Reading · OC Tiny Hikes · RSS Amplifier

We’re at Week 9 of Summer Play Trips, so after this we only have one summer-themed newsletter left! I included this photo because I’ve only been lucky enough to see it once because it only happens during summer. They blast Beach Boys music and the laughter and thrills from kids and adults is so sweet.

I’m going to get right into the Play News first this week because there’s a lot to share! Thank you to those of you who message me about park or play news everyone should know. It really helps keep us all informed.

Michele

As a friendly reminder, make sure you ALWAYS check official sources when you are heading out to any of the locations I share. These are merely suggestions. Only you know what works for your family. Plus, your experience may not be the same as mine — and there can be changes to the hours or unforeseen circumstances or conditions at the suggested locations.

In last week’s section on wandering malls, I included Westminster Mall (which is very much CLOSED and even being demolished the last time I drove by!). I copied/pasted that sentence from one of my posts. Big thanks to Bethany for alerting me of the mistake. I changed it in the published newsletter on Substack and in the original post.

The surf is up again and beach cities are warning about the high surf and hazards through Sunday (at least on Instagram - I’ve been sharing in my Stories).

New entry fees for non-residents at Yorba Linda Adventure Playground. I don’t even have this particular playground on my website because of how often they change rules, hours, and access. So always, always check the OFFICIAL WEBSITE before you go. Thanks to Melissa for alerting me to this change!

You know that I have been writing about parks in OC for 18+ years? For most of those years, this playground had zero public access. It was only available to the campers during summer. So it was a refreshing departure to make it open to the public since 2023 when the new playground opened. The reservation system and non-resident payment structure (“all rates are flat rates for 1 to 8 people” and non refundable) definitely puts up barriers to non-resident access.

I moved it to the “Pay for Water Play” section of my splash pad guide.

Portola Park splash pad opened this past weekend. It’s the first one for the city! And I just added the hours to my splash pad guide. This one is free.

June – August: open daily, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
May & September: open weekends only, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

(Not to be confused with Portola Springs Park in Irvine or Portola Park in Lake Forest.)

Oh my goodness! I remember night hikes especially at 6th grade camp and I’ve been at a couple as an adult. The City of Irvine is offering this opportunity at Bommer Canyon for kids ages 5-12 years old.

Explore the trail with flashlights and friends. Enjoy a pizza dinner, popcorn, make-your-own dessert, and a ton of fun. Closed-toe shoes required.

Two classes coming up! Friday, July 24 and Friday, August 7. They both run from 6pm-10pm. The cost is $42/child.

To register you can go to www.yourirvine.org and type in “Kids Only Pizza & Night Hike” or search by code. The code for July 24 is 140520 and for August 7 is 140521.

There are HOAs and cities like Ladera Ranch that have next level splash pads, but as for free & public splash opportunities, Fullerton wins when it comes to quantity with 4 splash pads each.

Fullerton actually has an info page about their spray pools.

Lemon Park Spray Pool at Maple Neighborhood Center in Fullerton is near the Fullerton AMC and Costco. Open during summer.
Adlena Park has a summer spray pool.
Valencia Park has a wading pool.
Downtown Plaza - this one is open daily in summer from 10 a.m. to sunset.