Karilyn Owen

An Honest Review: The Discovery Cube Los Angeles

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Last week we had the opportunity to visit the science focused children’s museum Discovery Cube Los Angeles (which is actually in the Valley).  The few posts I had read on it made it sound amazing, so I went with high expectations. This might have been my problem, but overall I was a bit underwhelmed. However, the kids … Read more

What are kid friendly destinations?

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One of my fellow family travel bloggers posted a question on their Facebook page a while back asking where people thought of when they thought of kid friendly destinations. My initial response was Costa Rica, mostly because we were in the midst of planning a trip there. But then I realized that every place is kid friendly … Read more

Things To Do in LA over Winter Break (Updated 2015)

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This upcoming winter break is the first break at my son’s school in over a year that we do not have travel plans. After our India trip and a very busy fall, we have decided to stay put and spend our break exploring areas of LA that we never have time for. Although I would venture to … Read more

Sand Sledding: Winter fun for the whole family

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It is almost that time of year again — sand sledding!  This is my favorite part of winter in LA. What isn’t awesome about sledding in warm weather not having to worry about gloves and hats and frostbite. And showing off sand sledding photos to all of our east coast friends bundled up is sort of … Read more

Malibu Lagoon Bird Watching with Kids

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I love nature, hiking and animals, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine taking time on a Sunday to go bird watching. But yep, this is what happens in my household every month.  The Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society hosts a kid friendly bird watching walk at Malibu Lagoon State Beach and after our … Read more

10 Top Tips on Travelling to India with Kids

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  Travel to India without children seems daunting to most people, much less with small kids in tow. However, traveling to India with kids can be a rich and rewarding experience for the entire family. Yes, it can be difficult, but I have to say that it is not that much harder than a trip … Read more

Family Friendly Hiking in Palm Springs at Indian Canyons

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A trip to Palm Springs for most people means sitting by the pool soaking up the sun, shopping and maybe visiting a few kid friendly attractions (if you have kids). For us, it means driving back and forth to Joshua Tree (or Joshman Tree as my preschooler says) to explore. My son is not the … Read more

Family Fun: The National Park’s Junior Ranger Program

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One of the coolest and maybe least known activities at many national and state parks is the Junior Ranger Program. I don’t know why the National Park Service doesn’t market this more, because it is an amazing program for children and families. It is a perfect way to get your kids interested in the world … Read more

Things I Miss About India

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In preparation of our return visit to India (our expat home for 8+ years), I keep coming back to the things I miss most about it and why I feel the urge to return after only leaving 2 years ago. Food This is always the top of everyone’s list – no matter where you are, … Read more

Packing Tips for Travel with Toddlers

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After more than 20 international and domestic trips with my toddler, I have almost perfected our list of what to take with us, no matter where we are going, San Francisco, Ireland or India. Much of our travel to this point has been to developing countries, therefore many of my recommendations are based on that.  However, … Read more

Travel Activities for Kids Without Using Electronics

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We are not an electronic free family, but for much of our travel, our son has not been very interested in watching movies or playing on the iPad. This has meant coming up with lots of ideas on how to keep him entertained on our long trans-atlantic flights or our 7 hour car journey between … Read more

Packing List for a Toddler’s Travel Bag

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When we travel I always follow the same packing list for my son’s travel bag. It contains all of the things that he will need during the flight (car, bus or train journey). I refresh the bag with supplies as needed for each of the major legs of our trip. By packing the same things every … Read more

Monrovia Canyon Falls: The Perfect Family Hike

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I have finally found the perfect family hike and I am so excited to share it with anyone who will listen! Monrovia Canyon Falls is my new favorite hike to do with my toddler (and his friends). It has everything you want in a hike: short and long options, wild animals, plenty of shade and … Read more

Free Splash Pads on the East Side

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It’s summer and summer means water play, especially on the Eastside where our summer temperatures soar. For us it’s even more important because we don’t have central air at our house, so we *must* get out in the afternoons to cool down! Here are our go to free splash pads and water play areas on the … Read more

Trash for Teaching | Recycled: Materials for art, play and learning

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My son’s preschool teacher told me about Trash for Teaching, which is basically a recycling center where you can buy random bits and bobs for art projects or as my son says “engineering” projects.  They source clean safe recycled materials from local company’s who would otherwise discard these items to the landfill. Items you can … Read more

California Adventure Rides for Toddlers

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California Adventure Rides for Toddlers

California Adventure is my pick for a toddler’s first visit to a Disney theme park. California Adventure is smaller than Disneyland and feels much more manageable to do with a toddler. The California Adventure rides for toddlers are mellow and have less ‘scary’ characters. Additionally, the park feels more spread out which helps with children who get overwhelmed easily.

Our experience at California Adventure tends to lean more towards rides rather than the classic “Disney” experience. However, you will see Disney characters, perhaps just not as much as you would at Disneyland.

After many many visits with our toddler, we have developed our guide to California Adventure rides for toddlers which will help you map out your day and choose what to see and what to skip. If this is your first visit to a Disney park, make sure to read our planning a trip to Disneyland post first!

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Sunset Ranch & Hollywood Sign Hike for Horse-loving Kids

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Today I suggested my toddler and I get some ice cream after his nap. Shockingly, he said he would rather go for a “hike and see horses”.  Hmm. Yeah that’s what I meant! What better place to go for a short hike and see horses than Sunset Ranch at the top of Beachwood Canyon. It’s … Read more

Trash Trucks – LA Sanitation Department’s Open House

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Does your kid love ‘trash truck day’? My toddler is obsessed with trash pickup, trash trucks, trash cans and all things trash. He was watching YouTube videos of trash trucks at a local diner one morning when a kid in the next booth began telling him about all of the different types of trash trucks. … Read more