California Attractions for Younger Kids

Your little boy or girl may not yet own their first set of DUPLO bricks but they’ll still be drawn into this fantasy world made from millions of miniature bricks. Gentler rides and play areas are delineated by a cuddly teddy bear on the park map. Toddlers can chug around on a pint size choo choo, 'pilot' a plane two metres in the air or dig in the sand for dinosaur fossils. (Tip: before you get to Carlsbad check out the theme park's handy Know Before You Go page.)

Much of the magic happens in Miniland USA, where you’ll find to-scale LEGO replicas of iconic landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Las Vegas Strip and New York’s Central Park, where short attention spans will love searching for itty-bitty sunbathers or people practicing tai chi. That’s if you can peel your tiny Wookie away from the Star Wars attraction next door, where scenes from the films and cartoon have been painstakingly recreated. What could be more mind blowing than the attention to detail here? The amount of bricks needed to make it all happen: more than 32 million.

For children five and under, DUPLO Playtown is the place to slide, climb and explore playhouses and other interactive structures—which include a hospital, a barn and a supermarket—decked out with buttons, games and of course, plenty of giant LEGO bricks. The LEGOLAND® Express Train Ride gently navigates hairpin turns as it chugs through a sprouting LEGO garden. It’s a great introduction to theme park fun for smaller children just beginning to ramble around on their own. For older LEGO fans, DUPLO® Playtown has the impressively looming Kid Power Towers; children and parents can ascend to the top for panoramic views of the park before 'free falling' back to the ground.

Flying elephants, giant teacups, costumed characters making the rounds—for more than 60 years, this magical world of make-believe has been the happiest place on earth. Fantasyland, with all its low-thrill classics, including Peter Pan’s Flight and It’s a Small World is the go-to spot for children aged five or younger, but queues are the longest here, too, so tackle it first thing. Staying at a Disneyland hotel means you can beat the queues by entering the park an hour before it opens to the public.

When you've had your fill of ride-hopping, skip over to Toontown to blow off some steam. Children will have a blast touring Mickey and Minnie’s homes, where anything goes, from climbing on Mickey’s furniture to snooping in Minnie’s fridge. (Spoiler: it’s stocked with cheese.)

You can always count on this Anaheim park to make it easy on parents. With the Disneyland App, you’ll have access to waiting times and the locations of their favourite characters, FastPass machines and, most importantly, toilets. There’s also a well-stocked baby care centre with private areas for breast-feeding, microwaves for warming food and potties for those who are toilet training.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s vibrant undersea world is as close to Finding Dory as small children can get. Though they won’t be able to spot a seven legged octopus like Hank, they’ll certainly see familiar friends in the Open Sea exhibit. Through its 27 metre wide picture window they can catch a glimpse of dozens of sea creatures including scalloped hammerhead sharks, green sea turtles, pelagic stingrays and sardines, gliding through 1.2 million gallons of water. (You can prepare your children ahead of time for this spectacular attraction with the aquarium’s cool live web cam.) Nearby displays feature both puffins and moon jellyfish. And in the Enchanted Kelp Forest, children can get their hands wet in the 12 metre long touch pool that is teeming with sea urchins, kelp crabs, starfish and other marine life.

You’ll probably stay for a while in the Splash Zone & Penguins area. Here, they’ll spy Nemo’s cousins in the tropical fish tank, watch African penguins being fed, explore hands on educational displays and play at a water table (complete with waterproof aprons). It’s the Splash Zone’s Coral Reef Kingdom that really sets this aquarium apart. The soft safe zone (even the floor is padded!) gives young children—they can’t be more than 86 cm tall—exclusive access to a waterbed for making waves, interactive exhibits at eye level, a block building area and a touch pool.

The Santa Cruz Mountains were once a vibrant logging area and with logging came railways. Today, the logging has largely gone but one remnant from that bygone time is the charming scenic railway at the Santa Cruz Roaring Camp Railroads. Century-old steam engines take passengers on entertaining rides into redwood country, offering intimate views and big views of towering redwoods. All year round, trains depart from tiny Felton to make an hour-long loop through forests to the summit of Bear Mountain. Along the way, conductors share interesting stories and information about the region and its railway history.

For an entertaining treat, join a themed train ride, offered throughout the year. Consider a ride on the Starlight Evening Train, ride to a campfire supper and sing-along on the Western Moonlight Dinner Train, or root for the hero during a Great Train Robbery. Roaring Camp itself is a recreated 1880s logging camp, with sites including a covered bridge, a period opera house and a classic general store. Kids enjoy watching demonstrations in blacksmithing and making candles by hand.

Daily in summer (weekends in spring and autumn), Roaring Camp also operates a return trip Santa Cruz Beach Train, picking up and dropping off passengers in Felton and at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. 

The trains have both covered and open air passenger cars. If you opt for open air seating consider bringing earplugs or sound cancelling headphones for babies or young toddlers with sensitive ears. There’s plenty of child friendly fare available for purchase but this is one of the few attractions that allows visitors to bring their own food. 

Thomas the Tank Engine stops by once or twice throughout the year. These days are especially popular, so buy your tickets well in advance and get there early.

In the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area, it sounds implausible: a wilderness sanctuary spanning more than 2,000 acres, rife with wildlife, offering panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay. But that’s what makes Tilden Park, nestled between the Berkeley Hills and San Pablo Ridge, so special. It takes its name from Charles Lee Tilden, a Bay Area attorney and businessman who purchased much of the land in the 1930s to preserve it for the public. He went on to become the first president of the Park District Board of Directors.

Today, activities at Tilden Park abound for all ages: Visitors can take to its network of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding or stroll through the botanical garden. Small children will gravitate toward the Redwood Valley Railway’s miniature steam train, old-time carousel, and the goats, pigs, and cows that they can feed at Little Farm. (Hint: bring your own lettuce and celery.)

There’s also an 18-hole golf course, a steam train that chugs along a scenic ridge, and a lake nearly 1,000 feet long, perfect for an afternoon dip and picnic. On a clear day, set off on the East Bay Skyline National Recreation Trail, which offers views of the San Francisco Bay to the west and Mt. Diablo to the east. Though it’s only a few miles from the city, it feels half a world away.

Rhododendrons as big as wedding bouquets, dahlias in ice lolly-bright colours, ferns, fuchsias, succulents—it seems like the list of what does not grow (and grow well) at this lush preserve must be shorter than what does flourish here. Walk among diverse plantings of perennials, trees and shrubs—including many natives. Springtime—of course—is especially beautiful. This is also a great spot for birding (some 150 species frequent the property), so bring binoculars for close-up views. 

Master gardeners and other experts teach assorted workshops throughout the year; check the calendar of events to see if something catches your eye and matches your schedule. During winter, come and see the gardens sparkle during the Festival of Lights (late November to mid-December).