Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in san diego, CA

Top Spots for Outdoor Music

by Terese Farmen

June 09, 2009

We have the great fortune of almost perfect weather year round. With this great fortune, we also get to spend lots of time at the beach, wear flip flops around town in December and bring our jackets and blankets to various outdoor venues to enjoy a diversity of music. Often, while shopping at a local mall in the evening, we might stumble on an outdoor concert or while ambling through the fresh air of the Farmer's Market, come upon a fun blues grass band.

I have compiled a list of the Top 5 Family-Friendly outdoor spots to enjoy a day or evening of music.

• Balboa Park Children's Playground - Park Blvd -- Every weekend a group of folks gather together to practice their drum playing and rhythm making skills. Usually quite a few spectators gather around to dance to the fun beats and occasionally rhythm makers are passed around to the younger spectators who really get into the musical fun.
• Embarcadero Marina Park, Seaport Village Downtown -- Every summer the San Diego Symphony participates in a Summer Pops program at the Embarcadero Marina Park. Lots of families show up for the Symphony performance and the weather is generally warm enough to bundle in some blankets and allow the younger ones to fall asleep to the relaxing music.
• Spreckels Organ Pavilion, Balboa Park - During the summer months, on Monday evenings, musicians showcase their talent on the largest outdoor pipe organ in the world at our very own Balboa Park, Spreckels theater.
• Hilton Resort, 1775 E Mission Bay Dr - Lindy by the Bay is a wonderful outdoor dance event with old time swing music and dancing. The folks have revived the old Jitterbug and Lindy Hop of the past with a modern twist and the music and energy is invigorating.
• Humphrey's by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Dr - Humphrey's, an outdoor musical venue located on the bay in Point Loma is a great, intimate location to catch a live show. The audience is generally more for grown ups, but if you have a boat or have a friend who has a boat, it is super fun to take a little boat trip and pass by the Humphrey's venue to catch the outdoor concert.

Spooky, Spooky San Diego Favorites

by Jenny Ciampa

October 21, 2008

Let's be real; being a kid is San Diego is very, very cool. With so many places to visit and experience life (wild and tame), it's always exciting when some of your favorite jaunts add a new, and spooky, twist. Something you've not yet seen or been a part of. Something that makes a place unknown and exciting once again. San Diego has done it, my friends. Check out what the awesome  Read more...

Hullabaloo at The W

by Jenny Ciampa

September 26, 2008

If you haven't been to the W Hotel downtown for Mommy Hour , you need to go. And, you need to go this Wednesday, October 1 st . If you have never heard about Mommy Hour, check this out. Believe me; you will want to experience Mommy Hour at least once in your kids-under-six mommy years. The big draw this month at Mommy Hour, other than the delicious mojitos and free child care  Read more...

Not Your Ordinary Playdate

by Jenny Ciampa

September 25, 2008

Are you in the mood to expose your kiddo to some eclectic music that yes, you too will enjoy? Want to get a dance party going for your babe and some of their playmates so you can listen to good music with other parents while checking out the awesome dance moves of preschoolers? Call up your best mommy and daddy friends and organize a playdate at the Adams Avenue Street Fair. This  Read more...

So Long, Farewell San Diego Summer

by Jenny Ciampa

August 29, 2008

Well, my friends, the time has come to wave goodbye to August and head into September-a month that truly feels like we have moved on and let go of summer. But before we do, let's have one last hurrah this Labor Day Weekend. Many of San Diego's summer events end this weekend so if you are looking to squeeze in something you have been talking about doing all summer long, here's your  Read more...

Petco Park, Home of the Padres

by Jenny Ciampa

July 29, 2008

If you haven't taken your kids to see the Padres , you are striking out. Petco Park is a fantastic place to take the kiddies to experience America's pastime. We live downtown and take our girl to games all of time-we know this place well and think you should too. Here's our take on the best ways to enjoy Petco Park. Take Me Out to the Ballgame -the best bang for your buck is a Park  Read more...

Essential Summer Music in San Diego

by Jenny Ciampa

July 01, 2008

When I think of summer music I always think of Danny and Sandy singing Summer Nights while frolicking on the beach. Next, I think about those carefree music festivals I went to in college in the great outdoors. Since I'm not about to expose my 3 year old to any of those carefree festivals, I've found some Danny and Sandy appropriate venues. Summer Pops at the Embarcadero -nestled on  Read more...

Big Bay of Fireworks

by Jenny Ciampa

June 30, 2008

[photo credit: wikimedia] I remember when my husband and I first moved to downtown San Diego. We'd be chillin' at home and BANG! We would look out our window and there were fireworks. Huh? It's a Tuesday night in November. A day later the same thing happened. What? Many unexpected BANG!s later, we realized San Diego is the city of fireworks for every occasion. So it came of no surprise  Read more...

5 Best Ways to Enjoy Balboa Park

by Jenny Ciampa

May 13, 2008

[photo credit: wikimedia] At 1,200 acres, Balboa Park marks itself as the largest, urban, cultural park in the nation. Little minds are bound to grow large in Balboa, let's ripen them. The Lawn Programs at the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages is a worldly trip for your babe. 31 countries, each represented by a cottage, share their cultural music, dance, food, art  Read more...