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A group of children play at a splash pad in Alhambra. The National Weather Service says "significant heatwave will impact Southern California Friday into next week."
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Frederic J. BROWN
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
Parents have a lot of favorite places to take their kids around L.A., including a variety of activities for play and learning. LAist collected their recommendations, which include nature visits, water outings, and indoor playgrounds, all tested and approved by parents.
The backstory: To find out where families go, we turned to parent communities LAist has formed: Our Hey BB texting group (which helps people navigate the journey of new parenthood) and the early childhood newsletter community. They shared nearly 30 spots that they love taking their kids to and why. Spoiler alert: There's a map to help you plan your next family adventure!
Finding free or affordable places tailored for young kids, children 5 and under, has been a popular topic when talking to parents. To get answers on where families can go, I went to the source: parent communities. From nature and water to indoor playgrounds, they shared a variety of spots tested and parent-approved.
LAist's Hey BB text group (which helps people navigate the journey of new parenthood) and the early childhood newsletter community shared nearly 30 spots they love to take their kids.
Jessica Li, a parent of a 1- and 5-year-old, says all three places she recommends are "yes spaces for kids where they can lead self-directed play with minimum risks.”
The recommendations showcase a wide range of places for children with different interests, hobbies, and energy levels.
Check out our map of all the recommendations, in addition to the more-detailed list below.
Dina Morales and her 20-month-old-daughter sing hello during storytime at the South Gate branch of the L.A. County Library system.
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Libraries
Public libraries are by far the most popular spot to take kids. They offer storytime, classes, and books — and some even have play areas and toy rentals.
“The sensory room is a solid indoor option that you can reserve for an hour in advance with a library card," Li says. "There are various tactile, visual, and audio toys to play with in a comfy environment — think beanbag chairs, vibrating floor rockers, a white-noise machine, bubble and lava lamps, a starry night light projector."
“Glendale Central Library, Monterey Park Library, Jefferson Branch Library in Pasadena — all have great areas for kids to play and be as LOUD as they want, with good book selections,” says Aimee Suen, who goes with her 5-year-old.
Alexis Cun, a parent of a 2-year-old, loves the Harte Neighborhood Library in Long Beach because of the dedicated library teachers who put a lot of effort and care into their storytimes.
About 650 kids attending PlayLA summer programs throughout the city tried out different sports outside the Coliseum on Monday, July 14, 2025.
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Mariana Dale/LAist
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Indoor play and kid classes
PlayLA The Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks offers the PlayLA Program, which gives children ages 3-17 the opportunity to take part in sports such as swimming, baseball, and football, as well as adaptive sports designed to include all kids with disabilities. There are 88 recreation centers to choose from.
Kidspace Children’s Museum The educational and cultural institution is designed to bring joy to children and families through hands-on exhibits, water features, and different spaces for kids to play and explore.
Cost: General Admission for Adults and Children (1+), $15.50
My Gym My Gym offers a variety of activities for children from 6 weeks to 10 years old, including parties, camps, and classes. It has more than 700 locations, with 28 in Los Angeles, according to their map.
Adriana Orea takes her child to the “interactive play classes” at the Koreatown location, which features an indoor playground.
“My son has a lot of fun, it's safe, indoors, and he gets to socialize and learn new skills at the same time,” Orea says.
Cost: Base Tuition, $149 every four weeks; Unlimited Tuition, $179 every four weeks.
The Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks provides $10 summer passes for youth, which give unlimited access to city pools. Adults can also enter free if they have a child under 7.
“The summer youth pass is amazing!” Gillespie-Vargas says.
The lagoon at Redondo Beach is a unique public swimming pool engulfed by seawater with small water slides.
“I love taking my son to the Redondo Beach Lagoon because it's a shallow kiddie beach that uses cycled chlorinated salt water — I don't have to worry about big ocean waves, and he gets a great experience in a pretty clean pool!” Ali Sivak says.
Cost: Adults (18+), $10.00; Children (2-17), $8.00; Children under 2, free
This family-friendly beach features a children’s play area, metered parking, picnic tables, ample shade, and tide pools!
“White Point offers some of the most diverse tide pools in Southern California,” according to the Los Angeles County Beaches & Harbors website.
Li likes how safe and calm it feels for her kids to play in the ocean, whether it’s high tide or not. She says the beach where her family visited has never been crowded, and she enjoys that it’s a pebbled beach instead of sandy.
"There's a playground on the cliff overlooking the tide pools and free parking if you don't mind walking down the cliffside,” Li says.
Cherry blossoms in the Japanese Tea Garden, Descanso Gardens.
“There is a little creek there with lots of wildlife and shade from all the trees,” Li says. “It's large enough to feel like you could almost get lost but small and dense enough to feel comfortable letting your kids wander.”
This 87-acre garden has more than 25,000 plant species, attracting a wide variety of birds and wildlife. Highlights include the Dorothy and John Bohannon Rose Garden, Living Wall, Garden for the Senses, and more!
A Kidspace attendee marvels at the Bottle Rocket exhibit in the new "Physics Forest."
The Natural History Museum has an array of exhibitions for all ages. Ongoing exhibits include the dinosaur hall, where children can see mounted skeletons and fossils on display. For an immersive experience, there’s the discovery center.
“Pretend to be a paleontologist in the Paleo Playzone; marvel at the beauty and variety of bugs in Bugtopia; and create your own nature scene in the Moveable Museum,” according to the Natural History Museum website.
Cost: Adults, $18; Children 3-12, $7; Children under 2, free.
This coffee shop serves quality coffee — co-owner Frank La won the 2024 U.S. Barista Championship. One parent especially likes that it has a play area for when her child tags along.
