10 Things To Do With Kids at the Carlsbad Flower Fields

By: socalwithkids • This site contains affiliate links.

10 Things To Do With Kids at The Carlsbad Flower Fields

The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch are a fun place to visit with kids! There are lots of activities, most of which are included with admission.

1. Enjoy A Passport Stamping Activity

When kids enter, they’re given a booklet, titled The Flower Fields Passport. Take the Passport to different numbered stations found around the property and stamp the corresponding number in the booklet. It’s a fun activity that gets kids engaged with their surroundings.

2. Take An Antique Tractor Wagon Ride

Take an audio narrated antique tractor wagon ride around the ranunculus fields! This fun ride stops at the top of the fields and allows you to hop off to walk around. You can hop back on another tractor that comes by to enjoy the remainder of the ride. The tractor ride is an additional fee, but a great way to learn the history of the fields, and see some areas not as easily accessible by foot.

3. Walk Through A Sweet Pea Maze

Walk through a fun sweet pea maze! The maze is located below the ranunculus fields, past the Poinsettia building. Go through the maze as many times as you wish, as it’s included with admission!

4. Play at Santa’s Playground

Santa’s Playground is a super cute area. Here you’ll find playground equipment, some neat little play houses, benches for seating, and larger-than-life mushrooms once found at Santa’s Village in Lake Arrowhead. It’s a great place for kids to run around!

5. Try Gem Panning

Try gem panning! The gem panning activity is an additional fee, but fun, and you get to keep whatever you pan! Present your fully stamped Flower Fields Passport to the attendant, and get $1 off the activity. (Don’t worry, they’ll also let you keep the Passport!)

6. Take Pictures In a Beautiful Setting

The Flower Fields is a great place to take pictures! Let your budding photographer take some shots, and be sure to snap some too. It’s very picturesque, so be sure to have room on your phone for lots of pictures, and bring a DSLR if you have one.

7. Check Out the Birds In the Aviaries

Check out the birds in the aviaries! The aviaries are located to the right of the entry, in the Artist’s Garden, near the restrooms. Here you’ll find doves, chickens, and other birds.

8. Learn About Flowers and Plants

The Flower Fields is a great place to learn about different flowers and plants. Learn about the Tecolote Giant Ranunculus (the flowers grown in the fields), different species of roses, and the poinsettia. The best way to learn about the ranunculus is by taking the tractor ride with the audio tour. Walk through the Rose Garden to view many different species of roses. Go through the Poinsettia Building and view many different species of this plant.

9. Enjoy and Appreciate Nature

Wandering around the grounds is a great way to enjoy and appreciate nature. Field trips are available for schools, and FREE Educational Activity Sheets, related to gardening and such, are available for download. Scroll toward the middle of the page for links.

10. Get Exercise While Exploring the Grounds

The Flower Fields consist of 55 acres, so there’s lots of room to walk around! Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. It’s a great place to get some exercise while exploring with kids.

Open March 1 – May 14, 2017

The Flower Fields are open daily from 9am-6pm daily, March 1 – May 13, 2018. They offer free parking, and allow you to picnic in designated areas. Be sure to check their website for entrance fees and further details. As mentioned in our other post about The Flower Fields, the fields bloom in patches. If you’d like to check blooming conditions, call 760-431-0352 x3. We can’t wait for our annual visit! Perhaps we’ll see you there!

Camp Spooky Celebrates Halloween Cheer At Knott’s!

By: socalwithkids • This site contains affiliate links.

Disclosure: We’ve been invited by GigaSavvy to attend a media event at Knott’s Berry Farm to experience Camp Spooky, and share details with our readers. Our opinions are our own.

Celebrate Halloween Cheer, Rather Than Fear!

Camp Spooky is returning to the Camp Snoopy area of Knott’s Berry Farm, weekends in October! Knott’s is known for it’s history of family fun, and that’s just what they have in mind for Camp Spooky! This daytime, non-scare Halloween celebration is focused on families with kids age 3-11. Best of all, the event is included with the theme park admission!

Halloween Decor & Lots of Activities at Camp Spooky!

There are lots of fun activities planned for the Halloween celebration including:
• Charlie Brown’s Spooktacular Show
• Snoopy’s Costume Party
• Monster’s Factory Maze
• Trick-or-Treating
• Scary Stories at The Lodge
• Creepy Crawly Critter Cave
• Kooky Cookie Painting (a small fee applies to this activity)
[Read more…]

National Train Day!

By: socalwithkids • This site contains affiliate links.

May 7th, 2011, is the 4th Annual National Train Day! We took part in the festivities last year, and had a blast! We rode the Coaster from San Diego to Oceanside, CA, where they had giveaways and model trains set up by local model railroad enthusiasts.

This year, North County Transit District is having a special Coaster ride from Oceanside to San Diego for only $10 for a family of 4! Here’s a LINK to more info about this GREAT deal. If you can’t buy your tickets in advance, I’ve been told by NCTD that a limited amount of tickets will be available the morning of the 7th, at the Oceanside Transit Center platform.

If you’re interested in taking the Amtrak, they’re having a 40th Anniversary Special for kids to ride free with a paid adult. You’ll need to book by May 6, 2011 to take part in this special offer. Here’s a LINK to more info about this great deal.

SoCal’s largest National Train Day celebration will take place at Union Station, in Los Angeles. The event is FREE, and will be from 11:00am-4:00pm on Saturday. The festivities include a live show from The Never Land Pirate Band, model train displays, a California Missions exhibit, an Amtrak high speed rail display, and much, much more! Click HERE for more details about the Los Angeles Train Day celebrations.

If you have any train lovers in your family, either young or old, I highly recommend you look into Train Day festivities in your area. We had a great time celebrating last year, and are sure to again this year. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

P.S. If you’re on Twitter, follow @natltrainday for more info about National Train Day. They’re on Facebook as well, at https://www.facebook.com/NationalTrainDay.