Casitas Water Adventure in Ventura

The Casitas Water Adventure is open throughout the summer. Children and adults alike can enjoy two distinct water playgrounds. For the younger children, a multi-level jungle gym with waterfalls, bridges and slides in a lagoon with water up to 18" deep. Parents can relax in a shady spot while the children play, or join their youngsters for a "splashing" good time.

The 1,200 foot long Lazy River offers a cool water ride on inner tubes along a scenic waterway featuring waterfalls, fog filled bridges and jet sprays. The inner tubes are available on a first-come, first-served basis as singles, doubles or triples. And for the smallest of tots, a zero-depth pool sprays water from all angles, providing a safe, fun play area. Shaded decks, lounge chairs, showers, restrooms and a snack bar are provided for comfort and convenience. Certified lifeguards are on hand at all times and life jackets are available at no extra charge while supplies last. Locker rentals are available for a nominal fee.

Lake Casitas Recreation Area is located at 11311 Santa Ana Road, Ventura. Take Highway 33 from Ventura towards Ojai, make a left turn on Santa Ana Blvd, then a righ on Santa Ana Road 3 or 4 miles to the park entrance. Visit www.casitaswater.org/lower.php?url=water-adventure for more information, including operating schedule/hours and prices or call 805.649.2233.

For summer 2013, operating hours are Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday/Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pricing is $12 per person (free for under 12 months), $22 for a 2 day pass and $65 for a full-season pass. They offer "late day" passes for $5 (subject to cancellation) during the last 2 hours of operation each day. Casitas Water Adventure is open generally from late May through Labor Day weekend, so take advantage during the summer months!

Parking inside Lake Casitas is $15 on weekends ($10 on weekdays) and entrance into the water park is There is parking available on Santa Ana Road but we opted to park in the adjacent lot for $15.

We had a lot of fun and both kids particularly enjoyed the Lazy River. There are some shady areas but do bring plenty of sunscreen as the sun beats down pretty hard out there. The water playground is definitely geared towards younger kids, with a large assortment of slides, water spouts and fun. My 7 year old seemed to quickly get bored in there though and he really loved the lagoon, which propels you round and round in a gentle current. Was fairly crowded but really wasn't bad at all...no lines whatsoever.

Libbey Park in Ojai

Click this image of the playground at Libbey Park in Downtown Ojai for more information.

Newbury Park Track Club and Other Ventura County Youth Track Clubs

The Newbury Park Track Club (NPTC) is a non-profit and tax exempt organization involved in a youth recreational sports program in Track and Field. Founded in 1968, the NPTC is the oldest continuously running youth sports organization in the Conejo Valley.

Registration takes place in January (for spring track season) and August (for fall cross country season) each year. Age groups range from 6 to 16 years. Teams are as follows:

• Gremlins: Ages 7-8
• Bantams: Ages 9-10
• Midgets: Ages 11-12
• Youth: Ages 13-14
• Intermediate: Ages 15-16

Each team is coached by at least one coach, with additional support from parents and specialty coaches as needed.  Athletes compete fairly and equally.  All athletes are eligible to compete an equal amount, and all have an equal chance to earn first place awards.

For more information, visit www.nptrackclub.org.

NPTC is currently an active member of the Ventura County Youth Track Conference, a non-profit, tax-exempt California corporation.

Other clubs currently in the conference include: Camarillo Cosmos, Heritage Valley Blazers, Moorpark Striders, Ojai Roadrunners, Oxnard Stars, Thousand Oaks Flyers and Ventura Tigres.

Ojai Skate Park

The Ojai Skate Park is located at 414 E. Ojai Avenue.  The facility is free and hours vary.  Visit www.ojaiskatepark.com or call 805.646.1872 (Ojai Recreation Department) for more information.  The City also offers skateboard classes at the skate park.

Interesting sculpture in front of Ojai Skate Park

Ojai Valley Girls Softball Association

Founded in 1994, Ojai Valley Girls Softball Association (OVGSA) is a volunteer run Non-Profit organization dedicated to providing athletic, team building experiences for the girls of the Ojai Valley. Leagues for girls ranging from 4 and under (U4) to 14 and under. Spring season starts in February. Visit www.ovgsa.org to learn more.

Ojai Pony Baseball

PONY is an acronym for Protect Our Nation's Youth. The concept for the name originally came from boys at the local YMCA in Washington, Pennsylvania and stood for "Protect Our Neighborhood Youth," but when PONY became an international program in the early 1950's "Neighborhood" was switched to "Nation's."

PONY Baseball is organized with two-year age brackets. The age brackets for baseball are as follows: Shetland (4, 5 and 6), Pinto (7-8), Mustang (9-10), Bronco (11-12), PONY (13-14), Colt (15-16) and Palomino (17-19). There are also softball leagues.

Ojai Pony Divisions

Shetland, Ages 5/6, Spring only - Focuses totally on instruction of beginning players. Batting tee recommended.

Pinto, Ages 7/8, Spring only - Teaches the basic fundamentals of baseball. Pitching machine recommended.

Mustang, Ages 9/10, Fall and Spring - Begins the players’ training in the complete game of baseball. Some restrictions on base stealing and runs allowed at the "B" level. No restrictions at the "A" level. Players must tryout prior to season to play in "A" league (Spring only). Tournament play is completed through World Series level.

Bronco, Ages 11/12, Fall and Spring - Takes the developing young players into the full game of baseball, with no restrictions on base stealing or runs allowed. Players must tryout prior to season to play in "A" league (Spring only). Tournament play complete through World Series level.

For more information about Ojai Pony Baseball, visit www.ojaipony.clubspaces.com

Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio

Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio is a non-profit organization dedicated to challenge, inspire, educate and entertain children & families in the Ojai Valley through the experience of quality theatre, dance and music. Classes, camps, live performances and more are offered to all ages.

The studio is located at 316 East Matilija Avenue, Ojai. Visit www.ojaiyes.org or call 805.646.4300 for more information.

Starlight Dance Academy in Ojai

Located at 407b Bryant Circle in Ojai, Starlight Dance Academy provides dance classes to children and adults. Current classes include jazz, ballet, tap, Zumba and hip hop as well as pilates, yoga and mommy and me sessions. Also a great place for children's birthday parties! For more information, visit www.ojaistarlightdance.com or call 805.646.3732.

Ojai Art Workshop

Open 7 days a week at 410 W. Ojai Avenue in Ojai and surrounded by art gardens featuring over 50 local artists, adult and children students learn a variety of art mediums at Janis' Art Garden, Gallery and Ojai Art Workshop. Classes available most days of the week, including mosaic, painting, sculpting, etc. The location is also available for birthday parties, wedding receptions, retreats and classroom space for art instructors. Visit www.OjaiArtWorkshop.com or call 805.646.2555 for more information.

Ventura County Library System

The Ventura County Library contains ver 1,000,000 books, CDs and more. A list of locations is below. Visit the library website at www.vencolibrary.org for an online catalog and much more information.

The VC Library system also has a collection of eBooks and Audio Books that are available for use on your computer, iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Android and other devices. As of 10/26/11, there are 354 eBooks and 273 Audio Books in the online collection covering fiction, nonfiction and children/teen books. What could be better than checking free book online from the public library!?

Avenue Library, 606 North Ventura Avenue, Ventura (805.643.6393)

Fillmore Library, 502 Second Street, Fillmore (805.524.3355)

E.P Foster Library, 651 East Main Street, Ventura (805.648.2716)

Museum of Ventura County Historical Research Library (805.653.0323)

Meiners Oaks Library, 114 North Padre Juan, Ojai (805.646.4804)

Oak Park Library, 899 North Kanan Road, Oak Park (818.889.2239)

Oak View Library, 555 Mahoney Avenue, Oak View (805.649.1523)

Ojai Library, 111 East Ojai Avenue, Ojai (805.646.1639)

Piru Library, 3811 Center Street, Piru (805.521.1753)

Ray D. Prueter Library, 510 Park Avenue, Port Hueneme (805.486.5460)

Saticoy Library, 11426 Violeta Street, Ventura (805.647.5736)

Simi Valley Library, 2969 Tapo Canyon, Simi Valley (805.526.1735)

Albert H. Soliz Library (El Rio), 2820 Jourdan Street, Oxnard (805.485.4515)

Although the VC Library System does not prefer this, you can check out books from one library in the system and return them to another one. 

Ventura Gem & Mineral Society's Ray Meisenheimer Memorial Museum

The Ventura Gem & Mineral Society (a nonprofit educational organization affiliated with the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies) has established the Ray Meisenheimer Memorial Museum, home to the Bruno & Opal Benson Fossil Collection and varied educationally oriented exhibits. 

Located in Ojai, this small, one-room museum is open by advance appointment only (usually on weekends), with first priority going to school and Scouting groups.  Several of our exhibits and hands-on collections have been set up specifically to match California earth science curriculum standards for elementary and high school students as well as to help Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts earn merit badges related to geology.  For more infomation, call or email VGMS President Jim Brace-Thompson, (805) 659-3577, jbraceth@roadrunner.com.  

For more information about the VGMS, visit www.vgms.org.

United States Youth Volleyball League

United States Youth Volleyball League has leagues in cities throughout Ventura County. We are a youth nonprofit recreational volleyball league designed to help spread the excitement of volleyball to all boys and girls ages 7-15. These are non-competitive leagues and no standings are kept. We have 1 midweek practice and Saturday morning games. Our philosophy is “Every Child Plays” and we provide an instructional league where children learn to play in a safe, fun and supervised environment. At USYVL “Volleyball Starts Here”. Visit www.usyvl.org or call 888-988-7985 to find the location nearest you.