Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids

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

Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park

Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary

Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lookout Park

Lookout Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santa Barbara Zoo

Santa Barbara Zoo

Compact zoo with hundreds of animals. Small zoo with hundreds of animals in natural habitats, a miniature train ride & picnic spots.

Chase Palm Park

Chase Palm Park

Tree-lined green space along the ocean. Waterfront park lined with tall palm trees, offering lounging lawns & a walking/biking path.

Shipwreck Playground

Shipwreck Playground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center

Interactive facility for ocean education. Aquatic exploration center with live shark touch pools, a tidepool tank & magnified sea specimens.

Pier Santa Barbara

Pier Santa Barbara

Visit this great place for kids and families!

MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation

MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation

Hands-on science, math & tech exhibits. Contemporary museum devoted to science, technology & the arts, with a focus on interactive exhibits.

Casitas Water Adventure

Casitas Water Adventure

Aquatic activities for all ages. Small water park with a playground for young children, a lazy river inner-tube ride & a snack bar.

Lake Casitas Recreation Area

Lake Casitas Recreation Area

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Frog Wall

Frog Wall

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Shoreline Park

Shoreline Park

Grassy areas & playground with sea views. Popular park overlooking the water offers a playground, grassy areas, walking paths & beach access.

Alameda Park

Alameda Park

Green space with a pond & playground. Tranquil 2-block park with a pond, vintage bandstand, sizable play structure & many rare trees.

Kids World

Kids World

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden

Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden

Park with botanical collections & ponds. Lush garden with an array of tree & plant species, koi ponds, a picnic area & a butterfly garden.

1000 Steps Beach

1000 Steps Beach

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Rocky Nook Park

Rocky Nook Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Exhibits featuring area history & nature. Landmark with various exhibits including regional history, art, a planetarium & a butterfly garden.

Foster Park

Foster Park

Recreation area with river & camping. Green-hilled park with a river flowing through it, multi-use trail & campgrounds.

Ojai Meadows Preserve - Lomita Ave Entrance

Ojai Meadows Preserve - Lomita Ave Entrance

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Ojai Meadows Preserve

Ojai Meadows Preserve

Nature preserve with a wetlands trail. Protected meadows & wetlands area with a hiking trail, plant nursery & spring wildflowers.

Kellogg Park

Kellogg Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Ventura Botanical Gardens

Ventura Botanical Gardens

Gardens with guided tours & scenic views. Botanical gardens offering guided & themed tours amid 160+ plant species, plus city & ocean views.

Surfers Point at Seaside Park

Surfers Point at Seaside Park

Popular surfing & windsurfing beach. Small destination beach for surfers & windsurfers, with picnic tables, showers & restrooms.

Ojai Valley Museum

Ojai Valley Museum

Art exhibits in a historic church. Town history exhibits & contemporary local artwork showcased in a former Catholic church.

Libbey Park

Libbey Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sarzotti Park

Sarzotti Park

Park with a rec center & sports fields. Green space with multiple sports fields plus a rec center with classes, picnic areas & a playground.

Soule County Park

Soule County Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Goleta Beach Park

Goleta Beach Park

29-acre public beach with fishing pier. Public beach featuring paved bicycle trails, picnic areas & a 1,500-ft pier for walking & fishing.

Lagoon Island Labyrinth

Lagoon Island Labyrinth

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sea Lookout Park

Sea Lookout Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lizards Mouth Rock

Lizards Mouth Rock

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Rose Valley Falls

Rose Valley Falls

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum

Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum

Visit this great place for kids and families!

The Sunburst Railbikes

The Sunburst Railbikes

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Aviation Museum of Santa Paula

Aviation Museum of Santa Paula

Visit this great place for kids and families!

California Oil Museum

California Oil Museum

Oil/gas history exhibits & memorabilia. Interactive oil & gas exhibits, historic memorabilia & artifacts are the draw at this quaint museum.

Paradise Falls

Paradise Falls

Waterfall in a canyon park area. 40-ft. waterfall in a canyon in a rugged regional park, accessible by hiking trails.

Sycamore Canyon Falls

Sycamore Canyon Falls

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wildwood Regional Park

Wildwood Regional Park

Park with trails & nature center. Hilly, wooded park featuring a nature center & trails, plus picnic tables, grills & restrooms.

Stagecoach Inn Museum

Stagecoach Inn Museum

Repurposed hotel with antiques & curios. Reconstruction of an 1876 hotel that now houses antiques, memorabilia & furnishings of the era.

Conejo Valley Botanic Garden

Conejo Valley Botanic Garden

Hilltop vistas & tours of the grounds. Set on 33 acres of hilly terrain, this site offers panoramic views & tours of its specialty gardens.

Kids Adventure Garden

Kids Adventure Garden

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Underwood Family Farms

Underwood Family Farms

Vegetable picking & an animal center. Working farm offering produce picking & interactions with animals like baby goats & rabbits.

Gardens of the World

Gardens of the World

Cultural gardens to stroll or tour. An elegant collection of gardens in French, Japanese, Italian & English styles (tours available).

Kids World Family Fun Center

Kids World Family Fun Center

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Oak Canyon Community Park

Oak Canyon Community Park

Recreation area with trails & dog park. Neighborhood green space with playground, dog park, archery range & picnicking spots.

Escondido Falls

Escondido Falls

Popular waterfall with a hiking trail. A popular hiking trail that crosses creeks leads to this waterfall with upper & lower sections.

Sage Ranch Park

Sage Ranch Park

Hiking amid rocky outcroppings & meadows. Marked by sandstone rock formations & lush meadows, this vast park has hiking trails & picnic areas.

Malibu Creek Rock Pools

Malibu Creek Rock Pools

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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