Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids

Explore the best free & cheap things to do with kids options for kids and families in Carlsbad

Magee Park

Magee Park

Scenic park with a rose garden & gazebo. This 2.1-acre public park features a rose garden, gazebo & historic buildings, plus picnic spots.

Buccaneer Park

Buccaneer Park

Municipal basketball courts & play areas. Tiny public green with basketball courts & a playground, plus a path along the Loma Alta Marsh.

Hidden Canyon Park

Hidden Canyon Park

Green space with a shaded playground. Park with a playscape shaded by huge umbrellas, plus grassy open space & undeveloped land.

Viewing for Flower Field

Viewing for Flower Field

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Fun Town

Fun Town

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Miniland USA

Miniland USA

Lego-built miniature cities & a cafe. Area of Legoland with mini models of U.S. cities from San Francisco to Washington D.C., plus a cafe.

Oceanside Pier Amphitheater

Oceanside Pier Amphitheater

Visit this great place for kids and families!

SEA LIFE Aquarium

SEA LIFE Aquarium

Oceanic exhibits & play areas. Family-friendly exhibits featuring more than 5,000 sea creatures, plus a play area & group packages.

California Surf Museum

California Surf Museum

Historic boards, iconic surfers & more. Surf museum chronicles the history of the sport with exhibits of surfboards, famous surfers & more.

Oceanside Museum of Art

Oceanside Museum of Art

National & global artwork in a mod space. This contemporary building presents a rotating collection of modern art pieces & cultural events.

Oceanside Municipal Pier

Oceanside Municipal Pier

Iconic 1,942-ft. wooden ocean pier. Originally built in 1888, this iconic wooden fishing pier stretches 1,942 ft. into the ocean.

LEGOLAND California

LEGOLAND California

Vibrant Lego-themed hotel with a pool. Vivid Lego-themed quarters in a lively hotel offering dining, an outdoor pool & free breakfast.

Buddy Todd Park

Buddy Todd Park

Grassy retreat with grills & a play area. Shady outdoor park featuring a children's playground & a covered picnic area with grills & outlets.

Oceanside Harbor Village

Oceanside Harbor Village

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sea Lion Island

Sea Lion Island

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation

Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation

Coastal wetland & nature reserve. Protected wetland habitat with on-site parking & wildlife-viewing opportunities.

Heritage Park & Museum

Heritage Park & Museum

Historic buildings & a gazebo. Park featuring many early 1900s buildings from downtown Oceanside & a gazebo for events.

Leo Carrillo Historic Park

Leo Carrillo Historic Park

Historic park in the heart of a canyon. 19th-century hacienda in a secluded & meticulously landscaped park, home to numerous wild peacocks.

Stonesteps

Stonesteps

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Moonlight State Beach

Moonlight State Beach

Volleyball, kids' play area & snack bar. Sandy beach with a snack bar, playground, volleyball & tennis courts & recreation equipment rentals.

Alta Vista Botanical Gardens

Alta Vista Botanical Gardens

Botanical park integrating art & gardens. Botanical gardens dotted with works of art offering native plants, a lotus pond & ongoing classes.

San Diego Botanic Garden

San Diego Botanic Garden

Sprawling locale with unique vegetation. Large botanical garden with vistas & four miles of trails featuring flowering trees, palms & bamboo.

D Street Viewpoint Park

D Street Viewpoint Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sea Cliff County Park

Sea Cliff County Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Discovery Lake

Discovery Lake

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Double Peak Park

Double Peak Park

Hiking trails with panoramic vistas. Rugged, 200-acre park featuring a play area & hiking trails that lead to a summit with ocean views.

San Elijo Lagoon and Ecological Reserve

San Elijo Lagoon and Ecological Reserve

Wildlife-watching & visitor center. Nature reserve with 7 miles of trails plus a visitor center with exhibits overlooking the lagoon.

Fletcher Cove Beach Park

Fletcher Cove Beach Park

Waterfront viewing deck & a playground. Picturesque park with a viewing deck, grassy area & playground, plus tables & a basketball court.

Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve

Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve

Spacious park for hiking & picnics. Large park featuring native plants, picnic areas & hiking, biking & equestrian trails.

San Dieguito County Park

San Dieguito County Park

Natural area with playgrounds & sports. This scenic park offers play & picnic areas, plus trails, baseball & basketball facilities.

Rod McLeod Park

Rod McLeod Park

Picnicking, a playground & walking path. 18-acre green space offering a tot lot, paved trail & restrooms, plus benches, picnic tables & BBQs.

Powerhouse Park

Powerhouse Park

Bluffside setting for play & leisure. Perched above a wide sandy beach, this green space has a children's playground & picnic areas.

Sea Grove Park

Sea Grove Park

Recreation lawn with an oceanfront view. Oceanside park offering lawns for relaxing & picnicking along with beach access.

San Diego Children's Discovery Museum

San Diego Children's Discovery Museum

Playful, hands-on exhibits for kids. Lively indoor & outdoor museum providing interactive educational exhibits for children.

Sunset Seat

Sunset Seat

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Extension

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Extension

State park with rare trees & trails. Beachside park features sandstone bluffs, a visitor's center, rare pine trees & nature trails.

Carmel Del Mar Park

Carmel Del Mar Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Torrey Pines State Beach

Torrey Pines State Beach

Sandy swim & surf spot with picnic area. This wide, sandy beach with a picnic area is popular spot for swimming, surfing & fishing.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Trails, beaches, lagoons & wildlife. Acres of oceanside trails for exploring or exercising while spotting occasional dolphins or bobcats.

Mira Mesa Park

Mira Mesa Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Miramar Overlook Park

Miramar Overlook Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Pacific Beach

Pacific Beach

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Pennypickle's Workshop

Pennypickle's Workshop

Hands-on children's museum & gift shop. Family-friendly venue with an on-site gift shop offers interactive exhibits for kids of all ages.

Old Town Temecula

Old Town Temecula

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Rose Haven Heritage Garden

Rose Haven Heritage Garden

Botanical park with 1,600+ plants. This outdoor showcase for many rose varieties offers walking paths, picnic tables & kids' programs.

Town Square

Town Square

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sam Hicks Monument Park

Sam Hicks Monument Park

Park with a playground & restrooms. Public park featuring a play area, picnic tables, a stone monument, restrooms & more.

Temecula Valley Museum

Temecula Valley Museum

Regional history & author memorabilia. Historic museum featuring city artifacts & a permanent exhibit on author Erle Stanley Gardner.

Temecula Duck Pond

Temecula Duck Pond

Pocket park with veterans memorial. Compact park featuring ducks paddling in a petite pool & a memorial to war veterans.

Vail Ranch Park

Vail Ranch Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve

Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve

Rugged hiking site & a visitor center. 9,000-acre nature conservation with varying terrain & habitats, open trails & a visitor center.

Mission Beach Boardwalk

Mission Beach Boardwalk

Bustling promenade with ocean vistas. Longtime beachfront boardwalk featuring shops, an old-school amusement park & ocean activities.

Mission Bay Park

Mission Bay Park

Bustling area for oceanside activities. Vast bayside spot popular for sand & surf sports, sunbathing, boats, picnics & dog-friendly beaches.

Magical Adventure Balloon Rides

Magical Adventure Balloon Rides

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Temeku Hills Park

Temeku Hills Park

Spot with ball fields & a playground. Green space with baseball fields, a basketball court & a children's playground, plus picnic tables.

Town Square Park and Amphitheater

Town Square Park and Amphitheater

Public green space & event venue. Grassy outdoor area with paved walkways & shade trees, plus a stage for concerts & other events.

Mulligan Family Fun Center- Murrieta

Mulligan Family Fun Center- Murrieta

Go-karts, mini-golf & small rides. Amusement center features go-karts, batting cages, an arcade, mini-golf & small rides for kids.

Kidz Digz Gem Mining & Crystals Store

Kidz Digz Gem Mining & Crystals Store

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Old Town San Diego

Old Town San Diego

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Open-air living-history museum. Open-air museum about local life in the 1800s, with adobe buildings & interpretive performances.

Lower Copper Canyon Park

Lower Copper Canyon Park

Retreat for outdoor sports & picnics. Neighborhood recreational park offering a baseball field, basketball hoops & trails.

Inflatable World

Inflatable World

Amusement park with giant slides & domes. Giant outdoor playground next to the mall offers massive slides, obstacle courses & bounce domes.

Discovery Park

Discovery Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Old Trolley Barn Park

Old Trolley Barn Park

City park with a playground. City park on the site of an old streetcar barn, offering a playground & summertime concerts.

Mountain Pride Park

Mountain Pride Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

California Dreamin' Balloon Adventures

California Dreamin' Balloon Adventures

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Glen Arbor Park

Glen Arbor Park

Busy park with off-leash dog areas. Tree-filled, grassy park & popular local haunt for dogs to run around off-leash.

UPTOWN JUNGLE FUN PARK | Murrieta, CA

UPTOWN JUNGLE FUN PARK | Murrieta, CA

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Explore More Activities

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