Newport Beach, Calif.--Build a carousel at a shopping center and they shall come. Someone learned this decades past, and the mantra seems to work. Fashion Island in Newport Beach has an outdoor carousel. Just a few miles away at the Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach there's another outdoor carousel ride, as well.

And a few miles east in Costa Mesa, South Coast Plaza has an indoor carousel for kids to ride. You can head north a few miles to Westminster Mall and find an indoor carousel there. Or head south to Irvine and find one at the outdoor Spectrum shopping center.

Making malls kid-friendly gets moms, dads, grandmothers and grandfathers out and about.

Fashion Island happens to be one of the most popular malls for children. A series of water fountains that kids can walk through include one called a Pop Jet fountain in which little droplets of water shoot up at intervals--perfect on a warm Southern California day.

Fashion Island is located in Newport Beach. Exit Pacific Coast Highway to Newport Center Drive and you'll arrive at the mall. The road goes in a circle around the perimeter of the shopping mall.

One section includes an Atrium with a food court where you can select from a variety of cafes serving sandwiches, salads, pizzas, hamburgers, and other foods. An open courtyard provides table seating next to a large water fountain.