Let us give you the lay of the land and some ideas on how to use the site so
you get the most out of it.
Start with the RESOURCES and click on Activities & Family Fun to see all the things to do. If you are looking for child friendly places to eat, visit the Restaurant section.
You can find babysitters on our Classifieds and under Childcare. Click here for a list of Parks . If you are in need of baby equipment go under the Travel Page for a list of places that will deliver cribs, strollers and more to you.
Southern California is the proud home of the famous Disneyland Resort including not only Disneyland, but California Adventure (don't miss the Aladdin show and tours of the sourdough bread and Mission Tortilla factories - both are tucked away, educational and give free samples!) Our landmark theme parks are spectacular, but did you know we also have Adventure City? It's a 2-acre park that's perfect for younger children with short lines, rides and a petting zoo. Knott's Berry Farm has Camp Snoopy for toddlers and lots of rollercoaster fun for the older kids and adults. Families can "tag" each other at LaserQuest; or golf, hit the batting cages or ride bumper boats and go karts at Boomers. See the animals at the Santa Ana Zoo that lets you experience everything (including an elephant ride) in a few hours. The zoo even has "Breakfast with the Beasts" on Saturday mornings (call for details). Be sure to visit Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach where you can ride a carousel, Ferris wheel, bumper cars and a historic Balboa Ferry. Rainy day? Don't pass up a trip to Edwards 3-D IMAX Theater in Irvine. With a screen six stories high and ninety feet wide, you wear cool 3-D glasses (not the cheesy cardboard kind) and really feel like you're swimming with the fish or flying like an airplane.
With over twenty miles of beaches, there is never a shortage of fun-in-the-sun. Huntington Beach earns its nickname "Surf City, USA" with summer competitions in surfing, skateboarding, and BMX and its hip, young crowds frequenting the shops and restaurants. Head a few minutes north on Pacific Coast Highway to find Seal Beach. This beach town has a wonderful small-town feel to it. You can fish, fly kites, eat at Ruby's on the pier or check out the specialty shops and restaurants along tree-lined Main Street. Tide pools are a fantastic way to enjoy the beach and learn about sea life at the same time. Doheny State Beach has some wonderful tide pools where you can camp, too and Corona Del Mar gives tide pool tours (reservations required). RV camping is permitted at Bolsa Chica State Beach..sit under the stars and roast marshmallows in their fire pits. For the ultimate in beach camping, head straight for the dunes - Newport Dunes Resort Marina. Here, you'll find a waveless lagoon for toddlers, water sport rentals, movies on the beach and more. Be sure to visit Laguna Beach with its bustle of shops, art and culture. It is truly an artist's paradise. Laguna is host to the Sawdust Festival, Pageant of the Master's, and Festival of Arts in the summer. Finally, head to Newport for the trendy beach-life and upscale shopping at Fashion Island. For more detail on all of our beach cities click here.
Orange County has something for every palette, from fine dining to fast food and everything in between. Places like PoFolks and the Old Spaghetti Factory have home-style cooking and a family atmosphere. Want to try something different? Little Saigon in Westminster is a mile-long stretch of Bolsa Avenue with many delicious, inexpensive Vietnamese restaurants. Ruby's is a tasty place to eat with its vintage diner appeal. The best part is that several are at the end of a pier (Balboa, Huntington, Seal Beach) and have amazing views of the ocean. Sports fans coming for a visit must go to the ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney. There are even televisions in the bathrooms so you don't miss a play! In the mood for seafood? Joe's Crab Shack is in Garden Grove, Newport Beach and Long Beach and is lively fun for the whole family. Many great places to eat also include some form of entertainment. The Rainforest Café offers a total ‘dining in the jungle' experience. With good food, realistic gorillas, elephants, thunder and waterfalls, if you have a noisy family this is the place to go...you'll fit right in! For a full show with dinner, try Medieval Times, Pirate's Dinner Adventure, or Elizabeth Howard's Curtain Call Dinner Theater. A trip up the hill is worthwhile to have dinner at the Orange County Mining Company. Feel just like a miner with real mining décor and artifacts, but the hidden find is really the view of the Orange County lights at night.
Cultural and educational activities abound in Southern California. Take the Metrolink to Los Angeles to see Olvera Street as a daytrip and explore L.A.'s historic culture. The La Habra Children's Museum is housed in a renovated Union Pacific railroad depot where you can explore a real train car, train room, and dress up area. Discovery Science Center features more than 100 hands-on exhibits and is not far from the Bower's Museum of Cultural Art. For some gorgeous photo backgrounds, visit the Fullerton Arboretum with its beautiful botanical gardens. There is a historic home on the grounds to tour and they host many special events throughout the year. Tucked away in the same center as Adventure City and Hobby City, is the Doll and Toy Museum with over 5,000 rare and antique dolls (see it while you can, as the grounds are rumored to be closing). Prefer water sports to dolls? See the Huntington Beach Surfing Museum celebrating surf culture or the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum showcasing a variety of model ships and early Californian artifacts. Just down the road is the Newport Sports Museum filled with a vast array of signed memorabilia. Take scenic PCH south to the Ocean Institute and Mission San Juan Capistrano, founded more than 200 years ago. There are many choices available for live entertainment; the Laguna Playhouse features excellent children's theater and the Orange County Performing Arts Center hosts a variety of performance types (if you're here during the winter, don't miss their fabulous holiday programs). Finally, a trip to the Richard Nixon Presidential Library is a wonderful educational opportunity for any family. It features beautiful gardens, galleries, and a treasure hunt that helps kids enjoy the museum. You can also see Nixon's childhood home and view interesting Gifts of State.
Southern Californians love the outdoors, and with nice weather pretty much year-round, you can usually do what you want when you want. Whether you'd like to rent a kayak or take a gondola ride, our beach areas are full of amenities. South Orange County offers many acres of natural preserves; one being the Rancho Mission Viejo Land Conservancy with over 1200 acres of preserved wilderness. The Bolsa Chica Wetlands offers many glimpses of waterfowl and birds. Kids programs and tours are plentiful in our natural areas, so be sure to call ahead to make a reservation if needed. Bring or rent bicycles to travel down beach city boardwalks or cruise the Santa Ana River Bike Trail that runs from Yorba Linda Regional Park to Huntington Beach. Kids 8 and older can horseback ride through Irvine Regional Park, a huge 477 acre park with a train ride and hiking/mountain bike trails. Atlantis Play Center in Garden Grove is perfect for a picnic with a large, enclosed play area and several playgrounds. During the summer, don't miss trips to Wild Rivers water park and Adventure Playgrounds (mud parks, bring a change of clothes) in Huntington Beach and Irvine. There are some fantastic skate parks sprouting up all over the Orange County. Check out www.socalskateparks.com or try the ultimate, Vans Skate Park in Orange. Try looking at Southern California from thousands of feet in the air. Kids 8 years and older can ride in a real jet fighter and experience 6 G's just like the real pilots at Air Combat USA in Fullerton.
Twitter
Facebook
RSS