40 Things to Do in Los Angeles with Kids

Five tour options let you choose the length and activities that are right for your family and your kiddo, with the shortest, Quest Tour, starting at 1.5 hours long. Participants have four or more opportunities to ride the zip line, viewing wildlife and the landscape from high above the ground. You can even reach speeds of up to 55mph!

Llamas, sheep, guinea pigs, bunnies, goats, & cows...Zoomars Petting Zoo has them all! For a small petting zoo, Zoomars packs a lot of punch! In addition to up-close animal encounters, kids love the mini train, pony rides, mining for 'gold', and the outdoor playground.

Pretend City Children's Museum is an enclosed indoor facility that has more than a dozen interactive exhibits (bank, beach, cafe, dentist office, gas station, & more) tailor-made for little ones where they can pretend to be just about anything and stretch their imagination! The Trader Joe's market is a popular exhibit; kiddos love pushing around grocery carts and going shopping.

The year round pick-your-own experience at Tanaka Farms includes a 1-hour guided wagon tour. This educational ride around the farm ends in picking your own fruit and veggies. Along with strawberry picking, they also host similar experiences like corn tours, melon tours, and u-pick vegetables. Tours also include admission to the farm, visiting with chickens, entrance to the play area, and a seasonal maze during the Fall. This is a very kid-friendly farm, especially during Pumpkin Patch Season and holidays.

Strawberry picking

Head to this incredible playground with your imagination, plenty of extra time, and a change of clothes for the kids - things might get messy! The fully enclosed 2-acre complex is filled with features that inspire unstructured play, including plenty of open space to explore. Kids can get messy in a mud hole, decorate an art wall, build structures with giant Legos, and unwind in a sensory garden. Standard playground fun can be had with equipment that is anything but ordinary, like cement hill slides and a towering fortress-inspired jungle gym.

Alexandra F. said:  This playground is awesome!! There are so many ways for kids to play, and it’s the perfect blend of nature and more typical playground equipment and structures. My 2 and 4 year olds loved the concrete slides built into the hillside best, and enjoyed climbing up the steep hill as much as they enjoyed the slide down! The huge sand pit with trucks and buckets was a close second, followed by the big building blocks and the fort-like play structure. I love that they can play freely without me having to tell them to stay off the landscaping, and that they can even take their shoes off and play in the mud, dirt and water. We went during the week and had plenty of space to play, but one of the employees mentioned they get hundreds of kids on the weekends so we’ll probably avoid those! They have it set up nicely, though, with only one way in/out to help corral kids, and have adopted this genius sign in method where you can leave your name and number, along with your kids’ names, in case you get separated at any point and they need to find you.

The Santa Ana Zoo offers the perfect setting to learn and explore. Home to over 50 monkeys, additional animal exhibits include an aviary, seasonal butterfly tent, children's zoo with ponies, pigs, cows, bunnies and more. For hands-on experiences, check out regular presentations to meet some of the animals up close and personal, as well as a chance to brush and pet the goats any day! The Zoofari express train, carousel and ferris wheel are open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Alexandra F. said:  We are at this zoo almost every week, and I can’t speak highly enough about it! It is the perfect place for curious toddlers and preschoolers, as the zoo is small enough that you can walk around to all or most of the exhibits without little legs getting too tired. Plus, there are so many cool animals to see even with the smaller size (the sloth, giant anteater, bald eagle, monkeys and camels are a few favorites!), and even opportunities to pet the goats and other small animals from time to time. We always make a stop at the playground, too, so it’s a fun and full couple of hours. It’s my favorite outing with my two active little guys!

One of the best kids museums in Los Angeles, Discovery Cube was created with children in mind. Both the LA and the Orange County locations have wonderful interactive exhibits that allow children of all ages to explore science concepts, including space exploration, physics, engineering and more.

Alexandra F. said:  We LOVE the Discovery Cube, and it is for sure one of the best kids museums in Los Angeles and Orange County. Personally, I think it is best suited for elementary-school kids, given the science concepts that are the focus of the exhibits, but my preschooler is obsessed with the OC location, and it has been one of the better memberships we've gotten since we end up going there almost every week. I also think it has gotten better and better over the last couple of years that we've been going. The new touch tank with rays and sharks is a special favorite, as well as the lunar rover remote control cars, the laser maze, and the build-your-own race car tracks. My preschooler also loves to get soaked at their awesome water table (so bring a change of clothes if this is your kiddo).

Alexandra F. said:  This may be my favorite beach in the area, and the one I'd probably recommend first to any friends or family visiting from out of town. It's just so beautiful and well-maintained, and an easy and enjoyable outing for families, with clean bathrooms and the parking lot right next to the beach for easy access. The rock formations and cliffs add to the natural beauty, and the gorgeous homes nearby are fun to look at, too. If you can, be sure to walk up to Inspiration Point for an incredible view!

Popular Cuban bakery chain known for its delicious pastries, cakes, and savory dishes.

Alexandra F. said:  Growing up my entire family would gladly drive the hour it took to get to the original Porto's in Glendale, because their Cuban sandwiches, potato balls and especially their flaky guava and cheese pastries were just that good. Fast forward a couple decades or three, and word has obviously spread. Southern Californians are now lucky enough to have several Porto's locations from which to choose. Lines are still as long as I remember from when I was a kid, but trust me, the guava and cheese pastries are worth the wait.

From pirates and princesses, to everyone's favorite mouse, there is lots of family fun to be had at Disneyland! Attractions range from tot-friendly rides to exciting roller coasters, as well as popular themed adventures like Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Families can also choose from a great selection of fast-casual and sit-down dining, as well as enjoy shows, fireworks, and the kids' favorite Disney characters. Extend your fun with a visit to Disney California Adventure Park & Downtown Disney.

Alexandra F. said:  You don't need to be a guest at the Disneyland Hotel (or have a park ticket) to enjoy a buffet meal surrounded by your favorite Disney characters! Of our many Disney experiences in both California and Florida, I really think our brunch at Goofy's Kitchen was one of the biggest highlights for my kids when they were little. I love that you can enjoy the experience on its own, but it's also a great way to get your character autographs and interactions in during a Disney vacation without having to spend extra time on them inside the parks.

Grab your binoculars and be on the lookout for dolphins and whales on a family-friendly cruise! Newport Landing is the ideal spot to view giant blue whales, gray whales, humpback whales, and more! They offer a variety of cruise options year round.

The Children's Museum at La Habra features seven galleries with dozens of hands-on exhibits, many of which remain unique to the field today. In addition to these exhibits, an outdoor dinosaur garden and a historic 1942 caboose, the Museum features an exhibit that changes twice a year.

From its roots as a berry stand in the 1920s, Knott's has long since evolved into one of Southern California's most popular theme parks, home to thrill rides, family rides, kids' rides, and live shows and entertainment.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden features diverse plant collections from around the world, historic structures like the Queen Anne Cottage, and free-roaming peacocks, offering visitors a blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage. Attractions include a stream and bridge, a turtle pond, Meyberg Waterfall, a Tropical Greenhouse, and more! The library also hosts storytimes for kids and other fun events for families.