Agoura/Oak Park Chargers Youth Football

Agoura/Oak Park Chargers Football is for kids ages 8 to 14, including the following age divisions:  Pee Wee (ages 8-9, 45-115 lb weight range), Bantam (ages 10-11, 75-130 lb weight range), Midget (ages 11-12, 95-145 lb range), Junior (12-13, 105-160 lb range) and Senior (age 13-14, 190 lbs maximum). Weight limits increase for playoffs.

The Chargers are a member of the Pacific Youth Football League at www.eteamz.com/PacificYouthFootball that also includes the Camarillo Roadrunners, Moorpark Saints, Newbury Park Steelers, North Oxnard Warriors, Oxnard Panthers, Simi Valley Patriots, Thousand Oaks Titans and Ventura Packers, as well as other teams in the San Fernando Valley.

For more information, visit agourachargers.org. Signups start in the spring for the coming summer/fall season.

Conejo Youth Flag Football Association

Since 1970, the Conejo Youth Flag Football Association has been committed to coaching all participants in the fundamentals of competitive football in a safe, instructional and positive environment. We believe that every player should be able to learn the game and have fun!

For kids ages 6 to 17. Scrim division for ages 6 to 7, Bantam division for 8  to 9 1/2, Junior division for 9 1/2 to 10, Senior division for 11 to 13 and recently formed teenage passing division for ages 14 to 17.  Signups in April.  More information at www.cyffa.com.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Conejo and Las Virgenes

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley is a non-profit organization that provides time-tested programs offering leadership training, character development, fine arts, academic support, technology, health and fitness.

Clubs feature Learning Centers, Games Rooms, Computer Technology Centers, Fine Arts Rooms, Multi-Purpose Rooms, and Character and Leadership Centers. For grades 5 through 8.  Visit www.bgcconejo.org for more information. Also spring/summer camps for grades 1 to 12.

Local Clubs:

• Sequoia Middle School 2855 Borchard Road, Newbury Park (805.375.5635)
• Redwood Middle School 233 Gainsborough Road, Thousand Oaks (818.674.9266)
• Los Cerritos Middle School 1980 E. Avenida de las Flores, Thousand Oaks (805.493.2917)
• Colina Middle School 1450 Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks (805.449.1309)
• Lindero Middle School, 5844 Larboard Lane, Agoura Hills (818.483.6303)
• Chaparral Elementary School, 22601 Liberty Bell Road, Calabasas (818.224.3097)

CA Kiddo Club in Agoura Hills

2/12/13: CA Kiddo Club announced today that it will be closing its doors on February 28th. They will be selling toys, books and small items on Friday/Saturday, March 1-2 from 11am to 3pm. If you are interested in any of the larger items, call 818.706.9002 before closing day.

On Monday, December 5, 2011, CA Kiddo Club opened in Agoura Hills. CA Kiddo Club is a 5,000 sq ft bright, spacious kids’ enrichment center in Agoura Hills for ages 10 and under! It’s safe, clean and fun with our creative indoor playground and your kids will love it!

Whether it’s a birthday party, one of our enrichment classes such as yoga, music and dance, or simply playtime during the week, our fantastic staff at CA Kiddo Club will make a memorable experience for your child.

There are also drop-off events, summer camp, pre-announced kiddo drop-off events and more.

CA Kiddo Club is open for free play from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Friday and (except class days: Thursdays closed at 3 pm for free play) and 11am to 3pm Sat/Sun (except when there is a private party). Admission is $10.00 for the first 4 hours (as of June 2012). Free WiFi available.

Located at 30315 Canwood Street, Agoura Hills.  Visit their Facebook page or call 818.706.9002 for more information.  Also, visit their new website at cakiddoclub.com.

Bright Child in Oak Park

Bright Child is a 15,000 square foot indoor play are that is hugely popular with the local crowd, geared mostly towards kids Foam Ball Projectile and Climbing Structureages 2 to 12. In the center of the place is this huge play climbing structure packed with hundreds of foam balls used as projectiles from the air gun cannisters at the top of the structure. Enter at your own risk as you will likely be nailed (but not hurt) by these little foam balls.

Then there is another climbing structure contraption with tunnels and some pretty fast Speedy Green Slides at Bright Childslides. In fact, watch out if you dare attempt to join your little ones on a slide it is easy to become a projectile missile down them! But boy they're fun!

Bright Child has a non-descript cafe with pretty good food and decent sized portions. I must say that I feel like I get my money's worth there. For $6 or so I get a nicely made turkey sandwich with side salad.  For $5 my kid gets a hot dog, chips, carrot sticks and juice box ($4 for a corn dog).  That's a pretty good deal (though it'll cost you about $20 for you and 2 kids for admission)!  My young kids really enjoy the full-size fire engine located adjacent to the cafe.

OK, how about a 3 minute walking tour of Bright Child by someone who takes pretty lousy videos.  But it should at least give you a feel for the place:

Bright Child is extremely popular and as a result can get pretty crowded. If you are claustrophobic, don't go on rainy weekend days.  But everyone there has fun.  No shoes allowed inside the play area, so make sure to wear clean socks :> We have also been to birthday parties there that are very well done and interactive.  Kids really enjoy themselves there.

The arcade is token style like Chuck E Cheese, (though in a pretty compact area) complete with tickets that can be exchanged for small prizes. For awhile they had a laser tag room with separate admission cost but in August 2012 that room became more of a birthday party event room, with a "hot dog" swing that allows for up to 4 kids on it.

General admission (as of January 2013) is $9.75 for ages 21 months to 13 years and $5 for ages 13-20 months. Up to 2 free adult admissions per child ($4 for each additional adult).

Bright Child is located at 618 Lindero Canyon Road, Oak Park (corner of Lindero and Kanan). Call 818.338.8888 for more information. Or visit the Bright Child website at www.brightchildusa.com.

Bright Child discount coupons available HERE at BOGOPOD.com as well as directly directly on the Bright Child website (as of January 2013 at least!) at www.brightchildusa.com/images/stories/coupons-bright-child-1.jpg Might as well save a couple bucks on admission if ya can!

The Play Destination in Agoura Hills

The Play Destination (formerly MyParty Playhouse) is an indoor playground and birthday party place for children with comfortable seating and modern decor for parents. The space offers children a clean, safe environment to play and is equipped with an indoor play structure, bounce house, interactive floor games, and other mentally and physically stimulating activities.

Located at 28501 Canwood Street, Suite 4E in Agoura Hills. Visit mypartyplayhouseinfo.com or call 818.292.8644 for more information. Weekday hours vary. Open for private parties on weekends.

The Sweet CherryIt Yummy Treats Truck in the Conejo Valley

The Sweet CherryIt Yummy Treats Truck is a personal ice cream/treats service for parties, events and more. Life is better served with a cherry on top!

Formerly called The Sweet Ride, The Sweet CherryIt was completely updated in the summer of 2011 by the Ward family of Newbury Park and is now the most eye-catching ice catching vehicle in the Conejo Valley! This awesome ice cream truck can be hired for birthday parties, family celebrations, community/corporate events...anything and everything...and is guaranteed to bring a nostalgic smile to your face!

You may even see The Sweet CherryIt cruising through YOUR neighborhood one of these days! Be on the lookout!

The Sweet CherryIt offers a variety of frozen treats like popsicles, ice cream bars, malts and the like as well as other candies and drinks. However, sugar-free and gluten-free treats can also be brought upon request.

For more information and to make your next birthday party an event to remember, visit www.thesweetcherryit.com or call 805.480.0890. The Sweet CherryIt serves the entire Conejo Valley, from Agoura Hills to Newbury Park; however, events outside the Conejo Valley can also be booked for a very reasonable travel fee! Facebook Page.

Rock Nation School in Agoura Hills and Thousand Oaks (Newbury Park)

Rock Nation helps develop the skills needed to be the player you have dreamed of becoming. From general music theory and Rock Nation's own proprietary education, lessons in music performance, recording arts, and artist development we will work to exceed your music expectations. Rock Nation's staff of professional musicians applies a proven methodology leveraging state-of-art technology and tools to transfer the knowledge needed to developing insane talent.

Rock Nation offers individual lessons, group classes, recording arts program, songwriting program and more to kids and adults.  Locations at 30125 West Agoura Road, Agoura Hills (818.706.2326) and 177 North Reino Road, Newbury Park (805.498.2500) (opened in August 2012).  For more information, visit www.rocknationschool.com.

Cool stage at the newly opened (Summer 2012) Newbury Park location.

Indoor Rock Climbing in Ventura County

Click image below for indoor rock climbing locations in Ventura County and adjacent areas.

For Art's Sake Studio in Agoura Hills

For Art's Sake is a unique teaching studio that offers fine art classes exclusively in oil painting. While other methodologies dictate that students must graduate through training in other skills and mediums prior to working with oils, For Art's Sake's philosophy is that all the required skills can be effectively taught as part of the process. Students learn basic to advanced techniques in drawing, composition, color harmony and mixing theories.  Oils are a wonderfully flexible and forgiving medium for artists of any skill level to explore with unique potential for growth and advancement.

Kids and adults art classes are available as well as summer art camp. Visit www.4artsakestudio.com or call 818.707.1952 for more information. For Art's Sake is located at 30317 Canwood St. #38, Agoura Hills.

Flag Football - i9 Sports in Simi, T.O., Agoura

i9 Sports runs a recreational youth flag football league that covers Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Agoura and Woodland Hills.  i9 is committed to safety, organization and sportsmanship with the highest degree of customer service and professionalism.  Here is information from the i9 website at www.i9sports.com:

i9 Sports Flag Football is non-contact continuous action, using minimal equipment. The games emphasize basic football skills of passing, catching, defending, and running. In i9 Flag, participants also learn about formations, pass patterns, and different types of defense.

This five-on-five game is designed by the NFL for youth players. The offensive team plays for a first down at midfield and a touchdown in the end zone. Running and passing plays are allowed, although there are no-running zones at midfield and near each goal line. The defensive team covers receivers, rushes the passer, and grabs flags to make stops.

I9 SPORTS FLAG FOOTBALL IS NON-CONTACT; BLOCKING AND TACKLING IS NOT ALLOWED.  This league is great for beginners to experienced players! Signups for the spring season begin in January and the season starts in April. Format is 5 on 5 and everyone plays (generally 8 to 10 players per team). Ages range from 5-6 to 13-14. Players assigned to teams based on age, height and weight. No drafts/tryouts!

Visit the local i9Sports website by CLICKING HERE or call 805.732.2535 for more information.

CheerForce - Simi Valley and Agoura

CheerForce is located at a 10,000 sq ft athletic training center located at 671 Cochran Street in Simi Valley and has another location at 5331 Derry Avenue in Agoura. CheerForce offers competitive cheer teams, tumbling classes, introductory cheer classes, cheer camps, birthday parties and private lessons to boys and girls.  Other locations in Rancho, Orange County and San Diego.

For more information, visit www.cheerforce.com or call 805.582.2211.

AYSO Division 4 - Westlake, Agoura, Oak Park, Calabasas

American Youth Soccer Organization Region 4, covering the areas of Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Oak Park and Calabasas, is for children ages 4 1/2 through 18 as of July 31st each year. Pre-Registration for the summer starts in March/April.  Region 4 is located at 5699 Kanan Road, #340, Agoura Hills. For more information, visit www.aysoregion4.org or call 818.707.8557.

Kids Pizza Party at Maria's Italian Kitchen

Between the hours of 2pm and 4pm, Maria's Italian Kitchen offers the opportunity to have a fun an unique birthday party at the restaurant. For $25 per child and a minimum of 10 children and a $25 cleanup fee (heck, I'd pay $100 for that given my experience with kids' parties), kids get to do the following:

• Receive a plastic apron and paper chef's hat
• Roll the pizza dough by hand
• Learn about the ingredients
• Cook pizza
• Frost and decorate cupcakes

Sounds fun! For more information, visit www.mariasitaliankitchen.com/special-events-and-catering/make-your-own-pizza-party.

The local Maria's Italian Kitchen is located at 29035 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Agoura Hills. Their phone is 818.865.8999.

Martial Arts Studios Around Ventura County

Click the girl for a link to several dozen martial arts studios around Ventura County, including karate, taekwondo, jiujitsu, kung fu and more!

Monarchs Gym - Newbury Park and Agoura

At Monarch's Gym, RUNNING, JUMPING, CLIMBING, SWINGING, BOUNCING and TUMBLING are activities we all LOVE TO DO!  The fun doesn’t stop with classes. Check out other cool programs we offer to students and non-students alike.

At Monarchs you can discover fun equipment for Girls and Boys, Teenagers and Adults unique to our facilities. All in a safe, soft, padded environment.  One of the many favorites is a gymnastics in-ground safety pit. It’s like a swimming pool made of soft foam blocks to form one big, huge cushion.

In the gym, you can safely jump into the pit off a large variety of equipment. You can land from vaulting over the vault horse, swinging or dismounting from the bars, or tumbling from the floor, trampoline or tumble truck.

Another favorite is our carefully secured in-ground Trampoline. Additionally, our tumble tracks are like 40 foot trampolines, for an easy, fun and efficient way to learn tumbling skills.

We have spotting rigs with spotting belts, incline, donut, octagonal, and handspring mats to learn skills like cartwheels, back walkovers and back handsprings.

We offer a variety of classes including:

• Gymnastics (artistic & rhythmic) for tots / youth / teens
• Boys non-traditional  / Sports Cross Training
• Tumbling Programs
• X-Treme Sports Cross Training
• Cheerleading
• Teen & Adult Fitness classes
• Parkour & Freerunning
• Special Needs Program

We also offer a variety of programs for non-Members (pay per visit):

MONTHLY open workout PASS

• Camps – Winter / Summer / Spring
• Friday “Parents Night Out” / 7 – 10 pm
• Open Gym
• Birthday Parties
• Field Trips

Monarchs has two local locations.  3599 Old Conejo Road in Newbury Park (805.375.4663) and 5331 Derry Avenue, Suites C-H, Agoura Hills (818.889.3634).  More information at www.monarchsgym.com.

Southern California Lacrosse Association - Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Simi Valley, Agoura

Southern California Lacrosse Association covers Agoura, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Calabasas, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley for boys and girls in grades 3 through 12. Visit www.westcoastlacrosse.com for more information.

Individual team websites are as follows:

Westlake Lacrosse Club www.westlakelacrosseclub.com

Newbury Park Lacrosse Club www.eteamz.com/newburyparklacrosse

Agoura Lacrosse www.agouralax.com

Thousand Oaks Knights Lacrosse www.thousandoakslacrosse.com

Simi Valley Lacrosse - The Storm www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/svlacrosse

Agoura Hills Library

The Agoura Hills Library first opened on October, 27, 2001 in its 17,772 square foot facility at 29901 Ladyface Court. The library is part of the Agoura City Hall Civic Center. It holds a collection of over 122,000 books and is currently (11/10) open Tuesday through Saturday. The library is part of the County of Los Angeles Public Library System (and thus your library card is good at dozens of L.A. County libraries).

The library is located off the Kanan Road exit or Reyes Adobe Road exit from U.S. 101 Freeway on Agoura Road and Ladyface Court. The facility has a copy center, computer center, 2 conference rooms, and a Friends of the Library bookstore & browsing area.

Visit www.colapublib.org/libs/agourahills or call 818.889.2278 for more information.

Reyes Adobe Park in Agoura Hills

Reyes Adobe Park is located at 31400 Rainbow Crest Drive in Agoura Hills, adjacent to the Reyes Adobe Historical Site. It is a decent sized community park with plenty of shade trees, restrooms and a nice playground area as you can see in the video below. The annual Reyes Adobe Days event is staged here at the park too.

Sumac Park in Agoura Hills

Sumac Park is located at 6000 Calmfield Avenue in Agoura Hills. It is a small neighborhood park that was recently (summer 2010) upgraded with a nice, new play structure. There is a handful of parking spots and plenty of street parking, restrooms (these are pretty old style but functional) and a nice, flat grassy area. More information at www.ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/index.aspx?page=64.