If you are like me you have all these dreams about summertime when the kids are in school. You dream of carefree days… the wind blowing in your hair and happy kids with popsicle stains all over their cute faces. These fairy-tales come while you’re knee deep in piles of laundry, homework and projects while simultaneously trying to be a taxi cab driver and prepare dinner at the same time… oh and make lunches for tomorrow and give the baby a bath… You know the routine. But, then what happens? Summer comes and all of the sudden you crave the routines again because all you keep hearing out of every kids mouth is… “I’m Bored!”
Well… let me let you in on a little secret. Just Go!! Get Out There!! Squash the summer boredom blues. It doesn’t even have to cost you much…
Top 5 Practically FREE Things To Do this Summer in SoCal!
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1) Head to Annenberg Community Beach House-
This little gem in Santa Monica CA is the perfect day trip. Wake up early and hit the road. Don’t worry about parking… you can pre-pay online (summer runs you $12 for the day) and as long as you get there by 11am the spot is guaranteed. Annenberg has tons of great amenities including: playground, splash pad, beach courts and fields, tables and umbrellas, free wi-fi, beach access and the cleanest beach bathrooms I’ve ever seen. There is a pool too but it’s first come first serve so you have to get there early.
I recommend being on the road by 9am and planning on staying in Santa Monica through dinner so you don’t get stuck in any traffic on the way home. We like to pack a change of clothes and head over to the Third Street Promenade once we’ve finished up at the beach. It was renovated not too long ago and is much more kid friendly now.
We always pack plenty of snacks, cold waters and lunch to keep things affordable! You can opt to purchase from the beach shack there but burgers run about $15. We prefer to splurge on some pizza and ice cream before heading home instead. Joe’s Pizza & Sweet Rose Creamery are great options!!
Info on Annenberg Community Beach House here
2) Hike Torrey Pines
If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook (and if you don’t you really should) you would know this one is a recent find for me. Last weekend our boys were at a football camp in Mira Mesa… I knew the girls would be bored waiting for the boys to finish up so I went on Yelp and searched for nearby hikes. Low and behold I came across Torrey Pines State Reserve.
Guys its GORGEOUS!!! Parking only costs you $15 and they accept credit cards. There are a bunch of different trails, a beach, visitor center and bathrooms (although not the cleanest). We had a 7 year old and a stroller so we chose the Guy Fleming Trail. It is only 0.7 mile loop and my husband was even able to push the baby in the stroller through it!
Again, packing snacks and drinks helps keep costs down. There is also a Panera, Chipotle etc… not too far away.
Info on Torrey Pines State Reserve here
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3) Movies Under the Stars
Be creative… there are tons of communities that offer this type of service. We think its fun to go to those within our community like the ones you can find in Temecula here. But, it is also super fun to visit some neighboring communities as well!
We think these ones are fantastic!! All listed are free of charge. Make sure to pack blankets, chairs and read websites for specific instructions. Some allow you to bring in food… others don’t 😉
- Stone Brewery Movie Nights (How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Shrek are coming up soon!)
- Moonlight Movies on the Beach (Long Beach CA)
- San Diego Summer Movies in the Park (we like Waterfront Park)
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4) Del Mar Foundation’s Summer Concerts
Who doesn’t love music with an ocean view? Try heading out to Del Mar’s Free Summer Concert series… it’s a great way to end the day after maybe a hike in Torrey Pines 😉 Go ahead mix and match… go crazy with your bad mama planning skills!!
There are neighboring restaurants so you can always grab a meal or a drink before the concert too.
Info on Del Mar Foundation’s Summer Concert here
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5) Moonlight Amphitheater in Vista
My friends have told me about their love for the Moonlight Amphitheater and I am excited to try it out this summer. They claim the performances are Broadway worthy and there is even a full orchestra!! We are waiting to go see Shrek!! Parking is free and family night tickets only run $24 for adults and $10 for kids for the lawn seating. We hear those seats are best for little ones!!
Info on Moonlight Amphitheater here
We love going to the beach!
Us too!! We are so lucky to have so many great ones close by 🙂
We love to go fishing:)
My kids love to go fishing
Making ice cream with my kids!
We love to do the same… the recipe book I got at Bi-Rite is my fav for recipes. How about you?
We love taking picnics to the beach!
We love movies in the park!
Swimming!
How in the world did I miss that… thanks for the great reminder Stacy!!
We love to cool off at the water park and spend the long summer days at the beach!
I love going to the beach and then ending the weekend with a concert at the Del Mar Racetrack! 🙂
Favorite Summer Activity is Going to the BEACH
The California Science Center. My girls, as well as my nephews love this place. Its a great hands on science center; and admission is completely free.
We love going to the beach!
My family and I enjoy fishing on the pier at Shelter Island in San Diego.
Torrey pines and pizza port!
Go to the beach!
Good ideas will have to try some
I love being able to relax and enjoy the sun and sand at the beach. The sound of the ocean and being with great company is all I need! Plus some In-N-Out afterwards!
Oh my goodness the Del Mar Concert series looks like an absolute must on my summer bucket list!
Thanks for all the fun ideas!
Honestly, there isn’t a lot of free stuff to do in my town. So I chill in my pool during the summer. Its easy, definitely cheap and its relaxing!
Beach Day!
We love going on hikes and swimming!
Going to the beach or free local museums helps keep the kiddos busy during the summer.
We love the Lake Skinner splash pad!
Lake Skinner splash pad is fun! My nephew loves it, too!
We’ll have to try that one… thanks for the idea!
We love hiking Torrey Pines!
The Temecula concert in the park series are also really fun! My son loves the CCR tribute band.
The beach is our favorite!!!
I like to take my daughter to the local park for movies in the park.
We love going to the beach or local hiking trails
We love going to the beach and local hiking trails
We love going to the beach any chance we can go, and of course going to the Del Mar Fair!!
I take my daughter to splash pads in the area
My family and I love spending the day or weekend on our boat at the lake. Water, sun and family… Can’t get any better then that!!
We love family time at the bay with our kayaks and paddle boards. When we’re not on the water, we have plenty of sports activities, too! With a new baby on the way, we’ll be following the global munchkins to see what other fun activities we can include!
Definitely going to the beach and local splash parks!
We love going to water parks and amusement parks.
We love going to the beach, fishing and camping
Kayaking in the bay and in the mountain lakes!!!
We love to look up free local activities to do like go to the library and the mall.
We love going to the aquatics center!
We are going to hike Torrey Pines next week. We love hiking. Gets us and our twins out of the house and some much needed fresh air without going to the beach or a water park.
working out!
Beach days are our favorite activity!
I love going to the beach, and we plan on making another trip to Zion this summer.
Swimming
Any of the amazing parks
We love going to the waterpark
We love going to the beach and we love hiking at Torrey Pines!
Yay… sounds like we are the same!!
Swimming pool 🙂
Great way to beat the heat
We love early morning hikes in Temecula! Night time Glow Runs with S’mores! The beach! So many things to keep busy with!
What is a glow run… sounds like fun!!
We love to go to the waterpark!
Yes… mine are finally old enough for it to be fun. I will have to find a sitter for the baby and take my crew. Thanks for the idea!!
We love the beach & all the outdoor festivals.
Any in particular that you like Michelle?? I love them too
We love kayaking with the whole family!
Wow.. love it. Any places in particular
We love going to the beach!
We do too!
We love heading out to Carlsbad Beach to catch some waves.
One of our favorites too!
Water balloon fights on the trampoline, with the hose spraying the kids.
That sounds like a blast!!! You are a fun mom
swimming, working out…. vacation…. almost anywhere!
Yes… working out is a must especially after all my summer treat eating!
We love the pool
Us too
I love to go hiking, and lay out of the beach. Definitely going to try out Torrey Pines! 🙂
It sounds like it would be a perfect spot for you ;)… hiking and beach in one!
Going to the beach is the best thing to do during the summer!
I agree… nothing beats the sound of the ocean.
Love going to Hot Summer Nights on Friday’s in Old Town Temecula in July and August…free entertainment and activities for kids!
Great Tip
Can’t beat free!!
We love going to the beach like many other posters, but we also really enjoy going to del mar both to the fair and the races. One more thing is the Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival
Thats right… I will have to do a post on Balloon and Wine. It’s a great festival!! Thanks for the reminder 😉
Would love to see more free outdoor concerts that are not all jazz or 80’s cover bands in Temecula
Agree 100%
We love going to the beach or the local splash pads.
Any local splash pads you recommend??
We love swimming!!
Us too!!
Anything outside when it’s not super hot is great! We are getting our own outdoor movie this screen to do movies outside with friends!
How fun!!
We love going camping up north with the entire family! So fun!
Any favorite spots? We have actually NEVER taken the kids camping if you could believe it. I would love to bc I grew up going to places like Yosemite and camping
Love to go to the beach as much as possible, water parks, and our pool in our own backyard.
I wish we had a pool… sounds great!!
We like to take day trips up to Idywild or Big Bear for some hiking, fishing and great food! Venice Beach is also a favorite spot of ours.
We have never done Idywild… we will have to give it a try. We love the other two you mentioned!
We love going to the beach!! La Jolla when we can
We LOVE La Jolla… last time we went at the beginning of the summer there were tons of sea lions over where you swim. The kids were amazed
Movies in the park are fun and we also have movies by the pool at our association. We also like to go on bike rides and hikes.
We are new to hiking… but it is becoming a new fav. Still haven’t braved any hills where there have been mountain lion spottings though bc I’m too scared 😉
We love to go swimming
Us too! Sometimes I wish we had our own pool though as our association can get pretty crowded 😉 Someday…
Family bike rides!
That’s a great one. We just cleaned out the baby carrier thingie that goes behind the bike now that the baby is old enough. Hopefully, now we get to go out on more bike rides again.
Movies in the park is my favorite.
They are so relaxing
Going to the beach!
Yes… one of the reasons I hope to live in CA my whole life
The Annenberg Community Beach House looks so fun!
It is fantastic… you should try it 🙂
we love going to the beach.
Beaches are the best!!
Outdoor concerts. Beach. S’mores. Making the Summer Fun list and checking things off!
Yes!!! S’mores are always a hit at our house too!!!
Knott’s is a blast with the kids!!
Thanks… we do too!!
Library… what a great idea. I added it to my list. I need more things to do to beat the heat.
I agree
My favorite free activity is swimming at the community pool.
Always nice to have that option 🙂
we love the beach
It seems to be a huge hit… for obvious reasons of course 😉
We love the fresh produce that comes with summer. Berry picking, farmers markets, etc. And anything to stay cool
YES!! I love farmers markets!!
These sound like some great ideas that we will be checking out! Love the beach!!!
Great!!
We usually head to the beach, the pool, the library.
All great options
My favorite activity is creating a neighborhood photo scavenger hunt for my kids and their friends. They take the list and a kid friendly camera and go take pictures of each other with the items they find.
How cute!! Great idea!!
Like most people in So Cal, we head to the beach for some boogie boarding, sand castle building, kite flying, S’more making fun!
Love all those great ideas!!
We love pool parties and family barbecues. We also eat dinner outside a lot rather than inside.
Kick the can ice cream! Free kids bowling and rollerblading days at our local lanes and rink 🙂
The beach, movies both at the theater and at the local water park. Night swimming in our neighbors pool with s’mores
We like the beach!!
Going to various SoCal beaches!!!
One of our favorites is the movies in the park.
We love swimming with friends! Thanks for these new ideas!!!
I also love Torrey Pines
Beach!
Our family loves to swim and make s’mores!
We love to go to bates nut farm. Have a picnic and feed the animals. 🙂
I totally forgot about Bates… we always go for Halloween. I’ve never thought about visiting during the summer. Great idea!!!
how very fun!!
Can’t wait to check these out with my munchkins!
Can’t wait to try these out with my munchkins
We love taking Cessy’s Tacos (Carlsbad) to the beach and boogie-boarding or reading! 🙂
Wineries, moves under the stars and beaching it!
Beach and movies in the park are our favorite free activities!
My favorite summer activities are going to Disneyland in the evenings and having movie night in the backyard.
Beach!
Love visiting the beach
My favorite summer activity is just going to the beach or going for a walk with lovely scenery during a California summer sunset❤
Hickey Torry Pines and going to the beach
I like to hang at the pool with my kids =)
I would love to try the Del Mar concert series!
My favorite thing to do in the summer is either going to the river or the beach! Would be awesome to win tics to Knotts. Haven’t been there in years!
We love going to the splash pad with the grandkids!
Beach!!!!!
I love to go geocaching with the kids!
We love going to the library!