Things to Do with Toddlers

Explore the best things to do with toddlers options for kids and families in Salinas

Tatum's Garden

Tatum's Garden

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Monterey State Beach

Monterey State Beach

Scenic beach area on Monterey Bay. Miles of scenic coastline offer beachgoers recreational activities ranging from surfing to fishing.

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Laguna Grande Regional Park, Monterey side

Laguna Grande Regional Park, Monterey side

Waterfront area with picnic tables. Green space on the water offering a volleyball court, play area, picnic tables & public barbecues.

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Del Monte Beach

Del Monte Beach

Waterfront with boardwalk & dunes. Strip of beach with boardwalk pathways through sand dunes, plus wildlife & picnic areas.

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El Estero Park

El Estero Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Dennis The Menace Playground

Dennis The Menace Playground

Sizable kids' playground & park. Spacious kids' playground & park featuring activities such as a maze & a rock climbing wall.

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Old Fisherman's Wharf

Old Fisherman's Wharf

Quaint landmark with dining & shopping. Iconic waterside complex & event site featuring seafood eateries, shops & water-sports activities.

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Monterey County Youth Museum

Monterey County Youth Museum

Children's museum with hands-on exhibits. This colorful museum for toddlers & bigger kids features interactive exhibits with a local theme.

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Treasure Hunt: The Ride

Treasure Hunt: The Ride

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Monterey Mirror Maze and Laser Challenge

Monterey Mirror Maze and Laser Challenge

Mirror maze with a vibrant setup. Walk-through mirror maze with a psychedelic vibe & activities for team-building & parties.

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Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Sprawling marine life attraction. Well-known aquarium on a rocky coastline with exhibits ranging from otter habitats to touch pools.

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Colton Hall Museum and Jail

Colton Hall Museum and Jail

Exhibits dedicated to California history. Built 1847–1849, this museum in an old government building has exhibits on the history of Monterey.

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Lovers Point Park

Lovers Point Park

Small beachside recreation spot. Petite beach park with swimming, surfing & other water recreation, plus kayak & bike rentals & more.

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Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

Free exhibitions on regional wildlife. Nature museum offering exhibits on birds, insects, plants & other wildlife, plus free admission.

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Monarch Sanctuary

Monarch Sanctuary

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary

Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary

Nature reserve for seasonal butterflies. Preserve with pine, cypress & eucalyptus trees sheltering thousands of monarch butterflies Oct–Mar.

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The Great Tide Pool

The Great Tide Pool

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Carmel Beach

Carmel Beach

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Pescadero Point

Pescadero Point

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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The Crocker Cypress Grove

The Crocker Cypress Grove

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park

Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park

Kid-friendly rides & attractions. Rides & attractions plus gardens draw crowds at this bustling, family-friendly amusement park.

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Seacliff State Beach

Seacliff State Beach

Camping & hiking among redwoods. Versatile state beach offers a variety of outdoor activities such as camping & hiking.

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Giggles-N-Wiggles Bouncer, Arcades family entertainment center

Giggles-N-Wiggles Bouncer, Arcades family entertainment center

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Giggles-N-Wiggles

Giggles-N-Wiggles

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery

The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Chanticleer Ave County Park

Chanticleer Ave County Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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LEO’s Haven Accessible Playground

LEO’s Haven Accessible Playground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Wildlife, plant & archaeology exhibits. Galleries & interactive programs exploring flora, fauna, geology & peoples native to the Bay Area.

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Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

Exhibits exploring wave-riding culture. Rotating exhibits on surfing culture & local history housed in a historic, preserved lighthouse.

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Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Iconic amusement park on the beach. Amusement park offers a variety of games & rides right on a mile-long stretch of sandy beach.

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Ocean View Park

Ocean View Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center

Theater & interactive exhibit gallery. Educational multimedia exhibits include theater, touch pools & a remotely operated underwater robot.

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Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

Hands-on exhibitions & special programs. Expansive venue with hands-on art & history exhibitions, plus special programs good for all ages.

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Natural Bridges State Beach

Natural Bridges State Beach

Rock formations, tidepools & marine life. Compact sandy patch with rock bridges & tidepools, popular for spotting seabirds, whales & seals.

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Seymour Marine Discovery Center

Seymour Marine Discovery Center

Aquarium & interactive science museum. Interactive marine science museum & aquarium, with hands-on exhibits, a touch pool & a gift shop.

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Blue Whale Skeleton

Blue Whale Skeleton

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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The Mystery Spot

The Mystery Spot

Iconic gravity hill offering tours. Opened in 1941, this roadside landmark is a tilt-induced visual illusion with tours & a gift shop.

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Wilder Ranch State Park

Wilder Ranch State Park

Picnic areas, trails & horseback riding. Natural landscape with diverse activities including hiking trails, picnic areas & horseback riding.

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UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden

UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Rare plants & a butterfly garden. Vast collection of rare plants with a succulent garden, a butterfly area & a eucalyptus grove.

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Skypark

Skypark

Basketball court & skate park. Diverse activities are available at this public space with a skate park & basketball court.

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Roaring Camp

Roaring Camp

Train rides & all-ages special events. Family-friendly park offers train rides amid natural landscapes, seasonal routes & special events.

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Lost Worlds Funtropolous

Lost Worlds Funtropolous

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Vasona Lake County Park

Vasona Lake County Park

Site with a sprawling lawn, trail & lake. Public green space with 45 acres of lawn, a multi-use trail & picnic areas plus a lake with fishing.

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Monterey County Agricultural & Rural Life Museum

Monterey County Agricultural & Rural Life Museum

Folksy interpretive village & artifacts. Restored barn, school, blacksmith shop & turn-of-the century farm implements that trace history.

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Pump It Up San Jose Kids Birthday Party and More

Pump It Up San Jose Kids Birthday Party and More

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Forden Park

Forden Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Brigadoon Park

Brigadoon Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Lincoln Glen Park

Lincoln Glen Park

Small park with playground & green space. Small community park offering a playground & tot lot, water spray area, green space & picnic tables.

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Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Animals, activities & conservation focus. Small zoo with an array of animals & rides, plus an education center, petting zoo & puppet theater.

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Bill's Backyard

Bill's Backyard

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

Shows, workshops & interactive exhibits. Children of all ages explore more than 150 interactive exhibits including a full-size fire truck.

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Monopoly in the Park

Monopoly in the Park

Green space with a giant monopoly board. Tiny park featuring a larger-than-life monopoly board, plus animal statues & benches.

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Emma Prusch Farm Park

Emma Prusch Farm Park

Community farm with orchards & gardens. Compact community farm features heirloom vegetable gardens, orchards, chickens & a fair.

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Whirlygig

Whirlygig

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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The Escape Game San Jose

The Escape Game San Jose

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Exhibits featuring mummies & artifacts. Museum with displays on Egyptian burial practices, plus artifacts including jewelry & bronze tools.

Visit
Rotary PlayGarden

Rotary PlayGarden

Accessible children's playground. Interactive & accessible children's playground with slides, climbing equipment & seating areas.

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Jollyman Park

Jollyman Park

Quaint place for picnics & sports. This 11.5-acre urban park contains ball fields, a playground & shaded picnic tables.

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Portal Park

Portal Park

Picnic facilities & recreation center. Small park offering a large, reservable picnic & barbecue area, playground & recreation building.

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Central Park

Central Park

Picnicking, a pool & recreational sports. 52-acre park with 2 playgrounds & athletic courts/fields, plus a swimming pool, picnic area & BBQs.

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Santa Clara's Magical Bridge Playground

Santa Clara's Magical Bridge Playground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Explore More Activities

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