Interactive play time helps increase intelligence and build fine motor skills, much like playing chess in an earthquake. Busy your kid's imagination with today's Groupon: for $32, you get one admission to LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad (up to a $69 value). As an added bonus, Groupon buyers on the day of their visit can get an additional return ticket for free by presenting their paid admission ticket at the Guest Information Desk, inside the Park, any time through December 25, 2010. The second-day ticket must be redeemed from January 1 through March 31, 2011 and other restrictions may apply.

Families spend fun-stuffed days touring the brick-lined paths of LEGOLAND California, a 128-acre theme park that awakens the brain's dormant joy-centers with interactive attractions, playful areas, and 15,000 models crafted from the colorful plastic prisms. LEGOLAND's plethora of entertainment options comes gerrymandered into specialized fun districts. Themed attractions in Castle Hill, Pirate Shores, and the Land of Adventure allow kids to play in life-size re-creations of their favorite swashbuckling sets without colonizing the neighbor's shed. The world's largest collection of Cretaceous cubes rests on Dino Island, where a life-size brontosaurus, pieced together from more than two million bricks, watches over hot-blooded, cold-blooded, and face-painted patrons alike. Meanwhile, the DUPLO Village hosts a bright borough of activities for younger guests, including slides, the splashy Water Works area, and a safari of full-scale zebras, gorillas, and giraffes.

LEGOLAND California's centerpiece is Miniland USA, which exhibits to-scale LEGO reproductions of seven United States locales including San Francisco and New York City. Take a calm coastline tour to see the elaborate intricacies of the shrunken cityscapes, which radiate with lifelike landmarks, sparkling harbors, and corrupt waste-management programs. Starting with the lighting of the 30-foot DUPLO block Christmas tree on November 29, the holiday season coats LEGOLAND with wintry accents. Stop by to see special yuletide performances, seize photo opportunities with cubed Santas and reindeer, and yank on the bricked beards of miniature St. Nicks peppered throughout Miniland USA.

Reviews

Frommer's highly recommends the attractions at LEGOLAND California. The International Business Times gave its travel tips about LEGOLAND California. More than 220 Yelpers give the park an average rating of 3.5 stars, and over 300 TripAdvisors give it an average of 3.5 owl eyes. More than 12,200 Facebookers are fans of LEGOLAND California.

• The 50-plus rides and attractions—many powered by kids via pedal pushing, water squirting and rope pulling—are fun to look at and exhilarating to experience, without being too frightening. My daughter’s favorite part of the park has always been Miniland USA, featuring scale models of a handful of famous U.S. cities. – Debbie K. Hardin, International Business Times