As a local, I am so excited to share all the great things to do with kids in Orange County with Trekaroo readers. Whether you are a fellow Orange County resident or planning your own OC vacation, this guide is sure to be a great resource for your family.
In addition to things to do, this guide is filled with great hotel suggestions for families, tips on where to eat, and even day trip ideas.
Fun Things to do in Orange County with Kids
Have a Beach Day
Newport Beach
Hands down, one of the best things to do in Orange County with kids is have a day at the beach. Orange County is home to 42 miles of coastline and dozens of great beaches to enjoy.
If you are looking for the classic Southern California beach day, head to Huntington State Beach . This wide stretch of sand is a great place to build sandcastles, play in the water, enjoy a game of beach volleyball, ride bikes on the trail that borders the sand, stroll the pier, and watch surfers hang ten. Newport Beach is also very nice and offers a similar experience.
The sand around San Clemente Pier and T Street Beach is a great place to enjoy the classic SoCal beach experience in the southern portion of Orange County. There is great surfing on the north side of the pier and boogie boarding on the south end. There is also plenty of sand for the kids to play on, and lots of food options within walking distance of your beach umbrella.
If you are looking for an amazing beach for family photos, check out Treasure Island Beach in Laguna Beach. This beach is incredibly scenic and even has a sandstone arch. It sits just below the famed Montage Laguna Beach .
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I could go on and on about the great beaches in Orange County, but we have a great article about the best beaches in Southern California that you can read instead.
Explore Tide Pools
Alright, I lied. I am going to keep going on and on about our Orange County beaches because they are great! One of my families favorite things to do at the beach when the water is too cold for swimming is explore tide pools.
Little Corona Del Mar Beach is my favorite place to go tide pooling in all of Orange County . Large tide pools filled with anemones, urchins, crabs, and star fish line this small stretch of beach tucked away off a residential street in Corona Del Mar.
As your kids walk further down the beach and climb up and over the rocks, they will be delighted to find a sea cave or two .
Main Beach in Laguna Beach sits like a jewel at the end of Laguna Canyon, beckoning families to enjoy a stroll on the boardwalk and swim in the aqua waters.
It has some tide pools at the north end of the beach that are good to explore when the tides are low. There are often docents out with tide pool identification charts to loan visitors. Art galleries and restaurants line the downtown area across the street from the beach.
Crystal Cove is home to tide pools filled with marine life like hermit crabs, seas anemones, sea urchins, and limpets. Docent-led tide pool expeditions make for wonderfully educational family outings.
Crystal Cove State Park is one of my favorite beaches because it is preserved to look just as it did 100 years ago. There are even restored beach cottages on the sand that you can rent from the state park!
Sea lions and dolphins can be seen frolicking because the water here is nearly translucent. Grab an ice cream shake at Ruby’s Shake Shack overlooking the historic district of Crystal Cove and discover why this is a favorite beach for Orange County locals.
Headed south? Here are our favorite things to do in San Diego with kids .
Learn to Surf
Surfing is a huge part of Orange County culture and kids grow up attending surf camps and Junior Lifeguard programs in the summer. There are quite a few great places to learn how to surf in Orange County and lots of great programs for families.
My favorite beach for kids to learn how to surf is Doheny State Beach because of the long shore break and smaller waves . Girl in the Curl is a great female-led company that teaches kids to surf beginning as young as age five.
My kids have also taken lessons at the beach adjacent to San Clemente Pier, a great place to learn how to surf.
Huntington Beach, aka Surf City, is another popular spot to take surf lessons . There are several outfitters ready to get eager water lovers up on the boards. Wetsuits and boards are provided because the SoCal waters can be a bit chilly depending on the currents.
If you happen to be in Orange County during the end of July or beginning of August, you will definitely want check out the US Open of Surfing which takes place annually in Huntington Beach . It is so fun to check out the pros in action and there are usually BMX and skateboarding events to help round out the fun.
Celebrate Art at Pageant of the Masters and Sawdust Art Festival
Laguna Beach has long been known as a haven for artists, and galleries with ocean views line the downtown area. Most kids don’t have the patience for endless hours of strolling art galleries, but they will love the hands-on fun of the Sawdust Art Festival .
This annual festival takes place most of the summer in Laguna Canyon, and has a sister festival, Winter Fantasy, that takes place during the holiday season.
In addition to great art, jewelry, and assorted trinkets for sale, the festival also has lots of free classes available for everyone ages seven and up. Classes include art forms such as painting, printmaking, and mixed media.
There is also a ceramic center where artists will help kids make their own pottery masterpieces for free. For a small fee they will fire your pot or vase and have it shipped directly to your house when it is done.
Pageant of the Masters is one of those experience that has to be seen to be truly believed. Locals get made up and pose to look exactly like famous painting and statues. It is truly remarkable to see what looks to be characters in a famous oil painting suddenly move to remind you that they are, in fact, real people!
The Pageant of the Masters is held in an outdoor amphitheater and has a professional orchestra and live narration to go along with the intricate sets. Since this amazing experience does require kids to sit quietly in an audience for 90 minutes, it is best suited for kids eight and up.
Learn Via Hands-on Science at Discovery Cube OC Science Center
What kid doesn’t love a good hands-on science museum? Discovery Cube OC is the region’s largest museum for children and is dedicated to helping kids learn through a wide variety interactive exhibits.
Highlights include a virtual helicopter tour of Orange County, a Science of Hockey exhibit, a water lab that kids can’t seem to get enough of, and the infamous bed of nails. Be sure to make time to head outside and explore the dinosaur-themed play area as well.
Experience Thrills and Food at Knotts Berry Farm
For 100 years, Knotts Berry Farm has been an Orange County mainstay. It began as an actual farm where the Knott family sold their berries, pies, and jams at a roadside stand. Add in some famous fried chicken, a replica ghost town, and a bunch of rides, and suddenly, the Knott family had a theme park!
Today, Knott’s Berry Farm is known for its thrilling roller coasters, Camp Snoopy kiddie rides for the little ones, and its annual Boysenberry Festival filled with amazing food. And, of course, there is still that amazing fried chicken.
If you happen to visit during October with teens who loves a good fright, you definitely won’t want to miss Knott’s Scary Farm which is filled with haunted houses and plenty of opportunities to get the daylight scared out of you!
During the summer months, Knott’s Soak City is a great place to cool off on a hot day. This 15-acre waterpark has two dozen waterslides, a lazy river, huge wave pool, and three-story water play structure.
Visiting during the holidays? Check out Knotts Merry Farm! It is one of several great experiences highlighted in our article about the best Christmas events in Orange County .
Enjoy a Meal and a Show at Medieval Times and Pirate Adventure
Medieval Times by WikimediaCommons/Boris Kasimov
There are two different dinner shows in Buena Park, near Knott’s Berry Farm, that are great experiences for families.
Watch knights joust and fight it out on their mighty steeds during the two-hour show at Medieval Times . This dinner show is wildly popular with families and includes a four-course meal. Every kids loves a meal that they can eat with their hands and at Medieval Times, that is encouraged.
If pirates are more your things, check out Pirates Dinner Adventure . The show is set on a pirate ship in the center of a lagoon (seating is around it in the arena). It features stunts and plenty of swashbuckling swordplay along with a princess and a mermaid.
Like Medieval Times, the prices of admission does include a four-course dinner, and there are special diet accommodations available.
Kayak the Newport Back Bay
Kids as young as eight can paddle alongside an adult in the Back Bay’s saltwater estuary, home to a wide variety of birds and endangered species. Kayaks can be rented from the Newport Aquatic Center . Guided tours led by the Newport Bay Conservancy are available on weekends.
If your kids aren’t old enough to kayak, you can still enjoy the beauty of the Back Bay. The Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center is free to visit and features nice exhibits where kids of all ages can learn about the estuary, its inhabitants, and its importance to the ecosystem. There is also special programming for toddlers and preschoolers.
After you visit the center, head towards the water and walk a portion of the 11-mile Back Bay Loop trail. It is also a great place to ride a bike.
Make a Splash at the Newport Dunes Inflatable Water Park
Newport Dunes Resort is a resort on Upper Newport Bay which hosts RV and cottage stays, but many of the resort’s incredible amenities are open for day use as well.
Families can rent duffy boats, kayaks, and even paddle boards that light up so you can explore the bay at night! They also host outdoor movies on the bay all summer long which are popular with locals and visitors alike.
The most popular experience offered at Newport Dunes is the inflatable water park set up on the bay every summer. This inflatable water park is the largest in all of Southern California and has all sorts of water trampolines, slides, and inflatable structures to climb on.
Get Dirty at Adventure Playground Huntington Beach or Irvine
Adventure Playground Huntington Beach
There are regular old playgrounds with swings and slides, and then there is Adventure Playground Huntington Beach . This amazing play space is designed to encourage kids to play hard and get dirty.
There is a fort building area (complete with hammers and real nails), a slide where kids can slide down a wet tarp into a pool of muddy water, a rope bridge, and even rafts that kids can paddle across a shallow pool with sticks.
Tennis shoes are required and a change of clothes is highly recommended. The playground is designed for kids ages 5-12 and only open during the summer months. There is a small fee for entry.
Irvine has its own Adventure Playground as well. This playground is a bit more civilized, but still has plenty of opportunities to get wet and dirty. It is open year round so if Adventure Playground HB is closed, head here instead.
There is a castle play structure with sand toys, concrete slides, a very shallow muddy pond to play in, giant building blocks to construct whatever their imagination dreams up, climbing poles, and even an art space.
These types of Adventure Playgrounds are quite rare in the United States. There are only nine in total and Orange County is proud to host two of them, so if your kids haven’t had a chance to enjoy this kinds of unstructured play before, make it a priority.
Enjoy Some Old Fashioned Fun on the Balboa Peninsula
Photo via Visit Newport Beach
Take the tiny car ferry from Balboa Island to the Balboa Peninsula, home of the Balboa Fun Zone, some great beaches, and the Balboa Pier.
The car ferry is a a thrill unto itself because it is very small and low to the water, so it almost feels like you are driving across the bay yourself! You can also park on Balboa Island and take the ferry as a passenger for just $1.25 for adults or 50 cents for kids 11 and under.
Make sure to grab a frozen banana from one of the stands on Balboa Island or on the Balboa Peninsula. They are a Balboa mainstay and are especially well known after they were featured in Arrested Development .
The Balboa Fun Zone is an old-fashioned amusement area that has been around since the 1930s. There are a few rides, including the popular Ferris Wheel, as well as an arcade.
West of the Fun Zone, families will find a playground on the beach and a great stretch of sand near the Balboa Pier. At the end of the pier is Ruby’s , a classic 1940’s-themed diner with great burgers and shakes (my favorite is the peanut butter cup shake).
Ride the Balloon at the Great Park
After El Toro Marine Corps Air Station was decommissioned in 1999, a debate immediately began over what to do with the 4,682 acres of prime Irvine real estate. Some wanted an airport, but most wanted green spaces and a wonderful park that would be a highlight of the region.
Ultimately, much of the acreage went to housing (sigh), but 1300 acres were set aside to build the Orange County Great Park.
The most well-known attraction at the park is the Great Park Balloon , a bright orange tethered helium balloon that soars 400 feet above Orange County. The balloon is open to riders of all ages and offers 40-mile views in all directions on a clear day.
Next to the balloon is the Great Park Carousel , a fun ride for little ones at only $3 a ride. Note: the carousel is closed for refurbishments until Fall 2021.
Next to the balloon and carousel is a large playground which has several play structures as well as a zip line. There are also dozens of pristine sports fields that are much nicer than those you and I grew up playing on!
Another great attraction at the OC Great Park is the Food & Farm Lab which has a variety of themed raised-bed gardens, fruit trees, vertical gardening, a worm compost bin, and even chickens. It is a great place to learn about where food comes from and discover how your family can grow food in small spaces.
The Palm Court Arts Complex is home to the Great Park Gallery, Great Park Artist Studios, and Hangar 244. The gallery features rotating exhibitions. There is also a walkable timeline that was built on one of the old taxiways of the Air Station that highlights major events of the 1940s.
If you happen to visit the park on a Sunday don’t miss the Farmer’s Market that runs from 10-2PM and features farm fresh goods, locally crafted items, and food trucks.
Splash the Day Away at Wild Rivers
My grandfather once served at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station so it was pretty special to see my kids get hir4ed for their first job at Wild Rivers which was built on the former Marine Station land inside of the Great Park.
Wild Rivers is the best water park in Orange County, and it continues to expand and get better with each season. It is typically open from late May through September. There are over 15 slides to enjoy plus a wave pool and a lazy river.
They provide life jackets for young children and have a special play area just for them! There are also cabanas for rent, special events throughout the summer, and great discounts for seniors.
Go for a Hike
One of my favorite things about living in Orange County is the incredible access to nature that we have. There are so many great trails for families, from wilderness park adventures to hikes with amazing coastal views.
Here are a few of my family’s favorite places to hike in Orange County:
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
This park is located in Laguna Canyon and has a number of great trails. Our favorite hike is a 3.5-mile loop combining Willow Canyon and Laurel Canyon.
Crystal Cove State Park
This park has great beaches and trails, so work up a sweat in the hills above the ocean before descending into Moro Canyon and then cooling off in the water. We like the 2-mile No Dogs Trail/Moro Canyon loop.
San Clemente Beach Trail
The San Clemente Beach Trail is a great dog-friendly walk along several beaches in San Clemente. There is very little elevation change and a couple different food stands along the way to stop for snacks.
The trail begins at the North Beach Metrolink Station and ends at San Clemente State Beach and is 2.3 miles in length. Pick it up at either of those locations or near the San Clemente Pier and walk for as long as you like.
Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park
Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park is located in Lake Forest, and is a popular spot for hiking and mountain biking. Take the Borrego Canyon Trail to the Red Rock Canyon Trail which ends at a canyon that looks like it is in Moab instead of OC.
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
Brown Pelican at Bolsa Chica
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is a protected wetland in Huntington Beach. It is a great place to observe wildlife. The Slough Trail is a 1.5 mile loop with no elevation gain. It starts with a long wooden bridge that provides great observation of the water below. We have seen sharks in the wetlands on more than one occasion!
Aliso and Woods Canyons Wilderness Park
This wilderness park is hidden in between Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach. Kids especially love taking the trail to Dripping Cave, an old hideout for stagecoach robbers. There are rocks with nooks and crannies to explore and climb along the way.
Take the Train to Mission San Juan Capistrano
Kids love trains and parents love any opportunity to bring history to life. Make everyone happy by riding the Metrolink train to Mission San Juan Capistrano from various stops around Orange County, including Anaheim and Irvine.
The train station is located right across the street from the Mission in a charming neighborhood filled with restaurants and fun little tourist shops.
Mission San Juan Capistrano is known as the “Jewel of the Missions” and dates back to 1776 which is ancient history by California standards. There is an audio tour especially designed for kids and there are usually hands-on demonstrations (like make your own adobe brick) on weekends and holidays.
Watch the Angels and Ducks Play
Orange County is home to two professional sports teams with big followings- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Anaheim Ducks.
While many of us OC locals find it incredibly annoying that they renamed the Angels to associate them with LA, they are still very much an Orange County team with a dedicated following.
Angels games are incredibly family friendly with themed days, fireworks during summer evenings, and opportunities for kids to run the bases on select dates.
The Anaheim Ducks are equally beloved, and watching their games is a great family outing. There is usually a fan zone set up in front of the ice rink before games where kids can play games. There really isn’t a bad seat at the Honda Center where the Ducks play, and the constant action keeps everyone entertained.
Looking for an adult-only evening? Check out these things for couples to do in Anaheim .
Go Whale Watching
Every winter gray whales embark on a great migration from the Northern Pacific down to their birthing grounds in the waters off Baja Mexico. During this journey they pass through the waters off Orange County, making it a prime destination for whale watching.
Dana Point is a hub for whale watching activity. Gray whales use Dana Point, a cliff protruding out towards the sea, as a migration marker on their journey to Baja. Dana Point hosts the Festival of Whales during the first two weekends in March every year.
Summer is prime season to see the blue whales, the largest animals on the planet! Throughout the year fin whales (the second largest whales), minke whales, humpback whales, dolphins, sea lions, and even the occasional orca can be spotted.
