18 Summer Activities Lists for Family Fun in Orange County
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These summer fun lists will help you find the best family-friendly and kid-friendly summer activities in Orange County including: parks, beaches, beach playgrounds, libraries, summer trolleys, splash parks, accessible parks, and beach restaurants that work for families.
We'll also explore posts about things to do with kids in the beach cities of Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente.
Finally, I'll share a few How To posts about what to bring to the beach and where to picnic and barbecue for meals outdoors.
You'll find gems in this post from:
There are 6 trolleys running in Orange County during summer months. Get all the info you need to ride them this summer!
Hint: If you are local and it's your first time riding, you can try without the kids first to get a feel for it and come in more confident for the rest of the summer!
The photo says 7, but there are more! I know of one undergoing a renovation and others in the works, but you will get a good idea of what's out there and available by reading this post about all the beach playgrounds in Orange County!
We have so many new options in this Universally Accessible playgrounds or All-Inclusive playgrounds category for Summer 2024. Cities are learning that these playgrounds and the amenities that come with them are preferred for all abilities.
This list with photos highlights the playgrounds with BIG shades or overlapping shade sails over the entire playground.
There are playgrounds out there with smaller shade sails over the equipment, but that might only be adequate for sun cover and not as much for keeping cool? I do have a list of those at the end of this post.
I think this is the MOST UNDERRATED post on my entire blog. I spent so much time writing this and I can't wait to fill it out even more. I need to add in more options from Newport Beach north including the beach eats at Bolsa Chica State Beach (but I think that will come soon in early summer!). In the meantime, you'll find beach restaurants in San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach (south of the harbor entrance). Stay tuned for more!
Read all the cautions that go along with still water beaches, but these are the ones readers have shared with me over the years!
This one is new for Summer 2024 after being created in February. Send me your ideas and I can add to the list! Hurray for a summer of toddler play!
Did you know there are over 50 public libraries in Orange County to explore? So many have Free Summer Reading programs and other reasons to explore them over this summer. This is quite possibly the ONLY list of them ALL along with:
An important note about Nature Center hours of operation! Save yourself time by calling ahead to make sure the hours listed are actually the hours for the day you are visiting. Some locations have private events in these spaces OR many of these centers listed have hours that are 100% contingent on volunteers to staff the location, so they can change at the last minute!
I always like to have a Plan B before I go and I tried to list what's nearby under the nature centers below so you WILL have that as an alternative.
Please be aware that you should always check official sources before you go!
In summer, it's nice to spend time in the beach cities. From playgrounds to nature centers to beaches, Newport Beach is the epitome of California tourism. It’s the perfect place to be outdoors with your family.
Newport Beach feels like multiple cities because it is spread over a large section of the coast. In fact, Corona del Mar is a neighborhood of the city, even though it sounds like its own city, as are Balboa Island, Balboa Peninsula, and Newport Coast.
Another beach city! All these ideas are designed to be very simple and hopefully easy to access without a lot of trouble! When something costs $, I’ve tried to add an alternative that is free.
There are so many hikes, walks, and things to do for families visiting Dana Point Harbor. Here are all my play ideas for near the coast and in the vicinity of the harbor.
Here is a list of 12 kid friendly things to do in San Clemente. Orange County's southernmost beach city.
This is how to do the beach without a wagon. You need less than you think!
How to grill near the beach resources with location ideas for a dinner picnic and even links to recipes!
This post has ideas for picnic spots near:
And also with a list of ideas of food to bring or recipes to make!
This is the one thing on my summer fun list that is NOT free or low cost. However, it is useful if you are looking for some outdoor summer camps in a list.
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You’ve got questions and we can’t wait to answer them.
