines.
Turtle Bay Exploration Park and Museum
844 Sundial Bridge Dr., Redding, CA 96001
Spelunk in Shasta Caverns.
On the hot summer days when you find yourself wishing you could climb into your refrigerator to cool off, try slipping into the cool of Shasta Caverns instead. The caves hover between 68-72O on even the hottest days, and have the added perks of awe-inspiring limestone rock formations (which we hope you can’t find in your fridge). Kids will love the boat ride across the lake and the bus ride up the mountainside as part of the guided tour. To maintain social distancing, tour sizes have been reduced and are available first-come-first-served.
20359 Shasta Caverns Rd., Lakehead, CA 96501
Practice your putting.
When was the last time you played mini golf as a family? FunLand Cal Skate in Chico and Lariat Bowl in Red Bluff have both opened their mini golf putting greens.
While indoor activities like bowling and skating may remain somewhat limited, mini golfing lends itself naturally to social distancing. After all, no one wants to get in the way of a four-year-old (or 44-year-old) inexpertly wielding a mini golf club!
2465 Carmichael Dr., Chico, CA95928
365 S. Main St., Red Bluff, CA 96080
Dig deeper into African American history and culture.
Anecia Johnson of Amma Culture – Education, Sciences & Arts in Chico is offering a four-week online course geared for children and families, tracing the history of the African diaspora.
Families will learn about ancient African civilizations, settlement in Europe and the Americas, current issues and more, gaining a better appreciation of the interconnectedness of our diverse society. The course is priced on a sliding scale ($150-$250), and scholarships are available.
Make room for some magic at Maagic Mountain Farm.
Introduce the kids to the magic of farming by booking a custom farm tour or an overnight stay at Maagic Mountain Farm, located in Siskiyou county.
Breathing the clean mountain air, sampling fresh produce, plunging into the nearby lake or river, touring the sustainable farm and perusing pastures of goats, chickens and ducks will refresh your family after months of being stuck in town because of COVID-19.
If you’re feeling extra ambitious, you can even get personalized coaching on starting your own mini farm or homestead. Make your reservation online, pack up the kids, and enjoy!
Mt. Shasta, CA 96067
Posted in: Out & About
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