Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids
Explore the best free & cheap things to do with kids options for kids and families in Avalon
Point Fermin Lighthouse
19th-century lighthouse & scenic grounds. Historic lighthouse situated on picturesque grounds with sea views & Victorian cottage gardens.
Point Fermin Park
Playground, amphitheater & trails. Grassy park atop rugged coastal bluffs featuring a playground, amphitheater, trails & picnic areas.
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
Fish on display, a touch tank & more. Longtime aquarium showcasing Southern California fish via exhibits, a touch tank & other activities.
Lookout Point Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Deane Dana Friendship Park and Nature Center
Nature center with panoramic views. Green space & nature center featuring panoramic ocean views plus hiking trails & picnic facilities.
Deane Dana Nature Center
Visit this great place for kids and families!
LA Waterfront
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Point Vicente Interpretive Center
Park with exhibits & whale-watching. Natural & local culture exhibits in the visitor center of a waterfront park with whale-watching.
Newport Beach Pier
Oceanfront scenery & fishing. Scenic pier popular for fishing & ocean views, convenient to beach & nearby shops & restaurants.
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
Protected coastal estuary & bird habitat. 1300 acre ecological preserve with over 200 avian species spread around the coastal wetlands.
Wilmington Waterfront Park
Modern, landscaped harborside promenade. Industrial-area riverwalk featuring a distinctive bridge, play areas & a community event space.
ShoreLine Aquatic Park
Green space for picnics & water views. Grassy, open park on the water offering picnic areas, a lighthouse & special events.
Aquarium of the Pacific
Sea-life exhibits in a waterfront space. Pacific Ocean dwellers on display at this large aquarium with touch tanks & behind-the-scenes tours.
Rainbow Lagoon Park
Japanese-style park with open turf lawns. Turf recreational lawns & waterfront walkways are the draw at this traditional Japanese-style park.
Seal Beach Pier Playground
Beachfront, kids' playground & sandbox. Fenced beachfront playground offering children's play equipment, a sandbox & benches.
Newport Beach Balboa Pier
Iconic landmark with fishing & an eatery. Built in 1906, this pier offers a retro-themed diner & is popular for fishing & watching the sunset.
Long Beach
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Seabridge Park
Playground & picnicking with water views. 3.9-acre neighborhood park offering a playground, facilities & picnic tables with water vistas.
Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park
Recreation area with trails & playground. Lakeside park offering nature trails, picnic spots with BBQs, lighted sports fields & a playground.
Bixby Park
Park with a playground, sports & more. Park featuring a bandshell, a community center, a playground, sports facilities & more.
Huntington Beach Central Park East
Idyllic park great for bird-watching. Full of open fields, trees & flowers, this sprawling 350-acre park is great for picnics & strolling.
Adventure Playground
Outdoor play area for rafting & climbing. Playground offers a small pond for rafting, rope for climbing plus a mudslide & fort-building area.
Lookout Point
Scenic vista with bay & ocean views. Scenic destination in peaceful surrounds known for its beaches, water fountains, bay & ocean views.
Long Beach Lifeguard Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lomita Railroad Museum
Museum devoted to steam train history. Museum exploring the history of steam trains, featuring engines & other cars, plus tours & events.
Long Beach Firefighter's Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Los Arboles Rocketship Park
Elevated green space with a playground. Urban retreat offering elevated views of the city & a playground with a rocketship structure.
Torrance Beach
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Signal Hill Park
Basketball, playground & picnic area. A 10-acre community park offering a basketball court, playground, BBQ areas & picnic shelters.
Hilltop Park
Small park with sweeping city views. Compact green space offering panoramic vistas, BBQ & picnic areas & walking paths.
Discovery Well Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve
Birding, biking & an interpretive center. Home to many bird species, this 135-acre park offers an interpretive center & hiking/biking trails.
Laguna Beach, California
Oceanfront park for sports & walks. A beachfront park with a boardwalk, volleyball & basketball courts, a playground & a tide-pool area.
Mile Square Regional Park
Large urban park with many facilities. City park offering 3 golf courses, soccer fields & baseball diamonds as well as picknicking & lakes.
ROOTS the Beauty Underground
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Redondo Beach Pier
Dining, shopping & entertainment locale. Landmark pier known for scenic oceanfront dining, shopping & nightlife, plus music & festivals.
Pirate Tower
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Bluebird Park
City park for activities & summer music. City park featuring sports courts, a children's play area, picnic tables & a summer concert series.
Seaside Lagoon
Summertime swim spot & sandy beach. Seasonal spot for swimming, open during summer, with a sandy beach, snack bar & a play area.
El Dorado Nature Center
Wide-ranging park for flora & fauna. 105-acre park featuring a visitor center, flora & fauna, lakes, a stream & walking trails.
IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary
Tranquil wetlands with birds & trails. Wetlands cover 300 acres at this tranquil preserve that has 12 miles of trails & 200+ bird species.
Atlantis Play Center
Unique playground with splash pads. Outdoor, underwater-themed children's center featuring whimsical play structures & splash pads.
Fort Lots-o-Fun Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Turtle Rock Nature Center
Educational nature preserve with trails. Five-acre nature preserve with trails for viewing wildlife & habitats, plus an outdoor classroom.
Hermosa Beach Pier
Fishing & sweeping Pacific Ocean views. Long-standing 1,140-foot pier featuring beach & sunset ocean views, plus public restrooms & fishing.
Hermosa Beach Museum
Historical society & heritage museum. Historical society featuring a quaint museum devoted to local heritage, with archival photos & more.
Cherry Cove Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum
Museum of early California history. California history museum in an 1826 adobe on the site of the first Spanish land grant in the state.
Tanaka Farms
Big farm with a market & U-pick options. Long-running interactive farm with a market stand, U-pick fruit, seasonal pumpkin patch & animals.
Canyon View Park
Grassy areas, a playground & paths. 12-acre park with big grassy areas, a sand-covered playground & path overlooking the canyon.
Roundhouse Aquarium
No-cost ocean & marine life education. This free aquarium sits at the end of Manhattan Beach Pier & is host to classes, parties & camps.
Manhattan Beach Pier
Longtime landmark with a cafe & aquarium. This restored 928-ft. concrete pier is the oldest on the West Coast & features a cafe & an aquarium.
Niguel Botanical Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Polliwog Park
Playgrounds, disc golf & a large pond. Park boasting a large pond & amphitheater for events plus a 9-hole disc golf course & play areas.
Adventure City
Amusement park for children. Children's amusement park for family fun via rides, a petting zoo, an arcade & more.
Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden
Peaceful gardens with self-guided tours. Quaint, compact botanical garden featuring a wide variety of native flowers, grasses & trees.
Grand Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Laguna Niguel Regional Park
Lakefront fishing, sports & amphitheater. Surrounding a fishing lake, this park offers trails, sports courts, picnic space & an amphitheater.
Downtown Santa Ana Historic District
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pirate Park
Colorful, pirate-themed play destination. Small gate-enclosed park geared toward young children with pirate-themed play structures & murals.
Compton Creek Natural Park
Green space with fitness & picnic areas. City greenway featuring walking paths, fitness equipment, picnic areas & an amphitheater.
Los Angeles County Fire Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Bowers Museum
Global art, lectures & a restaurant. Mission Revival-style museum for global art (permanent & temporary), lectures & an eatery, Tangata.
Santa Ana Zoo
Home to over 350 animals. Zoo attracts animal lovers of all ages with 350+ animals, a petting barnyard & a mini-train ride.
Knott's Soak City
Seasonal spot with aquatic attractions. Waterslide park with multi-person raft slides, lazy river & toddler areas as well as shops & snacks.
Thrill It Fun Center
Ropes course & laser tag at a mall. Outlet-mall stop featuring an indoor ropes course, rock climbing, laser tag & an arcade.
Knott's Berry Farm Independence Hall
Replica of a famous historic building. Reproduction of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, including a copy of the Liberty Bell.
Knott's Berry Farm
Old-school theme park with rides & charm. Classic theme park boasts fast rides, old-fashioned charm & famous fried chicken.
Sheep Hills Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Paradise Gardens Park
Lakeside garden with rides & food stands. Landscaped lakeshore park with classic carousels & kids' rides, plus a bandstand & hot-dog stalls.
Other Things to See
Explore More Activities
Discover more events and activities happening in the city.