California is a large and diverse state in terms of landscapes, people and attractions. There are fun activities for kids throughout California. Whether your kids want to go to theme parks, children's museums or enjoy outdoor activities, it can all be found in the Golden State.
The Redwood Forest National and State Parks in Northern California are a wonderful and scenic place to visit with kids. Although they may not expect to be entertained by trees, once you reach the giant wonders, kids will be in awe of the scale of the coast redwoods. Wandering around the forest and learning about the ancient natural wonders is an educational and enjoyable family activity, and after a visit children can rightfully claim to have seen the tallest trees in the world.
The city of San Francisco provides many delightful excursions for children to enjoy. A simple pleasure for children would be riding on the open-sided historic cable cars as they are winched up and down the hilly streets of San Francisco. A drive down Lombard Street, the "crookedest street in the world" is fun for kids in the backseat. Older children can appreciate the stories of Alcatraz Island and kids of all ages will enjoy the boat trip that takes you there.
In Southern California kids can take their pick from several great theme parks. Disneyland in Anaheim is the ultimate fantasy theme park for young kids, and older kids can get their kicks on the scarier rides of the adjacent California Adventure Park. Universal Studios Hollywood packs in family-friendly rides, movie studio tours, real movie and television sets and much more. Legoland California has rides, shows and attractions including Lego brick models of life-sized giraffes and dinosaurs. For kids with an interest in history or science, take them to the La Brea Tar Pits in downtown Los Angeles. Here, archeologists are continuously excavating the remains of woolly mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, giant ground sloths and other prehistoric creatures. A museum explains how and why so many beasts got stuck in the tarry land that later became L.A.
