Top 10 Kid Friendly Things To Do and Attractions in North San Diego Bay

"You’ll keep returning to this 1,200-acre urban park for its world-class zoo, restful cultivated areas, museums in refined Spanish Revival buildings and live shows. There’s a tapestry of gardens around the park, planted with more than 350 plant species hand-selected at the turn of the 20th century by the botanist Kate Sessions, the “Mother of Balboa Park”. An emblem for the park and San Diego is the Botanical Building, one of many splendid holdovers from the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition."

"Families appreciate the beauty and abundance of recreational opportunities at Balboa Park. This expansive outdoor space includes 17 museums, playgrounds, a swimming pool, and over a dozen different gardens. Many visitors come here to enjoy the Pepper Grove Playground, a large kids' recreation area with slides, swings, a jungle gym, sandbox, playing fields, and picnic tables."

"One of San Diego’s gems, Balboa Park, is teeming with free things to do in San Diego. There are over 65 miles of walking trails at Balboa Park, the largest urban cultural park in America. In addition, there are gorgeous gardens, botanical gardens and spectacular Spanish Colonial Revival architecture to see."

"This award-winning children’s museum encourages children to think, play, and create with over 50,000 square feet of child-centered art installations, studios, and interactive spaces. From free play to guided workshops, this modern museum has a wide range of activities and events for creative kids. Young visitors are free to interact with working artists, design something in the Innovators LAB under the guidance local professionals, or explore the museum’s indoor and outdoor spaces with their families."

"Not huge but one of the most interactive places for younger generation, the New Children’s Museum is worth a visit if you are in San Diego with kids and family. The museum was originally built in 1983. After that, it had time and again got renovated with the mission of restoring and vitalizing creativity, imagination, and critical thinking through contemporary Art in kids and older generation."

"This unique museum collaborates with contemporary artists to create one-of-a-kind art installations. The exhibits include playhouses, clubhouses, and climbable towers. Kids can interact with the exhibits and engage in active play as they would at home."

"After gazing at ships both antique and modern, walk north to Little Italy, where you can sample more local beers at Bottlecraft before dining at one of the neighborhood’s fantastic restaurants, such as Herb & Wood. After dinner, stroll through the charming neighborhood to reach decadent Extraordinary Desserts. The sugar rush should get you started for a night out in the Gaslamp District club scene; if you prefer something chill, the swanky retro cocktail bar Prohibition Lounge is a great way to finish the night."

"If you want a more sophisticated night, check out Little Italy which has more upscale bars and restaurants for a spot of romance. If you don’t drink alcohol, both Gaslamp and North Park also have arcade bars where you can just play games and have fun. Also, Little Italy is lovely to simply walk around and explore at night. It gets busy with a buzzy atmosphere and often has street performers performing Italian ballads."

"The Milk Bar offers you a long list of flavored milks that can be blended into milkshakes. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, cookies and cream, Fruit Loops, and chocolate peanut butter are just a few of the many flavored milk choices. The menu also consists of gourmet cookies and milk stouts."

"The perfect way to end your weekend at Coronado is with a Sunday afternoon concert in Spreckles Park. Located at the center of the island right on Orange Street, Spreckels park has a cute playground making it a great hang-out for families. You can also get a taste of the local art scene on the first and third Sundays of each month when the Coronado Art Association hosts Art-In-The-Park."

"There is an extra fee to enter the Japanese Friendship Garden, which is an expression of friendship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama. There’s an upper and lower strolling path where you can see koi pond, landscaped gardens and a Zen garden viewing deck. It’s a very tranquil space."

"Feel the beauty of the waterfalls and greenery as you stroll the pathways of the Japanese Friendship Garden. Skip right past the entrance fee the third Tuesday of every month. As well, explore the Japanese rock garden and take in the current indoor display."

"The elegant Japanese Friendship Garden is also worth a visit. Grab lunch at The Prado, located within Balboa Park., and try to get a table on the outdoor terrace."

"There are a lot of farmers’ markets to take advantage of in San Diego and the Saturday ‘Mercato’ Street Market in Little Italy is one of the best. It’s one of the largest markets in the city and happens from 8 am to 2 pm every Saturday, rain or shine. It’s also one of the best things to do in Little Italy to get a feel for the communal nature of this neighborhood."

"This is the 24th year for O.B.'s Farmers Market (8) on the 4900 block of Newport Ave. Open every Wednesday from 4 p.m.–8 p.m. in Summer, and till 7 p.m."

"Flower Hill Promenade is a popular shopping area east of the I-5 freeway in Del Mar. Here, shoppers will find a low-key, easy to navigate, multi-level outdoor environment filled with specialty boutiques ranging from high-end cheese to cigars along to luggage and upscale women's clothing. Flower Hill not only has a brand new Whole Foods Market, but also the very popular CUCINA enoteca Italian restaurant, Nothing Bundt cakes and other places to grab a bite to eat."

"2720 Via de la Valle San Diego, CA 92104 858-481-2904 15 Stores Monday-Saturday: 10:00 AM-6:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM-5:00 PM Major Retailers: TRE Boutique, Between The Sheets, Sun Diego, Geppetto’s Toys, Sweet Pea, Diamond Boutique, Patrick James"

"Located inside Balboa Park, the San Diego Museum of Art is one of the most popular indoor attractions in San Diego and plays host to a large collection of artwork. For those who enjoy viewing masterpieces created by European, American and Asian artists, the museum offers a broad selection of pieces including work from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as some from today’s most recognizable artists. The San Diego Museum of Art is the oldest and largest art museum in the region and welcomes guests from all over the world throughout the year."

"The region's largest fine arts museum attracts more than 250,000 visitors a year to its diverse cultural exhibits. The museum's collection is astoundingly comprehensive, with artwork ranging in date from 5,000 BC to the present. The San Diego Museum of Art is most famous for its South Asian paintings from the Edwin Binney 3rd collection."

"This museum has a few different exhibits rotating throughout the year and they make plenty of appearances on instagram. These exhibits have already left, but see the ones they have now here."

"My favorite place in San Diego for cheese enchiladas and veggie burritos!. Been coming to Ortiz for over 10 years and they never fail to greet everyone wi..."

"You won’t find any fancy combinations or crazy displays at Devil’s, but they are nothing short of gourmet. It’s all about the classic flavors done with quality ingredients: vanilla bean, cinnamon sugar, chocolate, s’mores, and churro bites. Photo courtesy of kirbiecravings.com"

"Start the day with donuts and coffee from Nomad Donuts, which will fuel you without leaving you too full for a day of action. Catch a morning surf lessons from Surfari Surf School at north Mission Beach, and enjoy some prime people-watching on the Pacific Beach Boardwalk while you catch your breath. You’ll have worked up quite an appetite, so sate it the way a local surfer would—with fish tacos from Oscars Mexican Seafood."

"Satisfy your sweet tooth at North Park’s Nomad Donuts, which landed a spot in City Beat’s “Best Donuts in San Diego” roundup. Although not exclusively vegan, they do offer a number of non-dairy options, including ube taro, blueberry lavender, and Thai tea flavors. The venue itself is also delightful: a cherry-red, vintage double-decker bus set within a peaceful courtyard."

"Visit this North Park shop for globally-inspired doughnut flavors like ube taro coconut and Thai tea. Montreal-style bagels and sandwiches are also available. Open regular hours for takeout and pickup or delivery via Postmates or DoorDash."

"It’s their mission at Golden Donuts to make the best, most uniform donuts as they possibly can with every batch. Image courtesy of Golden Donuts Instagram. While you can expect pretty much any donut you pick up to be sweet, not everyone is a fan of the sickly sweet flavors that accompany a lot of the more well-known donut establishments around San Diego - let alone the whole country."

"Tried them out for the first time today and will definitely be back!. We got a variety of half a dozen donuts and Vietnamese coffee and love everything."