This is a BIG list of insider tips, but that’s because I’ve included some ideas that even residents may not know about. Also, I’ve noted where you can save money on tickets, tours, and hotels through my affiliations. If you make purchases through some of the links in this post, I may be compensated.
Let’s start with the kid-friendly attractions that are at the top of most family sightseeing itineraries.
Tip: If you are going to visit more than one of these San Diego activities for kids, it may be worth considering a multi-attraction pass like Go San Diego to save money. (This pass is not valid for the annual Kids Free San Diego promotions in October.)
Location: Balboa Park
The world-famous San Diego Zoo tops my list of things to do in San Diego with kids. We’re members. It’s home to over 3700 rare and endangered animals and a beautiful display of over 700,000 exotic plants throughout its 100 acres.
San Diego Zoo is part of San Diego Zoo Global, an organization dedicated to saving species worldwide. Every dollar you spend with them goes toward animal care and conservation efforts, which you’ll learn more about during your visit. Yes, your day will involve animals and education — a perfect combination for kids.
Location: Carlsbad
LEGOLAND California is, of course, one of the most popular things to do in San Diego with kids. The resort consists of LEGOLAND California, SEA LIFE Aquarium, LEGOLAND Water Park, LEGOLAND Hotel, and LEGOLAND Castle Hotel.
If pressed for time, LEGOLAND California theme park can be visited in a half-day. The park is best for toddlers and younger kids as the suggested age is between 2–12. Teens would have to be die-hard LEGO lovers to enjoy it without accompanying a younger guest as most rides may be too juvenile for them.
SAVE ON TICKETS
You can find great pricing on LEGOLAND tickets here. Use promo code LEGO for savings of $2-18, depending on the ticketLocation: Mission Bay
SeaWorld San Diego alone draws tourists to our city from all over the world to enjoy up-close animal interactions, fun rides, animal shows, and educational experiences.
Special behind-the-scenes tours allow guests to learn more about penguins, rays, dolphins, sea otters, moon jellies, and more. You can touch reef sharks and marvel and giant ones in the walk-through shark tank.
IN THIS ARTICLE 5. SESAME PLACE SAN DIEGO Location: Chula Vista Elmo and Cookie monster walk with two girls through Sesame Place San Diego. A brand new theme park in San Diego opened in March 2022. Sesame Place San Diego, the only theme park on the West Coast based entirely on Sesame Street, replaces the Aquatica San Diego water park. It reimagined some of Aquatica’s water attractions while adding 7 themed dry rides and an interactive musical play area. The park also features an interactive Sesame Street Neighborhood complete with the iconic 123 Stoop, a live character show, a daily parade, photo opportunities, and of course, everyone’s favorite characters. Sesame Place San Diego tickets are on sale and you can buy them now through SeaWorld. 6. BELMONT PARK Location: Mission Beach (free to enter) Belmont Park ticket booth with the Giant Dipper roller coaster in the background. Our fun beachfront amusement park in Mission Beach Break from the beach for a few hours to pop into San Diego’s seaside amusement park. It’s free to walk around Belmont Park San Diego, but you’ll need tickets for the games and rides. We’re talking about a historic roller coaster, an arcade, carnival rides, giant scoops of ice cream, a zip line, laser tag, miniature golf, and a new go-kart track. With all of this, how can Belmont Park not be one of the most fun things to do in San Diego with kids? It’s also on my list of best things to do in San Diego with teens. It’s home to a couple of pretty good restaurants like Cannonball and Beach House. The latter is a family-friendly beach bar on the sand. Save room for dessert from the onsite Dole Whip truck. Don’t pay for rides a la carte: The cost of rides and activities can add up quickly, but that’s because kids love this park. You can sometimes buy discounted unlimited ride tickets through Costco or Groupon. The Go San Diego sightseeing pass includes the all-access combo pass. If you live in San Diego, consider the annual pass, which will pay for itself after a few visits. If you want to pick up bike rentals or skateboards to enjoy the Mission Beach boardwalk, you can grab them at the park. 7. BALBOA PARK Location: Balboa Park (free to enter) The Botanical Building at Balboa Park with wildflowers booming in front. Touring the Botanical Building here is always a free thing to do. The nation’s largest urban cultural park is home to 17 museums (the most kid-friendly options are enumerated in 9-13 below), many gorgeous gardens, historic buildings, the San Diego Zoo, restaurants, and performing arts venues. It is indeed one of the most fun places in San Diego for families because there is something for everyone to enjoy. Balboa Park is free to enter, though the museums have individual ticket fees. If you’re visiting multiple museums, you should purchase a Balboa Park Explorer pass or the Go San Diego pass. Both sightseeing passes include multiple museums for a flat fee. I’ve enumerated our favorite family museums below. Tip: Our favorite al fresco, counter-order restaurants are Panama 66 and the Tea Pavilion at the Japanese Friendship Garden. Kids also like the colored courtyard tiles in the Spanish Village Art Center, which I think is an often overlooked park gem. See also: Where to Eat and Drink in Balboa Park 8. OLD TOWN SAN DIEGO Location: Old Town San Diego (free to enter) Skeleton artisan crafts in the outdoor shopping area in Old Town San Diego, one of the free things to do with kids in San Diego. Old Town San Diego shops have crafts, candy, and souvenirs. As California’s birthplace, Old Town San Diego is a fun half-day visit in San Diego with children. Kids tend to like The Whaley House, one of the coolest haunted houses in the country, and walking through the graves at El Campo Santo Cemetery. If that sounds too creepy, not to worry. You can enjoy our sunshine in Old Town State Historic Park in between popping into the free museums that showcase what life was like in early California. Just above the park, you’ll find the Serra Museum, which showcases Kumeyaay Indians Spanish and Mexican exhibits of local history starting in the 1700s. Pick up a festive souvenir from one of the many shops. Yes, most restaurants here serve good Mexican food and giant margaritas for parents on their patios. Old Town San Diego often has mariachi performances, people dressed in period costumes, live music, and entertainment for free family fun in San Diego. Be sure to check the event calendar. See also: Guide to Old Town San Diego – Restaurants, Shopping and More Best Museums in San Diego for Kids Even if you can’t visit in person, don’t forget that these museums offer incredible opportunities for online learning and fun that includes science experiment tutorials, virtual after-school programs and camps, at-home crafts, downloads and so much more. If you do visit in person, admission to the Balboa Park Museums can add up. They are not large, and you’ll likely visit more than one or even two. Buy the Go San Diego pass or the Balboa Park Explorer Pass. This way, you’ll avoid multiple a la carte ticket purchases to the popular San Diego children’s museums mentioned below. 9. FLEET SCIENCE CENTER Location: Balboa Park The whole family will love exploring the 100 hands-on exhibits scattered throughout the eight galleries at Fleet Science Center. You’ll learn how gravity works, build stuff, watch movies in the world’s first dome IMAX theatre, and then some. Toddlers and even babies can get in on the “do touch” fun in the special Kid City section for kids 5 and under. 10. SAN DIEGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM (THENAT) Location: Balboa Park Kids participate in a scavenger hunt inside theNAT, fun when in San Diego with kids. There are two scavenger hunts to try inside theNAT. Located across the courtyard from the Fleet Science Center, the San Diego Natural History Museum is home to fossils, scavenger hunts, and exhibits regarding local geology, ecosystems, and history. This is one of the best places for the whole family to learn about our binational region’s biodiversity, from Southern California to Baja California. Kids under 5 will love The Backyard play area. Parents can watch them explore with a latte in hand from The Flying Squirrel Cafe next door. I love this museum, and it’s been a favorite of my daughter’s, too, throughout her entire life. See also: A Local Kids’ Guide to the San Diego Natural History Museum 11. SAN DIEGO MODEL RAILROAD MUSEUM Location: Balboa Park The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is North America’s largest model railroad museum and a toy train enthusiast’s dream. Inside, you’ll find four enormous scale and model railroad track layouts. The detail on the train models and the scenery is staggering. Visitors can admire and tinker with toy trains here, too. 12. SAN DIEGO AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM Location: Balboa Park Go to the San Diego Air and Space Museum to learn about the history of flight from early balloon ascents to space travel. Over 50 aircraft hang from the rafters, and the various galleries showcase the Wright brothers, the Golden Age of Flight, World Wars I and II, the Jet Age, and women in flight. 13. MUSEUM OF US Location: Balboa Park Kids can channel their inner archeologist at the Museum of Us, our anthropology museum. They can also dress up as a Pharaoh and learn about excavating and wrapping mummies in other interactive exhibits. Other exhibit topics include cannibalism, beer, race, and living with animals. Older kids may enjoy climbing to the top of the iconic California Tower for spectacular San Diego views. A reservation is required for this family activity. 14. SAN DIEGO BOTANIC GARDEN Location: Encinitas Children climb up the treehouse at San Diego Botanic Garden. If you’re looking for outdoor fun for kids in San Diego and garden inspiration, the San Diego Botanic Garden is your place. Spend an hour or two walking through 29 gorgeous gardens with themes ranging from fire safety to olive trees to plants native to the Canary Islands. Kids will love the Hamilton Children’s Garden with its fun treehouse, grass maze, and special kids’ activities. You can also usually schedule a visit according to tours on offer ranging from bird watching to various walks catered toward specific age groups. 15. BIRCH AQUARIUM AT SCRIPPS Location: La Jolla Young girls stand in front of the Kelp Forest tank at Birch Aquarium at Scripps, a fun San Diego with toddler and elementary school kids activities. The Kelp Forest tank showcases sea life that lives off the coast of San Diego. Birch Aquarium at Scripps is the public exploration center for the prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography. It’s one of the best things to do in San Diego with kids for a few hours, especially if they’re lovers of marine life. Enter and walk to the right to see the 60 habitats of fishes and invertebrates from the Pacific Northwest’s cold waters to the tropical waters of Mexico and beyond. On the other side of the aquarium, kids can play with hands-on educational exhibits that teach conservation values. A human-made tide pool area on the back patio called Tide Pool Plaza boasts panoramic Pacific Ocean views over La Jolla Shores Beach. Here, docents help visitors gently touch starfish and anemones while answering questions. New in summer 2022 are the emperor penguins – I can not wait to see them. I also encourage you to take a look at their calendar of off-site programming, including whale watching tours (December through April), tide pool tours (winter), snorkeling with leopard sharks (summer), summer camps, and other special events. Tickets: Buy directly through Birch Aquarium or entrance is included on the Go San Diego pass. See also: Guide to Birch Aquarium (Tips, Tickets, Offsite Adventures, and More) 16. USS MIDWAY MUSEUM Location: Downtown One of America’s longest-serving aircraft carriers is now a popular maritime museum with 60 exhibits and 29 restored aircraft. Kids love learning what life was like at sea on the USS Midway, touring the engine room and galley, and trying two flight simulators (height restrictions apply). Some of the USS Midway Museum docents lived on board the ship, and it’s one of my favorite places to recommend to everyone planning a trip to San Diego because there isn’t another museum like it. Be sure to take the audio tour. See also: Tips for Visiting the USS Midway Museum 17. MARITIME MUSEUM OF SAN DIEGO Location: Downtown Star of India ship at the Maritime Museum of San Diego in downtown. The Star of India docked right on the edge of the (free) Embarcadero. This San Diego museum preserves one of the largest collections of historic sailing vessels in the country. Visitors may climb on board to explore the sailing ships, some of which occasionally still sail (check the website for tours on the bay). Highlights include the Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship, and the Soviet-era B-39 submarine, one of the largest conventionally-powered submarines ever built. Tip: It’s easy to combine a visit to the Maritime Museum of San Diego with the USS Midway Museum and Waterfront Park as they are neighbors on the Embarcadero. (Grab a taco at Carnitas Snack Shack here, too.) 18. THE NEW CHILDREN’S MUSEUM Location: Downtown The goal of the New Children’s Museum is for children of all ages to experience the arts in ways that are meaningful to them. Their motto is “think, play, create,” and that’s exactly what kids do there through arts and crafts, hands-on exhibits like the Sketch Aquarium, and performing arts. Looking for things to do in San Diego with babies? This museum is free for babies under 12 months and is engaging for your littlest family members because they’ll love watching other kids in motion. The activities in the museum are appropriate for toddlers up to teenagers. It’s one of the San Diego attractions for kids that will spark their love of learning early. 19. SAN DIEGO CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY MUSEUM Location: Escondido If you happen to be in the area, stop by the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum. It’s entirely dedicated to learning through play throughout 6000 square feet of indoor space and even more outside, where there are chicken coops, worm farms, and other investigative stations. Themes of water and energy conservation are present throughout the facility. Tip: It’s very close to San Diego Safari Park, so you could visit both on the same (albeit long) day. 20. MUSEUM OF MAKING MUSIC Location: Carlsbad This is a fun San Diego museum for children or adults interested in music or the history of music. But, let me tell you why you need to go when the kids are young. Kids don’t always know what instrument they’d like to learn how to play. Sometimes, they need to choose one for a school music class. At other times, parents encourage learning an instrument to broaden their minds. A big highlight of the Museum of Making Music is the instrument room where you can pick up and play hundreds of instruments from around the world. It’s fun for the whole family, and it gives kids a chance to feel what playing an electric guitar, trumpet, or flute might be like.