👶 Ages 0–4
Things to do with toddlers
Curated by Simir Shah
32 spots across Southern California — add your zip or city to sort by what's closest to you
We Rock the Spectrum — Laguna Hills
Laguna Hills · Indoor play
A sensory-safe indoor gym where toddlers of all abilities can swing, climb and play.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid play
Pretend City Children's Museum
Irvine · Children's museum
A pretend mini-city built for ages 2–5, with an enclosed Toddler Park and a baby area for under-2s.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Courtney's SandCastle
San Clemente
A universally-accessible playground with ramped equipment and a giant sand pit for little ones.
🗓️ Year-round, dawn–dusk
Irvine Park Railroad
Orange · Train & rides
A one-third-scale train through Irvine Regional Park (under-24-months ride free), plus ponies and a zoo.
🗓️ Year-round, outdoors
💵 Paid rides
Environmental Nature Center
Newport Beach · Easy nature
A 3.5-acre sanctuary with short stroller-friendly trails, a stream and a butterfly house.
🗓️ Year-round, dawn–dusk
💵 Paid admission
Discovery Cube OC
Santa Ana · Children's museum
A big science center with a toddler-sized KidStation, a water-play patio and a sand dig pit.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Billy Beez — Anaheim
Anaheim · Indoor play
A giant indoor play park at the GardenWalk with a dedicated little-ones area away from the big slides.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid play
Castle Park
Riverside · Train & rides
A 25-acre family amusement park with a toddler-friendly ride area and gentle classic rides.
🗓️ Year-round, outdoors
💵 Paid rides
Stanton Central Park
Stanton
Home to one of OC's best splash parks, with shaded play structures for hot days.
🗓️ Year-round, dawn–dusk
Adventure City
Anaheim · Train & rides
A pint-sized theme park where most rides have no height limit — a mini train and carousel for littles.
🗓️ Year-round, outdoors
💵 Paid admission
Public library story times (Inland Empire)
Countywide
Free toddler and baby story times at public library branches across the Inland Empire.
🗓️ Weekly sessions
Chino Youth Museum
Chino · Children's museum
A small kid-scaled town with role-play shops and a toddler zone for pretend play.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Pennypickle's Workshop
Temecula · Children's museum
A whimsical inventor-themed hands-on museum with toddler-accessible interactive gadgets.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Children's Museum at La Habra
La Habra · Children's museum
In a 1923 train depot — toddler-scaled train role-play, model trains and a climbable caboose.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Fairmount Park
Riverside
A big free park with a serene lake, ducks, green lawns and several playgrounds.
🗓️ Year-round, dawn–dusk
Aquarium of the Pacific
Long Beach · Easy nature
Fully stroller-accessible with sea otters, a touch lagoon and free loaner strollers/wheelchairs.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park
Carlsbad
A free historic ranch where toddlers can roam open paths and spot free-roaming peacocks.
🗓️ Year-round, dawn–dusk
San Diego Children's Discovery Museum
Escondido · Children's museum
A North County hands-on museum for ages 0–10 with a dedicated toddler area and a discovery garden.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Public library story times (LA County)
Countywide
Free weekly toddler and baby story times — offered at nearly every LA County library branch.
🗓️ Weekly sessions
Kidspace Children's Museum
Pasadena · Children's museum
Curated for ages 1+ with Kirby's Corner for under-4s, a baby room and toddler story/music time.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area
Los Angeles
Stroller-friendly paved paths, a duck-filled lotus pond and wide lawns for new walkers.
🗓️ Year-round, dawn–dusk
Griffith Park & Southern Railroad
Los Angeles · Train & rides
A classic mile-long miniature train ride past a meadow and Western town, beloved since 1948.
🗓️ Year-round, outdoors
💵 Paid rides
Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round
Los Angeles · Train & rides
A historic 1926 carousel with menagerie horses — gentle and perfect for a first ride.
🗓️ Year-round, weekends
💵 Paid rides
Travel Town Museum
Los Angeles
A free open-air train museum where toddlers climb on real locomotives; the mini-train is free under 18 months.
🗓️ Year-round, outdoors
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
La Jolla · Easy nature
A right-sized aquarium with outdoor tide pools where volunteers help toddlers gently touch sea stars.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Cayton Children's Museum
Santa Monica · Children's museum
21,000 sq ft for ages 0–8 with a dedicated infant-to-2 zone and immersive role-play.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
We Rock the Spectrum — Tarzana
Tarzana · Indoor play
A sensory-friendly indoor gym with swings and soft equipment welcoming to toddlers of all abilities.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid play
Balboa Park Carousel
San Diego · Train & rides
A 100-year-old carousel with hand-painted animals and a ring-grab game, just outside the zoo.
🗓️ Year-round, weekends
💵 Paid rides
Public library story times (San Diego)
Countywide
Free baby and toddler story times offered at branches throughout the SD library system.
🗓️ Weekly sessions
The New Children's Museum
San Diego · Children's museum
An art-meets-play museum with a Disco Rainbow Cave area built for toddlers 3 and under.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert
Rancho Mirage · Children's museum
A hands-on desert children's museum with sensory and pretend-play exhibits sized for little ones.
🗓️ Year-round, indoors
💵 Paid admission
Living Coast Discovery Center
Chula Vista · Easy nature
A bayfront nature center with stroller-friendly trails, a touch tank and a free shuttle; under-4s free.
🗓️ Year-round, dawn–dusk
💵 Paid admission
Frequently asked questions
What are the best SoCal outings for toddlers?
Toddlers thrive on low-key, sensory-rich outings rather than big-ticket parks. Great bets include children's museums with dedicated toddler areas, small petting farms and zoos, calm bay or harbor beaches for sand play, and neighborhood playgrounds and splash pads. Going right at opening means smaller crowds and cooler temperatures, and keeping outings short with plenty of snack and nap buffer usually makes for a happier day.
What free toddler activities are there in SoCal?
There's a lot you can do for free: public playgrounds and splash pads, library story times, tide-pooling at low tide, feeding-free nature walks in regional parks, and simply a bucket-and-shovel morning at a calm beach. Many communities also have free or donation-based park programs. Checking your city or county parks calendar often turns up free toddler-friendly events each week.
What are good indoor options for hot or rainy days with a toddler?
For hot or rainy days, children's museums, aquariums, indoor play cafes, and the local library are toddler-friendly and climate-controlled. Some malls have soft-play areas and open early for stroller walks. Aquariums are especially good because the pace is slow and there's lots to look at without much walking. Aim for a right-at-opening arrival before the midday crowds build.
More little-kid ideas, every week
Get toddler outings, splash pads, free things to do and weekend picks in your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tip:nearly every public library runs free weekly baby and toddler story times — the single best free, recurring toddler activity in SoCal. Check your local branch's calendar. Hours and admission change, so confirm before you load the stroller.