What to Do at LEGOLAND with Older Kids

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We have always loved LEGO in our house. As a kid my brother and I played with them and we even visited the very first LEGOLAND in Denmark way back when. My boys have grown up building with them and were always so excited to visit LEGOLAND just a few hours away in Carlsbad, CA. Now that they’re older (11 & 13) I wasn’t sure what they’d like to do or see on our latest visit. We spent a whole day in the park and I’ve pulled together a list of things they liked best so that you know what to expect if you’re planning on visiting with your older kids!

The park is geared for kids ages 2-12 but many families with a range of ages can have fun exploring. I find that by setting expectations for what there is to do for each age, you are increasing chances that everyone will have a great time.  Here is my boys’ list of things for older kids to do at LEGOLAND California:

1. Apple Fries! Big kid or not, you can’t miss a morning or afternoon snack of apple fries! We went first things because we were all craving them and we got to see them peeling and slicing the granny smith apples right before they threw them in the frier and coated them with cinnamon/sugar. They are SO good (and gluten free too).
2. Miniland – I think we could have spent most of our day here. Now that they’re older they can appreciate all the work, engineering and art that goes in to creating these structures! If you look long enough you’ll find all sorts of fun details to point out to each other.
3. Star Wars Miniland – This deserves it’s own number on our list! Scenes, characters and a GIANT Death Star make this area of Miniland a definite favorite for my boys.
4. SEALife – we visited towards the end of our day and it was pretty quiet! My boys are always up for an aquarium and SEALife does them well. This one is extra special because of the addition of LEGO characters inside the tanks! We spent a long time just watching the octopus play with his/her ball. Octopus creep me out fascinate me.
5. Knight’s Tournament – while we rode several attractions, they are definitely fitting for those in the younger crowd. However, the Knight’s Tournament will get a laugh and/or scream out of any age!
6. XBOX  Family Gamespace – The place to play all the latest and greatest LEGO video games using the most up-to-date personal technology devices and video kiosks (enough said).
7. LEGO Mindstorms – where you can build a robot! You have to be 9 or older to use this area so it’s perfect for the older kids. Or even the HERO Factory building area is great!
8. The LEGO Movie 4D! We are big fans of The LEGO Movie so we couldn’t wait to check out the new 4D adventure. In fact, we got to experience a red carpet event to see it the first time in California! It was…Awesome! The older kids will love it because they’ll be able to “get” all the jokes, which really are the best part in my opinion. It’s a fun 4D adventure that follows a new journey for Emmet, Wyldstyle, Unikitty, Benny and MetalBeard after they receive a mysterious invitation leading them to a new theme park where all of the rides are based on the characters’ adventures in “The LEGO Movie.” But not all is as it seems as the heroes are once again thrust into the middle of an evil secret plot, only this time, it will be up to the audience to use their Master Builder skills to help save them! Using elements such as wind, water, smoke and special lighting effects, the larger-than-life experience brings the film’s main characters, Emmet and Wyldstyle, back together with their friends for another awesome adventure.

Depending on how much your kids like building or checking out MiniLand this is more than enough for a full day. If you add in time to experience some of the younger attractions or things that younger siblings/family members might want to experience you’ll definitely have more than enough for those older kids to experience!

Disclosure: we received tickets as members of the media but all experiences and opinions are our own.