Kid Friendly Activities in San Francisco

Museums

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to several museums that are geared for children and younger students. Zeum, San Francisco's Children's Museum, is a "hands-on" museum that focuses on technology and the multimedia arts. Exhibits at the museum emphasize creativity and critical thinking. For a younger set, the Bay Area Discovery Museum, at the Golden Gate Bridge, also emphasizes creativity, and includes both an indoor museum and outdoor area, including a Tot Spot that has different environments, such as meadows or woodland. For older children, San Francisco's Exploratorium is a museum that features interactive exhibits and educational programs that delve into areas such as astronomy and the human body. Other smaller museums include the Boudin Bakery and museum at the Fisherman's Wharf, where children can observe bakers at work and learn the history of bread in San Francisco, or the Cable Car Museum on Mason Street.

San Francisco is home to more than 200 children's playgrounds, highlighted by the Golden Gate Park's large children's playground, also known as the Koret Children's Quarter. Built in 2007, the gigantic playground features everything from slides to monkey bars. The playground is adjacent to the Golden Gate Park Carousel, which dates back to the early 1900s. The playground also features a dog park, so parents can feel free to bring along the entire family, pets and all. The Golden Gate Park also features gardens, picnic areas and trails on its 1,017 acres. Other activities at the park include lawn bowling, while the on-site California Academy of Sciences offers both an aquarium and planetarium.

No kid-friendly trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to the San Francisco Zoo. The zoo is home to approximately 260 animal species, and includes an insect zoo, a Lemur forest, a Gorilla preserve and an African Savannah exhibit. Many of the exhibits have an interactive feature, where children can listen to stories about the many animals, and the zoo also features rides such as a carousel and a miniature steam train. One of the highlights of the zoo are its daily feedings, including feedings of penguins, pelicans and grizzly bears. The zoo also has a souvenir store and several cafes and eating establishments.

Just 20 minutes away, in neighboring Oakland, is the Children's Fairyland amusement park. A 10-acre amusement park, it uses favorite stories and books from the canon of children's literature as a theme. Established in 1950, the amusement park also offers family memberships, making it one of the more affordable children's activities in the area. Highlights of the amusement park include the Marilynn O'Hare Art Center, where children can experiment with all kinds of different artistic mediums, and a Reading Room, which features numerous books to read. The park can accommodate birthday parties, and also offers a summer program, including a day camp and a camping outing with tents.