With its perfect weather and an unending array of fantastic sights, there's no better place to be with your toddler than in the City of Angels! Despite the many activities to choose from, toddlers can be so picky and easily bored that it becomes difficult to choose. What are the best fun-filled activities you could do with your toddler in Los Angeles?
The 8 best Los Angeles activities to do with toddlers are:
- Explore botanical gardens and animal sanctuaries
- Have fun at a park, play space, or adventure center.
- Check out art and museums.
- Shop and get lunch at an open-air market.
- Attend a fun concert.
- Tour the iconic Los Angeles monuments.
- Go to the beach.
- Explore the TV world at a movie studio.
This article will explain all these activities in detail and recommend the best places to have tremendous fun in LA with your toddler. Keep reading!
1. Explore Botanical Gardens and Animal Sanctuaries
Los Angeles Activities to Do with Toddlers number one! If going to a botanical garden sounds like a dreary, boring activity, you should think again. Los Angeles is filled with beautiful gardens and conservatories to make your toddler's dreams come alive!
Besides tall, majestic trees, these gardens have breathtaking flowers and ponds. In a place like this, you get to have a lot of fun with your toddler while spending quality time with them away from the city’s bustle.
To add a spark of magic to your garden adventure, you can bring daytime stories and games or act out their favorite characters with them! Here is a short list of the best botanical and urban gardens to explore in Los Angeles:
- Gentle Barn - the best kid-approved animal sanctuary
- Farm Sanctuary - Also amazing!
- Descanso Gardens - awesome holiday lights shows
- Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
- TreePeople
- The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
- Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden
- James Irvine Japanese Garden
- Amir’s Garden
- Los Angeles River Center and Gardens
- South Coast Botanic Garden - Love this place for roaming and picnics
2. Have Fun at a Park, Playspace, or Adventure Center
Toddlers can be balls of inexhaustible energy, and if you’re hoping for a more physically active time with yours, LA has just the thing for you! The city has a ton of parks and spaces designed solely for toddlers to get themselves into safe, fun activities.
Most parks have free entry, but playspaces and adventure centers charge admission. With every form of entertainment, from indoor climbing to mud kitchens, they’re all well worth the cost. Here is a list of parks, playspaces, and adventure centers to have a fun Los Angeles day at:
- Griffith Park
- Disneyland
- Los Angeles State Historic Park
- Tongva Park
- Grand Park
- Discovery Cube Los Angeles
- Kidspace Children’s Museum
- Time Travel Mart
- Noah’s Ark, Skirball Cultural Center
- Pretend City in OC
- Dream Big
- Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor
- Knott’s Berry Farm
- Adventure City
- Boomers!
- Santa Monica Pier
- Wild Child in Culver City
3. Check Out Art and Museums
Los Angeles can also be an amazing place to spark a flair for art and history in your toddler. With the city’s exciting art galleries and many museums spanning various eras and topics, there’s more than enough content to keep your little one active and entertained.
The galleries and museums will give you a glimpse into the past and the rare, imaginary worlds in the works created by brilliant artists. Trying out a science museum could even get you both intrigued about the future too! The best art galleries and museums to check out in Los Angeles are:
- The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
- Hauser & Wirth
- The Getty Center
- La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
- California African-American Museum
- California Science Center
- Battleship USS Iowa Museum
- The Hollywood Museum
- Cayton Children’s Museum
- Los Angeles Fire Department Museum
- Museum of Flying
- Travel Town Museum - cute train ride here!
- Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum
- Petersen Automotive Museum
- Nethercutt Museum
4. Shop and Get Lunch at an Open-Air Market
The quaint charm of an open-air market dates all the way back to thousands of years past. Though not nearly as chaotic as the old markets, the open-air markets of Los Angeles can offer you the experience of traveling back in time and taking your toddler through the rituals of negotiation.
You can find a variety of vendors with fresh produce, vintage goods, and great food. Strolling through the market, whether or not you’ll be shopping, is an excellent way to create memories with your little one. The open-air markets you can explore in Los Angeles include:
- Grand Central Market
- The Original Farmers’ Market - the one at The Grove
- Hollywood Farmers’ Market - the BIG one
- Rose Bowl Flea Market - kinda far out there
- Santa Monica Farmers Market - love the all-organic one
- Melrose Trading Post
- La Cienega Farmers’ Market
- Hollywood Night Market
- Melrose Place Farmers’ Market
- Silverlake Farmers’ Market
- Artists and Fleas
- Beverly Hills Farmers Market - small and sweet!
5. Attend a Fun Concert
Los Angeles Activities to Do with Toddlers number five. A fave of mine.
The word "concert" can paint a picture of deafening music, flashing lights, musty air, and alcohol – the last kind of place you'd want to bring your toddler. However, the City of Angels has a ton of child-friendly places where you can attend safe, wholesome concerts with your toddler.
Los Angeles also has a rich culture of fairs and festivals where you can find shows, watch movies and attend concerts. The places where you can attend a fun concert with your toddler in Los Angeles include:
- The Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Circus Vargas
- El Capitan Theater
- The Hollywood Bowl - love doing this in the summertime
- Echo Park Rising
- Pasadena Rose Festival
- Pasadena Chalk Parade
- Bob Baker Marionette Theater
- The Cupcake Theater
6. Tour the Iconic Los Angeles Monuments
Los Angeles is filled with tons of iconic monuments that tell stories of the city’s rich history. Touring these monuments is an excellent way for you and your toddler to learn history while having fun.
What’s more – you can visit many of these monuments for free and capture your iconic moments with beautiful pictures. The monuments you can tour with your toddler in Los Angeles include:
- The Hollywood Sign - go to Lake Hollywood Park for the best view without a trek
- Angels Flight Railway
- El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monuments
- Bradbury Building
- Union Station
- Korean Bell of Friendship
- Ennis House
- Olivera Street Cross
7. Go to the Beach
What’s a vacation without a beach day? Los Angeles County has more than 15 beaches you can explore with your toddler. Both of you can spend the day sunbathing, playing games, and having fun with the tourists and locals that fill LA's beaches.
We also love heading to Annenberg Beach House in Santa Monica to play at the playground and splash pad and swim if desired. Cute kid-friendly beach spot with bathrooms and food.
Check USA Today’s list of Los Angeles beaches to find the one nearest to you!
8. Explore the TV World at a Movie Studio
Los Angeles Activities to Do with ToddlersLos Angeles is superbly famous for its movie studios, so a fun time in the city isn't complete without visiting one. At the studios, you'll get to watch the TV universe come alive while exploring the sets for your favorite shows and watching fun performances. The best movie studios to visit in Los Angeles are:
- Universal Studios
- Warner Bros. Studios
- Sony Pictures
- Paramount Studios
With these activity ideas and the perfect weather of Los Angeles, you’re all set to explore the city with your toddler! Remember to check out all your potential destinations to create a budget and make reservations for a stress-free adventure.
Sources
- Family Destinations Guide: 32 Fun Things to Do with Kids in Los Angeles
- Bridges and Balloons: 10 unmissable things to do in Los Angeles with kids
- Family Vacation Hub: Things To Do with Kids in Los Angeles
- Fun With Kids In LA: 54 Fun Things To Do in LA With Your Toddler in 2022!
- Travel In USA: Movie Studios in Los Angeles– A Comparison
- USA Today: List of Beaches in Los Angeles
