Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids
Explore the best free & cheap things to do with kids options for kids and families in San Carlos
Bair Island Wildlife Refuge & Trail
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve
Woodland hiking & grassland wildflowers. 467 acres of woodlands & grasslands known for its hiking, wildflowers, bird-watching & scenic views.
Red Morton Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Imagination City
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pulgas Water Temple
Scenic beaux arts monument with a pool. Beaux arts monument with a reflecting pool celebrating the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct completed in 1934.
Bedwell Bayfront Park
Oceanside park with trails & fields. Large bayside park with expansive open spaces for flying kites & several hiking trails.
Huddart Park
Forested area with trails & picnic spots. This 900-acre, forested park offers hiking & riding trails, plus picnic areas & an archery range.
San Mateo Japanese Garden
Asian-inspired gardens with a koi pond. Spring blossoming Japanese gardens with a koi pond, pagoda & teahouse in a 16.3-acre city park.
San Mateo Central Park
Japanese gardens & an ice-skating rink. Vibrant, 16-acre park featuring Japanese gardens, a mini train ride, playground & ice-skating rink.
Safari Run, San Mateo
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Coyote Point Recreation Area
Large playground, trails & picnic areas. Bayside park offering a sizable playground with 6 slides, as well as trails & picnic areas.
Pershing Park
Neighborhood park with a playground. Tree-dotted neighborhood open space with a playground, basketball courts & a picnic area.
CuriOdyssey
Science & wildlife center for kids. Museum for kids focusing on environmental science & wildlife with indoor exhibits & an outdoor zoo.
Arizona Garden
Stanford University's cacti garden. Historical cacti garden with artful views & unusual plants on Stanford University grounds.
Aardvark Beach
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University
Fine art museum with a sculpture garden. Classic & contemporary art museum with an outdoor sculpture garden featuring Rodin bronzes.
The Museum of American Heritage
Exhibitions on inventions & technology. Charming museum in a 1907 home showcasing technology & inventions from the 1750s to the 1950s.
Washington Park
Playground, ball fields & courts. City park with baseball & soccer fields, tennis & basketball courts, plus a playground.
Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden
Public garden & historic home. A 2.5-acre plot encompassing herb & rose gardens, a historic home, a carriage house & a tearoom.
Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
Hands-on science & nature exhibits. Child-oriented venue with animals like birds & turtles, plus interactive educational exhibits.
City of Burlingame Shorebird Sanctuary
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Village Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Baylands Observation Deck and Boardwalk
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Baylands Nature Preserve
Marshland with trails & bird-watching. Vast marshland with 15 mi. of trails for walking, running & biking, plus bird-watching & kayaking.
Bayfront Park
Waterside park for airport watching. Small bayside park next to the airport, with a walking trail & benches for watching the planes land.
Coyote Hills Regional Park
Picnicking, hiking & biking trails. 1,266 acres of rolling hills for picnicking, bird-watching, biking, hiking & nature exploration.
Mitchell Park
Recreational activities for all ages. Grassy park with tennis/handball courts, horseshoe pits, playgrounds, splash pad & a fenced dog run.
Magical Bridge Playground
Play structures around a grassy mound. Slides, swings & climbing frames around an artificial hill, plus a treehouse & bridge.
Central Park
Sports field, tennis courts & playground. This 13-acre recreational area features tennis courts, a playing field, picnic spots & a playground.
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Habitat for native & migrating animals. Large nature preserve housing various migrating birds, as well as native flora & fauna.
Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center
Ecology center with exhibits & events. Ecology center offering exhibits, programs & activities relating to the region's estuary.
Foothills Nature Preserve
1,400-acre nature preserve with trails. Miles of trails guide visitors through woodlands & fields, past streams & lakes in this vast park.
San Bruno City Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Surfers Beach
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Redwood Grove Nature Preserve
Redwood forest with a boardwalk. This 6-acre Redwood forest features a boardwalk, observation decks, picnic tables & a rose garden.
Ardenwood Entrance and Tickets
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Mariposa Park
Neighborhood park with a playground. Compact, butterfly-themed park with a playground, seasonal water-play sandbox & picnic tables.
Ardenwood Historic Farm
Living museum with horse-powered farming. A working farm with a train & crops grown using historic methods, plus volunteers in period attire.
Eagle Park
Grassy field, outdoor pool & playground. Community hub featuring a huge grassy field, a playground & an outdoor pool with swimming lessons.
Frontierland Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pioneer Memorial Park
Quaint green space with benches & paths. Small, serene park located next to the library featuring ample benches, walkways & shaded areas.
Round1 Bowling & Arcade Southland Mall
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Marina Park
Shoreline park with mile-long trail. 30-acre park along the shore with picnic tables, a mile-long workout trail & large group shelters.
Kennedy Park
Green space with many amenities for kids. Big, popular park with a playground, petting zoo & train, plus greenery, trails & picnic areas.
Tennyson Park
Play area, skate park & baseball field. Public green space with amenities such as a playground, skate park, lawn & baseball field.
Sánchez Adobe Park
Adobe home on a former mission outpost. This 19th-century adobe home on a former mission outpost offers tours & living-history programs.
Washington Manor Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve
Hiking area featuring a working farm. Rural nature preserve with 25 miles of hiking trails, plus a working farm & a model plane launch.
Gray Whale Cove State Beach
Sheltered cove surrounded by cliffs. Cliffs surround this sandy beach, where whales are often spotted close to the shore.
Meek Park
Mansion grounds with gardens & play area. Landscaped grounds of a historic mansion with play structures, picnic space with grills & open lawn.
Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area
Lakefront park offering water activities. Lakefront park offers 471 acres of space for picnicking, swimming, fishing & non-motorized boating.
Children's Natural History Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pacifica State Beach
Crescent-shaped beach known for surfing. Known for being a popular surfing locale, this crescent-shaped beach also offers trails & restrooms.
Rockaway Beach
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Seven Seas Park
Family-friendly recreation & a dog park. Neighborhood gathering place offering a dog park & lots of kid activities including a spray pool.
Japanese Gardens
Tranquil botanical garden with teahouse. This 3+-acre botanical garden features traditional Japanese arrangements, a teahouse & a koi pond.
California Nursery Historical Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Baylands Grove
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Baylands Park
Wetlands, trails & recreation areas. Developed park of 70+ acres on San Francisco Bay with playgrounds, trails & a wetlands preserve.
Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum
Park with gardens & a historic house. Small green space featuring scenic gardens & a 19th-century house open for occasional group tours.
Oakland Aviation Museum
Display aircraft & historical exhibits. Museum housing an extensive aircraft collection & various aviation exhibits in a historic hangar.
Train of Lights
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Alviso Marina County Park
Popular hiking & bird-watching site. Hiking, biking & bird-watching are popular activities at this bayside park with paths & boardwalks.
Jumpity Bumpity Daly City
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Central Park
Land & water activities in a scenic spot. Lakeside park with a golf course, 4 playgrounds, boat rentals, a fishing area, picnic sites & paths.
Aqua Adventure Water Park
Family-friendly waterslides & pools. Recreational facility featuring waterslides, pools, swimming lessons & an on-site eatery.
Always Dream PlayPark
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Safari Run, Sunnyvale
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lake Chabot Regional Park
Scenic park for hikes, boating & fishing. Parkland featuring a 315-acre reservoir for canoeing & fishing, plus trails, picnic areas & a cafe.
Mussel Rock Park
Coastal park with scenic vistas & trails. Known for its rocky coastline, this park boasts sandy beaches, scenic ocean vistas & hiking trails.
McClellan Ranch Preserve
Former horse ranch with a nature museum. Former horse ranch from the 1930s featuring a nature museum, community garden & historic buildings.
California's Great America
Thrill rides & waterslides. Family-friendly theme park with thrill rides, water attractions, live entertainment & food options.
Chabot Park
Disc golf, fishing & forested hikes. Leafy nature area with a big lake, hiking trails & a disc golf course, popular for fishing & biking.
De Anza College Planetarium
Venue for astronomy & laser shows. This large planetarium offers educational astronomy shows & entertaining laser displays.
Explore More Activities
Discover more events and activities happening in San Carlos.