Category: Fun & Games

If your kids beg you to take them to Chuck E. Cheese, they’ll probably also enjoy My Kids Clubhouse in Poway. As my 7-year old put it, “My Kids Clubhouse is basically Chuck E. Cheese without pizza or video games.” The large room houses climbing tunnels, 3 wavy slides, a small ball pit, a pretend play area, and a toddler area, in addition to a snack bar and a few tables where moms can sit back and enjoy a latte. Besides the tables, there were a handful of rocking chairs (a thoughtful touch since there were a lot of moms with infants). The scene included just about every type of parent—lots of moms with at least one child, more than a couple of dads, a few grandmas, and a playgroup or two.

My oldest son and his friend (both age 7) ran through the tunnels repeatedly until they were drenched in sweat. My middle son (age 5) tired of the tunnels after about 30 minutes and started following around my youngest son (20 months) in the pretend play area. The play area was sparse, in my opinion, consisting of a few wooden play kitchens, a train table, a cash register, a toy box full of costumes, and a couple of bookshelves with toys on them. I expected more—maybe tools, doctor kits, that sort of thing.

We had planned to stay for 2 hours, but after about an hour, my boys were all ready to leave. On the ride home, their reviews of My Kids Clubhouse ranged from “Awesome!” (from my 7-year old) to “Bor-ing!” (from my 5-year old).

If you’ve been a parent in Southern California for long, you know that most indoor play places are insanely busy when the weather is rainy or very hot. My Kids Clubhouse is no exception to this rule. When I took my kids it was a double whammy—a rainy, cold Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—and My Kids Clubhouse was at or near capacity. However, according to two parents who go regularly, it’s rarely that busy.

My Kids Clubhouse is available for birthday parties and offers several different packages and pricing options. However, note that the clubhouse is open to the public during parties, so it could easily get very crowded with kids other than your guests.

Admission is $7 for the first child and $5 for each additional sibling. Infants under 1 year are free with paid admission. Adults are always free. Check out the San Diego Family Magazine for a discount admission coupon and don’t forget to wear socks!

Even if you’ve never dreamed of competing in the Indy 500, you’ll love the exhilaration of racing your own kart around the indoor track at Miramar Speed Circuit. I’m no speed demon out on the roads (how quickly do I really need to get to the grocery store?), but those little karts bring out the Dale Earnhardt in me.

My family has made a tradition of racing at Miramar Speed Circuit for the past few years around Christmastime and everyone enjoys it. We’ve battled relatives from my 70-year old uncle to our then-6-year old son. The competition can be fierce (my husband and brothers are a wee bit aggressive on the track), but the track marshals keep a close eye on the drivers to ensure that no bumping occurs and that everyone stays safe.

Before you can drive, you are given a safety briefing and an explanation of how the karts work. After you pick out a helmet and neck guard, it’s race time! I don’t know much about go-karts (or racecars, for that matter), but these little karts are so freaking fast! You can get up to 40 mph on the straightaways and then zip and skid around the hairpin turns of the technical asphalt track. The karts turn on a dime and are much easier to drive than one might think. After a 10-minute race, each driver is given a lap time report that tells their overall race time and how he or she placed against the other drivers. Let the gloating begin!

Junior karts are available for kids who are under age 12 and at least 48” tall. Drivers of the adult carts must be at least 54” tall. All drivers must wear closed-toe shoes.

Regular admission is $23. Discounted rates are available for members ($60/year) and for groups. Tuesday nights are 2-for-1 race nights and there is a lunch special Monday-Friday.