South Bay Homeschool Network
Parks
SBHN families meet at the park for Park Day EVERY WEDNESDAY. The locations are listed by the park day host at the beginning of each month in the SBHN Facebook group. Park descriptions and directions are available below. Parks and rec maps for each city are at the bottom of this page. For further information about our group, please go to our home page.
Alondra Park -Lawndale.
Near El Camino College between Manhattan Beach Blvd and Redondo Beach Blvd, just east of Prairie. From Hawthorne heading north, turn east onto Redondo Beach Blvd. After you pass Prairie, enter the parking lot on the left where the pool, skatepark and splash zone are located. This park has multiple playgrounds. Water play area and pool are open in the summer. Skate park, excercise area, long walking trail leading to a lake.
Alta Loma Park -Torrance.
26126 Delos Drive. South Torrance. From Crenshaw headed south, make a left onto Crest Rd. Drive up the hill and stay on Crest -it will round a bend and change street names. Park is on the left shortly after the bend. Entrance is tricky to see. Small parking lot, but ample street parking for free. Basketball. Good park for bike riding, scootering, skating. Dogs allowed on leash only.
Alta Vista Park -Redondo Beach.
801 Camino Real. South Redondo Beach. Turn off Knob Hill. Parking lot. Baseball, batting cages, soccer, tennis. Next door to Alta Vista School. Bathrooms in the community center. Indoor racquet ball courts (reservations sometimes required). Community center employees keep a close eye out and have threatened tickets for gathering without a permit if we all sit together in a group. NO DOGS.
Anderson Park -Redondo Beach.
2229 Ernest Avenue. North Redondo Beach. The address won't get you to the correct place. This park is just north of Artesia Blvd. Intersection of Vail and Farrell in North Redondo Beach. There are two parking lots off of Vail, but street parking on Farrell is closest to the playground. Basketball, tennis, baseball. Amphitheater. NO Dogs Allowed. NO Bikes, scooters or skateboards.
Colombia Park -Torrance.
4045 190th Street. North Torrance. Intersection of 190th and Prairie. Baseball and soccer fields. Two big parking lots. We park and sit near the lot off 190th.
De Portola Park -Torrance.
25615 Lazy Meadow Drive. South Torrance. From Hawthorne headed south, make a left onto Rolling Hills Road. The Park will be on your left. There is street parking on Lazy Meadow Drive, but to park nearest the playground, from Rolling Hills Road, turn onto Whiffletree Lane and park there. No parking lot, but easy street parking. Basketball and Baseball. Good scooter/skate park.
Del Aire Community Park-Hawthorne.
12601 S. Isis Avenue, Hawthorne. Just northeast of the corner of El Segundo Blvd and Aviation. Large parking lot off Isis. Large grassy field. Basketball, tennis, baseball, public fruit and herb orchard.
Delthorne Park -Torrance.
3401 Spencer Street. Intersection of Madrona (aka Prairie) and Spencer. You can see the park from Madrona, but turn on Spencer to park. There is a parking lot, but it is far from the playground. There is street parking available much closer to the play structure if you make the first right off Spencer onto Osage. Osage dead ends at the playground. Small pond. Bridges. Basketball. Scootering/Skating.
Dominguez Park -Redondo Beach.
200 Flagler Lane. From 190th, turn south onto Flagler. Park is on the left just past the dog park. Plenty of street parking. Even though there is a dog park next door, there are NO DOGS ALLOWED at the park. Baseball.
El Nido Park -Torrance.
18301 Kingsdale Avenue. Near the Galleria. From Hawthorne, turn west onto 182nd. Make a left onto Kingsdale (just before the stop sign). Immediately veer right at the fork. Park is immediately on your right. Parking lot. Basketball, soccer and baseball. Caution -sometimes homeless people will congregate by the railroad tracks at the very back of this park.
El Retiro Park -Torrance.
126 Vista del Parque. South Torrance. From PCH, turn South onto Vista del Parque (where Anza hits PCH). This is a horseshoe shaped street that hits PCH at each end. The park and library entrance is tricky to find. It is in middle of the curve in the horseshoe. Basketball and tennis. Library.
Entradero Park -Torrance.
5500 Towers Street. Near 190th between Anza and Prospect. From Anza, turn west on Towers. Park entrance is easy to miss. Look for sign on your left just past Entradero Avenue. Parking lot. Basketball court. Baseball field. Good bike/skateboard sidewalk. Lots of sand. Hiking trail. Long walk from parking to the play equipment area where we usually sit.
Franklin Park -Redondo Beach.
807 Inglewood Avenue. North Redondo Beach. Off Inglewood between 182nd and 190th. From Inglewood, turn east onto Fisk. Park is on the left. Street parking. Basketball. NO dogs.
Guenser Park -Torrance.
17800 Gramercy Place. North Torrance. From 182nd, turn North onto Gramercy (between Van Ness and Western). Street parking on Gramercy. Big Gold Fish play ground. Bring bikes, scooters or sports equipment. Baseball and basketball.
Hermosa Valley Park -Hermosa Beach.
Intersection of Gould (Artesia Blvd turns into Gould west of PCH) and Valley. Basketball and soccer. Street parking available on both Gould and Valley. Amphitheater.
Fred Hesse Community Park -Rancho Palos Verdes.
29301 Hawthorne Blvd. If you are coming up the hill from the South Bay, park will be on your right. Watch for a sign telling you where to turn in to park. Parking lot. Baseball, soccer, sand volleyball, hiking. Multi-level park.
Hickory Park -Torrance.
2850 232nd Street. South East Torrance. From Hawthorne, turn east on Sepulveda; Right on Maple; Left on 226th which becomes Juniper; Left on 232nd. Next door to a Hickory Elementary. Bikes, sand play, tennis.
Holly Glen Park -Hawthorne.
5255 W. 137th Street. From Rosecrans, turn North onto Isis Avenue, then right onto 137th. Park is at the intersection of 137th and Glasgow. Street parking. Tennis, basketball, fenced in playground and wading pool sometimes open in the summer. Excercise path runs along Glasgow for older kids.
La Romeria Park -Torrance.
19501 Inglewood Avenue. From 190th, turn south onto Inglewood. Park will be on your right. Street parking on Inglewood is ample. Basketball, baseball, tennis.
Lago Seco Park -Torrance.
3920 235th Street. South Torrance. This park is between Lomita Blvd and PCH, just west of Hawthore Blvd. Even though it says it is on 235th, Ocean Avenue is the street with easiest access and parking. From Hawthorne, turn west onto Lomita, make a left onto Ocean and park will be on your right. Street parking on Ocean is ample. Basketball and baseball.
Lomita Park -Lomita.
24428 Eshelman Avenue. Coming from Sepulveda Blvd, turn south onto Cabrillo Avenue (between Crenshaw and Western). Cabrillo Avenue turns into Eshelman. The park is on your left before you get to Lomita Blvd. Coming from Lomita Blvd, turn north onto Eshelman. Park is on your right. One thing people might want to note is that entrances into and out of the parking lot are one-way. There is signage, but it can take you by surprise the first time.
Manhattan Heights Park -Manhattan Beach.
1600 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Between Aviation Blvd and Sepulveda. This park is across the street from Polliwog Park. Very small park. Street parking is easier on the back side of the park on 11th Street. Tennis, paddle tennis, basketball, volleyball, horse shoes, climbing wall, smallish playground. Parking lot and street parking on 11th street.
Paradise Park -Torrance.
5006 Lee Street. Between Anza and PV Blvd, just south of Torrance Blvd. Next to Anza Elementary. Tennis, big field for sports. Street parking.
Perry Park -Redondo Beach.
Corner of Grant Avenue and Slauson. About four blocks west of the Galleria Mall in North Redondo Beach. Basketball courts. Teen Center is open after school hours. Scooter and skate areas. Street parking on Slauson and Rockefeller.
Polliwog Park -Manhattan Beach.
Corner of Redondo Avenue and Manhattan Beach Blvd. Two playgrounds at this park -one on the corner and one down by the lake. We usually meet at the lower playground by the lake. Street parking on MB Blvd and on Peck. Caution, there is a pond with no barrier to keep small children from falling in.
Recreation Park (Rec Park) -El Segundo.
Corner of East Grand Avenue & Eucalyptus Drive. Park in the lot off of Pine or park on Pine and walk down the ramp. Baseball, soccer, tennis. Separate fenced in playground for little ones.
Robert E. Ryan Community Park -Rancho Palos Verdes.
AKA Pirate Ship Park -30369 Hawthorne Blvd. Coming up the hill from the South Bay, this park is just past Fred Hesse Park on the same side of the street. There is a parking lot and steep walk down to the playground. Handicap parking lot is a little further down Hawthorne. Pirate Ship play ground. Baseball.
South Park aka Choo Choo Park -Hermosa Beach.
On Valley Drive at Fourth Street. Small parking lot. Very small playground for younger kids. Good Bike and skateboard path. Hockey.
Sur La Brea Park -Torrance.
23610 Cabrillo Avenue. South East Torrance. From Sepulveda headed East, cross Crenshaw and Arlington, turn right onto Cabrillo. Park is on your left at corner of Cabrillo and 236th. Street parking. Baseball, basketball, tennis, and a fitness course.
Veteran's Park -Redondo Beach.
On the beach at Redondo Pier -309 Esplanade. Take Torrance Blvd west to Catalina. Make a Right and immediately veer right. Park is on your right. The only park where you need to pay for parking. BRING QUARTERS FOR METERS. No dogs.
Victor Park -Torrance.
4727 Emerald Street. From Anza, turn west onto Emerald. Park is on your right. Next door to a library, Victor Elementary. West High School is just down the street. Parking available in library lot or on Emerald. Baseball, soccer and basketball.
Walteria Park -Torrance.
3855 242nd Street. South Torrance. Softball, basketball, tennis. South Side of PCH between Hawthorne and Anza. Bathroom is not always unlocked, but there is a McDonalds next door.
Wilson Park -Torrance.
2200 Jefferson Street. On Crenshaw between Carson and Sepulveda. From Crenshaw, turn west onto Jefferson into parking lot. Drive all the way back to the far east end of the parking lot. Group meets near play equipment which is just past the duck ponds, near the tree house. Forty plus acre park with trail around, duck pond, roller skating rink, fitness course, basketball, tennis.
SBHN does not meet at the following parks for our regular weekly meetings (usually because they don't have bathrooms or are outside of our local area) but they are great for field trips!
Los Arboles/Rocketship Park
5101 Calle de Ricardo
Large park with beautiful city views. Not on the SBHN park list because it has no bathrooms!Sand Dune Park
33rd and Bell Avenue, Manhattan Beach
A 100ft high sand dune for running, sliding and tumbling down. You may bring cardboard for sliding. Parking is mostly metered. Kids 12 and under permitted on the dune during all park hours. Everyone 13 and over must purchase a reservation for a time slot at the web site.Wilderness Park
Ernie Howlett Park Rolling Hills
1102 Camino Real, Redondo Beach
Free. Closed Wednesdays. Wooded with two ponds. Nice hiking for younger kids. No playground equipment.
25851 Hawthorne Blvd. This park is south of PCH, on the west side of Hawthorne Blvd., between Rolling Hills Drive and Palos Verdes Drive North. Not on the SBHN list because of buried trash concerns.Aiden's Place 1350 South Sepulveda Blvd, West LA. Universally accessible playground with lots of unique play equipment.
Virginia Avenue Park
2200 Virginia Avenue, Santa Monica. Nice park with an extra summer perk -the Splash Pad! All the free water fun you can imagine.Exposition Park Rose Garden
701 State Dr., Los Angeles (next to the CA Science Center). Free. Open dawn to dusk. A labyrinth of roses! Playground available on the other side of the Natural History Museum.GreyStone Mansion and Grounds
905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills. 310-285-6830
Beautiful old style Beverly Hills mansion open daily -all free! No playgrounds, but lots of paths for strolling and nice views. The mansion is open to the public only when weddings, filming and other special events aren't booked, so call ahead.Roxbury Park
471 S. Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills. Ten plus acres with nice rolling green hills and lots of shade.Atlantis Play Center
9301 Atlantis Way, Garden Grove. 714-892-6015
Small fee. There are multiple playground all with an Atlantis theme. It is closed on Mondays and closes around 3 or 4 every afternoon.Dennis the Menace Park
9125 Arrington Avenue, Downey.
Free. Castle motif.Adventure Island at Heritage Park
Cerritos. 18600 Bloomfield Ave. 562-916-8570.
Adventure Island is free, but is open limited hours. This is a colonial village built kid-size. Each building has slides and stairs inside. It also has a ship and cannons on both sides of the moat that surround the island, and the story of Paul Revere on plaques around the park. If you go, the Cerritos library is on the other side of Bloomfield, just a short drive away. Their children's section is definitely a dream library. Worth taking a few minutes to go read a book, but hard to remember it is a library, not a playground.Audubon Center at Ernest E. Deb's Park
4700 N. Griffin Way, LA.
Hiking, bird watching, classes for all ages.Adventure Playground
1 Beech Tree Lane, Irvine
949-724-6818 Mud and water play; building with saws and hammers. Small admission feeSouth Beach Park Playground, Santa Monica Bright fun playground with sand and water play.
Glen Alla Park, Marina del Rey
Culver City Park 9700 Jefferson Blvd., Corner of Duquesne & Jefferson. Ladders, cables, ropes and slides with water and sand play including a working pump.
Looking for more fun places to go? Try these links:
Los Angeles Mommy Poppins online calendar
Mommy Poppins list of 100 fun things to do with kids
Experience LA
Experience Los Angeles "What to do. How to get there."
Also check out the Free Museum Days List from Experience LAEye Spy LA
"The Local's Guide to Los Angeles and Southern California
CREATIVE * UNIQUE * ALTERNATIVE * FUN Things to Do in L.A."Hidden Los Angeles
Teachtopia LA Field Trips
Hidden Los Angeles "Embracing the Depth Beneath the Shadow."
Also check out the Free Museum Day List from Hidden LA
Parenthood.com OC Family Magazine