5 Great Activities for Kids in San Diego

Now that the weather is cooling down, it’s a great time to plan a family vacation somewhere warm and sunny. We highly recommend paying San Diego, California a visit. This west coast destination is a great family-friendly vacation hot spot with a wide variety of activities for kids of all ages.

When planning your trip, consider adding these kid-friendly activities in San Diego to your itinerary. Not only will the kids love them, but your inner child will too!

San Diego Botanic Garden

Discover a 37-acre oasis that is home to more than two dozen themed gardens and four miles of scenic walking trails. The San Diego Botanic Garden offers ocean views and 5,300 plant species and acts as a natural wonderland for kids and adults.

While you’ll be wowed by the sheer diversity and beauty of the gardens, the kids will find lots of fun at the kids’ activities center. The Seeds of Wonder Children’s Garden is ideal for those in kindergarten and younger. Here, they can blow bubbles, dig for plastic dinosaur bones, play in the playhouse, and watch the model railroad truck move around the garden.

Hamilton Children’s Garden is for the slightly older children in your family. Here, they can explore the tree house, navigate through the grass maze, and play a giant game of tic-tac-toe. You can also schedule your visit based on a variety of tours offered at the garden including both bird and butterfly walks.

Reservations are highly recommended. Tickets are $10 for children 3-17 and free for children under 3. Adults pay $18 to enter.

La Jolla Cove

La Jolla Cove is the most desirable swimming, snorkeling, and diving spot in San Diego. This small beach is surrounded by beautiful sandstone cliffs and is the perfect spot to spend the afternoon with your family.

This flat and sandy beach is perfect for kids to run, play, build sand castles, and just get some energy out. Bring your bathing suits and snorkel gear to explore the calm waters. For added relief, lifeguards patrol the area to ensure everyone is safe.

In addition to water play, guests can pack a picnic and utilize the fire pits or play at the Kellogg Park playground on the nearby grassy area. If you need anything during your trip, you can easily walk to Avenida de la Playa for lunch, beach cover-ups, and sunscreen.

Admission to the beach is free and has a large parking lot for any of those arriving by rental car.

San Diego Zoo

You can’t go to San Diego without a trip to the San Diego Zoo. In fact, it is easily one of the top attractions in San Diego for kids (but adults are sure to have a blast as well!). The zoo is spread across more than 100 acres and is home to over 4,000 animals of 800 different species.

The zoo is dedicated to saving species worldwide and dedicates itself to animal care and conservation, and you’ll be able to learn a lot about that during your trip. Be sure to check out some of the most popular animals including koalas, baboons, polar bears, pygmy hippos, cheetahs, penguins, and komodo dragons.

You can also view the animals from new heights by jumping on the SkyFair Aerial Tram. Other favorite activities for kids in San Diego Zoo include the 4D theater, wildlife presentations, the Balboa Park miniature trail, and the multiple themed play areas.

Any day ticket prices are $63 for ages 3 to eleven (kids under 3 are free) and $73 for anyone 12 and over. Be sure to check their website as you can often find ticket discounts and deals on multi-day passes.

The New Children’s Museum

A museum just for children must be on your list of kid-friendly activities in San Diego. The New Children’s Museum is designed to educate and entertain kids of all ages with a variety of crafts, workshops, hands-on exhibits, and play areas.

This is a particularly great place for those with very young toddlers and babies because there arel wonderful bright colors and things to touch and grab even if they aren’t ready for the more interactive play.

Within the 2,000-square-foot space, your kids will love creating art in the makerspace, playing in the Wobbleland kitchen-style exhibit, sculpting in the clay studio, exploring the Tikitiko sensory space, and experiencing the various and ever-changing art installations.

The New Children’s Museum is open every day except for Tuesdays. Children under 1 are free, while children 1 and over are $15 for admission (this includes adults). The museum closes every day from 12pm-1pm so the staff can clean, however, patrons are welcome to enjoy the free outside park activities.

Belmont Park

Last on the list of top attractions for kids in San Diego is Belmont Park. The beachfront amusement park has so many fun elements for the whole family. Enjoy rides, games, attractions, restaurants, and shops—all with a stunning ocean backdrop.

Belmont Park has a wide variety of rides with appropriate options for all ages. Younger kids will love the bumper cars, tilt-a-whirl, liberty carousel, wave jumper, and Balmont express train. The older kids looking for more thrills can enjoy the giant dipper roller coaster, the beach blaster, and the octotron.

There are also a number of attractions and games for kids to participate in including laser tag, a laser maze, tiki town mini golf, and a zip line. You can also play a number of games including arcade classics, carnival-style games, and even bowling.

Park rides can be purchased a la carte, but we recommend purchasing an unlimited pass to better get your money’s worth. Ride an play tickets are $60 for those over 48″ and $55 for those under 48″. This allows you to enjoy all of the rides and attractions you want for one day. The arcade games are available for additional fees.

Where to Stay in San Diego

San Diego is home to some wonderful timeshare resorts that are perfect for your family vacation. These properties offer spacious, multi-bedroom accommodations as well as kid-friendly amenities like swimming pools, activity centers, and sports courts.

Some of the top San Diego timeshare resorts include:

• Gaslamp Plaza Suites
• WorldMark San Diego
• Wyndham Harbour Lights

Shop all San Diego timeshares for sale and San Diego timeshares for rent to save thousands on a west coast vacation you won’t soon forget.