Photography was our first art unit of fifth grade. In a world of watercolors and oil pastels, that might seem like a strange place to start but it leaned into my kids’ natural interest in photography and our heavily science based curriculum.

As with most things, we taught photography in a variety of ways but focused on getting out of the house and practicing their photography skills in the real world. (You can read all about my philosophy on learning and teaching in Little Walks Big Adventures

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Photography 101 Essentials

You do not need a lot to teach basic photography. I recommend:

• Cameras ( my kids both have one of these cameras with a waterproof strap to hook on their wrists to limit dropping )
• Photography Journals or some other place to keep and share their photographs. We are using sketchbooks like this to paste their photos into because it will be their art journal for the whole year.
• Computer & Printer – to upload and print photos.

Photography Neighborhood Walk

Our first field trip was a walk around the neighborhood with our cameras.

Before you go:

• Go over basics of how to use your cameras. How to turn them on. How to take a picture. Go over any safety recommendations. For example, I encourage my kids to wear the wrist straps whenever they’re carrying their cameras to avoid lots of dropping.
• Talk about photography. Before we went on our Photo Walk, I had them go online and find a photo that they liked. Just one. It could be a photo of anything that interested them – buildings, flowers, animals. One photo that they found interesting. We printed it out, added it to their photo journals and then shared what they liked about the photo. This led to a conversation about some photography basics. In our case, light and perspective were both discussed. I kept this brief and basic, but we talked about how they photo might have been taken and why they liked the way the subject had been approached.
• When we went on our walk I brought these up again as they were taking photos by saying things like; I wonder how the light would change if you took a photo of that flower from a different angle? or I remember you liked the photo that was taken from a low perspective, have you tried taking a photograph of that tree from that same perspective? or I see you taking a picture of that flower, I wonder how many different interesting ways you could photograph that same flower?

Afterwards:

• We learned how to upload photos onto the computer.
• They reviewed the photos they took and chose a few favorites. Those were printed and then added to their art journals with a sentence about their photo.

Visit an Art Museum

• Visit an art gallery or photography museum.
  The Getty Center in Los Angeles has a building devoted to photography. They also have a lesson plan for middle schoolers about photography. Here in San Diego, Balboa Park has the Museum of Photographic Arts.

We visited the Getty Center which is an amazing free art museum in LA. The architecture and garden is amazing. Make sure to set aside time to explore the garden. That was the part my kids loved best. I also highly recommend the kids scavenger hunts that are available next to the front desk.

There is also a full building devoted to photography which is where we focused our art viewing for this trip.

Ideas to Increase Engagement:

• Check online before you go to see what exhibits are currently showing. Take some time to learn a little more about the artists you’ll be seeing
• Use the info on their website to create a quick scavenger hunt for the photography section of the museum.
• Another option is to have your kids look around and then sketch their favorite photography in their art journal or write about they are inspired to try after viewing the photos.

The Getty
1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049, USA
Open 10a-5p Closed Mondays
Entrance is FREE but you must pay $20 to park and have a reserved timeslot to enter.
Website

Additional Resources for Learning about Photography with Kids

• Great American Artists for Kids
  We are using this book all year to study different styles of art. It covers a range of art forms and artists throughout American history. Ansel Adams and Sandy Skoglund are the photographers included. Each chapter has a little about the featured artist and then an activity related to that artist’s work for your child to try. Buy Online
• Combine Photography and Poetry with this Best Part of Me photography project.

Read More Photography Tips

Mythology hooked my kids in fourth grade. They dove into gods and goddesses, primarily in Greek culture, but learned about mythology from around the world. Here are some of our adventures and resources as they explored the magical world of mythology.

affiliate links are included below.

Field Trip to the Getty Villa

Getty Villa

While in Los Angeles for a weekend we visited the Getty Villa. This is one of the two Getty Museums in LA. It has Greek and Roman antiquities housed in a re-created Roman country home.

The Getty Villa makes a huge effort to be family friendly. There are a lot of activities for families at the museum. The super cool thing for kids who love mythology is that you can take an immersive audio tour of the museum.

My kids absolutely loved having the characters in their ears as they explored the museum on their own personal quest. Access the audio tour here or ask for more info at the information desk.

Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, USA
Open 10a – 5p, Closed Tuesdays
FREE to visit, $20 to park.
Must reserve a time slot online beforehand.
Website

Percy Jackson

Percy Jackson was our way into Mythology and I expect we’re not alone. Once my kids had read THE LIGHTENING THIEF, especially my daughter, they were hooked. Suddenly they wanted to know all about all kinds of mythology.

Percy Jackson Inspired Activities

• Make sure you visit the Rick Riordan website. There is a wealth of information including these Teacher Guides.
• There is a Lightening Thief Unit Study on Proverbial Homemaker.
• Fabulous Classroom has a huge list of resources about Percy Jackson learning inspired by the release of Sea of Monsters on DVD but they would work for a general unit as well in most cases.
• Here are some fun ideas if you want to have a Percy Jackson bookclub meeting from Adventures in Mommydom.

Book Recommendations:

There are SO many Percy Jackson books and related books, but in case your voracious mythology fan needs some more ideas here are some more series we’ve enjoyed.

• Hopeless Heroes series by Stella Tarakson
• Zeus the Mighty series by Crispin Boyer
• Thunder Cluck! Chicken of Thor by Paul Tillery and Meg Wittwer
• Goddess Girls series by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
• Heroes in Training series by Tracey West
• Nico Bravo graphic novel series by Mike Cavallaro
• Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland

Mythology

Once my kids were exposed to mythology via Percy Jackson, they seemed to thirst to learn all they could.

Books to Read

• Usborne Illustrated Stories from the Greek Myths
• Myth Atlas: Maps and Monsters, Heroes and Gods from Twelve Mythological Worlds by Thiago de Moraes
• National Geographic Kids: Everything Mythology by Blake Hoena
• Gods and Heroes: Mythology Around the World by Korwin Briggs

Activities

• Impressive and diverse twelve week mythology study that covers all the curriculum areas on Redhead Mom.

Mythical Creatures

Mythical Creatures are some of the most fascinating parts of mythology, especially for kids who are huge animal fans like mine. If you want to go down this rabbit hole, here are some books and activities to explore.

Books to Read

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling
• Mythopedia: What A Beast by Sophia Kelly
• Miss Turie’s Magic Creatures by Joy Keller – This is a cute picture book. If you’re diving into Mythology and Mythical Creatures with an early elementary schooler I definitely recommend this one.
• Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland is all about dragons that have to save their magical world. These are also good on audio.

Games to Play

• Createures Drawing Deck: This is game / art activity that is loads of fun if your kids enjoy drawing.
• Runes & Regulations: This is a strategy game that’s funny and also plays with mythical creatures.

Read About More Fourth Grade Units

San Diego is a great place for families. The sunny, warm climate means they can be outside all the time. The whole city basically sits on an endless string of beaches. There are fun museums and parks and SeaWorld.

It is full of fun kid friendly things to do. So many we have a whole huge list.

But sometimes you still want to get out of town. You want a change of scenery. You have that urge to hop in the car and go somewhere new.

Or maybe that’s just me? I get that urge.

A lot.

Luckily, there are also some super fun day trips just a reasonable drive away from San Diego. Here are our favorites:

1. Carlsbad Flower Fields

This is super close…maybe even an afternoon trip and it’s only super fun in the Spring. But when the tulips bloom – head North on 5 just a little to adorable Carlsbad to walk in the flower gardens. (LEGOLAND is also a short drive away if you do have a full day).

Read More – 5 Things For Kids to Love at the Carlsbad Flower Fields

2. A New Beach

Sometimes you want a beach day, but you want to go somewhere different. You probably have to be a crazy beach person (that’s me!) to leave San Diego to go to another beach but we have done this several times. Between here and LA are all kinds of adorable towns with beautiful beaches.

Most recently, we went to Crystal Cove State Park just South of LA. The waves were way more intense than anything we’ve experienced down here but it made for good bogey boarding. There are also two restaurants (put your name on the list the moment you arrive!) on the beach.

3. Disneyland

This is kind of an obvious one probably, but a must for this list. Disneyland is easily a doable day trip from San Diego. Of course you can go up for the weekend or week or however long you enjoy Disney – but you can also leave early and get there when it opens and spend a day enjoying Disneyland and Disney California Adventure and then drive back home to your own dear bed.

4. Los Angeles

This is just slightly further – depending on what you want to do in LA – than Disneyland but still doable in a day. We have trekked up to LA for the day several times with our kids.

Our favorite day trip involved the Griffith Observatory, yummy food, and the La Brea Tar Pits. You can read all the details below!

Read More – Los Angeles Day Trip with Kids

5. Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is one of my favorite places. It is otherworldly and so much fun to explore.

Yes, you absolutely can go for longer. We spent a weekend camping there and had a blast. BUT you can also get a good sample of Joshua Tree in a day.

Read More: Our Joshua Tree National Park Day Trip Itinerary

Don’t Have a Full Day?

Check out our 50+ Things To Do right here in San Diego with Kids

Want to go Even Further and Longer?

We HIGHLY recommend driving up to Mt Whitney and Death Valley for a long weekend!

A California Coast road trip has been on our list since we moved to San Diego. We made it happen this March over Spring Break.

We flew from San Diego to Portland, rented a car, and then started South. All of our favorite, don’t miss stops along the way are below.

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West Coast Road Trip

Beforehand: Getting the Kids Excited about California’s Coast

Before we go on a trip I like to give our kids a little context and get them excited about where we’re going. Below were their favorite books about California.

Booklist:

Our California
by Pam Munoz Ryan

This is a good place to start. It goes from San Diego, up the coast, and then inland hitting the major stops in California. It serves as a pleasant introduction to the state and what it has to offer. Bonus – it’s well written and vibrantly illustrated. FIND ONLINE

How to Draw California’s Sights and Symbols
by Jennifer Quasha

This won’t be for everyone, but my kids love step-by-step drawing direction videos right now so this was a hit in our house. Our favorites were learning to draw poppies (the state flower) and the Golden Gate Bridge. FIND ONLINE

California’s Redwood Forest
by Christy Mihaly

This is part of the Natural Wonders of the World series. It has beautiful photos and good information. I like this as an overview and it’s one that elementary school kids can read on their own. FIND ONLINE

Starting Location: Portland, Oregon

We started our trip by flying from San Diego to Portland. I’m a fan of road trips but the way back often bums me out. Plus, there is so much to see along the coast of California that we didn’t have enough time to do it all if we had to go up and back.

So we flew to Portland and spent two nights and full day exploring.

1. Portland, Oregon

There are plenty of things to do in Portland OR with kids. We really only scratched the surface. You can read more about our experience in Portland in this post: 24 Hours in Portland OR with Kids

But here are the highlights. In our brief stay we had time to:

• Visit Powell Bookstore (My favorite part of the trip)
• Eat Donuts from Voodoo Donut
• Wander and Eat at Portland’s Saturday Market
• Visit Washington Park and Hike
• Explore the Forestry Discovery Center

Also Read: 24 Hours in Portland with Kids

Then we headed south.

Activities for Car:

• New books from Powell’s Bookstore – Zita the Spacegirl for her, Plants Vs. Zombies for him.
• Harry Potter on Audiobook
• Games on their Kindles Kids Fire HD Edition
• The Big Sticker Book of the Blue activity book

2. Redwood National Forest

The Redwoods are incredible. I really wasn’t convinced they’d live up to the hype but for me they exceeded expectations. Go hike. Take photos. Be amazed.

For kids, I highly recommend stopping the ranger stations and getting the Junior Ranger guides and advice on the best hikes for your time frame.

Read More: A Visit to the Redwoods with Kids

Activities for Car:

We did a fair amount of driving between the various parts of the forest and then down the Avenue of Giants while we were at the Redwoods National & State Parks. I didn’t want my kids to miss everything with their noses pointed at a screen so we listened to Harry Potter on audio book and stared out the windows.

3. San Francisco

San Francisco was one of the highlights of our trip. We spent three nights and two full days in San Francisco. It was enough to get a good taste of the city but we’d love to go back and do more.

Here were our favorite things to do:

• See the Golden Gate Bridge
• Ride a Cable Car
• Visit the Exploratorium
• Drink Green Tea in the Japanese Tea Garden
• Enjoy the pretty parks

Also Read: 48 Hours in San Francisco with Kids

Activities for Car:

• Kids Travel Guide: San Francisco – great way to learn more about the city before or during your visit.
• Continued listening to Harry Potter on Audio

4. Monterey

In a word “stunning.” Monterey sits on a gorgeous piece of ocean front. The bluest of blues.

The highlight for kids however will probably be the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Make sure you check the schedule of feedings when you arrive and get there early for tank front views.

Other things for families to do in Monterey:

• 17 mile drive
• Lunch at Sticks
• Carmel beach

5. Big Sur

The Big Sur is stunning. Kind of like my reaction to the Redwoods – I don’t have words. All I can really say is that it truly is as incredible as everyone says. I can’t wait to get back.

Activities for Car:

• One note about driving in the Big Sur – it is windy! My daughter and I get pretty car sick so I would encourage you to take some Dramamine. My daughter likes the chewable kids version. On the bright side, if you do have to pull over and take a tummy twisting break there is no more lovely of a place to stop and rest for a bit.

6. Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara was a treat. Pretty beach. Darling streets with shops. Lots of restaurants. Don’t miss ice cream at McConnell’s Ice Cream shop. They even have incredible dairy free ice cream! So good.

and Oxnard

We spent the remainder of our weekend at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Mandalay Beach Resort. It was relaxing and fun and a wonderful way to end our vacation.

Final Destination!

from there we drove home. If home isn’t San Diego for you, then I’d recommend adding a couple of days to spend some time in Los Angeles and San Diego. Here are our favorites for both:

• Los Angeles CA
• San Diego CA

Find more top family road trip tips Here!

Los Angeles lies just over 120 miles North of San Diego and is bursting with things to do making it a perfect day trip for families. I think the hardest part is narrowing down what you want to do.

This is just one fun kid friendly day we spent in Los Angeles – we will definitely be back again.

affiliate links may be included in this post.

Los Angeles Day Trip

We got up early, turned on an audiobook, and left San Diego around 8:00 headed North towards LA. Traffic going there wasn’t bad and we arrived a little before 10:00am.

We started our day at the Griffith Observatory.

The Griffith Observatory is considered “the gateway to the cosmos” and offers spectacular views on LA on a clear day.

My kids weren’t overly impressed with the view, but they loved seeing the giant telescope and watching the WATER IS LIFE movie inside the planetarium.

I, on the other hand, loved the view. You could see all the way from downtown LA to the Hollywood sign.

Also Read: Getty Villa, Percy Jackson and Mythology for Kids

I love getting an up high view of a new place and this view definitely did not disappoint.

Griffith Observatory

• Admission is FREE to the observatory
• The Griffith Observatory is closed on Monday.
• Kids under 5 are only admitted to the earliest movie screening of the day.
• Parking fills up early. There is a shuttle to take you up the huge hill if you don’t want to walk.
• Bathrooms are available outside and inside.

After our visit to the Griffith Observatory it was time for lunch. We drove over to LACMA and parked for the day. From there we walked the the Original Farmers’ Market. You could definitely drive and park but we tire of moving our car and don’t mind a walk.

Read Also: 5+ Kid Friendly Day Trips from San Diego

There we found tons of different food options – even for our Dairy Free Allergy kiddo. Fresh fruit and the BBQ chicken with rice was his meal. The empanadas, while certainly not Dairy Free, were tasty and came in lots of inventive flavors.

Original Farmers’ Market:

• Open daily
• Crowded but large parking lot. You can get validation from some vendors.
• Plentiful outdoor, mostly covered seating.
• Credit Cards accepted at most stands.
• Ask patio staff for help getting a high chair.
• Restrooms are at the far ends of the market on both the West and East Patio ends.

We walked around the Grove for a little bit after lunch. It honestly wasn’t overly interesting, but we were curious. Our kids did like this old fashioned gas station pictured below.

The nice thing about the walk around the Grove was that we were ready for some ice cream afterwards.

We walked across the street (via Trader Joes for an emergency bathroom break) to Carmela which had amazing Dairy Free Ice Cream options. He loved the chocolate.

From there we walked back to LACMA. This pathway below was fascinating to all of us.

Right next to LACMA is the La Brea Tar Pits which was our next stop. This was recommended by Christine from Adventure, Baby and it was as interesting as she promised.

Outside you can view several still active Tar Pits. It is fascinating but also a little disturbing and smelly.

The history about the Tar Pits though and all of the animals that have been discovered in them is remarkable.

After wandering around for a bit, we headed inside the Museum. The museum is on the small side, but my kids enjoyed the interactive exhibits.

We learned just how hard it is to pull yourself out of a tar pit.

My kids love hands on exhibits like this.

There’s also a full skeleton of a Mastadon found in the tar pits and they watched a puppet show, labeled a Meet and Greet on the schedule of events, that they loved way more than I expected.

You can also watch paleontologists and volunteers at work in the Fossil Lab.

La Brea Tar Pits & Museum:

• Admission gets you into the Tar Pits outdoor area and the museum.
• There are bathrooms in the Museum
• Tar does not smell good. I wouldn’t let this stop you from going, but be prepared – especially if you have a kiddo that’s sensitive to smells like one of our twins.
• There are free tours of the tar pits included with admission.
• Active Duty and other various groups get FREE admission. Check here for details. 

Before heading back to San Diego, we went back over to LACMA of check out the famous Urban Light sculpture out front.

I wish there had been time to explore the art museum more, but this was a fun way to cap off our day.

From there we hopped back in the car, started a new audiobook, and headed back South towards San Diego.

We’ll be back though. There is still so much to explore in Los Angeles.

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Joshua Trees stretch before us as far as the eye can see. We drove into the park only moments ago, but with the Junior Ranger booklets in their hands and rocks towering just outside the windows my kids are giddy to get out of the car.

affiliate links may be included below.

Joshua Tree National Park with Kids

Joshua Tree National Park is about two hours East of LA and about two and half hours Northeast of San Diego. The park is huge and contains two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado.

Read Also: 5+ Kid Friendly Day Trips from San Diego

The park is completely fascinating and we saw plants and animals we haven’t seen anywhere else.

joshua tree day trip packing list

• Water (we went through an entire cooler of water bottles)
• Sunscreen
• Sun Hats
• Good Walking Shoes
• Pens
• Snacks
• Lunch
• National Park Passports

when you get to joshua tree

Start by asking for the Junior Ranger booklet at the Ranger Station when you enter the park. We LOVE this program.

You get a booklet (see below) for each kid to fill out. It has sections for different age ranges and ours started doing this when they were about 4.

Also Read: How to Make the Most of Your Fourth Grade National Park Pass

We’ve done this at a ton of different National Parks and they are always interesting and help to keep our kids engaged. This one focused on the plants and animals native to the Joshua Tree National Park.

family friendly hikes

Our family did 3 hikes in Joshua Tree. It took us most of the day. We arrived at the park around 10 and didn’t leave until around 4. There are a huge range of hikes that you can do at Joshua Tree National Park. This post from JUST GO offers a lot of helpful information about the various hikes from popularity to how strenuous they are to what you can expect to see along the way to help you decide what will work best for your family or group.

These are the hikes we did with our twin 7 year olds:

HIKE ONE: Hidden Valley Campground Trail to the Barker Dam Trail

This was the longest hike that we undertook. I should say up front that if I were to do it again I might skip the Hidden Valley Trail portion. You can park closer and just do the Barker Dam Loop and I would probably do that if we did it again.

That being said, we did see the best animals on the Hidden Valley portion of the hike. It was a long open space for long stretches where all you could see were Joshua Trees and Cactus and dry grasses.

We saw both a jackrabbit and this chirping squirrel. That was definitely one of the highlights of our day.

The Barker Dam was beautiful. You go up a tiny bit in elevation and the view is cool. My kids loved the opportunities to climb more rocks because it’s their absolute favorite part about hiking.

Hike 2: Cholla Cactus Garden

This was a super short hike. I wouldn’t even call it a hike so much as a walk around a garden on a path. I though it was super cool though. I had never seen cacti like this and it was a bit surreal to see them all together extending out so far.

also read: Los Angeles Day Trip with Kids

Two notes however; 1. there was this welcoming sign about bees. We didn’t see many but depending on the time of year that could be bad. 2. You are close to the cacti and there are signs everywhere about not touching them. There’s even a first aid kit at the entrance because apparently people can’t help themselves.

We emerged completely bite and pricker free with no problems, but when you’re thinking about this one for kids just keep those things in mind.

Hike 3: Arch Rock Nature Trail

This was another super short hike but probably my favorite. This was such a gorgeous part of the park. There were more rocks for climbing and the arch in the rocks was kind of cool.

We also made several hopping out of the car to do a little climbing stops. These little stops were our kids’ favorite parts.

also read: Mt. Whitney and Death Valley with Kids

on our way out of the park

When we were done hiking, we stopped at the Visitor’s Center. There are 3 I believe at different corners of the park.

Here we got our National Park Passport stamped and the kids got sworn in as Junior Rangers by one of the Park Rangers.

Click to Find More National Park Adventures

Good things to know about Joshua Tree

• It gets hot – super hot. The park rangers were telling us that it gets over 115 degrees there in the summer. We visited in April and it was perfect. Warm but there was a definite breeze that kept us from over heating. Because of this, avoid the Summer and early Fall months when it tends to be the hottest and always bring Sunscreen and Water.
• The park is huge. Look at a map beforehand and figure out what hike or hikes you most want to do. Be prepared to do some driving in between. This worked out well for us to re-hydrate and fill up on some snacks before we got out of the car again.

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In January 2018 we moved to San Diego, California with our two kids! We were so excited to explore our new sunny hometown. From the ocean to farmers’ markets to hiking trails and beyond there is SO much to do in San Diego with Kids.

I frequently get asked what the best or must-do things are in San Diego with families that are visiting. The answer is really that there is SO much to do with kids in San Diego.

50+ Kid Friendly Things to do with Kids in San Diego

Below is our top (and growing) list of things to do with kids in San Diego. It is divided into activity type to hopefully help you find the best things to suit your family’s interests.

Beaches + Tide Pools + Boating

Beaches are a must in San Diego. There are enough that you could go to a different one every day of your visit.

Go to the beach. Or lots of beaches.

• Law Street Beach in Pacific Beach is one of our favorite spots to boogie board and the boardwalk has fun places to eat.
• Coronado’s North Beach is beautiful and has calmer waves that are great for younger kids.
• Mission Bay is extra calm. The park on Fanuel has a small playground and beach that is perfect for tots.

Other Water Fun in San Diego:

• Paddle board and Kayak in Mission Bay.
• Hunt for Sand Dollars in Mission Bay.
• Watch the Seals at Children’s Pool Beach in La Jolla
• Explore tide pools in La Jolla, Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, and Shell Beach November-March
• Watch for Whales in Mid-Dec-April (Blue whales Mid-June-Sept)
• Kayak the Sea Caves at La Jolla Shores Beach
• Watch the Sunset from Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Hiking + Biking

Favorite Family Hiking Spots

• Hike at Torrey Pines State Park to the Del Mar Beach.

When people come to visit, this is our go-to place to take them. The views are stunning, it’s not a far drive, and while the hike uphill is a little strenuous, there are trails that are 100% doable for all ages.

• Hike in Mission Trails Regional Park.
• Also see below for a longer drive, day trip hiking spot that is one of our absolute favorites.
• Walk across the Suspension Bridge located down the street from First Avenue and Spruce Street.

• Hike Annie’s Canyon Trail.

The trail head is at the end of N Rios Ave. Park on the street and then walk about a half mile to the Canyon. Climb through the canyon’s gorgeous rock formations.

• 10 Little Walks that Feel Like Big Adventures

Best Family Bike Riding Spots

• Biking the Strand on Coronado is ideal for families. It’s flat, straight, and you don’t have to deal with traffic.
• Bike Ride the Boardwalk between Pacific Beach and Mission Beach (3m total) or along Mission Bay. Either is fun and smooth, but avoid them during peak hours on weekends and summer days because there is a lot of foot traffic that it can be hard to navigate around.

Playgrounds + Parks

San Diego has fun playgrounds and parks all over the city. This is a town that loves to be outside.

• Splash at Waterfront Park

Waterfront Park sits right on the water. It has a fun playground and fountain to splash in on warm summer days. It’s not far from Little Italy, the Midway Museum or anything downtown.

• Bonita Cove & Belmont Park

Right on Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean this part of San Diego can get crazy busy on the weekends, but if crowds don’t detour you or you’re able to go on a weekday morning then this is one of our favorite spots. Belmont Park is a small theme park that sits on the boardwalk, across the street from that is an awesome playground remodeled in 2020 that is huge and so much fun for all ages.

• Liberty Station

Liberty Station in Point Loma isn’t exactly a park, it’s an old Navy base that’s been converted into park/housing/shops. There are some great restaurants and often fun events, like ice skating in the winter. We love to pick food at the indoors Liberty Public Market and eat and linger at the playground a few blocks away.

• Stop & Play at Civita Park

Civita Park is tucked into a little planned community and it’s one of our favorite parks in San Diego. My kids love the Civita Park Playground which has lots of equipment for climbing (are you picking up on the fact that I have little monkeys?), swings, slides, and gardens to wander through as well. Civita Park isn’t far from the 8 so it’s an easy one to stop at on the way to and from things when we have time.

• Play at Kellogg Park in La Jolla

This is another one, like Fanuel Park on Mission Bay, that sits right on the water. This one sits on the ocean at La Jolla Shores. It’s a smaller beach, but gorgeous.

• Play at Kit Carson Park and Visit the Sculpture Garden. 

I like to sneak this in after the Safari Park if my kids aren’t exhausted. The playground is decent but it’s Queen Califia’s Magical Circle that’s worth the trip. This is a sculpture garden that’s seriously unique. My kids love running around looking at it from different angles. It’s not huge, but a super fun stop for a little art.

• Play at Encinitas Community Park in Encinitas

If you’re up in Encinitas, this is a super fun playground. Huge, with lots of fun things to climb. Moonlight Beach also has a playground waterfront that’s another good option.

• Other playgrounds we’ve loved are; Carmel Creek Neighborhood Park and Kate Sessions Park – don’t miss the view!

Attractions

• Visit the San Diego Zoo 
• Go to Safari Park in Escondido

This is the lesser known half of the San Diego Zoo but it is awesome. The highlight is a safari ride around an open safari area.

Spend the Day at Balboa Park visiting the many museums. These are our favorites for families:

• For a full guide, read my In Depth Look at Balboa Park for Families
• Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art
• Fleet Science Center
• San Diego Natural History Museum
• San Diego Model Railway Museum
• San Diego Air and Space Museum

Other San Diego Attractions & Museums:

• Board the USS Midway Museum
• Visit the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute of Oceanography
• Visit the Living Coast Discovery Center

• Create art and play at the New Children’s Museum
• Visit Sea World
• Ride the Rides at Belmont Park
• Visit Legoland
• Listen to a Bayside Summer Nights concert.
• Play Mini-Golf in Del Mar at Pelly’s Mini Golf

Explore History

• Get your passports stamped at Cabrillo National Monument and Old Point Loma Lighthouse 
• Go to Old Poway Park early on a Saturday morning
• Visit the Wells Fargo Museum
• Visit the Seaport Village
• Visit Old Town

Farms + Farmers’ Markets + Gardens

• Go to a Farmers’ Market such as the one in Little Italy on Saturdays or the Pacific Beach one on Tuesday evenings

• Visit the San Diego Botanic Garden or the Japanese Friendship Garden 
• Visit Carlsbad Flower Fields
• Go to a Pumpkin Patch (like Bates Nut Farm) and/or Corn Maze

Eating with Kids

• Devour ice cream sandwiches at Big Bear in Pacific Beach (pictured above) one block off Mission Beach.
• Go to a Kid Friendly Brewery like Chuck Ale K, Stone Brewing, or Lady Ale House)
• Eat at Liberty Station – something for everyone.

 Liberty Station has a huge variety of food in it’s market. Bring your choices outside to each and then hang out while the kids play on the playground. 

• Eat Tacos at Tacos el Gordo or a million other amazing taco shops.
• Eat at Breakfast Republic in Ocean Beach for delicious Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
• Make S’mores at Coronado Central Beach
• Watch the Sunset from Scripp’s Pier where you should eat from The Taco Stand while you wait.
• Near Balboa Park we recommend Solomon Bagels which also has yummy donuts (and lots of vegan options).
• In La Jolla? Stop at Scoops Ice Cream for a cool treat (dairy free ice cream available and delicious!)

Looking for Dairy Free Treat Ideas? We have a few in this post, but Maya’s Cookies is our favorite. 

Day Trips from San Diego

• Hike Mount Laguna in the Cleveland National Forest.

An hour east of San Diego is Mount Laguna. There are dozens of beautiful trails. One of our favorites is the Meadow Trail loop.

• Hike in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

• Hike in Joshua Tree National Park

This is a little bit further of a trip and we often stay the night, either camping or in nearby Palm Springs, but it is 100% possible to drive up early, hike, eat, and drive home in a day. We have done that a couple times with our kids.

• Visit Los Angeles with Kids: Griffith Observatory, Original Farmers’ Market, and La Brea Tar Pits
• 5+ Kid Friendly San Diego Day Trips

Want even more?

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As much as our wanderlust hearts would love to pick up and travel the corners of the world full time, work and health constraints limit us to exploring it one weekend at a time.

Here are our favorite family travel spots and our top tips to help you plan your next best trip.

North East

From the bustle of New York City and the monuments of DC to the leaf peeping in Maryland and Vermont and everything in between  the East Coast is packed with fun places for families.

Everything You Need to Know about New York City with Kids

Bonus: Unofficial Guide to all 21 Central Park Playgrounds

A Weekend in Long Beach NY with Kids

Weekend in Newport, Rhode Island with Kids

A Visit to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in MA

Top Places to go with Kids in Baltimore Maryland

A Weekend in Washington DC with Kids

South East

From the bustle of Atlanta to the quiet elegance of Savannah and the gorgeous beaches stretching along the shore, the Southeastern portion of the USA has become one of our favorites to visit with kids.

Weekend Camping Trip at Coopers Rock State Forest West Virginia

A Weekend in Spartanburg & Greenville SC with Kids

Top 4 Things You Can’t Miss in Atlanta GA with Kids

Family Camping at Tallulah Gorge State Park Georgia

7 Tips for Surviving Lines at Disney World

Midwest

We grew up in Wisconsin, our kids were born in Minnesota and for many, many years the Midwest was home. It might be considered farm land or a flyover spot to some, but to us it is one of the best places to visit with kids.

15+ Best Things to do in the Twin Cities MN with Kids

A Summer Weekend in Milwaukee Wisconsin with Kids

10+ Winter Activities to do in Milwaukee with Kids

10+ Things to do with Kids on Milwaukee’s East Side

15+ Indoor and Outdoor Things to do in the Madison WI area with Kids

A Weekend in the Wisconsin Dells with Kids

A Weekend in Traverse City MI with Kids

Deep South

We lived in Mississippi for a few years and made the most of our time exploring the food, sites, and beaches that the southern states offer. The definitions between Deep South and Southeastern seem to be blurred. I generally define the Deep South as the southern states that are East of Texas and not on the coast. Below are our top family friendly picks for attractions, culture, and beaches in the Deep South.

A Weekend in Chattanooga with Kids

20+ Best Things to Do with Kids in Jackson MS

A Weekend in Biloxi MS with Kids

Out West & West Coast

In 2018 we moved to California and started exploring the incredible natural beauty of the West Coast.

52 Things to do With Kids in San Diego California

Los Angeles Day Trip with Kids

Getty Villa, Percy Jackson & Mythology for Kids

Mt Whitney and Death Valley National Park with Kids

48 Hours in San Francisco with Kids

A Visit to Redwoods National Park with Kids

24 Hours in Portland OR with Kids

Family Road Trip from Portland to San Diego

Snorkeling in Oahu Hawaii with Kids

Canada

To our north, Canada brims with natural beauty and family friendly adventures. We have only begun to explore this fascinating and fun country.

New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island & Nova Scotia with Kids

Central & South America

To our south there are a wealth of adventures waiting to happen. We can’t wait to see where more of them take us.

Costa Rica with Kids

Europe

I love visiting Europe. The food. The history. The culture. The languages. The architecture. Exploring even more across the ocean is one of our top travel priorities.

BELGIUM: 8 Hours in Brussels Belgium with Kids

ENGLAND: Hiking in the 100 Acre Wood

FRANCE: Paris, France with Kids and a Food Allergy

ICELAND: 10 Must Dos in Iceland with Kids