As summer draws to a close I am reflecting on this summer’s (family oriented, or more specifically toddler-oriented) fun finds… San Diego is a wonderful place to raise a child – there are so many awesome opportunities, experiences and discoveries to be made here. Some of these are well-known, some lesser known (and I almost don’t want to share because they may lose their luster if they become over-crowded!)

The New Children’s Museum in Downtown San Diego – I’ve known about it for some time, but did not realize until recently that it has so many things geared for young ones (toddlers and even infants). This is an entire artistic world of exploration for young minds! Every time we go, my son finds something “new” to play with, explore, or create…and usually it’s something that has been there all along, it’s just that he never noticed it in that way before. They do have changing and new exhibits as well and offer a “new” toddler time event the last Friday and Saturday of each month.

Park at the Park at Petco Park– how cool is it that on the Padres’ off days the public can take advantage of this amazing park?!! It has a large grassy knoll, kids’ sandbox, playground and miniature baseball diamond. We take my son’s t-ball equipment over and have a ball playing baseball, or kicking the soccer ball on the grass, or playing in the sand. Plus the playground has nice, fun equipment and the park is really well-maintained. I always feel like it’s a special treat to be there, since other ball parks are typically off limits to the public.

The Reuben H Fleet Science Center Kid City is awesome!!! It is for children 5 years and under only and all of the science experiments, learning stations, “toys,” etc. are geared for young minds and young hands! My son has so much fun using a vacuum-like hose that blows air to puff up a rubber glove, or watching balls being sucked up into clear plastic tubing and shot out of another location, or driving the car and operating the green, yellow and red stop lights. It’s fantastic!

The Coronado Recreational Center and Pool offers fantastic swim lessons and has open-swim sessions in the afternoon. It has a beach-style pool area where the water starts only inches deep and gradually deepens into a “normal” pool. There are lots of water toys, noodles, foam float boards and more. The pool is heated and the staff is very friendly. Swim lessons run approximately $45 for 10 half our lessons for non-Coronado residents!

The Tierrasanta Recreational Pool is a bit of a further drive, but well worth it for its fully gated kids’ pool. The water is only about a foot deep at its deepest point, and there is a slide and various water spouts spraying and dumping water. My son has so much fun there and it is less stressful for me because it is a small, well-managed, gated area with a lifeguard on duty. The cost is $2/kids, $4/adults. This fun find closes for the season on October 11, 2010.

These are a few of my favorite finds this summer – I have a few more, but I will have to save those for my next installment. Thank you to my fellow mommy friends who shared these awesome places with me!