Los Angeles for Kids

Los Angeles Theme Parks

The Los Angeles area is theme park heaven for kids. Beyond Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood, you have the family-friendly Knott's Berry Farm and the teen testing ground of Six Flags Magic Mountain, not to mention all the Los Angeles Area Water Parks.

More on the Top Theme Parks in LA

Los Angeles Area Zoos and Aquariums

For animal and fish fans, the stars of the show are the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park, but kids will also enjoy the smaller Santa Monica Pier Aquarium or Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro and the Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park.

Top LA Museums for Kids

Most of the major museums in Los Angeles, like the California Science Center, have programs to make their content more accessible for children, but some are a more natural fit than others. Check out the Top Los Angeles Children's Museums for kids of all ages from toddler exploration to early art appreciation and scientific discovery. 

Children's Entertainment

The entertainment capital of the world has a wide variety of live entertainment especially for children. There are plays, puppet shows and comedy shows designed to appeal to kids from 2 to teen. Kids 10 and older may even be able to attend a children's TV show taping. Explore the Best Live Family Entertainment in LA for more ideas.

Griffith Park

The City of Los Angeles is bisected by a mountain range. A couple of those mountain peaks are within the 4210 acres of Griffith Park. The many kid-friendly attractions in the park include the LA Zoo, the Griffith Observatory, the Autry Center for Western Heritage, Travel Town Train Museum, Pony Rides, the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round and plenty of opportunities for hiking and picnicking.

Visitors Guide to Griffith Park

Outdoors with Kids in LA

The whole outdoors is your playground when vacationing with kids in Los Angeles. From a day at LA beaches to a hike or horseback ride in the local mountains, there is always plenty to do. Rent bikes, skates or a surrey to explore the beach path. Take a family adventure learning vacation and learn to surf or paddle board. Take to the water in a kayak on calm inland waters or on the ocean. A whale-watching tour is another good way to enjoy the outdoors and help your kids develop an appreciation for the environment.

American Girl Place

OK, it's a girl thing, but watching your girls share tea with their (or borrowed) dolls at the American Girl Café is pretty precious.

Knights and Pirates

Kids can revel in their fascination with knights and pirates at permanent venues and multi-weekend events around Los Angeles. Medieval Times in Buena Park is the original dinner show jousting match between armored knights. The Pirate's Dinner Adventure follows the same structure with an interactive pirate-themed show. Annually, there are 11 weekends each spring when ye olde renaissance fairs and pirate festivals run back to back. There are also a couple pirate festivals that are part of the Long Beach International Sea Festival every summer.

Check for Pirate discount tickets

Take the Kids to a Ball Game

Although we lack a professional football team, you can take the kids out to see the Dodgers or Angels play baseball, the Lakers or Clippers play basketball, the Galaxy play soccer, or the LA Kings play hockey. Regular cheap seats at a baseball game can be an inexpensive treat, or look for discount tickets for better seats at LA sporting events at Goldstar.com or ScoreBig.som.