949.428.3900 29 Hubble, Irvine CA 92618 | Mon & Tues Closed | Wed – Sun 10am – 4pm
It’s time to celebrate the festival of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year! Children will learn all about this Jewish holiday through stories, sweet traditions, and more. Smart Art (all day): Using colorful paper, make a horn similar to a Shofar! During Rosh Hashana, may partake in having apples with honey! Today, we will explore fake apples […]
Pretend City is excited to educate guests about Tongan and Samoan cultures and traditions. Grandpa and Grandma, Steven and Lita Fifita, share a home with their two daughters, son-in-law and grandson. Multigenerational homes are very common for Pacific Islander families and the Fifita household is always open for friends and family! Daughters Melenaite and Melevesi welcome family all year round as well as members of the community. Melevesi’s son, Kelly, has grown a love […]
Time: 11am & 2:30pm Story time: There Was a Movement Yesterday by: Chantrell Lewis Synopsis: "There Was a Movement Yesterday" is a children's book geared to children ages 6 and up. There Was a Movement Yesterday was created as a way to communicate and analyze feelings and curiosity; specifically regarding those around current events and the […]
Stretching, breathing, and mindfulness practices are some of Gina’s favorite things to share with your children! These three components help children self-soothe, find a sense of calm, move and groove, and have fun in an engaging way. Play Partner: Gina Velez from YOGINA The purpose behind the Grown-up Tip: Mindfulness begins in the early years! […]
Smart Art: When I grow up, I want to be a musician! Using bells and pipe cleaners, string together an instrument of your very own! When I grow up, I want to be a scientist! So we will test out how oil and water don’t mix to make colorful patterns! Explore figurines from different professions […]
Art: In true Mad Hatter fashion, our youngest citizens will have a chance to become hatters themselves! Using scissors, glue, colorful paper, and paper tubes, you can bend and shape top hats, fold sailor hats, or even create helmets! Splash and sling colorful paint onto paper, and embrace your inner silliness! Time for tea at […]
Times: 9:30a-10a, 11:30a-12p & 2:30p-3p About: Playdate with our friends from Sago Mini! Get your very own Space Explorer activity box and get ready to build a wearable jet pack, launch a rocket, and learn about the planets in our solar system. Take your Sago Mini box home with you hours of imaginative, hands-on playtime […]
Art: Using newspaper, aluminum foil, and paint, make your own fruit harvest! Decorate and cut your own strip of colorful paper and add it to our community paper chain! Explore citrus, palm fronds, and sand in our sensory bin! Purpose: These activities will assist in children’s social emotional development, along with refining their fine motor skills, scissor skills, […]
If your little one already has their Halloween costume, we would love to see it! Art: Easel painting with brushes, fall themed sensory bin with pumpkins and gourds and homemade sensory bags filled with water, glitter and Halloween critters! Story Time: Go Away, Big Green Monster! By Ed Emberley Little Blue Truck’s Halloween Music & […]
Art: Discover more about firetrucks and drive them through paint to save the day! Explore stickers and decorate a firefighter hat that you can take home and wear during our grand exit parade! Time to put out fires! Use spray bottles to put out shaving cream fires and protect Pretend City! Purpose: These activities will allow children […]
Art: Use tissue paper and cut your own papel picado, utilizing scissors to make fun patterns! Have fun using brightly colored face paint! Explore colorful ice in the shape of sugar skulls and use different tools to break them apart! Purpose: Children will have a chance to develop their social emotional skills and also learn about cause […]
Healthy Child Development: Parents are experts on their children and Pretend City is here to support healthy development during the most important years. Free developmental screenings from 9am-3pm with one […]
Art (all day): Using two large boards, kids will be able to explore wrapping string around pegs to make shapes for our community project! Engage with paint as we explore finger painting on paper! Explore kinetic sand and natural materials to engage our sense of touch! Purpose: Today, children will really get to engage their sense […]
Guest Speaker: Mariana Bosch, MA-Early Childhood Specialist Coordinator Topic: Preparing your preschooler-supporting social and emotional development Purpose: Teaches confidence, respect, empathy, emotions and listening Organization/Company: IUSD-Early Childhood Learning Center Emotional Maturity and Social Competence are two of the five domains in early development which are typically scored as high risk or vulnerable categories for children […]
Story Time (2:30pm): Khmerical: A Collection of Cambodian Folktales Synopsis: "Khmerical: A Collection of Cambodian Folktales" comprises three traditional stories that have been passed down for generations among families in Cambodia. In one story, a clever rabbit devises a sneaky plan to steal an old lady's bananas without getting caught. Another story involves an ungrateful […]
Art: Join us as we move our large tables out of the way so that we can make beautiful Diwali Rangoli on the floor with brightly colored paint! Be inspired by Diwali Diyas and use clay to form your own! Explore rice and colors using spray bottles to create fun patterns! Purpose: These different activities will […]
Wear your costume to Pretend City and get $2 off general admission for each person who is wearing a costume!!! No weapons of any kind, real or pretend, are permitted on Pretend City property.
Smart Art : Inspired by “Nigel and the Moon”, add your dreams to our community board! Using scissors, crayons, and tape, attach what you want to be when you grow up under a big moon! Every good book needs a wonderful bookmark to go with it! Use watercolor paper, spray bottles, and string to put together something […]
A new series of classes will introduce visitors to clay and ceramics. Visiting Artist Ellen Dinerman will be working with visitors to create clay pieces that will become a part of standing mosaic sculptures for a future outdoor garden! Visit our website starting November 7th to sign up for a series of workshops.
This special evening is an opportunity for children and their parents/siblings/caretakers to enjoy The City in a sensory-friendly environment, along with other families. Our community partners, who specialize in supporting the neurodiverse community will be on-hand to enrich your family’s play experience with welcoming smiles and practical support. Watch a video tour of our museum here. Specifically, […]
El Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is here―a holiday for celebrating the lives of departed family and friends. Altars are decorated with sugar skulls and marigolds. Tamales and sweets are ready to eat. Soon it will be time for picnics, music, and a costume parade! Come join in these joyful and vibrant […]
Stretching, breathing, and mindfulness practices are some of Gina’s favorite things to share with your children! These three components help children self-soothe, find a sense of calm, move and groove, and have fun in an engaging way. Play Partner: Gina Velez from YOGINA The purpose behind the Grown-up Tip: Mindfulness begins in the early years! […]
Trick or Treat in the city! Families will be encouraged to come in costume and engage in a trick or treat in the city! We will have multiple stations throughout the city that families can visit for a special treat! Art: Come on in to our pumpkin patch and grow a pumpkin of your own! […]