On the first Friday of every month, the Discovery Center in Fresno has $1 admission. Is it worth it? Heck yes. I checked it out this month, and it was a blast. Not only do you get into the center for a dollar, there’s a plethora of activities your kids can participate in.
This month, there was a great horned owl visiting from Fresno Wildlife. There was a cool presentation on owls and lots of photo ops. However, to be honest, the owl looked annoyed. I don’t blame him—I also glare at people in the mornings.
There was also a bearded dragon making the rounds. Later in the day, a free science experiment took place. My kids are ages 3-11 and they all enjoyed making Flubber (glorified slime, will we ever escape it? Slime is the craft scourge of 2018).
I found out a few minutes after the science experiment that a blacksmith was in the building (figuratively, he was actually outside because, you know, fire). I peeled my kids away from the center’s interactive displays and headed to see the fun.
Once we arrived, there was so much more though. The blacksmith was in the process of making a dinner bell and he was willing to have kids help him! Safety goggles were required, as were closed-toe shoes. The kids were thrilled. I had actually only planned a two-hour window for our activities at the center, but because of the blacksmith we stayed way past my planned exit time. The kids were fascinated, and loved ringing the finished bell.
We finished our visit with a walk through the Deutsch Cactus Gardens.
If you’re looking for a frugal and entertaining way to spend the day, head to the Discovery Center. The next Dollar Friday is on Nov. 2. No matter when you go, it’s a great place to visit, and you really never know what creatures and activities you’ll run into.
Have you checked out the Discovery Center lately? You can keep up with special events happening at the center by following them on Facebook here.
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