A kid’s perfect day in San Diego

From breakfast to dinner — we’ve rounded up a day full of kid-friendly activities for the whole family to enjoy.

A child in a red vest and pink helmet rides a scooter away from the camera, down a paved path towards palm trees.

Scoot down Mission Bay Park.

Photo by SDtoday team

Table of Contents

Sorry, but — NO ADULTS ALLOWED — this one is for the kids. Grown-up, please hand this over to your little one. Got it, kiddo? Let’s plan a family day together. Here’s a fun schedule for you to try.

Morning

Be a chef and cook breakfast for the adults at home. The night before, ask your family to choose from one of these recipes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if any of the instructions seem confusing.

While you eat, talk about your plan for the day. Ask your family to help you prepare a backpack with things you’ll need. We suggest bringing:

🍫 Plenty of snacks like granola bars
💧 A water bottle
🧢 A hat

If you have time before heading to lunch, play at a playground like Pepper Grove near Balboa Park.

Afternoon

For lunch, head to The Crack Shack for chicken nuggets and say hello to the giant chicken. After you’ve filled your belly, spend the afternoon exploring The New Children’s Museum. What are you looking forward to most? Crawling around Whammock! and its colorful strings? Or putting on a show in Teatro Piñata?

Inside “Teatro Piñata. at The New Children’s Museum

Inside “Teatro Piñata.” | Photo via The New Children’s Museum

Evening

Wrap up the day with a family dinner. Head to one of our local farmers markets to pick out foods you can make together. Over dinner, talk about everything you did today. Ask questions like:

🧠 What was something new you learned?
🤡 What was something funny that happened?
👀 What would we do differently if we did that again?
👍 What do you definitely want to do again? (And again and again…)

Grown-ups — send us more family-friendly recommendations and we may just feature them in an upcoming newsletter.

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