In the heart of Orange County, California, is a magical, interactive “city” where children can play and dress up as grown-ups by going to work, buying groceries, going to the doctor, and relaxing by the beach.
Pretend City Children’s Museum is a hands-on children’s museum that provides whole-body learning experiences, educational programs, and creative exhibits.
Upon arrival, guests are given a map of the “city,” explaining what type of exhibits can be found inside its pretend boundaries. The displays are miniature play-size versions of real-life locations found in most cities.
Within the central part of the museum are some entertaining exhibits, like a police and fire station, a grocery store, a bank, a medical center, and a post office.
Children can roam around freely and are provided time cards stamped at various locations like the pretend construction site or gas station. Once their time card is full, children can deposit fake money at an ATM or insert their time card to receive play money.
A favorite part of the city for many children is the farm and beach area, where children can relax after a hard day at work, just like their adult counterparts.
They can also learn how to garden and pick fruit on a farm and fish or make a raincoat. There is even a place to live out the dream of being a rock star on stage at the “pretend” amphitheater.
And getting around Pretend City is half the fun, as in addition to the various businesses, there are roads where children can drive around in ride-on toys, stopping at lights and obeying street signs.
Children can also enhance the experience by putting on costumes that even mom and dad can fit into to participate.
Finally, Pretend City hosts several events throughout the year, like periodic scavenger hunts, individual holiday-themed affairs, and recycle days, where children are encouraged to bring in recyclable goods.
And while the museum is geared primarily toward children ages 5-10, baby areas are blocked off from the main play areas to prevent little ones from being injured or knocked over by the older children.
The “city” is also special needs-friendly, allowing all children to experience the value of pretend play.
Pretend City is the perfect place that allows children to touch everything. Its hands-on nature of everything provides “purposeful play, hands-on learning experiences, role-playing, and educational programming.”
In Irvine, Pretend City is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Military discounts and group rate discounts are available, plus the occasional Groupon Deal.
Getting there is easy, as the museum is located right off the 405 and 5 freeways near the Irvine Spectrum and Verizon Amphitheater. pretendcity.org Pretend City Children’s Museum 29 Hubble Irvine, CA 92618 Phone: 949.428.3900