by Christine O'Callaghan

Created on: December 22, 2008   Last Updated: August 03, 2011

Sun, Sea Life, Science And More: Traveling With Kids In San Diego, California

For an outstanding family vacation destination, it’s hard to top San Diego. This coastal paradise is celebrated for its year-round perfect climate, its pristine beaches, and its fantastic tourist attractions. When visiting San Diego with children, the challenge is not to find kid-friendly activities, but to decide which of the plethora of activities you’ll have time to enjoy. Whether you’ve got truculent toddlers, excited elementary-schoolers, or angst-ridden adolescents in tow, you’ll have no trouble finding a variety of activities suitable for the whole family. And while many would consider a trip to San Diego incomplete without a visit to Legoland (

http://www.legoland.com/california.htm) or the Zoo’s Wild Animal Park (http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/index.html), there are abundant opportunities for family fun within this gorgeous city’s limits.

Balboa Park

A good place to start is Balboa Park. Once an arid mesa, today this public park is home to San Diego’s world-famous zoo, several museums, and other kid-friendly attractions. (1549 El Prado, San Diego, 92101; (619) 239-0512; www.balboapark.org)

The San Diego Zoo is a perennial family favorite. A special draw for younger children is the Children’s Zoo, where they can pet animals and observe baby animals in the nursery. Be sure to visit the giant pandas, whose visit from China was recently extended. With over 100 acres to visit, the bus comes in handy. Lines can be long at the zoo, so try to pre-order tickets from the Zoo’s Web site (2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, 92101; (619) 231-1515; www.sandiegozoo.org)

Another family-pleaser is the Museum of Natural History. Kids will especially love the permanent “Fossil Mysteries” exhibit, or watching “Ocean Oasis” or “Planet Earth: Pole to Pole” in the 300-seat, giant screen Kaplan Theater. (1788 El Prado, San Diego, 92101; (619) 232-3821; http://www.sdnhm.org).

Less educational perhaps, but just as fun, is the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater, where puppeteers from around the world entertain children with a dazzling array of marionettes, shadow puppets, and hand puppets. From “The Hare and the Tortoise” to “The Polka Dot Ghost”, shows at the 200-seat indoor theater will please kids of all ages. (2130 Pan American Place, San Diego, 92101; (619) 544-9203; http://www.balboaparkpuppets.com)

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>