18 Summer Activities Lists for Family Fun in Orange County

by Michele Whiteaker

I originally put together 6 summer activities for your family play calendar and over the years it’s turned into lots of 18 summer family 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 formal school year schedule.

Let’s start with 18 Lists for Mostly Free and Kid-Friendly Summer Fun in Orange County . . .

18 Lists for Kid-Friendly Summer Fun in Orange County

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.

Splash Parks and Water Play in Orange County

You'll find gems in this post from:

Free splash fountains list
Pay for water play list
Southern California water theme parks
Smaller scale water play for locals
Community pools and public swim programs
Southern California hotels with waterslides or water play

6 Free Trolleys in Orange County and How to Ride Them

There are 6 trolleys running in Orange County during summer months. Get all the info you need to ride them this summer!

San Clemente Trolley (open air)
San Juan Capistrano Summer Weekend Trolley
Dana Point Trolley
Laguna Niguel Summer Trolley (enclosed van shuttle)
Laguna Beach Trolley (open air)
Balboa Peninsula Trolley in Newport Beach

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!

Beach Playgrounds Right in the Sand

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!

Accessible 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.

Full Shade Covered Playgrounds in Orange County

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.

2024 Best Beach Restaurants in Orange County (Family Friendly)

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!

6 Best Toddler Beaches with No Waves

Read all the cautions that go along with still water beaches, but these are the ones readers have shared with me over the years!

30+ Best Toddler Friendly Parks in Orange County

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!

50+ Public Libraries in Orange County

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:

A list of all library systems in OC
Where you can check out/return books
Which libraries have a "Library of Things" to borrow (like sewing machines, park passes, board games, musical instruments, and more)
How to check out that CA State Parks Library Pass (and the best state parks where to use that pass)
Which libraries have a Friends of the Library bookstore
How to pair a trip to a public library with a trip to a park using my park map

17+ Nature Centers in Orange County

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!

19 Kid Friendly Things to Do Near Newport Beach

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.

12 Laguna Beach Day Trip Ideas for Families

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.

Kid Friendly Things to Do Near Dana Point Harbor

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.

12 Ways to Play All Day Near San Clemente

Here is a list of 12 kid friendly things to do in San Clemente. Orange County's southernmost beach city.

Beach Trips: What To Bring To The Beach and How One Parent Can Carry It All

This is how to do the beach without a wagon. You need less than you think!

How to Barbecue Near the Beach: Places and Tips for Grilling in OC

How to grill near the beach resources with location ideas for a dinner picnic and even links to recipes!

Picnic Spots in OC by Theme

This post has ideas for picnic spots near:

playgrounds on the sand
views of the shore
near a nature walk
by a lake

And also with a list of ideas of food to bring or recipes to make!

2024 OC Summer Camps with Outdoor Themes

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.

And here are the original 6 activity ideas which refer back to some of the posts above!

6 Basic Summer Activity Ideas for Your Family Calendar

#1 – “One Fun Thing”

Fellow writer, and local mom, Alii Goedecke inspires me with her One Fun Thing ideas. Her book is “the story of a family discovering it just takes One Fun Thing to brighten any day.” My family was living this lifestyle before we met Alii and read her book — but she finally put it into words for us! You don’t really need to plan anything to put this into effect. Just wake up in the morning and figure out where you can squeeze your One Fun Thing into your day. Get her book and be inspired by her story!

#2 – Beach Days

I spent 5 summers adventuring out on Beach Days with a group of other moms and their kids. It started as a way to try 10 new beaches in one summer. However, after our first year, we narrowed it down to our favorites and rotated between the group’s favorite 3 beaches. I made up the calendar at the beginning of the summer. Then everybody knew the schedule and could factor it into their family travel and summer camp activities. No one had to RSVP or do any planning. We would just show up (or not).

#3 – Water Play Days (Water Park, Community Pool, Pool at a Family or Friend’s House)

You have to be much more watchful and supervise the kids in a water-filled setting. Consult my updated 2024 Splash Parks and Water Play post for ideas. It doesn’t have to be a different pool every week – you can pick the same pool and the kids will love it!

I used to be a swim teacher and a lifeguard. I also wrote an in-depth magazine article on summer water safety where I interviewed parents whose children had accidentally drowned. If you remember nothing else from my post, remember this:

Children under 4 years old MUST be within arm’s reach of you when they are in the water.
NEVER take your eyes off of children when they are swimming – it’s not a time to read or play with your phone.

I see parents disregard these important safety measures all the time when I am in the water. Your vigilance can save your child’s life!

#4 – Nature Center Days or Animal Encounter Days

I have a post about 17+ nature centers in or near Orange County that will more than fill these themed days over the summer. Many can be paired with short nature walks right outside the nature centers. Add in OC Zoo, Santa Ana Zoo, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, and maybe the Ocean Institute – and you have over 20 days (or 2 days per week) of outdoorsy things to do.

#5 – Field Trip Days or Guided Programs

These are the days you go further afield — up to LA or down to SD. I recommend driving about 9am and returning by 2pm so you don’t get stuck in traffic. I might even concentrate on a theme – like Gardens or Lakes. You could hit Huntington Gardens, LA Arboretum, San Diego Botanical Gardens, etc. and spread it out in field trips all summer long. Sometimes, participating in a FREE guided program close to home can be just as new an experience as traveling miles out of your way. We are so lucky to have free activity listings for Orange County at LetsGoOutside.org.

#6 – Park Days

Good old-fashioned park days are the best. Stick close to home if you are wiped out and let the kids expend some energy. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, check out the park map and try somewhere new. Each marker links back to a park post.