Southern California
Things to do with kids in Southern California.
I'm Simir. I moved my family here from Chicago and started keeping a list. It's 1,100+ spots now, sorted by how far they are from your door.
Prices shown are per person unless the listing says otherwise.
Just for parents
Popular guides
All guides →1083 family spots across Southern California — add your zipto sort by what's closest
FreeRancho Santa Margarita Library (OC Public Libraries)
Rancho Santa Margarita · Museums & Learning
The branch at 30902 La Promesa has an AWE Station with educational games for ages 2–8 in English and Spanish, and posts storytimes and youth programs…
Free
Central Park Splash Pad & Playground
Rancho Santa Margarita · Parks & Hiking
A zero-depth splash pad at 30842 La Miranda with sprayers, bubblers, dumping buckets and misters, plus shade canopies, seating, a tempered shower and…
No fee listed by the city
No fee listed by the city
O'Neill Regional Park
Trabuco Canyon · Parks & Hiking
An OC Parks regional park at 30892 Trabuco Canyon Rd with a children's playground, horseshoe pits, more than 23 miles of trails among oaks and…
$3 per vehicle Mon–Fri; $5 Sat–Sun (higher on some holidays)
Oso Creek Trail & Mission Viejo Library
Mission Viejo · Parks & Hiking
A whimsical paved creek trail dotted with mosaics, gardens, and a koi pond — right next to the library's story-time programs. Started by community…
Free
Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park
Rancho Santa Margarita · Animals & Nature
A 544-acre OC Parks wilderness park at 30952 Oso Pkwy, with a Coto de Caza mailing address, just south of Rancho Santa Margarita. It has five miles…
$3 per vehicle daily (OC Parks)
Pump It Up / Indoor Bounce
Lake Forest · Indoor Play
Wall-to-wall inflatable bounce houses, slides, and obstacle courses fill this indoor jump park, with public open-jump sessions running year-round…
Open-jump ~$12–$15
Color Me Mine Pottery Painting
Mission Viejo · Arts & Culture
Paint-your-own pottery studio — calm, creative, air-conditioned, and you leave with a keepsake. Great for a rainy afternoon. Pick from hundreds of…
Studio fee + piece ($15–$40)
FreeWhiting Ranch Wilderness Park
Lake Forest · Parks & Hiking
Shady creekside singletrack leads to Red Rock Canyon's mini badlands — a payoff hike that feels like a desert adventure for kids. The canyon's…
Free
FreeFoothill Ranch Community Park
Foothill Ranch · Parks & Hiking
A city park at 19422 Rue de Valore with a playground, baseball/softball field, soccer field, basketball court, picnic areas, walking path and…
Free
FreeFoothill Ranch Library (OC Public Libraries)
Foothill Ranch · Museums & Learning
The branch at 27002 Cabriole Way has private study rooms, a quiet room, laptop checkout and a Library of Things with musical instruments and kitchen…
Free
Borrego Park
Foothill Ranch · Parks & Hiking
A Lake Forest city park at 26982 Cabriole with a playground, soccer field, full basketball court, walking path, barbecues, picnic areas and…
Free
Alton Park
Foothill Ranch · Parks & Hiking
A small Lake Forest neighborhood park at 18992 Alton Pkwy with a playground, basketball court, barbecue area and picnic tables. It's a quick toddler…
Free
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From our family to yours
A real family figuring out SoCal — and sharing what we find
We moved here from Chicago with our two girls, and somewhere between the winters we left and the ocean we found, this became home. I can count the weekends we still have all under one roof — so we built this to spend fewer of them deciding what to do, and more of them actually out exploring. Locals or brand-new, it's for you.
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