Northern California Play

We spotted this trail guide, Mildly Scenic, in a local Sac bookstore, loved its accessibility and insight into the nature of Sacramento's Lower American River.  Beautifully designed, super informational, a perfect companion for your next adventure. 

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How adorable are these Aw Shucks! Oyster Pajamas! Oysters will become as familiar as ladybugs with these cozy cotton pajamas from Little Hometown.  Offered in sized 1T-5T.
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We all love baby animals, right? Your baby or young toddler will love the delightful water color illustrations and stories of these  cute little wild ones. 
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The beautiful blue whale, realistically and elegantly depicted, as always, by schleich. Introduce the largest mammal in the world to your little one with this 10.8 inch figurine. And if you're lucky, spot one in the wild. Maybe around Monterey Bay? 
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In this charming new book, a sea otter accidentally gets swept away while clinging to her favorite rocks during a storm - a gentle adventure that may resonate with parents who have found pockets full of "treasures" after a day at the beach ;). Set in the kelp forests of Northern California's coast, it captures the sea otter's famous habit of holding onto rocks and the marine world kids can explore around Monterey Bay. Reminds me of the stories on "Puffin Rock," a cute nature-based toddler show we love.
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Cute 12" otter plush made by Wild Republic, holding a treasure (sea star). Made of eco-friendly materials. Super cuddly. Also comes in a mini version (8"). 
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Can you believe that a tiny acorn becomes a mighty oak tree? A perfect metaphor the blink-and-you'll-miss-it nature of childhood. Savor your tiny acorns and help them build appreciation for the oak tree with Wee Gallery's Crinkle Acorn Teether. 

Every Sacramento-area family needs this book! 1,001 Things to do in Sacramento with Kids is a pretty self-explanatory title. We love how comprehensive and easy-to-follow this guide is. Find nature walks, parks, science museums, and loads more.   
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What is this?, you may be asking. I too had this question. Well, it's an isopod! This plush represents the  unusual deep-sea creatures - essentially a massive underwater "pill bug" that can grow up to 20 inches long and lives on the seafloor, scavenging like an underwater vacuum cleaner. While giant isopods themselves live in the deep ocean (you can see them at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's exhibits), their smaller cousins can actually be found scurrying around Northern California tide pools when you lift up rocks during your next beach adventure.
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Introduce your little one to one of Northern California's most fascinating marine residents with this natural rubber octopus rattle by Tikiri Toys. Perfect for bath time or teething, it celebrates the amazing octopuses that call the rocky Northern California coastlines home.
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"The Blue Whale" is a lovely and informative picture book, all about the blue whale.  Probably the only time the words "a heap of 55 hippopatami" has been published (that's how much an average blue whale weighs). Lots of similarly fun comparisons throughout. Lucky northern California residents can look for blue whales around Monterey Bay during peak season, which is May to October. Recommended for 4+.
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Realistic, huggable, and ready for adventures, introduce this Chipmunk Plush from the earliest days.  We may take them for granted, but in addition to being adorable, they help disperse seeds and support new growth. (They also serve as food for other animals in the food chain, but you can save that fact for when your little one is a bit older!) 
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An amazing, photo and fact filled field guide for kids and families visiting the Pacific Coast. Good for 7+. 
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The Trees of San Francisco. This one is for the grown ups. Have you ever walked around outside, wondering about the different trees around you? (Anyone? Just me?) Well, this book can become your specifically San Francisco-based arborist friend, offering interesting tidbits, pointing out curious tree features, and even suggesting walking tours. 
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Cute schleich otter figurine. These fish-loving, playful mammals can be spotted in coastal areas, rivers, and lakes. 
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The print is tough to see here on the screen, but it's very cute - sea lion footie pajamas for babies. Print is from Kate Quinn Organics exclusively for the children's shop Sprout San Francisco. 
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The Sea Below My Toes is an exploratory, accordion-style book takes you into the sea from its surface down to the ocean depths.  Close observers from Northern California will recognize otters, kelp, and maybe even orcas.  We appreciate that this ocean dive doesn't exclude the man-made features that are part of the ocean reality now, like oil pipelines. Best for 5+. 
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Become a seashell investigator with this wonderfully informative guide to deciphering the characteristics - color, pattern, shape, and more - of seashells to learn more about the shell and its surroundings. Bring this on your next visit to the beach. Good for ages 4+. 
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Love this series by Kate Messner. Join a little girl and her mom kayaking around Monterey Bay, encountering sea creatures above and below. Good for ages 4+. 
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Seal figurine from schleich. Smart creatures that are excellent underwater hunters. Spot these playful marine mammals hauled out on docks, beaches, and rocky shorelines, or swimming in harbors and coastal waters. Northern elephant seals also breed dramatically on Northern California beaches, making the region one of the best places to observe the seal species in their natural habitat. 
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The infamous great white shark. These apex predators are drawn to the Pacific Northwest because of the plentiful seal and sea lion populations.   This great white shark figurine from schleich - complete with a double row of teeth - is sure to be a ferocious playtime and bathtime pal. 
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A male mallard duck is called a drake, which we did not know until recently. Drakes are common across Northern California wetlands; they appreciate the temperate weather. This drake figurine from schleich is a perfect introduction to this common waterfowl - your little one will be happy to quickly recognize one in the wild. 
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A story about the interconnectedness of an ecosystem: what happens if one element is removed? The author, a biologist-turned-author, elegantly describes this ecological concept in this richly illustrated picture book. Good for 5+. 
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We love Sarah's Silks' wonderful open-ended silks. This ocean earth playsilk can be anything, but we love it especially as a setting for your little one's beachwalk finds, figurines, and stuffies. 
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An award-winning book by Jason Chin, Redwoods follows the journey of a boy who finds a book about redwoods and as he reads, becomes drawn into the magical world of California's coastal giants, traveling from a New York subway straight to the redwood forest. A clever blend of imagination and science delivers fascinating facts about the world's tallest trees. Good for ages 5+. 
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Super engaging and informative guide to the octopus. In Northern California waters, you're most likely to encounter the Giant Pacific Octopus - the world's largest octopus species that can be spotted around Monterey Bay and other rocky coastal areas. California is also home to the smaller Two-spot Octopus, often found in tide pools and shallow waters along the coast. Good for 7+.
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A very cute boardbook with lovely illustrations exploring the tiny things you might see in Yosemite National Park. Good for 1+. Pairs perfectly with...
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...this equally enderaing book featuring the big and mighty things you might see on a visit to Yosemite. Very cute concept. Also good for 1+.
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Playful 64-piece otter puzzle by Eeboo. This will be a fun one - lots of cute otters in a robust marine ecosystem. We also love how satisfyingly Eeboo's puzzles tend to come together, especially for young puzzlers. Good for 5+. 
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For whomever will be carrying around all of the figurines, water bottles, teethers, and snacks, this one's for you ;). This excellent jellyfish tote bag from the Monterey Bay Aquarium celebrates the mesmerizing moon jellies and other jellies that drift through Monterey Bay's waters year-round. You can see jellyfish at the aquarium's jellyfish galleries, but also while tide pooling or walking along Northern California's coast.
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We like this Young Zoologist series. This Humpback Whale "first field guide" is well illustrated and filled with interesting and easy-to-digest facts about humpback whales, written by a marine biologist. We particularly appreciate the migration map.  Good for ages 5+. 
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