Running out of fun ideas and excursions for your toddler? Then Pretend City is the place to take your curious tot! This post will help walk you through some tips to help plan your visit and make the most of your time there.
One of the things I constantly do is plan for my time off work. I’m a working mom, and as you all know any time that you get off work is precious. Unless I’m planning for a stay-at-home day, I do not like this valuable mommy-daughter time to go to waste! On days where it’s only going to be and my tot, I like to keep activities local to our area. I reserve the further distance outings for days where the hubby can join us. Planning this visit to Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine, CA was a no brainer for me. Located within OC, it was an easy drive for me.
First things first. You’ll want to visit their website to view Museum hours and ticket prices. I opted to visit on a Friday and they closed for a couple of hours in the afternoon (around 12pm) and reopened later in the afternoon. I figured the morning time would be better for us and so we arrived by opening time, 10am. Keep in mind the ticket grants you access for the first window, so for us that meant we’d get museum time from 10am-12pm.
What’s so special about Pretend City you ask?
Let me walk you through our experience. I did a little online research and quickly fell in love with the concept of this children’s museum. It truly allows for free play and little kids get transported into real world scenarios, but all geared towards their engagement and learning. Kids get to pretend drive, work in a farm or orchard, grocery shop at Trader Joes, perform onstage and explore in a science lab. I mean what’s there not to love?
I really appreciated the attentiveness of staff. I was able to, in many instances, watch Mila from a distance and just let her roam freely in a safe and playful environment.
What to wear?
Well let me begin by saying, this children’s museum is located in Irvine, California. So don’t be surprised be surprised by the occasionally well-dressed mommy you may find. For me, I like having a capsule-wardrobe so I opted for a casual chic look. And yes, I wore my Ked’s sneakers. I liked being able to move around, bend over and reach for things if my kiddo asked for help. Lot’s of moms sported athleisure and you really can’t go wrong with that. I think most moms are there for their kiddos and the pure enjoyment of the museum. As for Mila, you can see what she wore. Ked’s t-strap leather sneakers, what can I say – we are Ked’s girls! A nice top and biker shorts. I did opt to put her hair up so we didn’t have to worry about her hair getting undone, unraveled or in the way.
What to pack?
Momma, do yourself a favor and take a backpack. I didn’t take a stroller because Mila is old enough to walk around and really I wanted her to be tired out by naptime. My backpack had my essentials, plus
- Honest Hand Sanitizer
- Millie Moon Wipes
- Water (2)
- Toddler Snack
Mila didn’t end up eating her snack, but as every momma knows always pack on the side of caution. You don’t want to get caught up with a hangry toddler. She honestly had such a great time and was so distracted by the fun. I offered a couple of times but she only wanted water.
I do want to add a little plug about the cafe area and family restrooms. We didn’t have a seat at the cafe tables because as mentioned, Mila was too busy playing. The family restrooms were clean and were tailored for little ones. They had step stools for toilets and wash sinks. Little details like that go a long way when you have a toddler that’s two and a half years old and is in the middle of potty training.
We wrapped things up at 11:45 about 15 minutes to closing and Mila left without a fight. In order to maximize our time at the museum I knew that I’d have to pack us lunch and that worked out great. I bought this handy car tray and have used it regularly for our “car picnic” meals. I packed a spare cool and comfy outfit for Mila to change to once we got back to the car. Our car was in a shady spot, I turned on the AC and we enjoyed our quick little car picnic lunch. Her lunch time is normally at 12pm so we stayed right on track. She enjoyed it and dozed off to her nap on the drive back home.
xoxo,
The Sun Queen
Shop our favorite products …
