Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids
Explore the best free & cheap things to do with kids options for kids and families in San Mateo
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.
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.
Safari Run, San Mateo
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pershing Park
Neighborhood park with a playground. Tree-dotted neighborhood open space with a playground, basketball courts & a picnic area.
Washington Park
Playground, ball fields & courts. City park with baseball & soccer fields, tennis & basketball courts, plus a playground.
Coyote Point Recreation Area
Large playground, trails & picnic areas. Bayside park offering a sizable playground with 6 slides, as well as trails & picnic areas.
Aardvark Beach
Visit this great place for kids and families!
CuriOdyssey
Science & wildlife center for kids. Museum for kids focusing on environmental science & wildlife with indoor exhibits & an outdoor zoo.
Imagination City
Visit this great place for kids and families!
City of Burlingame Shorebird Sanctuary
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Village Park
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Bayfront Park
Waterside park for airport watching. Small bayside park next to the airport, with a walking trail & benches for watching the planes land.
Central Park
Sports field, tennis courts & playground. This 13-acre recreational area features tennis courts, a playing field, picnic spots & a playground.
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.
San Bruno City Park
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.
Bair Island Wildlife Refuge & Trail
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Frontierland Park
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Red Morton Park
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Huddart Park
Forested area with trails & picnic spots. This 900-acre, forested park offers hiking & riding trails, plus picnic areas & an archery range.
Surfers Beach
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Bedwell Bayfront Park
Oceanside park with trails & fields. Large bayside park with expansive open spaces for flying kites & several hiking trails.
Rockaway Beach
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.
Gray Whale Cove State Beach
Sheltered cove surrounded by cliffs. Cliffs surround this sandy beach, where whales are often spotted close to the shore.
Jumpity Bumpity Daly City
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center
Ecology center with exhibits & events. Ecology center offering exhibits, programs & activities relating to the region's estuary.
Mussel Rock Park
Coastal park with scenic vistas & trails. Known for its rocky coastline, this park boasts sandy beaches, scenic ocean vistas & hiking trails.
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.
Arizona Garden
Stanford University's cacti garden. Historical cacti garden with artful views & unusual plants on Stanford University grounds.
The Museum of American Heritage
Exhibitions on inventions & technology. Charming museum in a 1907 home showcasing technology & inventions from the 1750s to the 1950s.
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.
Coyote Hills Regional Park
Picnicking, hiking & biking trails. 1,266 acres of rolling hills for picnicking, bird-watching, biking, hiking & nature exploration.
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.
Oakland Aviation Museum
Display aircraft & historical exhibits. Museum housing an extensive aircraft collection & various aviation exhibits in a historic hangar.
Kennedy Park
Green space with many amenities for kids. Big, popular park with a playground, petting zoo & train, plus greenery, trails & picnic areas.
Washington Manor Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Round1 Bowling & Arcade Southland Mall
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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.
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.
Meek Park
Mansion grounds with gardens & play area. Landscaped grounds of a historic mansion with play structures, picnic space with grills & open lawn.
Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove
Aquarium & marine life exhibits. Bayfront education center with an 800-gallon aquarium & interactive exhibits about marine life.
Helen Diller Playground
Play area with a climbing wall & slides. Climbing structures, sand boxes & swings in an adventure playground with a long, twisting slide.
Pacific Pinball Museum
Historic & playable pinball machines. Museum displaying rare & vintage pinball machines, which are also playable, amid colorful local art.
Mission Bay Kids Park
Purpose-built activity center for kids. Interactive play zones, climbing structures & sandboxes in a modern kids' park with picnic benches.
Tennyson Park
Play area, skate park & baseball field. Public green space with amenities such as a playground, skate park, lawn & baseball field.
Ardenwood Entrance and Tickets
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Mitchell Park
Recreational activities for all ages. Grassy park with tennis/handball courts, horseshoe pits, playgrounds, splash pad & a fenced dog run.
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.
Randall Museum
Children's museum on 16-acre park. Museum with wild-animal exhibits & hands-on experiences for exploring science & the arts.
Magical Bridge Playground
Play structures around a grassy mound. Slides, swings & climbing frames around an artificial hill, plus a treehouse & bridge.
San Francisco Zoo
100 acres of animals & more. Families come for the more than 2,000 animals, kids' zoo, steam train, carousel & special exhibits.
Japanese Gardens
Tranquil botanical garden with teahouse. This 3+-acre botanical garden features traditional Japanese arrangements, a teahouse & a koi pond.
Helen Diller Civic Center Playground
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Leroy King Carousel
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Children's Creativity Museum
Interactive arts & technology museum. A place for kids to explore arts & technology by making music videos, animating short films & more.
Koret Children's Playground
Large vibrant playground with a carousel. Lively playground featuring a variety of equipment, an old-fashioned carousel & ample grassy lawns.
Chabot Park
Disc golf, fishing & forested hikes. Leafy nature area with a big lake, hiking trails & a disc golf course, popular for fishing & biking.
Tenderloin Playground
Indoor/outdoor recreational hub for kids. City-run recreational center & children's playground offering special events & classes.
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.
Oakland Zoo
850+ native & exotic animals on display. Long-standing zoo features 850+ native & exotic animals, a wildlife theater & educational programs.
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 Francisco Botanical Garden
Green refuge with rare plant collections. 55 acres of serene gardens showcasing diverse plants from around the world & a magnolia collection.
Heart of San Francisco Series
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Osher Rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Huntington Falls
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Chinatown San Francisco
Famous neighborhood for Chinese culture. Iconic area with the largest assembly of Chinese eateries, shops & cultural events outside of Asia.
Golden Gate Park
Gardens, trails, museums & festivals. The city's 1,017-acre oasis draws hikers, bikers, art lovers & music fans, plus gardens & museums.
Exploratorium
Hands-on science museum. Hundreds of interactive, educational exhibits & activities illustrating scientific principles.
Knowland Park
Undeveloped area with diverse wildlife. This open, largely undeveloped park is the habitat for many native plants & animals.
Other Things to See
Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants & Cafes
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Top Public Schools & School Districts
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Best Sports & Fitness Activities for Kids
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Top Private Schools for Kids
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Best After-School Programs & Activities
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Language Classes for Children
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Music Lessons & Performing Arts Programs
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Things to Do with Toddlers
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Best Parks for Outdoor Fun
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Things to Do with Kids at Night
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Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks
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Best Places for Birthday Parties
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Best Family-Friendly Attractions
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Best Tutoring Centers & Academic Support
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Unique & Hidden Gem Activities for Families
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Best Indoor Play Areas for Kids
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Best Theaters & Live Shows for Kids
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Best Camping Spots & Outdoor Adventures
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Best Kids Camps & Summer Programs
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Best Museums & Educational Spots for Kids
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Top Amusement Parks & Fun Centers
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Best Water Parks & Splash Pads
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Best Sports Leagues & Youth Athletics
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Best Science Centers & Discovery Zones
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Best Zoos, Aquariums & Animal Encounters
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Explore More Activities
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