What started as a blog post on Father’s Day picnic spots in OC back in 2010 has morphed into my favorite picnic spots in OC! I know. I always recommend taking Father’s Day and any other holiday outdoors in Orange County. Please don’t limit yourself to this list! It’s just to get the ideas going. Pick somewhere close or go for a road trip. Just get outdoors! When I asked you for picnic recommendations in 2024, I didn’t get much input. In fact, I got more comments like: we don’t really picnic unless we go to concerts or movies in the park. So let’s start a new dinner picnic, breakfast picnic, o ..read more

I originally put together 6 summer activities for your family play calendar and over the years it’s turned into lots of summer fun lists for Orange County families. (If you aren’t able to be home with our kids over summer, click over to my post on OC Summer Camps with Outdoor Themes or just use this post to plan your summer activities on the weekends.) I’m a big proponent of free play and just hanging out. I don’t want you to overschedule your kids over the summer – but routines and predictability can help caregivers and kids overcome that “lost” feeling when you drop your form ..read more

Photos of Atlantis Play Center in Garden Grove say more about this park than I could ever relay in words. It’s funky, fun, and HUGE! The number one comment I hear from visitors is that Atlantis Play Center feels safe because the kids are contained and outsiders can’t come in without paying admission. In fact, the City website states “Adults are not allowed without kids, and kids are not allowed without adults.” Shuree recommended this park to me back in 2009. I’ll put Shuree’s insider info in italics: This is one of the best parks ever because of its size, ample shade, and famous sea dragon s ..read more

Cliff Drive Park in Newport Beach is such a fun little park right off Mariner’s Mile. It’s partially enclosed and settled in the space between Pacific Coast Highway below and a Newport Beach neighborhood above with peekaboo views of the harbor. Directions to Cliff Drive Park in Newport Beach: You can reach the park from below at Pacific Coast Highway to Riverside Drive. If you are coming from Pacific Coast Highway, it’s best if you turn around so you are coming down the hill to park on the same side of the street as the playground. Or you can come from above the playground and park along Cli ..read more

Marina Park in Newport Beach on the Balboa Peninsula is the first harbor-side playground on the Peninsula.   There is already Peninsula Park playground at the Balboa Pier (getting a 2024 re-do) and the smaller 38th Street Park and Newport Island Park, but as I predicted at the time of opening in 2015 — Marina Park now serves as a community hub for its location near the Balboa Fun Zone and upscale feel. Parking and Directions to Marina Park in Newport Beach The park is on the Newport Peninsula. There are so many ways to get here, but the 55 Freeway essentially dead-ends into Ne ..read more

Sometimes families face challenges planning their spring break family activities. If you have school-age kids, they’re home. If you don’t then you’re fighting crowds to do the things you normally do without competing with the droves of school kids. Here are 9 ideas for spring break activities away from the crowds. Check out my little inspirational video to get you going! I have a particularly vivid memory of driving the kids to Legoland during spring break — only to wait an HOUR to get into the park with cars lined up from the freeway. Then we waited an hour and a half to get on one rid ..read more

Back Bay Science Center in Newport Beach is open most Sundays for Community Days (Open House) from 10am to 2pm — making it the perfect destination or starting point for a bike ride along Back Bay Drive (Mountains to Sea Trail & Bikeway) to/from Big Canyon or Vista Point.  It’s an open house style event with tanks to see and volunteers to help guide you through the Center’s exhibits. Directions to Back Bay Science Center in Newport Beach: When driving, take Jamboree towards Balboa Island – and past the Hyatt Newport– turn right onto Back Bay Drive as if you were going to Newport Dune ..read more

Tamarisk Park in Lake Forest is tucked up in the foothills above Trabuco.  The park was upgraded in Summer 2014 to remove the old-fashioned metal merry-go-round from “the olden days” when we were kids to a new Landscape Structures plastic spinner which looks reminiscent of a jacuzzi tub.  I wonder what will happen when it rains? The new park also has shade covers and a new restroom which are nice additions. The whole reason why I visited this park in the first place back in 2011, was because we were out exploring parks in Mission Viejo when I asked some moms for advice.&n ..read more

In Orange County, wildflowers tend to bloom starting in March. In general, expect to see wildflower blooms from March-May. Not all spots are kid-friendly because some require long car rides, super steep or remote trails, or desert locations. The 2024 wildflower bloom should be pretty good with the rain we’ve had but we need to respect the trails and make sure they are dry before heading out. The media likes to blow wildflower bloom potential up into “SUPERBLOOM” status. Really? I get excited when I see ONE wildflower. It doesn’t take much to get me excited about it. Most of my photos in this ..read more

I love it when readers ask questions! Chances are — you are not the only one wondering about the answer.  Social media and the readers who follow me there have turned out to be an invaluable and instantaneous resource when I need answers to tough questions, like “How do I find parks with outdoor handball courts in Orange County?“ This one stumped me. I couldn’t think of ANY.  Oh no!  Social media community to the rescue. Just hearing about some of them jogged my memory.  Thanks to all who put on their thinking caps. North County Craig Regional Park in Fullerton (satellit ..read more