Burbank Outdoor Activities

Spitball technology has come a long way since its invention in 1982. Initially a spitball was made of saliva-soaked paper and propelled by the combination of an empty pen and breath. In 1999, an important discovery irrevocably altered the spitball landscape. Now spitballs are shot with semi-automatic CO2-powered weapons instead of empty pens. And due to the increasing concern for deforestation, spitballs are made out of a more renewable resource: thin-skinned, paint-filled gel caps. Check out the enormous advancements in spitballs at Action Paintball Park with today’s Groupon.

Former Olympic bronze medalist Lloyd Eisler oversees the LA Kings Valley Ice Center's day-to-day operations, which include public skating sessions, private lessons, and hockey leagues designed for youth, adult, and special-needs players. Thanks to extensive renovations in the fall of 2011, the facility now sports a sleek lobby with energy-efficient lighting. The two-rink facility hosts birthday parties and runs a well-stocked pro shop where you can get hockey sticks and helmets or sharpen your blades after skating across the parking lot.

Under the gleam of black lights, even teeth glow luminously, exposing the smiles of adventure-seekers as they putt mini-golf balls or set high-score records on arcade games at Fin's Glow Zone. The mini-golf course’s 18 holes come to life under glowing depictions of pirates, treasure, and spooky aquatic creatures such as sharks, giant octopi, and scuba-diving Bengal tigers. Inside the Balladium Ball Blaster, players compete for points amid a volley of foam balls throughout the neon playground. The private party room at Fin's hosts birthday celebrations, which can include pizza, arcade tokens, and trick candles that can only be extinguished after being doused in a gallon of milk.

The gleaming blades of ice skates glide across the smooth, subzero surface of Iceland Ice Skating Center’s rink as guests swish in circles or try out their fancy footwork. Skaters of all abilities can enroll in skating classes to master pinpoint turns, develop graceful pirouettes, or learn how to shave with a tightly fastened skate. Public-skate sessions give skaters freestyle time on the ice, and thumping beats and a phosphorescent ambiance spice up skate sessions during Disco Light Night. Kids aged 4 and older can climb into unique, safe bumper cars and glide on the ice at up to 5 miles per hour during bumper-car sessions, and shoe-wearing players can assemble for a game of broomball, a hockey-like game played with a broom instead of a stick and legions of frozen-solid dust bunnies instead of a puck.

At Racer's Edge Indoor Karting, staff members flap green and checkered flags to signal the beginning and end of go-karting competition. Drivers first attend a safety briefing and don protective helmets and neck guards, then hop behind the wheel of an electric Sodi go-kart that produces minimal noise and even more minimal milk. Holding up to eight of the eco-friendly speedsters at a time, the 2.5-mile indoor race has nine turns and trackside tables where friends and family members can cheer racers to the finish line. Afterward, participants can check two projection screens for their lap times or visit the facility's deli and refuel on quarter-pound beef hot dogs and freshly baked cookies. Racer's Edge stages group outings for birthday parties with activities such as slot car racing, corporate events, and herds of deer that are tired of never getting the right of way.

The Sylmar Olive Festival celebrates the harvest with a sampling of oils and recipes for olives, tasty food, and dancing to a diverse schedule of entertainment. On Saturday at 11 a.m., a 3-mile parade kicks off the festivities before wending its way to the park to watch the Folklorico Dancers and listen to old-school funk-infused sounds from the Positive Source Band. On Sunday, Radio Disney broadcasts live from the festival, where guests test their bellies in a burrito-eating contest accompanied by the festive sounds of a mariachi band. On Monday, feathered and furred wildlife stops by for a meet-and-greet, and the sass-talking car from Knight Rider rolls in to dazzle eyes and lament its separation from David Hasselhoff. A different car show will be featured each day. Throughout the fest, some 50 world-class chalk artists dazzlingly decorate the ground with modern and classical images throughout the park.