Fun Things to Do With Kids in Southern California—Outside of the Theme Parks

While the big-name theme parks are tons of fun, and kids love them—there is so much more to the California experience.

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

There are so many reasons people visit California—the amazing weather, the state's vast and diverse landscape, the beautiful beaches, and of course, the many theme parks. I mean, California IS home to Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Sea World, Legoland, Knott's Berry Farms, and the list goes on.

But there is so much more to the California experience, it's impossible to do it all in one vacation. My family decided to focus on Southern California for our summer trip. We started in the San Diego area before visiting the Los Angeles region and ending in Santa Monica.

It was truly the trip of a lifetime for our family. We were exhausted, collapsing into our beds at night. We filled our days with activities, seeing the sites, stepping into history and the arts, and eating delicious, fresh food. Many of the things we did were firsts for all of us.

So here are some of my suggestions for thinking outside of the theme parks for fun things to do with kids in Southern California. Full disclosure, our girls are 10 and 13 so some of these activities are geared toward their age group.

Rent E-Bikes to Explore Local Towns

Our first stop on our California adventure was Coronado, an island just across the bay from San Diego, staying at Hotel del Coronado. The first morning, we rented e-bikes at the resort, which none of us had ever tried before. We had so much fun. (And those things can go fast!)

We rode from the resort on a bike path that goes along the Silver Strand part of Coronado, stopping at Silver Strand State Park. There we found seashells and took in beautiful views of San Diego.

We turned back from there taking the bike path back along the bay toward Coronado's Ferry Landing where there were shops and restaurants to explore. We stopped for lunch at Coronado Brewing Company before heading back to the hotel.

While not every resort or hotel has e-bikes on site, it's definitely worth looking into wherever you may be staying. Many coastal towns have shops with e-bikes for rent.

Take Advantage of Resort Amenities and Programs

Sometimes staying at your resort or hotel can be just as much fun as exploring the cities. Many hotels offer various activities for families. Though they do usually cost extra.

Hotel del Coronado offers a kid's club called Ocean Explorers. It's geared toward children ages 5-12, so we didn't experience that firsthand for our kids, but it looked adorable. They offer full and half-day sessions where they can explore tide pools, collect shells, and learn about the undersea world.

What we did experience though were some other family-friendly activities. I already mentioned the e-bikes we rented. The kids and my husband also tried DIVR+ Virtual Reality Snorkeling. They got to experience an ocean exploration, a dive into Atlantis, skydiving, and a voyage through space right in the Del's pool.

Then there was Roast—private firepit bonfires where you can roast marshmallows and make s'mores with your feet in the sand and the night sky above. This was one of our family's favorite activities.

At The Garland in North Hollywood, the hotel offers daily activities including walks through the neighborhood (swinging by The Brady Bunch house), games in the courtyard, and even "dive-in" movies by the pool at night. Plus, they have a super cool trolley to shuttle guests to nearby Universal Studios Hollywood.

It's a similar story at The Viceroy in Santa Monica. There, they recently launched a kid's club which includes surf and skateboard lessons and cooking classes for kids. Our girls loved learning how to make pizzas with the Executive Chef of the restaurant at the hotel, Sugar Palm. Chef Jason Francisco took the girls back to the kitchen to make pepperoni, plain, and Hawaiian pizza before they served them to us for lunch.

Make History Fun

We spent part of our day in San Diego on board the USS Midway. The aircraft carrier is named after the Battle of Midway in 1942 but the ship didn't serve in World War II. It was commissioned in 1945, one week after the war ended. The Midway served from 1946 through Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War. It was decommissioned in 1992.

Now it's a floating museum. Once you step on board, you walk right into the hangar deck where you can see famous planes and learn more about the Battle of Midway. The highlight for us was the flight deck where kids can get up close and personal with fighters, bombers, and helicopters, including the Tomcat. The F-14 Tomcat is the fighter featured in Top Gun and was the premier fighter jet of the 1980s. Kids can even climb in the cockpit. Our youngest liked to see all the buttons and switches she could push.

Other cool exhibits for kids are a tour of the captain's quarters, the ship's bridge, and going below deck, you can experience what life was like on board the ship. There you can see where the sailors ate at the chow line and galley and visit the chapel.

See the Seals and Sea Lions of La Jolla

We did have plans to visit the San Diego Zoo when we arrived in San Diego, but a flight cancelation and subsequent rebooking to Los Angeles derailed those plans. (That's another story!) But you don't have to go to the zoo to enjoy some of California's wildlife in its natural habitat.

In La Jolla, the seals and sea lions are residents. They are almost always lounging on the rocks along Coast Boulevard. It's about three-quarters of a mile long and an easy walk. There are plenty of places to stop and take photos and videos. It was "pupping season" when we were there, so there were plenty of babies nursing and playing. It's mesmerizing to watch them.

If you time your visit right, you can even catch one of the most beautiful sunsets you will ever see. For these East Coast kids, watching the sun go down over the ocean was really something special.

(And speaking of wildlife, we even saw a rattlesnake at a park in Malibu that freaked some of the family members out!)

Movie Magic in and Around Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the place to be to experience movie magic. Whether you and your kids are film buffs or casual viewers, chances are there is something they will find familiar and fascinating.

We started off our visit to the LA area with a stop in Beverly Hills. While I loved it, the kids weren't too enthralled. But I enjoyed walking into the Beverly Wilshire Hotel where Elvis, John Lennon, and Warren Beatty once lived. The girls perked up when I said the exterior was used in Pretty Woman. We also walked Rodeo Drive where we quoted the famous scene from Pretty Woman as well, "Big Mistake. Big. Huge." (Most of you will know what I'm talking about).

Then it was on to Hollywood, visiting the Chinese theater and seeing all of the handprints and footprints of classic Hollywood stars up through The Avengers. The girls thought that was pretty cool.

They also enjoyed spotting familiar names of stars on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, often stopping to take pictures near our favorites. For my older daughter, it was Lin-Manuel Miranda. For my younger one, it was all of the Star Wars and Marvel movie stars.

HOLLYWOOD BONUS: We walked almost the entire Walk of Fame just to get to the Funko store. While not exactly movie-related, Funko is famous for its Pops—small collectible figures known for their exaggerated features. They are derived from pop culture and sports. But the Hollywood store is Funko's second brick-and-mortar location and is super cool with lots of photo ops with your kids' favorite characters.

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is on the must-do list. The studio is celebrating 100 years of movie-making in 2023. The tour is immersive, taking you through the backlots and sets where some of the most famous movies and TV shows were shot. We were taken into Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, and got to see the soundstage where classics like Ghostbusters, Goonies, and The Perfect Storm were shot.

That part of the tour is guided, but then there's an unguided portion where you walk through Soundstage 48. That's where you can see costumes of DC Superheroes like Superman and Wonder Woman, as well as props and the Batmobile. There are interactive experiences and sets from Friends and The Big Bang Theory. Plus there are historic costumes and other special effects exhibits.

Hike to the Famous Hollywood Sign

We absolutely LOVED our hike (really a walk) to an amazing vantage point to take photos by the famous Hollywood sign, which turned 100 in 2023. You can obviously research and find your own way there. But when you sign up for a local tour, you also learn a lot too.

Our tour guide, Emily from Bikes and Hikes LA is a local and told us all about the history of the sign. Did you know it was originally built as a billboard for a new housing development? Or did you know in 1978 Hugh Hefner held a gala to raise money to save the sign? But we didn't just learn about the sign itself, Emily also gave us a visual tour of LA from the hills above.

See a Real Space Shuttle at the California Science Center

Kids love to touch and do things and the California Science Center in Exposition Park is the perfect place to take a break from the heat, learn a bit, and have a hands-on adventure. Plus, it's free! (There is a fee for special exhibits).

One of the coolest parts of the California Science Center is the Space Shuttle Endeavor. Yes, the entire space shuttle is housed at the museum and it is just awe-inspiring. Go while you can because the shuttle will only be on exhibit until December 31, 2023. It will return to display in a few years when it moves to the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center which is currently under construction. There it will stand upright and with the full shuttle stack including the solid rocket boosters and external tank.

But there are so many other exhibits including more on Air & Space and Ecosystems. The ecosystems exhibit includes a 188,000-gallon tank that you can view from several levels and even walk through and of course a touch tank.

The bonus at Exposition Park, catching a glimpse of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, also celebrating 100 years. It was built as a memorial to Los Angeles veterans of World War I. The Coliseum also played host to the opening ceremonies of both the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games. Now it is home to the USC Trojans.

Have Afternoon Tea in Pasadena

Walking through Old Town Pasadena, we came across several tea houses and stopped in at Tea Rose Garden. We had a lovely afternoon tea where the girls got to each pick their own tea sandwiches and type of tea to drink. It also came with a scone, cream puff, and fruit.

But you won't just find traditional tea in Pasadena, the city is also home to a Boba trail. You can sip on bubble tea at various locations while shopping and exploring along the historic Route 66.

Learn How to Surf

If you ask the kids, this was one of their favorite parts of our entire trip. Our older daughter has asked to take surf lessons here at home in New Jersey for quite some time. Who would have thought it would actually happen in California?

We took our family surf lesson from Aqua Surf School in Santa Monica. The ocean was a bit rough and I was petrified but instructors Max and Tyson were patient and calming (especially with me). They were with us every step of the way and were great teachers.

Our older daughter got up on the board her first wave. It took our younger daughter a few tries but she got up as well. It took my husband and I a little bit longer to get the hang of it but we also got to our feet. The girls didn't want the lesson to end.

It was exhausting but so much fun. California is known for its laid-back surf style. You might as well give surfing a try while visiting.

Take in Some Culture

Getty has two different locations in the Los Angeles area and they are both free but require a timed-entry reservation. The Getty Center is in Brentwood and is the larger location with centuries of art to explore from medieval to modern art plus architecture and gardens.

We visited the Getty Villa Museum in Pacific Palisades. Once home to all of Mr. J. Paul Getty's art collection, it now focuses mainly on antiquities. The Getty Villa is housed in a re-created Roman country home.

Both museums have activities for kids. At the Villa, there is the Family Forum, a space where kids can "decorate" ancient vases. They can also recreate scenes from the antiquities they've seen in the form of shadows. There are also "art detective cards" where kids can hunt for clues as they explore the museum.

The Getty Villa also welcomes school trips and educational programs for students.

If You Must Visit an Amusement Park...

Head to Pacific Park at the end of the Santa Monica Pier. It's the West Coast's only amusement park located on a pier. The park features 12 rides, including the famous West Coaster and Pacific Wheel, which is the first solar-powered Ferris wheel.

Rides at the pier date back to the 1920s, but they were shut down in 1930. Pacific Park in its current form has operated since 1996.

It is free to enter the amusement park, but then families will pay by the ride or choose an unlimited ride wristband. The Ferris wheel offers stunning views of the ocean and the coastline.

BONUS: Eat at In-N-Out Burger

If you're from California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Colorado, or Oregon, you can probably skip this section. But if you're from any other part of the country, no visit to California is complete without a stop at the famous In-N-Out Burger. We actually made it our first stop when we landed—as well as our last meal on our last night. With just burgers, fries, shakes, and drinks on the menu, everything is made fresh and sourced locally.

There are more than 330 restaurants in those states and they are all still owned by the Snyder family. Harry and Esther Snyder opened the first location in 1948. It is now run by their granddaughter, Lynsi.

My husband, who went to the University of Arizona, lives for In-N-Out Burger. I've also had it before on previous trips out West. But for our girls, it was their first time. The reviews were stellar from our 10-year-old who doesn't even really eat cheeseburgers. Our 13-year-old was a bit so-so on the sauce used on the burgers...but enjoyed it more traditionally with ketchup.

Related: 5 Ways to Make Travel With Kids More Affordable

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