The Southern California Montane Botanic Garden and Children's Outdoor Discovery Center is known in our family as our "Annual Oak Glen Hike." Apple picking is optional! The main reason we go is to get out onto the family-friendly trails in fall. Why don't you come along with us? This is such a great … Continue Reading
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2018 Pumpkin Patch at Irvine Park Railroad
2018 Pumpkin Patch at Irvine Park Railroad - is a family tradition at Irvine Regional Park. Our family tries to visit every year. We always take … Continue reading
Best Outdoor Fall Family Traditions in OC 2018
October is my favorite month for families in Orange County! I made my picks of the best outdoor fall family traditions in OC based on the family … Continue reading
Play Trips and Park Tips
San Clemente Pirate Park for Yer Little Maties! (Forster Ranch Community Park)
San Clemente Pirate Park best describes Forster Ranch Community Park because of its deserted isle feel and pirate theme. There are palm trees, alligators and pirate ships. The safari Jeep is another favorite play piece. Directions to San Clemente Pirate Park: Exit I-5 at Avenida Vista Hermosa OR Camino de Estrella. The park is on Camino […]
Pioneer Road Park: Log Cabin Picnicking and Uncovered Wagons
Pioneer Road Park is probably best-known for its summer water play. Thanks so much to Mary for recommending this one! It’s not even on the map. My kids “oooh-ed” and “aaaah-ed” upon arrival at the brick-paved parking lot. Planners thought of every detail to make it feel like you’ve traveled back to pioneer days. From […]
Irvine Regional Park=4 Playgrounds + 1 Zoo + 1 Railroad + 1 Lake + Lots of Ponies
Irvine Regional Park is located in Orange, but you’ll pass through Tustin, Irvine, and Orange as you climb Jamboree to reach this massive regional park. I even filed it under all three cities since it’s close to them all and worth a little extra drive. You can get in with your OC Parks annual pass […]
Springdale Park in Aliso Viejo: Sharpen Your Spider Skills on Giant Webs
Springdale Park in Aliso Viejo is known by two other names: Spiderman Park or Spiderweb Park. Upon driving into the cul-de-sac that features the park, you can immediately tell why. I’ve seen parks with one climbing apparatus, but this is two webs weaved together in brilliant red rope. During Summer 2018, the park was transformed […]
Bauer Park in Huntington Beach: Almost-Gated and Beach-Close Playground
Bauer Park in Huntington Beach came to my attention by way of readers Tania and Robyn who commented on a Facebook post where I asked about “spiderweb parks.” Bauer Park definitely has a spiderweb and it’s one of the nicer parks in Huntington Beach – almost reminiscent of Peter Green Park. It’s surrounded by gated […]
Sunset Ridge Park in Newport Beach
We pass Sunset Ridge Park in Newport Beach all the time while driving on Coast Highway between Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. Do you know where the Jack in the Box is at the corner of Coast Highway and where you turn onto the Newport Peninsula at Balboa Blvd? Well, diagonally across that huge intersection is […]
10 Best Orange County Playgrounds (by Feature)
The 10 best playgrounds (by feature) in Orange County may not be the ones you’d expect. The idea for this post came to mind after I rode an awesome zip track at Ronald Reagan Park in Anaheim Hills. It was the BEST zip track I’ve been on in a while. “People need to know about this!” […]
17+ Family-Friendly Nature and Interpretive Centers in OC
Family-friendly nature centers are home to my favorite rangers and resource specialists. Our family loves our visits to these hubs of wilderness displays and outdoor enrichment. We can’t wait to put our hands on the interactive displays and Eagle Scout projects. We can stamp out animal tracks in the sand, pan for gold, see historical and archaeological […]