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Orange County family guide

Things to Do in Brea with Kids

Brea blends old-town charm with a genuine arts streak, anchored by the Brea Mall and the walkable downtown along Brea Boulevard, where you'll find the public art sculptures kids love to hunt down. The Brea Plunge pool and the playgrounds at Carbon Canyon Regional Park, with its redwood grove, are warm-weather go-tos.

Curated by Simir Shah

Reviewed & updated June 2026 · we check listings regularly, but hours and prices change — confirm before you go.

📍 Where Brea is

Brea sits in Orange County, Southern California. Nearest major airport: Long Beach (~16 mi / 26 km). It's roughly 22 mi (35 km) from Downtown LA and 93 mi (150 km) from San Diego — SoCal traffic can make a drive take far longer than the distance suggests, so plan around it.

Visiting? See SoCal at a glance, getting around and which airport.

💡 Local tip: Carbon Canyon's redwood grove is an easy flat half-mile walk, ideal for little legs and stroller wheels.

Farmers markets in Brea

Thursday · 3pm–7pm

Brea Certified Farmers' Market

Year-round afternoon market on State College Blvd with produce and prepared foods.

See all SoCal farmers markets →

Local restaurants in Brea

Burgers & American

The Hat

A SoCal-only institution famous for giant pastrami dips and chili fries that kids and big groups devour.

Pizza & Italian

Brunos Italian Kitchen

Independent Brea Italian praised for seafood and classic pasta.

See all local SoCal restaurants →

Local shops in Brea

Art & Craft

Brea Bead Works

Full-service bead and hot-glass studio teaching wire-working, soldering, and bead weaving.

Makers & Local Goods

Brea Gallery Gift Shop

Civic-gallery shop selling work from 40+ local LA/OC artists — jewelry, planters, and decor.

Toys & Games

Chrono Toys

Toy and collectibles shop with anime figures, Funko, and games.

See all local SoCal shops →

Seasonal & outdoors near Brea

The closest splash pads, patches, lights and more — distances from Brea.

Pumpkin patch · 1 miEnchanted Country PumpkinsChristmas lights · 1 miEagle HillsBirthday venue · 1 miRound1 Bowling & ArcadeToddler spot · 3 miChildren's Museum at La HabraSplash pad · 4 miLemon Park Splash PadDog-friendly · 4 miBootlegger's BreweryJuly 4th fireworks · 7 miDisneyland 'Celebrate America' FireworksPhoto spot · 19 miHuntington Beach Pier

More Orange County family guides

Newport Beach →San Clemente →Orange →Irvine →Costa Mesa →Mission Viejo →Huntington Beach →Laguna Beach →Santa Ana →Fullerton →San Juan Capistrano →Tustin →
Browse all SoCal city guides →

Listings are curated and may change — confirm hours and details before you go.