Play Dates

Happy Birthday, Pretend City! Special Events in August + Ticket Giveaway!

Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine turns 8! If you’re looking for ways to beat the heat, the last full month of the summer is jam-packed with fun educational activities and daily themed events at Pretend City. Hint: There are special discount days for some of them. Their annual “When I Grow Up” Day is the biggest event of the year. With the help of volunteers and a variety of generous professionals from all over the community, children can explore their future and dream big with the help of firefighters, police officers, librarians, and more! They are bringing in a real fire truck for the children to touch and explore, along with multiple professional cars in their free outside exhibit! Other special events to note – National Chocolate Chip Day, Bring a Friend on Friendship Day, Way to Play Day with Free Dental Screenings, Free Family Autism Day, and it’s also the final days of their summer exhibit, “Adventure Under the Sea!” Check the calendar below!

Pick Your Own Strawberries at Tanaka Farms’ Strawberry Tour

One of our favorite places to pick strawberries in Orange County is at Tanaka Farms in Irvine. Right now they have STRAWBERRY TOURS which is an hour guided wagon tour around their 30 acre farm. We learn about the different produce they grow, history of the farm, farming methods, sample a variety of farm fresh vegetables next to where they are grown, and then we stop to pick our own strawberries. Each paying customer receives a 1-pound container to fill to take home. I have been taking the children for years, and we still love it!

Pretend City Children’s Museum Calender of Events for February

FEBRUARY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

  • Celebrate Groundhog’s Day | February 2: Today at Pretend City, celebrate with Punxsutawney Phil and learn about Groundhog’s Day! We will find out if we will have a long winter or an early spring and why we celebrate this holiday dating back to 1887!
  • Boy Scout’s Week | February 6 – February 10: It’s Boy Scout’s Week! Come explore at Pretend City as we host field trips teaching scout law and celebrate boy scouts all throughout the week. This week is one your scout will KNOT want to miss, scout’s honor!

Pretend City Children’s Museum New Trader Joe’s Exbihit

Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine, California change out their exhibits from time to time, but this year, they renovated one of their most popular exhibits – their grocery store! Both children and adults have been anticipating for this kid-friendly TRADER JOE’S to open so they can Work, Work, Work, because at Pretend City, the children run the show! Where else can they fill up their carts with whatever they want, run the register and scanners, bag or stock groceries, clock out whenever they want to, and just let their imagination run wild? We went a behind-the-scenes to find out what it all entails. TRADER JOE’S was pleased to announce … READ MORE >>

Christmas Train to See Santa in Orange County

Missing the feels of Christmas in SoCal? Maybe you now have kids and don’t know what to do. Can you think of some holiday traditions you celebrate every year? Well for us, we’re always adding new ones especially to accommodate our growing family, and it’s all about making memories with the littles right now. One of the best memory I have when my boys were younger is taking them on a Christmas Train to the North Pole to see Santa at Irvine Park Railroad. The kids get to do fun themed games where everyone gets a prize, then they ride a train to visit Santa. They string lights throughout the … READ MORE >>

NEXT PAGE