Children can bring excitement and joy to your life. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to connect with the young. They often have a different idea of “fun” than the elderly. Whether you aren’t as agile as you once were or have no clue what kids these days enjoy, I am here to help.
As a senior care advisor in Los Angeles for 20-some years, I have picked up on some of the best activities for seniors and children to enjoy collectively. Below are the top attractions in Garden Grove that are fun for both seniors and children.
1. Great Wolf Lodge
The Great Wolf Lodge is my top recommendation for seniors and their grandchildren. This is the perfect place to take your loved ones on a long weekend of exciting fun for everyone! The lodge offers multiple included activities, including Yoga, Dance Parties, Arts & Crafts, Character Appearances, and The Forest Friends Show. All of these activities are great but my all time favorite part of the lodge is their extravagant indoor water park. The lazy river is perfect for seniors while the water slides are a young kid’s dream. If you are looking for a place to take a long weekend with your grandchildren, this is the place.
2. Nickel Nickel 5 Cent Games
Possibly one of the most fun activities for children, Nickel Nickel 5 Cent Games offers a fun and exciting arcade experience. If you are looking to just get out for a few hours with your grandkids, this is the place to go. As the name suggests, this arcade offers lot of fun for a cheap price. Use real nickels to play their games instead of wasting time and money with fake tokens. Their 9,500 square foot facility boasts over 100 games from old pinball machines to skee ball. Nickle Nickle 5 Cent Games offers the largest prize counter in Orange County, which means you can take home a prize as a token of the memories you made there.
3. The Strawberry Festival
The Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is help annually over Memorial Day weekend. The festival features rides, parades, celebrities, music, delicious food, and more! Every year, the festival opens by cutting the world’s largest strawberry shortcake, which is served to over 2,000 people for free! If you love strawberries and fun activities, this is the place to go with your grandchildren. The fun rides are perfect for children and the parades and music are perfect activities for seniors.
4. Atlantis Play Center
For just $2 per person, you can enjoy a day with your grandkids at the Atlantis Play Center. This four-acre children’s playground is themed around the mysterious super nation, Atlantis. The parks includes multiple playgrounds and a water play feature known as the Splash Pad. Although the park was designed with young kids in mind, it also features beautiful scenery that you can enjoy as well. It is guaranteed to pique the young imagination of children and get all of their energy out. Take your grandchildren out for a picnic or there are multiple local restaurants, including Brodard Chateau, Mae’s Cafe, and an In-N-Out Burger.
5. The GEM Theater
Located at the end of Historic Main Street, The Gem Theater offers balcony and handicapped seating for movies and life performances. The theater recently went through a major renovation, equipping it with a new sound system, lighting system, and theater seats. It is the perfect place for seniors with low mobility to enjoy time with their grand children. The theater is also surrounded by quaint restaurants and shops.
About Garden Grove
Garden Grove started with a population of about 200 when Orange County was incorporated in 1889. When the Pacific Electric Railroad came through the town in 1905, there was a boom of tourists, visitors, and more settlers. For 40 years, the town went through a major economic boom until two major disasters struck.
The first was in 1916 when heavy rains flooded the center of town with four feet of water. Then, in 1933, a major earthquake struck. However, after World War II, a number of servicemen came back to Garden Grove to settle and raise their families. A high supply of land and low prices caused another major boom, leading to the city’s incorporation in 1956.
Today, Garden Grove has a population of over 170,000, making it the fifth largest city in Orange County. The community is sprawling with fun things to do with your grandkids. Whether you are looking for a week-long adventure or just an afternoon of fun, the activities on this list are guaranteed not to disappoint.
Meet Your Garden Grove Advisor
Jasmine is a verified Senior Care Center Advisor who has helped over 1,500 families find senior living communities since 2015. She is rated the top senior advisor for the Garden Grove area. She worked as a caregiver in multiple senior living communities throughout the Midwest before moving to Los Angeles in 2013. She is passionate in sharing her knowledge of senior living in the area and helping seniors in their pursuit to find the perfect senior communities.
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For more information on senior living in Garden Grove, we recommend these additional resources:
Assisted Living in Garden Grove, CA