How to erase “I’m bored” from your children’s vacation vocabulary

Summer vacations are for playing, relaxing, eating, and exploring – all the things that make us feel like kids again. But that’s hard to do when vacationing with actual kids. The two words our kids can say that will kill any vacation are  “I’m bored.” And it isn’t our kids’ fault! Who can blame them for not wanting to bask in the sounds of the ocean while reading a magazine? So we’ve compiled fool-proof activities that will keep the kids happy and you relaxed. 

Newport Beach Summer Camps Save the Day!

Newport Beach has some of the best day camps and week-long camps around. So why not take advantage of these amazing programs and expose your kids to some activities they might not be able to do back home?

From June 21 – Aug 13, the city of Newport Beach hosts single day and 5 day-long camps for kids ages 6-13 at Marina Park on the peninsula. Here kids can learn to stand-up paddle, kayak, surf, sail, and bodyboard. These camps also cover ocean safety while also saving plenty of time for group games and activities.

The city also has a nice line-up of camps that take place off the beach, anything from skateboarding to theater! Check out the entire list on campnewport.com.
Registration for all city-wide camps begins April 6th! 

@endlesssunsurfschool

Strictly Sailing & Surfing Camps in Newport Beach

If your kid is set on learning how to surf or sail, don’t mess around with general beach camps. Sign them up for stellar sailing and surf camps! For all things sailing, Newport Sea Base is where it’s at. They offer weekend and weekday camps where kids ages 5-17 can learn to tack and jibe like the best of em! For the best surfing instructors on the peninsula, turn to Endless Sun Surf School. They are open 365 days out of the year and offer group and private classes for all ages. Family surf sesh anyone?

Newport Sea Base | WEBSITE
1931 West Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949)642-5031

Endless Sun Surf School | WEBSITE 
(949)533-1022

Endless Sun Surf School- @endlesssunsurfschool

Beach Hop to all of Newport’s Kid Friendly Beaches

There’s a surprising degree of diversity along Newport’s coastline. Finding a beach that fits the skills and interests of your kids makes all the difference when planning for a blissful day at the beach.

Our favorite spot for young kids is anywhere between the Newport Pier and 36th street. Here, the waves are typically tame and the ocean floor is flat, making it the perfect spot for boogie boarding and seashell hunting. Drip castles make for an entertaining and unique spin-off from your typical sandcastles and are easier to make, too!

Other fun beach activities are climbing the groins (rock structures that jut out into the ocean) or visiting the tidepools in Corona del Mar. There’s plenty of sea life to spot in these areas, especially when it’s low tide!

Explore the Newport Peninsula

There’s plenty of kid-friendly activities on Newport’s peninsula that are sand and bathsuit-free. Marina Park is a great outdoor park overlooking Newport Harbor that includes a larger-than-life lighthouse, swings, monkey bars, basketball courts, and grass areas. Or rent a four-seater surrey or tandem bike at any of the bike rentals right off of the boardwalk and pedal through town. End the day at the fire pits at the Balboa Pier or Corona del Mar State Beach and roast marshmallows while watching the sun set over the ocean. 

@dadsdonut

Candy Crawl to these Idyllic Sweet Shops

Sometimes a little sugar can sweeten up a vacation like nothing else can. Thankfully, Newport Beach is chock full of delightful sweet shops.

Take Balboa Island’s Balboa Candy, for instance. Here you’ll find old-fashioned barrels of candy reminiscent of the 1950s that you scoop out. (Portion control is a tough one here!).

Or just down the street from Balboa Candy is Dad’s Original Frozen Banana where you can try a Balboa Bars, a creation created in Newport that is an ice cream bar dipped in chocolate and then dipped in whatever toppings you want.

Right along PCH in Corona del Mar is B Candy, a shop dedicated to all kinds of sweets, from candy to ice cream to cake. Their ice cream bar even has ice cream cone bar stools for you to twirl on while they scoop your ice cream! 

Balboa Candy
301 Marine Ave # A, Newport Beach, CA 92662

Dad’s Original Frozen Banana
318 Marine Ave, Newport Beach, CA 92662

B.Candy
3100 East Coast Hwy, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625

Keep em Busy with a Day Trip to SoCal Favorites

Newport Beach is the perfect home base for exploring the other must-see places in Orange County.

Disneyland is easy to include in your Newport itinerary, as it’s only 25 minutes from town! Disney’s California Adventure is right next door and is as equally magical as the original park.

Or, take a day trip to Catalina Island, 26 miles off the Newport coast, and explore the beautiful town of Avalon. You can snorkel, zipline, go on a submarine ride, or spot the local buffalo on a Jeep safari. Los Angeles and San Diego are two hotspots that flank Newport Beach and can easily be reached from town in under 90 minutes.

Need a home base for all of this fun? Check out the top vacation homes in Newport Beach for families. These homes come fully stocked so you can fully dive into making memories.

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