Outdoor Activities for Kids in San Diego

Parker Aviary at the San Diego Zoo is a free-flight bird experience where exotic birds land on the large wooden perches and fly around visitors at close range, kids can watch toucans, hornbills, and other tropical birds up close without glass barriers.

Liberty Station Playground is tucked within the Liberty Station arts and dining district, a beautifully redeveloped former Naval Training Center that gives families a playground surrounded by open lawns, public art installations, and a vibrant food scene.

The playground, picnic areas and nearby walking and bike path offer several ways to spend time outdoors at Mission Bay.

The Lily Pond in front of Balboa Park's Botanical Building is a calm, beautiful outdoor space where young children can lean over the railing and watch goldfish and turtles glide through the water.

The San Diego Botanic Garden admission gets your family into Hamilton Children's Garden, a purpose-built nature play area with treehouses, a hobbit house, giant slides, and a bamboo grove that kids can run through.