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I cannot say enough good things about the Early Learning Center that my 4 year old is going to. Even during the pandemic, they are able to get the kids to come twice a week for 3 hours in the mornings. This has been our saving grace as my little one needed some social interaction and some experience with school before he starts kindergarten in the fall.

More information about Early Learning Centers in San Luis Obispo County.

Because they had different grants for this school year, you don't have to be a low income family to apply your kid for this free program. They are state funded and follow strict guidelines so I trust that my little one is getting what he needs that is appropriate for his age group. They also make sure they keep the kids wearing masks, sanitizing their hands and taking their temperatures.

Normally, the kids have to attend Early Learning Center, which we just call "school", 5 days a week, 3 hours a day but because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the kids are only going twice a week. We're happy for that. I know that these are some difficult times. Also, normally parents would need to volunteer twice a month but for safety and health precautions, the parents are not allowed in the classrooms so that is not mandatory right now. See all Early Learning Centers locations in San Luis Obispo County. There are locations throughout the county that include: Atascadero, Paso Robles, Grover Beach, Nipomo, Oceano and San Miguel.

You would need to contact them to learn more about the program and how to register. If you call them at the number that's noted on the Early Learning Center's website, they should be able to get back to you within a day or so, which was the case for us. The age criteria for your child to attend is they have to be between 3 - 4 years old when they enroll before the fall school year, however you can enroll them even after fall semester has started up until a certain point. They would also need to be completely potty-trained.

See a list of other preschool and childcare options in San Luis Obispo County.

Reading Suggestions:

• Read My Pros and Cons table for Joining a Parent Teacher Association or Parent Teacher Organization
• See a list of free events for kids throughout San Luis Obispo County

Popular Preschool Supplies:

• Preschool Toys for 4 and 5 year olds
• Big Lego Blocks
• Books for 4 and 5 year olds

There are many ongoing events around San Luis Obispo County, the 3 most largest light displays are:

• Holiday Plaza with Christmas Lights in Mission Plaza has Santa available for pictures for a fee until Christmas Eve. However, the lights will be up longer than. It's free to visit here in the day and the evening to just see the Christmas decorations or watch the lights at night. See my most recent downtown SLO date night instagram video reel to get a small glimpse of some of the Christmas lights at Holiday Plaza. 
• Cambria Christmas Market is the most famous and biggest Christmas lights display in all of San Luis Obispo County and they are open until the day before Christmas Eve. See my instagram video reel to see my experience at Cambria Christmas Market. The Christmas Market costs money for entry.
• Newest to the light display list is Nature Nights at SLO Botanical Garden. Unlike the Holiday Plaza and Cambria Christmas Market, they are not Christmas themed but it runs longer than the other two on my list. I've never been to the Nature Nights event at night but I've been to SLO Botanical Gardens in the day. See my instagram video reel to see my experience at SLO Botanical Garden with my kids.

See a list of fun family-friendly events in SLO.

To see pictures of restaurants that I've visited in San Luis Obispo County, go to the Restaurants Page.

The Pumpkin Patch (actual name) in Edna Valley of San Luis Obispo is a really wonderful pumpkin patch where you can pick from pre-picked options or cut the pumpkin yourself, straight from the vine! They have white pumpkins, orange pumpkins, greens pumpkins, warty pumpkins and more! They are open seasonally from mid-September through all of October every year. I find that you get a better deal supporting this business than going to your local big chain grocery store!

Right next to pumpkins area is a corn maze that is also owned by the same farmers. You have to pay an entrance fee to enter, but it's pretty affordable compared to other places. It's a legitimate maze and a memorable way to have a little fun with the kids.

You can view my reel of the corn maze at The Pumpkin Patch in Edna Valley (SLO) via my instagram.

To see upcoming Halloween and Fall Events and a list of pumpkin patches throughout San Luis Obispo County, go to our Halloween & Fall Events in SLO page.

See our video reels on my instagram to see other pumpkin patches that we've visited:

IG Video reel of our visit at The Pumpkin Patch in Edna Valley

IG Video reel of our visit to the pumpkin patch at SLO Creek Farms

IG Video reel of our visit to the pumpkin patch at Tar Creek Ranch

IG Video reel of our visit to the pumpkin patch at Avila Valley Barn

Major Haunted Houses in Southern California for 2024

Living on the Central Coast, we're only a few hours drive from big haunted houses and attractions at major attractions. Here are ticket offerings for attractions that offer a Haunted House experience at night.

Universal Studios Hollywood Fall Experience

Universal Studios Hollywood in LA offers Discounted General Admission through arestravel. SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ takes you into the world of Super Mario™. Battle Team Bowser on the groundbreaking Mario Kart™ ride. Play interactive games throughout the land and track your score with a Power-Up Band™. Dine at Toadstool Cafe™, meet Mario and friends, and grab exclusive merch at the 1-UP Factory™ store. Now open at Universal Studios Hollywood. Universal Studios Hollywood is a 2 hour and 56 minute drive south from SLO (if no traffic).
 See Universal Studios Hollywood Ticket Offerings.

Knott's Berry Farm Fall Experience

Knott's Berry Farm is southern California’s original theme park, bursting with attractions and entertainment. Guests of all ages love the park’s first-class roller coasters and thrill rides, elaborate stage shows, interactive entertainment, and family-friendly fun with Snoopy and the Peanuts™ gang Knott's Berry Farm is about a 3 hour and 54 minute drive from SLO (if no traffic). You can secure Knott's Berry Farm tickets online from arestravel.

Halloween Themed Supplies

• Halloween Animatronics
• Halloween Buckets for Trick or Treating
• Halloween Fun Party Favors

Every year, we take the kids to visit the Spirit Halloween Store in San Luis Obispo. They always have new costumes for the Halloween season. Some of my favorite ones were Marshmello costumes, baby costumes and family matching themed costumes. For 2024, the Spirit Halloween Store in San Luis Obispo was located at the Former Bed Bath & Beyond Store: 317 Madonna Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. Jump to the 20% Off Coupon Link for Spirit Halloween.

We drove to Cambria earlier this week to enjoy some sightseeing in northern part of our county. We live in the South County part of San Luis Obispo County so driving to the North County part is a nice change. 

With the Covid-19 pandemic causing a second round of closures for San Luis Obispo County, many restaurants with patios and outdoor dining spaces are more popular since indoor dining is not allowed at this time. We went to Robin's Restaurant in Cambria to enjoy a very nice lunch in their garden dining area and we throughly enjoyed our meal. I ordered the fish tacos and my husband ordered the mole enchiladas.



They had a kid's menu as well which the kids liked. My older son had the spaghetti while my younger one got the pizza. Everything tasted fantastic. The portions were great and the service was attentive.


This was the menu that we were presented with when we sat down. The service was pleasant and the food was excellent. I can't wait to come back again when we plan on making our way North because then, we can stop in at Robin's Restaurant and enjoy another delicious outdoor lunch!

Activity Suggestions:

• Check out the millions of lights at Cambria Christmas Market at Cambria Pines Lodge
  
  Read more about Cambria Pines Lodge and their annual Christmas Market with over a mile of Christmas lights, Moonstone Beach and more.
• Viist the Zen Garden and the Big Yellow Gift Shop in Cambria.
  

To see other pictures of restaurants that I've visited in San Luis Obispo County, go to the Restaurants Page.