Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids
Explore the best free & cheap things to do with kids options for kids and families in Irvine
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.
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.
Turtle Rock Nature Center
Educational nature preserve with trails. Five-acre nature preserve with trails for viewing wildlife & habitats, plus an outdoor classroom.
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.
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.
Great Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Great Park
Park known for its giant helium balloon. Public space popular for a huge helium balloon tethered to the ground offering views from up high.
Great Park Balloon Ride
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Downtown Santa Ana Historic District
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Parasol Park
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Irvine Spectrum Center Giant Wheel
Family-friendly ride with city views. Day or night attraction with 52,000 LED lights & panoramic city views from the top.
Irvine Spectrum Center Carousel
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Cedar Grove Park
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Pretend City Children's Museum
Imaginary town & exhibits for kids. Set up as a pretend city, this kids' museum has a post office, cafe, farm & other interactive areas.
Bowers Museum
Global art, lectures & a restaurant. Mission Revival-style museum for global art (permanent & temporary), lectures & an eatery, Tangata.
Discovery Cube
Rotating displays & interactive exhibits. Educational museum with a focus on kids offers over 100 hands-on exhibits, plus special programs.
Santiago Creek Wildlife & Watershed Center, Santiago Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lookout Point
Scenic vista with bay & ocean views. Scenic destination in peaceful surrounds known for its beaches, water fountains, bay & ocean views.
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.
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.
Mountain View Park
Urban green space with amenities. City recreational site with a playground, tennis courts, a walking trail, picnic tables & restrooms.
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.
Newport Beach Pier
Oceanfront scenery & fishing. Scenic pier popular for fishing & ocean views, convenient to beach & nearby shops & restaurants.
Lake Forest Heritage Hill Historic Park
Calm park hosting 4 historic buildings. Petite park featuring heritage landscaping & guided tours of 4 restored buildings erected 1863-1908.
Canyon View Park
Grassy areas, a playground & paths. 12-acre park with big grassy areas, a sand-covered playground & path overlooking the canyon.
Irvine Regional Park
Park, playground, rides & rentals. Park offers train & pony rides, plus paddle boat rentals, the Orange County Zoo & picnic areas.
Irvine Park Railroad
Recreation area with train & pony rides. Outdoor park featuring family activities including train rides, pony rides & paddle boat rentals.
Orange County Zoo
8 acres of native Southwestern animals. 8-acre city park zoo features native Southwestern animals & plants, plus regular programs & events.
Sheep Hills Park
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Grand Park
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Dinosaur Park
Fields & a dinosaur-themed playground. Large park offering athletic fields as well as a playground with dinosaur- & fossil-themed elements.
Flightdeck + Rogue Racing
Interactive flying experience for groups. Flight simulator for ages 11 & up replicates the feeling of being in a cockpit & flying a plane.
Atlantis Play Center
Unique playground with splash pads. Outdoor, underwater-themed children's center featuring whimsical play structures & splash pads.
Disney California Adventure Park
Modern theme park with dining & shows. Contemporary theme park with innovative attractions, multiple dining options & live entertainment.
ROOTS the Beauty Underground
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.
Laguna Beach, California
Oceanfront park for sports & walks. A beachfront park with a boardwalk, volleyball & basketball courts, a playground & a tide-pool area.
Adventure Playground
Outdoor play area for rafting & climbing. Playground offers a small pond for rafting, rope for climbing plus a mudslide & fort-building area.
Temple of the Forbidden Eye
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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.
Eisenhower Park
Sizable green space with a duck pond. Large park featuring a pond filled with fish & ducks, plus walking paths, playgrounds & BBQ grills.
Bluebird Park
City park for activities & summer music. City park featuring sports courts, a children's play area, picnic tables & a summer concert series.
Laguna Niguel Regional Park
Lakefront fishing, sports & amphitheater. Surrounding a fishing lake, this park offers trails, sports courts, picnic space & an amphitheater.
Oak Canyon Nature Center
Nature park with an interpretive center. Nature park featuring oak forests, scrubland & canyons, plus wildlife & an interpretive center.
Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center
Unique art exhibits for kids & adults. This contemporary museum hosts three inventive art exhibits a year & caters to all ages.
Pearson Park
Vast outdoor space with paths & ponds. Family-friendly park for all ages offers trails for bike riding & walking, playgrounds & ponds.
Pirate Tower
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Anaheim Founders' Park
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Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife preserve & science center. University-run wildlife sanctuary in a canyon with a science center, amphitheater & 3 trails.
Pavion Park
Public park with kids' facilities. A modern playground with interactive games is the highlight at this public park for families.
Seascape Kids Fun
Indoor playground & fun center for kids. Children's indoor amusement center for parties includes playground, ball pen & more.
Niguel Botanical Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
Protected coastal estuary & bird habitat. 1300 acre ecological preserve with over 200 avian species spread around the coastal wetlands.
Adventure City
Amusement park for children. Children's amusement park for family fun via rides, a petting zoo, an arcade & more.
Fullerton Train Museum
Vintage train cars & cabooses on display. Historic train cars & cabooses with period decor, open the first & third Saturday of every month.
Wild Goose Escape Rooms - Fullerton
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.
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton
26-acre botanical garden. A sprawling, 26-acre greenspace featuring 4,000+ types of plants, walking trails & a museum.
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.
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.
Susanna Bixby Bryant Museum and Botanic Garden
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Knott's Berry Farm
Old-school theme park with rides & charm. Classic theme park boasts fast rides, old-fashioned charm & famous fried chicken.
Vista Del Verde Park
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Craig Regional Park
Recreation on 124 acres with a lake. 124-acre recreational park with biking, hiking & picnicking, plus hills, a rose garden & a lake.
Carbon Canyon Regional Park
Redwood trees, sports facilities & more. Sprawling, 124-acre park showcasing various redwood trees, sports complexes & other features.
Seal Beach Pier Playground
Beachfront, kids' playground & sandbox. Fenced beachfront playground offering children's play equipment, a sandbox & benches.
Ralph B Clark Park
104-acre park at foot of Coyote Hills. Sprawling park covering more than 100 acres includes a softball complex & plenty of open fields.
El Dorado Nature Center
Wide-ranging park for flora & fauna. 105-acre park featuring a visitor center, flora & fauna, lakes, a stream & walking trails.
Long Beach Lifeguard Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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