Kids Fun At The Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon
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THE WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN
12122 Cuyamaca College Dr W, El Cajon, CA 92019
619-660-0614
Contents:
😃 INTRO
👍 FEATURES
👩🏻🏫 EVENTS & CLASSES
🎄 HOLIDAYS
😃 INTRO 😃
WHAT IS IT
The Water Conservation Garden is a beautifully landscaped educational garden that's fun for kids to run around, learn, smell, touch and play in nature. While the six acres of displays help homeowners learn how to incorporate "water conservation" efforts through a series of outdoor themed gardens, kids will love following the trails all over to discover what's around every corner.
WHY KIDS LOVE IT
children's play garden with a cute wooden house and sandbox
walk into the native butterfly pavilion (butterfly releases every Spring)
drive the stationery concrete cars up the driveway lined with "fire resistant plants"
watch the koi & gold fish in the pond
run through the trellis garden
cool down on the "surprise water" trail
attend a story time or kids class with Ms. Smarty Plants
GOOD TO KNOW
Pick up the scavenger hunt + crayon at the entrance; find them all and return it to pick out a prize! Usually a sticker or a special rock.
Scavenger Hunt: click here for a fun list of things to see, do, eat, touch or find (coming soon)
📌 VISITOR INFO 📌
as of 12/2020
🕰 HOURS
Tues-Sun from 9-2 (last entry at 1pm)
Closed: Mondays
Closed: New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
🎟 TICKETS
available at the gate
💵 COST
$8 Adults
$5 Seniors 55+/Students/Military
$4 Kids ages 3-17
FREE for kids 2 and under
💸 DEALS
FREE Entry the 2nd Friday of each month, starting Feb 2021!
🎫 MEMBERSHIPS
All memberships include gift shop discounts and reciprocal admission nationwide with participating gardens via AHS Reciprocal Admissions Program! Locally, these include the San Diego Botanic Garden, The Japanese Friendship Garden and the Butterfly Farms in Encinitas. These have a monthly pay option too. Info
$65 Family: 2 membership cards, 2 free guest passes. (No mention of how many kids/ages.)
$50 Individual: 1 membership card, 1 free guest pass
$25 Student/Active Duty Military
$100+ see online for other options
🅿️ PARKING
Always free & plenty
🗺 MAP click here
👐 SUPPORT
More
👍 FEATURES 👍
🚻 BATHROOMS: Yes, next to the entrance/exit
👶🏻 STROLLERS: Yes! It’s very stroller friendly
🌱 GROUNDS: Flat pathways, compact dirt, gravel and some pavement. There are some stairs, but there's another way around to get everywhere without taking the stairs.
🐶 DOGS: Yes, friendly, leashed dogs allowed, but not inside the butterfly pavilion. BYO bags for clean-up.
🥪 FOOD: BYO Food + Drinks is allowed, and you should because you can spend several hours here. There is NO onsite cafe. Food & coffee shops are nearby, see below.
🛍 SHOPPING: There is a cute gift shop where you can buy plants and plant-related gifts and tools.
⚠️ CAUTIONS: Plan on spending extra time here. ;)
👩🏻🏫 EVENTS & CLASSES 👩🏻🏫
🥳 PRIVATE EVENTS
Fun for birthdays, baby showers and other special events.
-->Small (5-10 ppl): Children's Garden, pergola with tables next to the vegetable garden, open-air amphitheater if it's empty, cute gazebo if it's empty
-->Large (10+ ppl): rent the cute gazebo with a large flagstone patio area or the large amphitheater
🦋 BUTTERFLY RELEASES
🧘🏼♀️ GARDEN YOGA
Garden Yoga is held outside at The Garden! Morning, evening & family classes taught by Bloom Yoga. Check website or social media for dates and details.
🌳 NATURE THERAPY
Tap into your state of mind with a guided tour which produces emotional wellness and inner peace. Participants will connect with nature through a series of simple exercises using their senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell or touch, followed by a stroll through The Garden. Based on the Japanese ‘Forest Bathing’ practice known as shinrin-yoku, which means “taking in the forest.” Among the benefits of forest bathing, say practitioners and researchers, are improved mood, relaxation, lower cortisol levels, connections with nature and insight.
Dates, Cost & Details: click here
👩🏻🏫 FIELD TRIPS: K-6th Grade
Visit Ms. Smarty-Plants™ at the beautiful Water Conservation Garden for an outdoor learning adventure that includes a garden tour, music, magic and fun! Each child will learn about water supply, conservation, adaptations, and plant a drought-tolerant plant to take home. Programs are in line with California State Standards, e-STEM and Next Generation Science Standards. Contact 619-660-0614 ext. 16.
School Field Trips begin at 9:30am and are 2 hours.
Homeschool Field Trips begin at 9:30am and are 1 hour long.
💻 ONLINE PROGRAMS
Kids lesson plans, water harvesting, virtual tours, backyard scavenger hunts, plant trivia, coloring pages, previously recorded workshops and more!
💁🏼 FREE DOCENT-LED TOURS
The 1st Saturday each month at 10am to learn new gardening techniques
🚌 ADA SHUTTLE TOURS
Available for those needing assistance with navigating the garden’s paths. Shuttle seats 5. Reservations are required, preferable 2 weeks advance notice. Contact 619-660-0614 x10. details
🦋 BUTTERFLY RELEASES 🦋
Spring-Fall
(see website for dates)
Experience a magical butterfly release in the palm of your hand and watch as it flies to nearby flowers inside the butterfly pavilion. You'll hear a fantastic talk led by Ms. Smarty-Plants to learn more about this incredible species.
Sign up online and choose your arrival time. You'll be given a release time and you'll have about 30 min to explore the garden while you wait for your turn. There's lots to see and explore while you wait. Max. 2 households or up to 6 people from the same household is allowed inside the butterfly pavilion together.
DATES: varies Spring-Fall
COST: $10/members, $15/non-members includes garden admission
TICKETS: advanced tickets online required
QUESTONS: 619-660-0614 ext. 10
WEBSITE: HERE
🎄 HOLIDAYS 🎄
Holiday Lights in the Garden
Nov. 19 - Dec. 19, 2020
(select dates)
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Walk through the magic of Holiday Lights in the Garden at one of our favorite places! 🌿 🌟 A one-way path loops you throughout this beautifully decorated & landscaped garden. ✨ 🎄 ✨
I was expecting more people but there were maybe 3 other families the entire time we were there last night. There is definitely PLENTY OF SPACE to spread out and keep your distance here. (Swipe to see...nobody else is around!) Only the lower half is decorated but you can still walk thru the entire garden.👍
Come out to support this magical place and you’ll see why it’s always TOPS on our list. 🌟
🕵🏻♀️ TRY TO FIND: Gingerbread Men, Santa’s Mailbox, Bunny wearing Santa’s hat, a Giraffe, a Snowman, 2 Wreaths 📬 🐰 🦒 ⛄️ 🎄
📆 DATES:
as of 2020
Nov. 19-20; 26-27
Thursday 12/3, 12/10, 12/17 from 5-7pm
Friday 12/4, 12/11. 12/18 from 5-9pm
Saturday 12/5, 12/12, 12/19 from 5-9pm
🕰 HOURS:
5-9pm varies depending on the date
Generally weekdays 5-7pm, Fri & Sat 5-8pm but check before you go
You can visit during the daytime Tues-Sun from 9am-2pm (last entry 1pm)
🗺 WHAT'S NEARBY 🗺
☕️ COFFEE
Drive-thru Starbucks 1 block before the entrance
🥪 FOOD
Lots of options!! Cold Stone Ice Cream, Luna Grill, Rubio's, Carls Jr., Broken Yolk, Dickey's BBQ Pit, Panda Express, McD's, Dairy Queen, Yi Sushi, Applebee's, Jack in the Box, Pick Up Stix, Jersey Mike's, Taco Bell, Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, Cotija's Taco Shop, Happy Time Mediterranean, McD's, Starbucks, Frank's Pizza Joint, Domino's Pizza, IHOP
🤸🏻♂️ OTHER PLACES TO PLAY
Regal Edwards Movie Theater, McGrath Family YMCA, Sweetwater River Trail, Hilton Head County Park w/ playground and a splash park, Cottonwood County Parks, Damon Lane County Park
🛍 SHOPPING
Helpful for planning your errands... Circle K gas station, Target, Tuesday Morning, CVS, Staples, Soapy Joe's Car Wash, Ralph's, Ross, CA DMV Kiosk, Rite Aid, Petco, Kohl's, Goodwill, CVS, Smart & Final
HAVE FUN!! 🤗
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Lots of time goes into these & it truly means so much to see how helpful this info is to everyone. I LOVE to see everyone getting outside to enjoy all the fun in our wonderful city and making special memories together with your kids. 💕
Thank you so much for your support. 💛