Best Indoor Playgrounds and Places to Play in San Diego

People love to say San Diego doesn’t have weather. Then we get June Gloom for a month, it rains for a week straight in February, or it’s 106 degrees in Escondido in September and the beach is an hour of traffic away. Those are the days you need this list. Everything below is indoors and has AC, so you can parent without being too hot or out in the rain.

This guide is the results of years of research. I’ve gotten to attend the grand opening for many of these places and to meet the owners so I’ll also tell you what’s a chain and what’s owned by a local family!

What’s on this guide

Every spot below links to its own website, because hours and prices change constantly and a few of these places are brand new. Check there before you load everyone in the car and trust their website over my page for hours and pricing. The costs here are ranges to give you a ballpark and can change.

Some of these places charge per child and let one or two grown-ups in free. Others charge every single person that walks through the door. I have that info too.

Everything is grouped by region so you can find what’s closest, and I’ve included the libraries and malls in each area too. Libraries are free, air conditioned, and nobody blinks if you stay two hours, and your card also gets you free museum passes through Discover & Go. Malls are free to wander and always cold.

If it’s water play you’re after instead, I keep that in its own guide: 20 Best Splash Pads and Water Parks in San Diego. Everything here is indoor play.

North County Coastal

Kids & Coffee (Carlsbad)

A huge play space with a mega ball pit, mini market, parkour elements, and soft play for the littlest ones, attached to a real cafe. Ages 0 to 8. Reserve a time slot online. This one is owned by a super nice San Diego family and they are always throwing the COOLEST events that I am tempted to go to every weekend. It opened in 2024 and it’s been a hit ever since.

• Who pays: Each paid child includes one adult. A second adult is extra.
• Cost: Around $20 to $30 per child depending on how long you stay, with sibling and baby rates. All-day and multi-visit passes bring it down.
• Where: 2310 Camino Vida Roble, Ste 101

Good to know: No outside food or drink. Eat at the cafe or before you come. There’s lots of options even for picky kids.

Candeeland Wonderpark (Carlsbad)

An 18,000 square foot candy-themed indoor playground inside The Shoppes at Carlsbad, with a maze of tunnels, a spiral slide, ball pits, climbing nets, spinning trikes, and interactive video games. Big enough that all three of my kids, ages 3 to 9, had a great time at once. Very clean, with plenty of comfortable seating for parents.

This is a franchise but the San Diego location’s owner is frequently on location and very nice. I really appreciated that they had Dino nuggets on the menu for the cafe. My daughter is VERY picky and she actually ate them.

• Who pays: Admission includes one adult free with each child.
• Cost: Starts around $20 per child, with two-hour, all-day, and monthly pass options.
• Where: 2525 El Camino Real, Ste 289, second floor, Carlsbad

Good to know: Grip socks required for everyone. There’s a fill-your-own candy bag area (easy to skip if needed) and a cafe with kid food. The Human Claw Machine is right there in the same mall, so plan on doing both.

SEA LIFE Aquarium at LEGOLAND (Carlsbad)

You don’t need a LEGOLAND ticket for this one, which is the part most people don’t realize. You can totally buy a separate ticket. It’s also included in almost all LEGOLAND passes. There are sharks, rays, an octopus, seahorses, touch pools, and a walk-through ocean tunnel. It’s easy to spend an hour or two in here or linger for even longer! Fun fact, this aquarium has more animals than Birch Aquarium!

• Who pays: Everyone 2 and up, same price. Under 2 free.
• Cost: Aquarium-only tickets start around $25 per person. Also included with a LEGOLAND Resort Hopper ticket.
• Where: One LEGOLAND Drive, Carlsbad

Good to know: You still pay for LEGOLAND parking even for an aquarium-only visit. It’s $40.

Slick City Action Park (Oceanside)

Opened June 2026. Twenty-nine thousand square feet of indoor dry slides, ten of them, plus bouncy air courts for basketball and dodgeball. Big slides are ages 4 and up. Junior Jungle soft play zone for 5 and under. This is a hit with every age group even grownups. Just be careful on the big yellow slide, I’ve seen some kids hit their noses on the landing. This is a chain, have not met the owners but there’s a few across the Midwest!

• Who pays: Only sliders. Watching from the side is free.
• Cost: Around $30 for 90 minutes and $36 for two hours, ages 4+. Junior tickets from about $15. Required grip socks are $4.99.
• Where: 4241 Oceanside Blvd

Good to know: Sensory Hours and a Little Sliders Club for 7 and under were both listed as coming soon. Watch their calendar.

Squarena (Solana Beach)

San Diego’s first immersive LED tile arena, and only the second location in the world after New York. Step on the blue squares, stay safe on the green, avoid the red. Like Dance Dance Revolution meets Tetris. I went planning to watch my kids and ended up hooked after one level, and then all the moms were playing. Owned by a very nice San Diego family and they have had so much success with this one they are opening a second location very soon!

Two of my kids have asked to have their birthdays here. And I am happy to oblige because I like playing too! Make sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

• Who pays: Everyone playing, flat rate, two-player minimum.
• Cost: $30 per person for about 45 minutes. Bookings are private to your group.
• Where: 616 Stevens Ave, Suite G, Solana Beach

Good to know: Closed-toe athletic shoes, not sandals. Best for ages 4 and up. Reservations only open two weeks out and they fill up quickly especially when people book parties.

Oceanside Public Library

The Civic Center branch downtown is the main one, with a dedicated children’s area and regular programming. Easy to pair with a walk to the pier. Gorgeous fountains outside to admire!

• Cost: Free.
• Where: 330 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside

The Shoppes at Carlsbad

Free to wander, and home to Candeeland Wonderpark on the second floor plus one of the two Human Claw Machine locations, where $10 puts your kid inside the machine to grab a stuffie. There is another Human Claw Machine in Escondido Mall as well! There are a few small playgrounds here to check out.

• Where: 2525 El Camino Real, Carlsbad

North County Inland

Inland North County runs 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the coast from June through September. These are the spots that save an Escondido or Poway afternoon in August.

Children’s Museum of Discovery (Escondido)

North County’s only hands-on children’s museum, built for ages 0 to 10, with pretend play, physics, art, a toddler space for 2 and under, and an outdoor fossil dig and water tables. Small enough that you can actually supervise everyone. This is probably my favorite spot on this list. We have memberships and visit frequently.

They have the CUTEST events here, meet and greets with animals, crafts, a Teddy Bear Picnic and more!

Parking here can be kind of complicated, the lot is small and frequently full. You can park at The Center for the Arts or The Boys and Girls Club and walk through Grape Day Park to get here. There are frequently homeless individuals in Grape Day Park, so be aware of that. They haven’t ever bothered us but we like to meet a friend in the parking lot and walk over together.

• Who pays: Everyone. Adults and kids are the same price.
• Cost: Around $14 per person. Under 1 free. Military discounted, and $2 with an EBT, SNAP, or WIC card.
• Where: 320 N Broadway, Escondido

Good to know: On Discover & Go, so you can get in free with a library card. My full post: 7 Tips for Visiting The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum in Escondido

FUNBOX (Escondido)

Seven thousand square feet of connected inflatables: a 23-foot slide, Marshmallow Mountain, Gumball Gallop, a ninja wall, obstacle courses, and a chill zone. Sessions run about 90 minutes.

This place is SO fun for all ages. I think my husband had as much fun as my kids did. It’s a chain, so there’s a few locations and you’ll see those later on this list. They also do birthday parties and they make them SO easy.

• Who pays: Non-jumpers aren’t charged. But any child 5 and under needs an adult with their own ticket in the inflatables with them, so if your kid is little, plan on paying for yourself.
• Cost: Roughly $13 to $22 per jumper depending on age and time slot. Ages 0 to 2 free with a paid ticket.
• Where: 1855 S Centre City Pkwy, Escondido

Good to know: Grip socks required, no cash, no coupons, and sessions sell out. Pregnant guests can’t go on the inflatables at all so bring someone with you if you’re pregnant to help supervise.

Kids Empire (Escondido)

Inside North County Mall. A padded multi-level maze with winding slides, ball pits, jungle gym passages, a dance floor, and a separate toddler zone for ages 1 to 3. Admission is all-day with re-entry, which is a great deal!

My favorite thing here is the Kid Power Tower. You just watch your kids go full send through it and it amuses both kids and parents for a long time. They also have the option to buy a little lunch for your kids for $5. It includes an Uncrustable, a juice, a applesauce, and chips. Amazing on the days you just don’t have the energy to make lunch.

• Who pays: Kids 1 to 17. Two adults free with each paid child, extra adults a few dollars. Infants under 1 free with a paying sibling.
• Cost: Roughly $18 to $25 per child for the whole day. Ten-visit punchcards bring it down.
• Where: 272 E Via Rancho Pkwy, Ste 315, Escondido

Good to know: The Kid Power Tower is excellent for watching and hilarious. Pull up a chair. Socks required for every single person including adults, card only, no outside food, and waivers for everyone.

Get Air (Poway)

Wall-to-wall trampolines, foam pits, ninja obstacles, dodgeball, and an expanded climbing area. Separate Little Air section for jumpers under 46 inches.

If you haven’t been here in a while they recently made a HUGE update. There is now a huge indoor play area that my kids love. We’ve been to a few birthday parties here and they are so fun!

• Who pays: Per jumper. Spectators don’t buy a pass. During Toddler Time, one parent jumps free with each paid child.
• Cost: Around $20 to $33 depending on length of jump, and roughly $13 to $23 for Little Air. Socks $5.
• Where: 12160 Community Rd, Poway

Good to know: Families of four to ten get 20% off on Mondays and Tuesdays are two hours for the price of one. They also run a quieter session for jumpers with special needs, with lower music and one free parent on the trampolines.

Escondido Public Library

A ton of toys and our favorite library story time in the county. The librarians here do an excellent job. The main building downtown reopened in August 2026 after a $10 million renovation, and there’s a cute cafe inside now, which makes it very easy to turn a library run into a whole morning.

• Cost: Free.
• Where: 239 S Kalmia St, Escondido

North County Mall (Escondido)

Formerly Westfield North County, and free to wander. The train on the third level by the food court is the main event: about $4 a ride or $20 for six. We always buy the six-ride card. There are two indoor play areas at either end of the mall aimed at younger kids, plus Kids Empire and the Human Claw Machine. Stop at See’s on the way out, where they hand every kid and adult a free sample.

There’s also Stuffie Riders, you can pay $10 and ride a stuffed animal through the mall. We did it for my son’s birthday once and it was a blast! Think real life Mario Kart.

• Where: 272 E Via Rancho Pkwy, Escondido

Good to know: Kit Carson Park is right around the corner if you want to run them outside afterward. Brand new playground and ducks to feed.

Central San Diego

Tiny Tiger (Miramar)

Six thousand square feet for ages 1 to 7: ball pit, mini jungle gym, slides, and pretend play stations including a grocery store, vet clinic, and auto shop. Calm, clean, and the kind of place where you can actually sit down.

They also do amazing events and parties! They will handle all decor for you too and it’s cute and detailed. I saw them setting up for a pickle party once and they had pickle balloons and theming etc. This is my 3 yo’s favorite place to go and honestly one of mine too. I can totally chill and talk with my mom friends OR play with her.

There’s a little cafe in the middle of the big glass pyramid. They only sell coffee and pastries but you could bring your own food and eat it there!

• Who pays: Children 1 to 12. Each paid child includes one free adult plus one free non-walking child. Extra adults are $5.
• Cost: Around $20 to $25 for two hours, more for all day. Grip socks required.
• Where: 7310 Miramar Rd, Suite 100

Good to know: They host character visits during open play most months, and a regular ticket covers it.

AirTrack Park (Kearny Mesa)

Of all the trampoline parks, this is the clear winner. Huge, with a ninja warrior course, dodgeball, bounce run, sport court, toddler area, and trampoline video games where your kid’s avatar plays on the screen while they jump. Family owned by a couple who were both gymnasts. They’re actually friends of ours and they are constantly brainstorming ways to improve this space.

This is frequently booked for corporate parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties etc so check online or call before going because it does sell out.

• Who pays: Everyone who jumps. During Little Explorers, one parent per child gets in free and only pays for socks.
• Cost: Little Explorers for ages 5 and under is $12 on weekday mornings. Regular passes run roughly $13 to $20. Memberships are $30 a month. Socks $5.
• Where: 4863 Shawline St

Good to know: Reserve online. Standby spots are limited. Ice creams are $3, which is an excellent bribe at leaving time.

Birch Aquarium (La Jolla)

Not huge, which is exactly why it’s perfect with kids. Two halls of fish, the kelp forest, seahorses, jellies, turtles, little blue penguins, and the touch pool at the back looking out over La Jolla Shores. The leopard shark tank is raised so little kids get a clear view.

I love the seahorses here, the octopus, and the huge tank. Every tank has an interactive sign where kids can find the fish they want to see. And the view from the touch pool is worth the cost of admission alone. You’re high up above La Jolla and can see everything below you. In my opinion La Jolla is the most beautiful place in the world so I love coming here to look out over the beach!

• Who pays: Everyone 3 and up. Under 2 free.
• Cost: Roughly $20 to $25 per person. Discounts for seniors, military, and EBT cardholders, and buying online can save you money.
• Where: 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla

Good to know: There are three hours of free parking in their lot, and the upper level usually has spots when the lower one looks full. Reserve in advance.

The Plunge (Mission Beach)

A heated indoor pool in a gorgeous historic 1925 building next to Belmont Park, with a retractable roof and floor-to-ceiling ocean views. The draw is the giant floating obstacle course, and adults zoom around on it right alongside the kids. The heated water and the roof make this one work in January just as well as August.

Fun fact: you can order from the restaurant right next to it. It used to be called Beach House, now it’s FIT Social. The menu has super healthy options like bowls and high protein veggie items. Way better than the pizza over at Belmont Park. They have waiters that cruise through The Plunge so you don’t have to leave the pool to order food.

Don’t skip the sauna at the back of the pool! It’s included with Plunge admission. Also make sure to watch your kids really closely here. I’ve seen some near drownings when kids fall off the obstacle course and can’t get back up. The lifeguards do a good job but ultimately I would keep eyes on even older kids here!

• Who pays: Everyone in the water. Per person, not per kid.
• Cost: Around $15 for a session. Toddler time on weekday mornings drops it to about $5 per person.
• Where: Inside Fit Mission Beach at Belmont Park, 3146 Mission Blvd

Good to know: You can order food poolside from Fit Social next door, there’s a sauna open to guests, and you can rent a daybed, which is a lifesaver with a baby.

Point Loma/Hervey Library

We’ve been to almost every library and this one is my favorite. Ocean themed, with the children’s library taking up the entire first floor, a huge sailboat reading room with portholes and sails, a working submarine periscope, and a leopard gecko to visit. Close to Liberty Station, so you can easily do both!

• Cost: Free.

Kensington-Normal Heights Library

The smallest library in the city, and charming for it. It sits right next to a park with a playground and a big grassy area, and they hold baby and toddler story times outside in the park. Lots of fun shops and restaurants around! Burger Lounge has kids eat free!

• Cost: Free.

Mission Hills Library

Modern, bright, with dedicated areas for young children and teens. The underground parking garage gives you two hours free with validation from the information desk, which is amazing, and it means you’re not hunting for street parking in the rain or heat.

Wild Child Ice Cream is in the area and worth a stop!

• Cost: Free.
• Where: 215 W Washington St

Pacific Highlands Ranch Library

San Diego’s newest library, with a gorgeous children’s area, an IDEA Lab makerspace, and gated outdoor areas. Best part: it’s across the street from a great pump track and park.

We usually do The Pump Track first and then head over to the library. There’s also a playground kids can play at in the pump track.

• Cost: Free.

Balboa Park and Downtown

One parking note for the whole park: parking in Balboa Park is paid through January 2027, and they absolutely enforce it. I almost got a ticket once for going over my time. Budget for it, set a timer on your phone, or park at Inspiration Point and take the free green tram, which my kids honestly prefer to the museums.

Fleet Science Center

Over 100 hands-on exhibits, Kid City for the under-5 crowd, and the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater. Reopened in June 2026 after its first major renovation since the nineties, so even if you’ve been, you haven’t seen this version. Don’t miss Studio X, where they run science experiments most days.

They have a cafe here called Element 8 and it’s SO good and very affordable. There’s high bowls with high protein healthy options. They also sell soft serve. The soft serve and cafe is on the outside of the museum so it’s open to everyone in Balboa Park! We will stop by for ice cream here after a day at any of the museums.

• Who pays: Everyone 3 and up.
• Cost: Roughly $25 to $30 per person, and every ticket includes one documentary in the dome theater, which is what makes the price make sense. Two and under free.
• Where: 1875 El Prado

Good to know: Resident Free Tuesday is the first Tuesday of the month. Accessibility Morning Hours run the third Saturday, an hour before the crowds.

San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat)

Dinosaurs, whales, a giant topographical map of San Diego, a gem exhibit, and a live animal area at the back with spiders and snakes and other creepy crawlies. Great kids’ area on the first floor in the back.

The cafe here is excellent. It’s called Craft Taco and I would go here over any restaurant in the area. Also watch for Nat at Night when admission is half price and there are a ton of other things to do besides the standard exhibits!

• Who pays: Everyone 3 and up.
• Cost: Around $14 for kids and $24 for adults, with senior, student, and military rates. Two and under free. Giant screen films are included.
• Where: 1788 El Prado

Good to know: Free for San Diego residents on the first Tuesday of the month. The Moreton Bay Fig Tree out front is over 100 years old and worth a climb-around first.

San Diego Air & Space Museum

A history of air and space in San Diego, with a space travel exhibit, helicopters and planes the kids can get close to, and an exhibit where you design and fly your own plane. Fair warning: the animatronic Amelia Earhart is scary and it’s right as you walk in.

There’s a cute children’s area where we spend a lot of our time! Kids can explore a pretend Moon Base and do experiments and color!

• Who pays: Everyone 3 and up, and note that adult pricing starts at age 12 here.
• Cost: The priciest on this list, roughly $22 for youth and $35 for adults, with senior and military rates. Two and under free.
• Where: 2001 Pan American Plaza

Good to know: Free for San Diego County residents on the second Tuesday of every month except December and January, though that doesn’t cover special exhibits, the theater, or simulators. If the price makes you wince, their Gillespie Field Annex in El Cajon is about $5 per adult with 12 and under free, and my kids liked it more.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

Twenty-seven thousand square feet of trains, tracks, and trestles in the basement of the Casa de Balboa. The Toy Train Gallery is the kid magnet, and one train has a camera on the front so they can watch from the engineer’s seat. Elevated platforms so little ones can see. Criminally underrated, and being in a basement makes it one of the coolest rooms in the park on a hot day.

• Who pays: Adults and kids 5 and up. Four and under free with a paid adult.
• Cost: Around $10 for kids and $20 for adults, with student, senior, and military rates. Half price with an EBT or SNAP card.
• Where: 1649 El Prado, Casa de Balboa lower level

Good to know: Free for San Diego County residents on the second Thursday of every month, and it’s on Discover & Go. Don’t miss the cable car out front the kids can sit in.

The New Children’s Museum (Downtown)

Three levels of art, play, and moving their bodies, all designed by contemporary artists, plus Artopia, their newer hands-on creative studio hub. There’s a fenced park next door now too.

This is a museum where art and play go together. Each play area is designed by an artist so I LOVE spending time there. They are always rotating out the exhibits so every visit there is something new to see. Also their cafe is amazing and they serve cute food for kids!

Note for hot days: This museum does NOT have AC so it does get hot and it will close on extreme heat days.

• Who pays: Everyone. Same price for adults and kids.
• Cost: Around $14 per person, less for seniors, free under 1. Museums for All is $5 per person with an EBT, SNAP, or WIC card, and a membership to another ACM children’s museum may get you 50% off.
• Where: 200 W Island Ave

Good to know: The museum lot is $16. Park free at Fashion Valley and take the red trolley instead: kids ride free. My full post: 7 Things To Know Before Visiting The New Children’s Museum

Central Library (Downtown)

Nine stories, enormous, and home to the World’s Smallest Book. Every summer the library system runs a challenge where you visit all 37 branches hunting a hidden coyote, collect stamps, and turn them in here for a prize. We do it every summer and love it!

Here’s my full guide and touring plan: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbq50g6iXxG/

• Cost: Free.
• Where: 330 Park Blvd

East County

East County gets the hottest summers in the county, which is exactly why these are worth the drive.

The Playground (Grossmont Center, La Mesa)

An indoor playground next to Target at Grossmont Center. Inflatable climbing equipment, ball pits, kiddie cars, video games, and a separate toddler area with pint-sized equipment. Foam mats everywhere. Massage chairs for the grown-ups, which tells you who designed this place.

• Who pays: Per child, with adults included in the child’s admission.
• Cost: A 10-visit VIP pass is $170 instead of $220, which works out to about $22 a visit. A monthly membership is $65.95 for the first child and $55.95 for each additional child.
• Where: 5500 Grossmont Center Dr, Ste 125, La Mesa

Good to know: Socks required. You can bring your own snacks, but nothing messy or nut-based.

The Playground Museum (Santee)

Same owners, second location, opened March 2026 on Mission Gorge. This one leans museum: trampolines, slides, LEGO building areas, sand play, slime making, painting, and hands-on crafts, plus immersive play rooms. Parents consistently mention how calm and clean it is.

It’s also very open which makes it super easy to watch the kids! Owned by the sweetest family, she will often attend the events with her kids. She is a mom who is really trying to bring her community together, she puts on cool events, hosts parties and is continually updating and improving the space. Definitely worth a visit!

• Where: 10512 Mission Gorge Rd, Santee

Good to know: Pair it with Mast Park, one of my favorite playgrounds in the county and a few minutes away, though save that for a cooler day.

Kids Empire (El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lakeside)

Same setup as the Escondido location above: all-day play with re-entry, two adults free per paid child, socks required for everyone. General admission is $22.90 for ages 1 to 17, $5 for each additional adult, and a 10-admission punchcard is $159 with no expiration date. The El Cajon location is at 575 Fletcher Parkway.

South San Diego

Kids Empire (Chula Vista)

All-day admission with two free adults per child. Same climbing structures, ball pits, slides, dance floor, and toddler zone.

FUNBOX (National City)

The other San Diego County FUNBOX, at Plaza Bonita Mall. Same inflatables, same 90-minute sessions, same rules: non-jumpers aren’t charged, but a child 5 and under needs a ticketed adult with them.

• Where: Plaza Bonita Mall, 3030 Plaza Bonita Rd, National City. Park on the Target side.

The Deals That Actually Save You Money

This is the part I wish someone had told me years ago.

Discover & Go: free museum passes with your library card. With a San Diego Public Library or San Diego County Library card, you can reserve free day passes to local museums online. The Children’s Museum of Discovery and the San Diego Model Railroad Museum are both on the list, along with the New Children’s Museum, Museum of Us, San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego Zoo, and Skateworld. You can hold two reservations at a time and book up to three months out. Passes release on the first of the month and the good ones go fast.

Resident free days. Bring ID with a local address.

• Fleet Science Center: first Tuesday of the month
• Natural History Museum: first Tuesday of the month
• Air & Space Museum: second Tuesday, except December and January
• Model Railroad Museum: second Thursday of the month

Balboa Park Explorer Pass. The resident family annual pass covers 17+ museums for six people for a year and pays for itself fast. Covers the Fleet, the Nat, Air & Space, and the Model Railroad Museum. Does not cover the zoo.

Kids Free San Diego in October. More than 60 museums and attractions let kids 12 and under in free with a full-price paid adult. Download coupons from the San Diego Museum Council site, because they aren’t valid online and can’t be combined with pass programs.

San Diego Museum Month in February. Grab a free pass at any city or county library branch and get half-price admission for up to four people at 70+ museums countywide, all month. It also happens to land in our rainiest stretch, which is not a coincidence I mind. My full breakdown: San Diego Museum Month: 20 Best Museums for Kids

Museums for All. With an EBT, SNAP, or WIC card: $5 at the Fleet, $5 at the New Children’s Museum, $2 at the Children’s Museum of Discovery, and half price at the Model Railroad Museum.

Memberships and multi-packs at the play spaces. If you go more than twice a month, run the math. AirTrack is $30 a month, and Kids Empire, Kids & Coffee, and Candeeland all sell multi-visit or monthly passes.

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Save this one for the next gray morning or triple-digit afternoon. And if the day calls for water instead, my splash pad and water park guide is the one to open. Which one is your family’s go-to? Tell me in the comments, because I add to this list constantly.