It’s getting hot outside and the pool has never looked more inviting. But there are some very important things to remember when it comes to keeping your family safe in the water. Here are some great guides and resources to help out: 

American Red Cross – Water Safety for Kids 

The Red Cross has put together a great tool for your kids to learn how to stay safe in the pool. Hosted by Longfellow the Whale, these entertaining series of videos will engage your kids and have corresponding activities for them to enjoy. 

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/water-safety/water-safety-for-kids.html

California Department of Water Resources – Water Safety 

We’re not just going to the pool to cool off this summer since California has plenty of spots with water to enjoy. This guide for parents and kids hosted by Albert and Einstein will keep you safe no matter where you are will a range of videos, workbooks and posters. 

https://water.ca.gov/What-We-Do/Recreation/Water-Safety

Safety.com – The 2020 Kids Water Safety Guide

Beyond tips and rules to keep your family safe in the water, there are also a range of products that can really help. This guide from Safety.com has some great stuff you can find on Amazon for your pool, boat or when you visit the beach! 

https://www.safety.com/kids-water-safety/​

Swim Schools in San Diego

Of course, the first step to water safety is getting your child in some swim lessons. Here are the top five swim schools in San Diego according to Yelp! reviews: 

Sunsational Swim School – Private Swim Lessons

https://www.sunsationalswimschool.com/swimming-lessons/San-Diego-CA

Noonan Family Swim School
https://noonanfamilyswim.com/

Alli Jo’s Swim School
https://www.allijosswimschool.com/

AquaSafe Swimming – San Diego
http://aquasafeswimming.com/wordpress1/

Swim2John
https://swim2john.com/

Let’s face it, summer at home last year sucked. It’s time to make up for lost time and get out there! Nothing gets you out like an awesome summer road trip with the whole family. For us, the best part of a road trip are the unique roadside attractions that you’ll see along the way. Here are a few of our favorites: 

Winchester Mystery House – San Jose, Ca

Is this the most haunted spot in the United States? Some think so. The Winchester Mystery House was all built under the guidance of Sarah Winchester, the widow of firearms magnate William Wirt Winchester. She believed that the ghosts of those killed by the guns her husband made were haunting her. So to confuse those ghosts she built this house with stairs to nowhere and doors that opened to a brick wall. Even if ghosts aren’t your thing, you’ll be fascinated by the architecture of this unique home. 

Welcome to the Winchester Mystery House®

Peggy Sue’s Diner – Yermo, Ca

We’re all familiar with the road to Las Vegas, so of course we must start there. Since I was a kid we always made sure to stop at Peggy Sue’s for some food and to wander their amazing gift shop. It’s your basic diner food but the staff really ads the magic to this place. I’ve spent hours playing the triangle peg game that is at every table. 

Peggy Sue’s Diner

Terrible’s Roadhouse – Jean, Nevada

One more Last Vegas attraction because we can’t not talk about this. Everyone talks about Eddie’s World on the 15 (which is great), but for us Terrible’s is the best gas station beats it. It’s MASSIVE with a ton of food perfect for the car including a White Castle! Plus, the bathrooms there might be the cleanest ones you will ever be in. Last time I was there I spent an hour just exploring all it has to offer. Once you are done there, don’t head back on the freeway! Take Las Vegas BLVD from there so you can visit the Seven Magic Mountains. 

Terrible’s Roadhouse

The World’s Only Corn Palace – Mitchell, South Dakota 

This is probably my favorite roadside attraction on this list because it is so random. Built in 1892, this building is completely covered in REAL corn. Inside, you can find themed murals made entirely out of corn that are changed out every year. The best part – it is totally FREE! That’s right, you can take a guided tour of this attraction all for free. If you are headed across the country this is a must see. 

The World’s Only Corn Palace

Wall Drug Store – Wall, South Dakota 

​It’s hard to miss Wall Drug in South Dakota as the signs for this attraction are everywhere. Seriously. There are signs for Wall Drug in Morocco, London and more places across the globe. The spot gained popularity in the 30s as a place you could get free ice water, which really came in handy on a long dusty road. Now the spot is so big it includes a massive gift shop, restaurant and even some animatronics. 

Wall Drug Store

The Hole N” The Rock – Moah, Utah

Sometimes the name says it all. This is literally a whole in the rock along US Highway 191. This started as a home that was built into a massive red rock and expanded to a gift shop, petting zoo and much more! 

The Hole “N The Rock

Marsh’s Free Museum – Long Beach, Washington

If you are into oddities and unique collections, than Marsh’s Free Museum is a must-see for you. They have everything from seashells, two-headed calves, tapeworms and antique baseball games. But their claim to fame is being the final resting place of Jake the Alligator Man. This creature was a big feature of Weekly World News as a half-man/half-alligator. You can learn all about Jake’s strange history and see his mummified body at the museum… if you dare! 

Marsh’s Free Museum

The Leaning Tower of Niles – Niles, Illinois

So you might not make it to Italy this year, how about the next best thing? The Leaning Tower of Niles is a half-scale replica of the famous tower in Pisa. Just like it’s famous counterpart, you can also take a cheesy picture of yourself holding up the tower here. 

https://www.vniles.com/883/Leaning-Tower-of-Niles 

World’s Largest Collection of Smallest Versions of Largest Things – Lucas, Kansas

Once again, the name of this museum tells you exactly what to expect and might be the ultimate roadside attraction. The museums creator, Erika Nelson, travels the country and takes pictures of unique attractions she sees along the way. She then uses those pictures to re-create tiny versions of those attractions. So if you can’t make it to the biggest ball of twine or the largest tea kettle, visit the World’s Largest Collection of Smallest Versions of Largest Things and it will be like you visited them all! 

worldslargestthings.com

By MySDMom Jessica

It’s summer time, which is the perfect time for road trips and family vacations. This would be the perfect time to recharge after a stressful pandemic. So am I refusing to schedule vacation time? Because vacations are not what they used to be anymore once you have kids.

When I was in my 20s and 30s, vacations were a time to rest and recharge from a stressful 40-60 hour work week. My job has me working very early hours and very long hours. While I love what I do, after months and months on end it gets very taxing. I loved vacation time because that was when I could finally catch up on sleep and reset so I could go back to work with a fresh mind. 

What I quickly have learned since having a kid that it is no longer the case. 

Let me start by saying that I love my child more than anything and treasure every single moment we have together. But he is also a LOT of work. That is okay, he is 2 (almost 3) and was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. That means we spend most of our time with him running around trying to keep him somewhat settled and entertained. My amazing husband stays at home with him during the date while I’m at work and once I get home I takeover. Sometimes I can get a quick nap in while Walt is napping, but it is usually short and when you only get 5 hours of sleep at night it’s never enough. 

So what happens on vacation? More of the same thing. I might get a little more sleep but when Walt is awake I spend most of my time running around after him which ends up being even more exhausting. Between that organizing, packing and making everything goes smoothly while on vacation I end up even more tired than when I started. Add in the fact that I have one of those jobs (again not complaining) that take a lot of work to prepare to take a day off, makes it almost not worth it. 

I’ve talked to a couple other parents about this and they had the same feelings, especially when the child is younger. Now, we could leave Walt with someone for a couple nights, but we aren’t ready to do that yet. 

This is why I’m not in a rush to plan a vacation for this summer. I can’t be alone here right? 

Parents, do you dread vacations because they are a ton of work? 

Things are slowly getting back to normal and the Happiest Place on Earth is FINALLY open! Right now it is only open to Californians, but that will change on June 15^th when everyone is allowed to visit Disneyland again. If you and your family are ready to head back to see Mickey, Minnie and the whole gang, there are a few things you should know.

Tickets and Reservations

Right now Disneyland is requiring all guests to have tickets and reservations for the days they want to visit. Luckily this is really easy and can be done all at once on the Disneyland website or through their app. If you are looking to save a little money, you grab a two or more day ticket that will save you for each visit, just note that you must use all days of your ticket with 13 days of your first visit. There are also days that are a little less expensive than others to visit and all of that info can be found at Disneyland.com.

Disneyland App

Speaking of the app, it is VERY important to download the app before your trip and create your Disneyland.com account to go with it. The app will hold digital versions of your ticket and all dining reservations as well as give you updates on wait times. It is also where you can make reservations for Rise of the Resistance and W.E.B. Slingers (the new ride coming to Avengers Campus on June 4^th). Also, this is how you can mobile order food (which I’ll go over later because it is VERY important).

Getting Prepared for Your Park Day

On our first trip back to Disneyland I was very unprepared for a full park day. It’s been over a year since we went back to a theme park and my body quickly let me know. Comfortable shoes are of course a must, but there a couple other things to remember. Since summer is here make sure to bring some hand-held fans. Also, if you have a little one invest in a clip on rechargeable fan for the stroller. They aren’t too expensive and your child will love you for it. We also got this hands free fan that is kind of great:

Also, get yourself a reusable water bottle. Disney has installed a few water bottle filling stations throughout the park in the last couple years and it will save you $$$ on water at the park.

Masks Masks Masks

As of this writing, masks will still be required in theme parks in California even after June15th. Since it is hot out I suggest bringing multiple masks that you can easily switch out, especially for the kids. They also have these brand new masks they just started selling at Disneyland that are AWESOME! There is a wire in the front that tents the mask away from your mouth providing more breathing room. It’s easily become my favorite mask.

Virtual Cues

This is the question I get ALL the time from people headed back to Disneyland for the first time in a while. “How do I get on a virtual cue for Rise of the Resistance?” Right now this is the only way you can get on this incredible ride and it will also be the case for the new W.E.B. Slingers Spider Man ride coming to Disney California Adventure on June 4^th. The virtual cues open two times during the day, once at 7am and again at 12pm. I use a technique perfected by theme park reporter Brooke Geiger McDonald and it has worked really well for me (I use the B method):

How to Get a Boarding Group for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland

Mobile Ordering

This is my #1 tip to anyone going to Disneyland right now. MOBILE ORDER EARLY!!! Right now there is very limited menus and walk-up options for your meals at the Disneyland resort. Most locations are doing mobile ordering only. The problem is that if you wait to mobile order around lunch or dinner, you might have a hard time finding a location with a window at that time and you might have to wait a couple hours for something to open up. I suggest ordering your lunch and dinner via the Disneyland app early, possibly when you’re in line for your first ride. Just pick an arrival window when you would normally eat and the app will do the rest for you. All you have to do when you get to the location is say “I’m Here” on the app and they’ll let you know when your food is ready. Super, super easy!

NOTE: This includes DOLE WHIP!!! Order it ahead of time because those windows fill up fast.

Shopping

Most guests are trying to get the most out of their Disneyland days right now by riding as many rides as they can while the park is open. This leaves the shopping for the end of the day. Do NOT do this! The end of the day the shops are crammed with people getting in, which makes it harder right now with capacity for the stores because cut off. So take some time during your day to do your shopping instead of waiting till the end of the night. Plus, the stores are much less crowded in the morning and afternoon making for a more comfortable and quicker shopping experience.

Summer camps are BACK for 2021 with both in-person and virtual options for your kids. These are a tradition for many kids and with COVID protocols in place are a great way to get your kids outside and learning this summer. Here are some great options available in San Diego this summer: 

Encore Creative Arts & Enrichment Camp

This camp has a bit of an advantage in operating safely with COVID protocols in mind as they were one of the few camps operating in 2020. The 30,000 square foot gated campus offers something for almost any interest your kid might have from sports to music to art to even a comic book program! They specialize in kids 7-13 and also have new camps available for kids 4-6 years old. Camp runs June 14 through August 27. 

https://encorecreativeartscamp.com/index.html

Camp Jaycee

While going through Camp Jaycee’s website I was immediately jealous. They have a Harry Potter one-week camp! Where can I sign up? Seriously though the options here are endless and kids as young as 18 months can take part. 

CampJaycee.com

Birch Aquarium’s Summer Camps

Do you have a kid that never wants to leave when you take them to the aquarium? This camp is PERFECT for them! Kids in grades K-5 can enjoy this week long camp filled with crafts, science activities and of course interacting and learning about all the amazing animals at Birch Aquarium. If you’re not ready to send your kid to in-person camp yet they are offering virtual camp this summer as well. 

https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/experiences/programs/summer-camps

Helen Woodward Animal Center

Summer Critter CampThis is another great one for kids that are into animals. They are offering two different week long camps this summer, “Adventures with Animals” and “The Magical World of Animals,” open to kids in preschool through 6th grade 

Summer Critter Camp

Mad Science Camp

How many times has your kid made you watch the same YouTube science experiment video over and over? They will LOVE Mad Science Camp where they can do all those experiments for themselves. They can experience everything from NASA Space Academy to Crazy-Chem Works. These half-day camps are held all summer throughout San Diego County. Virtual camps are also available. 

https://sandiego.madscience.org/parents-camps.aspx

​This is just the start of summer camps happening this summer in San Diego. Here is a list of even more great camps your kids are going to love! 

Ultimate Guide to San Diego Summer Camps 2021