Summer Activities

Since this summer hasn't really been all that summer-y, maybe try to capture that summer feeling by dining on some of the season's iconic foods. Corn on the cob is one of those. Wonderful sweet ears of white corn from Brentwood and the Central Valley are available now, so grab some while you can. Of course you get bonus points if you're growing it right in your backyard and you can go grab some off the stalk moments before cooking it.

Our favorite method of cooking corn is to husk it and throw it on the BBQ grill. Get it nice and brown, which gives it a wonderful toasty corn flavor—we had kids fighting over who got the most charred ear of corn at the last family gathering. This method, however, is not always a practical one, especially if you're pressed for time. Normally most people just husk the ears and boil them in some salted water. I discovered an alternate way of cooking corn, one so good that I doubt I'll be boiling corn ever again: the microwave. Yes… the microwave.

In case you missed or just didn't get enough of the Marin County Fair, you'll be happy to know that the 2010 Sonoma County Fair starts today, July 27 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, and runs through Sunday, August 8. It's worth checking out if you've never been: it's bigger and a lot different than Marin's smaller, more intimate fair, and has more of an agricultural focus, which is natural for a more rural county like Sonoma. The Sonoma County Fair also features the largest themed flower show in the country, which is usually pretty stunning.

This summer the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center presents its Summer Nights series of outdoor concerts, movies, and entertainment at its campus in San Rafael. Bring a picnic, your blanket, low-backed lawn chairs, and dancing shoes—there's fun for the whole family! Beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks, and snacks will be available for purchase, and there's a playground available for supervised play and the art room will be open for coloring fun.

This summer's outdoor concert lineup features Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums (this Saturday, June 19), Nigerian Brothers West African Highlife Band (July 10), Sambaguru featuring Katia Morales (July 17), Los Pinguos (July 31), and Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie (Auguest 7). All concerts start at 7 pm; doors open at 6:15 pm, and there's a dance lesson at 6:40 pm.

Concert tickets are $20 for JCC members, and $25 for the general public. Kids 6–17 are $5, and children 5 and under are free.

Also offered as part of Summer Nights is "So Much More than a Movie," a film series featuring a family-friendly movie, a live performance, and fun on the playground. On June 26, take in a performance by 'Til Dawn, Marin's teen a capella sensation, and a screening of the classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. June 24 features Shrek II and a performance by family entertainer, comedian, and juggler Unique Derique. The series closes on August 14 with a screening of the animated feature An American Tail with a performance by Marin's favorite family musician, Tim Cain.

Summer Movie Clubhouse will be offering fun weekly summer $1.00 movies for kids starting June 15 at the Century Rowland Plaza (44 Rowland Way) in Novato. All movies start at 10 am. Here is a list of features:

• June 15 & 17: Hotel for Dogs (rated PG)
• June 22 & 24: Madagascar 2 (rated PG)
• June 29 & July 1: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (rated PG)
• July 6 & 8: Charlotte's Web (rated G)
• July 13 & 15: Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (rated PG)
• July 20 & 22: Cat In The Hat (rated PG)
• July 27 & 29: Tale of Despereaux (rated G)
• August 3 & 5: Monsters vs Aliens (rated PG)
• August 10 & 12: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (rated PG)
• August 17 & 19: Planet 51 (rated PG)

You can purchase 10 shows for $5.00 if purchased in advance, or $1.00 per show if purchased at the box office. For more info, go to their website.

Here is a the summer movie schedule for Film Night in the Park, which presents outdoor movies in various parks throughout Marin and San Francisco. Show time for all the movies is 8 pm, but arrive a little early for music, a raffle, and a cartoon. Reminiscent of the drive-in movies of yesteryear, Film Night in the Park is noted for its audience participation, with cheers for heroes, boos and hisses for villains, sing-a-longs, and hearty applause. This season's offerings are a fun mix of recent hits like The Princess and the Frog, Up, and Sherlock Holmes and classics including Jaws, Rear Window, and The Blob! There's definitely something for everyone.

Marin Mommies is pleased to present another great guest article, this time by Ally Kushin, Camp Director for Coastal Camp at Headlands Institute. She discusses the increasing problem of nature deficit disorder and highlights local opportunities to connect children to the natural world. Ally has worked in the field of environmental education for the past 9 years as a naturalist, park ranger, and camp director.

In 2005 the book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv popularized the term “nature deficit disorder.” In it, he refers to the trend of children spending less time outdoors, resulting in a wide range of behavioral, social, and medical problems. Louv claims that causes for the phenomenon include parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the “lure of the screen,” referring to increasing electronic media consumption.

Children who spend more time in nature are known to develop increased concentration, memory, and self discipline. The latest research has established amazing connections between the amount of time spent in nature to everything from better grades to increased immunity to germs to stronger bones. read more »

This weekend, August 15 and 16, all National Parks that normally charge an entry fee will be free to all! This is the third in a series of fee-free summer weekends launched by the National Park Service in an effort to give everyone a chance to visit their national parks in this economically challenging time. Although many are free to begin with, more than 100 national parks normally charge an entry fee.

Around the Bay Area, the parks charging an entry fee include Marin's own Muir Woods National Monument, San Francisco Maritime National Park, and the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez. Other popular parks within a few hours of the Bay Area include Yosemite and Pinnacles National Monument (south of the Bay Area in Monterey and San Benito counties). A full list of fee-free weekend parks across the USA can be found here.