On a recent excursion to Fashion Island with our five-year old daughter I was reminded of what a great place it is for families to spend an afternoon. Unlike other “malls” found within the suburban sprawl of “The OC,” Fashion Island is all outdoors. On this particular visit there was sunshine, blue skies and billowy white clouds as our canopy. It’s the perfect way to “get out,” surrounded by great food, fun shopping and lots of cool stuff for the kids.

You can literally spend hours simply watching the amazing array of fountains. The fountain that pops up droplets of water is the most popular, especially on a hot day when the under 10 crowd gets soaked. The other fountain, with its undulating series of waves and geysers, keeps all age ranges captivated.

If you and the kids need an additional water kick, head over to the koi pond. Here kids hop and skip over stepping-stones while being fascinated by the large variety of koi that swim in the enormous pond.

A big draw for kids at Fashion Island is, of course, the Venetian themed carousel. Although it’s called a “carousel” in actuality it’s a merry-go-round (Carousels feature leaping horses only, merry-go-rounds feature a menagerie of animals). This carousel/ merry-go-round hybrid (leaping steeds on the outside, assorted animals on the inside) is a must stop for any visit with kids. It’s even fun for adults and features glimpses of the blue Pacific Ocean in the distance.

After a go-round on the carousel and/or merry-go-round, it’s the perfect time to head to the Food Atrium and check out some of the offerings (perfect for young families on a budget). There you will find a large variety of choices to satisfy any taste. Most importantly, save room for gelato!

Fashion Island is also ideal at the holidays (their Santa set-up is great) and includes what is considered the tallest Christmas tree in the U.S. Their impressive summer concert series is fun for grown-ups and kids alike as well.

If I have any complaints about Fashion Island is the disappearance of the little train that chugged around a big tree near Bloomingdales. Our daughter loved it and I know many other parents and kids miss the train as well. The woman who ran the train was always great with the kids. Here’s hoping that maybe somewhere in the future that little train makes a return appearance at Fashion Island.