This was a special day out for just M and I, Little S had his own adventure with his Grandma. This allowed us to endlessly jump in the foam pit at G3 for their open play drop in time. G3 is great for kids off all ages, super clean and the foam pit really is the best!! We worked up an appetite so for the first! treat of the afternoon we hit up Pressed Juicery, M loves their freezes and I love the clean ingredients, We parked it right out front of Pressed on some lounge chairs and snuggled and people watched for almost an hour, Ive said it before, but finding quiet moments like this in the day is what gets us through! Once we regained our energy we headed to the giant fish playground. Lastly M is always a sucker for the Sprinkled cupcake machine and I usually give in because he takes two bites and I get the rest!

little tips:
- The mall has a great family restroom in the food court and the restroom near the playground is beautifully updated and clean!
- Check the Westfield site in advance they have many great events for kids year round!
- This mall is a great place to just wander around, M loves all the interesting sculptures and art installations around the mall. (awesome surfboard wall near escalators by G3)
-To park near G3 and these sites park in Nordstrom’s structure

Oh man this one was an attempt to save a day with bad weather and a random school closure and we ended up having the best time! I feel like I got to give M a taste of my youth!! One of the few indoor malls left in San Diego, this mall was renovated not long ago and has a great! playground. We spent plenty of time there then went to Sweet Factory for some treats! I didn’t even know these were still around!! Bring cash! they have those classic ride on games upstairs and a guaranteed win claw game! We of course could not leave without a Wetzel’s Pretzel and a trip to Claire’s 🥰 Long Live Mall Culture!

little tips:
- there is also a movie theater, paint your own pottery store and a trampoline type attraction for older kids! so much to do!
- this mall also has a wonderful Zara kids store, one of the best I’ve seen and well organized.
- Seriously, bring cash, the ATM is highway robbery

My little M is just about the biggest “Train Guy” there is and the San Diego Model Railroad Museum never disappoints. M’s favorite part is the Toy Train Gallery which is full of fun retro scenes and familiar characters. My personal favorite is the Centennial Railway Garden where kids can push a button to start a trolley around a Balboa Park Replica. Today we skipped our usual picnic and treated ourselves to lunch at the Craft Cafe at the Mingei Museum and I am so glad we did! Fairly priced for museum fare and delish! I had a surprising and refreshing drink cold brew/tonic/cherry syrup and a mushroom/goat cheese empanada. Plenty of kid friendly fare too! M opted for the bright pink Pitaya smoothie 💕. A few steps away is the Alcazar garden, where we ate our lunch and relaxed. Moments like the one you see at the fountain are what make it possible for me to stay out allllll day with these two. We always take a break, for a nap, some quiet play and I get to enjoy my drink and take in the day! These are just a few of 100’s of things to do at Balboa park, but as locals we have the luxury to take it all in a few things at a time!

little tips:
- If your kiddo is still pretty short you can bring a lightweight folding step stool into the museum so they can easily see the displays!
- Unlike many museums, this one is free for 3! and under!
- the line at Craft Cafe can get long as they have just reopened but I see on their site you can order ahead!
-if you forget diapers (like i did for the first time ever 🤦🏻‍♀️) the sundry shop/visitors center carries them 🙌

This was our first time trying out this itinerary, and I already know we’ll be coming back to it soon.
The New Children’s Museum has an annex located in Del Mar Plaza with plenty to keep kids busy all day! they close 12-1 so we headed to this open seating area with beautiful views on the same level, I packed us a picnic lunch and got myself a coffee from Kini’s Coffee (amazing menu! female owned and operated “empowered women making powerful coffee” I love it!)
Recharged, we headed back to the museum for a little quieter play, crafts, blocks and reading in a sweet book nook. A treat is always a sure bet to get us headed home and I’ve been so excited to try An’s Hatmaker Gelato, which opened recently on the ground floor of Del Mar Plaza. A beautiful store, a unique concept and one of a kind flavors. I love how everything in this itinerary is so close together!

little tips:
- parking in the Del Mar Plaza lot can get $$$, but no time limit free parking can be found in the residential area west of camino del mar
- February is San Diego Museum Month! 1/2 off admission, just pick up a card at your local library.
- there is a small gift shop area in the front of a museum, they have enough smaller items though if you want to get out of there without breaking the bank
- if you are bringing a stroller there is an elevator! but hard to find! you can access it from the garage