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 … Continue Reading
Popular Posts
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 … Continue reading
Splash Parks and Water Play in Orange County
Orange County Splash Parks and Water Play Updated for Summer 2018 One of Fun Orange County Parks' regular readers asked about local "spray … Continue reading
Play Trips and Park Tips
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 […]
Why I Ugly Sobbed for You and Your Children at the C&NN Leadership Summit
Okay, I admit, it was mortifying. The ugly sobbing. But I’ll get to that in a bit. I came to the Children and Nature Network International Leadership Summit with a singular goal. I sacrificed my own money — the $368 conference fee, my $200 plane ticket, and my $800-for-3-nights hotel room. Not to mention time […]
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 […]
Cordova Park in Mission Viejo
Longtime reader, Jennifer, told me about Cordova Park in Mission Viejo getting an upgrade in June 2018. I didn’t even have the old playground on my blog. It’s a nice park right next to Carl Hankey Elementary and Middle School. It’s not a playground you’d drive by unless you lived in the neighborhood or really […]
Family-Friendly Walks near Dana Point Harbor (with Route Maps)
Family-friendly walks near Dana Point Harbor definitions depend a little on your family’s ability level and patience for long walks. These 5 walks are a mixture of streets, walking trails and urban hiking in the area, but it’s hard to get these maps across in words. So this post is an experiment in maps. Each map gives […]
7 Beach Playgrounds Right in the Sand
I never realized how many OC beach playgrounds we actually have for playing right in the sand! But, then again, why am I surprised with so many Orange County beaches suited for families? Years ago, I wrote up a similar list for the family travel website Trekaroo.com. You should check them out if you’re planning […]