With summer officially over and fall about to kick in, it’s time to dust off the old cobwebs and bust out the orange and black. Before having kids I wasn’t a big fan of dressing up and saying “boo!” but now, this is our family’s favorite time of year and our favorite place to celebrate is at LEGOLAND® California at the annual Brick-or-Treat Party Nights Celebration. Each Saturday night during October the Park transforms into a gigantic Halloween party for kids, complete with trick or treat stations,  costume contests and a dance party. It’s hard not to fall in love with this holiday when the kiddos are having the time of their life.

1. Brick-or-Treat Trail - My kids love this opportunity to trick or treat before the actual night of Halloween. And this year the Park has created a second trail atop the Model Shop to eliminate lines and congestion at the trails. This will be my opportunity to practice how to say “Trick or Treat” with my two year old before the big night.
2. Costume Contest - Perfect place to show off the costumes you’ve slaved over or spent a fortune on. I’m not even sure what my kids are going to be this year; I better put my thinking cap on!
3. Photo Op - This is one of my personal favorites of the event because the giant LEGO pumpkin is a perfect place for a family photo op. Moms, you don’t want to miss this! One of our best family photos was taken there two years ago.
4. Mail Order Monsters - Aside from the strolling entertainment, this year we’ll get to see a brand new show at the Courtyard Theatre starring Jester Funny Bones, Howlin Howie and Zac the Zombie. My kids will be front row for this one, hoping to get picked for the audience participation section.
5. Spirits of Brick-or-Treat Light Show - Halloween is just not the same without a good boogie to the Monster Mash along with singing ghosts and illuminated pumpkins. All the old school Halloween songs take me back to when I was in grade school, dressed like Strawberry Shortcake (It’s pretty funny that my 2 year old wants to dress like her 30 years later).

Be sure to mark your calendars! Festivities begin October 2nd and continue every Saturday in October.  Visit www.brickortreat.com for more details.

Brick Regards,
Model Mom Mary

Aside from all the rides and shows throughout the Park, there are also several areas within the Park where kids can spend hours making models and using their imaginations.

Just to the right of the Park entrance is an area called The Imagination Zone. It’s aptly named since it’s the best area in the Park for your kiddos to use their imagination. Since my kids are younger, they spend most of their time in DUPLO® Play building princess castles and dinosaur replicas. My best friend Amy’s little boys love Build & Test where they make racecars and test them out over and over, and over. Older kids are in heaven in the  BIONICLE™ Evolution room where they can get their Bohrok on, and in LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^®  where they can program robots to do just about anything. The most popular of the I-Zone areas is the new Xbox Family GameSpace where the LEGO elements come alive in video game form. Your kids can be LEGO Batman, LEGO Harry Potter, or a rock n’ roll singer in a matter of minutes.

LEGO imaginative play areas are also found in all other areas in the Park, including the Build-A-Raft River at the Water Park, DUPLO Playtown, LEGO club house, in lines for most rides, and even in the Guest Services and First Aid buildings. Get a Band-Aid and build a space ship, only at LEGOLAND California.

Brick Regards,
Model Mom Mary

My kids and I finally made it to the LEGOLAND Water Park last week and had an absolute blast! It is a perfect addition to our favorite theme Park. The kids loved splashing in the wading pools and sliding down the toddler water slides. There is something for every age group; even the parents were having a great time reliving their youth, sliding down the water slides with their kiddos. 

Here are some tips for first time attendees to the Water Park:

Bring a cover up - I forgot to bring mine and if you’re any amount of modest like I am, you’ll want to have something to slip on over your suit as you’re walking from activity to activity.

Rent a cabana - A cabana is an excellent idea to ensure that you have some shade and a cozy home base. But be sure to call in advance because they sell out quickly!

Take frequent potty breaks - The water areas close down ever two hours for ten minutes to ensure that kiddos get some potty breaks, but just to be on the safe side, be sure to have swim diapers for the little ones (they are mandatory and are sold in the retail shops in case you forget) and ask your potty trained kiddos if they have to go to avoid any unwanted accidents.

On a hot Southern California day, you can’t go wrong with a LEGO themed Water Park! For more information, visit the FAQ page.

Brick Regards,
Model Mom Mary