San Diego boasts 70 miles of beaches, a world-famous zoo and a few amusement parks. This makes California’s second largest city an ideal place for fun activities with your kids. Whether you want to tackle land, air or water, a variety of kid-friendly ventures exist to please young children and older teens. The year-round weather makes planning a family excursion a snap.
Mission Bay Park’s 4235 acres, 27 miles of shoreline and 19 miles of beaches make it the largest man-made aquatic park in the country. With playgrounds, beaches, biking paths, restaurants, hotels and even a model yacht pond, Mission Bay offers entertainment for all ages. Mission Bay Park is also home to SeaWorld -- San Diego. The whale-themed amusement park is located on SeaWorld Drive in the heart of Mission Bay Park.
San Diego Visitor Information Center
2688 East Mission Bay Drive
San Diego, CA 92109
619-276-8200
sandiego.gov
Hang 10 and teach the kids how to surf at the Pacific Beach Surf Shop. Teaching people of all ages how to surf since 1962, they offer lessons starting at $65 as of September 2010. They offer private and semi-private lessons, as well as summer camps.
Pacific Beach Surf Shop
4150 Mission Blvd., Suite #161
San Diego, CA 92109
858-373-1138
pacificbeachsurfshop.com
Take a cruise around the harbor. San Diego Harbor Excursion offers brunch and dinner cruises, as well as a whale watching excursion. In additions to looking for whales, the daily whale watching trips give you the chance to search for seals and sea lions. As of September, 2010, the whale watching tickets cost $15.00 for children ages 4 to 12, and anywhere from $25.00 to $35.00 for adults, depending on the day.
San Diego Harbor Excursions
1050 North Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
619-234-4111
sdhe.com
The San Diego Zoo covers over 100 acres and plays host to more than 4000 animals. See giant Pandas in Panda Canyon, visit the Polar Rim and greet the polar bears and reindeer, check out the monkeys, tigers, hippos and even otters in the Lost Forrest. Animals from around the world, like the Australian koala, the African meerkat and the American alligator, call the San Diego Zoo home. A favorite spot for kids of all ages is the Children's Zoo located in the Discovery Outpost. The Zoo offers several special experiences including tours, educational classes and sleepovers. As of September, 2010, a one day ticket costs $37 for ages 12 and up and $27 for ages 3 to 11. Children under 3 are free.
San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
619-231-1515
sandiegozoo.org
The New Children’s Museum opened in May of 2008, in an environmentally sustainable building with art exhibits and hands-on projects. The aim of the museum is to inspire children to think, play and create through art and and hands-on art experiences. The studios offer a variety of different events, such as painting in the Paint and Clay Studio, silk-screening in the Teen Studio and Improv in the Improv Studio. The galleries have changing exhibits, such as the 2010 Animal Art exhibition. Admission for adults and children over one year of age is $10 as of September, 2010.
The New Children’s Museum
200 West Island Ave.
San Diego, CA 92101
619-233-8792
thinkplaycreate.org
