Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Parents' favorite places to take babies and toddlers around LA
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."
(
Frederic J. BROWN
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
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.
Support for LAist comes from
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.
(
Mariana Dale/ LAist
)
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.
- 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood
Parents say they enjoy going to the West Hollywood Library, especially because of the surrounding area.
Support for LAist comes from
Ali Sivak takes her 2-year-old to the library, then visits the nearby playground, and ends the trip with good food at Tail O’ the Pup.
View Park Bebe Moore Campbell Library
- 3854 W. 54th St., Los Angeles
- 4625 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Harbor City - Harbor Gateway Branch Library
- 24000 S Western Ave., Harbor City
“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."
In fact, our K-12 reporter Mariana Dale has written all about this sensory room — check out her story.
Lincoln Heights Branch Library
- 2530 Workman St., Los Angeles
Catherine Gillespie-Vargas and her child love the Lincoln Heights Library. They visit its events, rent toys, and read books.
Support for LAist comes from
Jefferson Branch Library Children and Teen Services
- 1500 E Villa St., Pasadena
Glendale Library Arts and Culture
- 222 E Harvard St., Glendale
Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library
- 318 S Ramona Ave, Monterey Park
“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.
- 1595 W Willow St., Long Beach
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.
(
Mariana Dale/LAist
)
Support for LAist comes from
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.
We’ve written about this one too, and stay tuned for more on adaptive sports.
Cost: Each class, $10.
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.
- 274 S. Rampart Blvd., Los Angeles
A family-owned indoor play space, created by two parents with three kids, features interactive play zones, ball pits, slides, and craft stations.
Cost: Single-day passes, $20.
(
(Mariana Dale/ LAist
)
Parks, playgrounds and recreation centers
- 1615 E. Colorado Street, Glendale
One mom takes her 5-year-old to Carr Park, which has great play equipment, baby swings, and plenty of grass and shade.
- 2223 W. Jefferson, Los Angeles
- 3650 Verdugo Rd., Los Angeles
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.
Lincoln Heights Recreation Center
- 2303 Workman St., Los Angeles
Beachcombers explore the coast at White Point.
(
Emily Henderson/LAist
)
Beaches and water play
- 200 Portofino Way, Redondo Beach
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
- 1799 Paseo del Mar, San Pedro
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.
(
Courtesy of Descanso Gardens
)
Gardens and nature
- 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge
This 150-acre botanical garden is often called an “oasis." One parent mentions it’s kid-friendly for young children and offers plenty of shade.
Cost: Adult, $17; Child, $8; Child under 3, free.
- 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007
The Arboretum offers gardens and landscapers, historic structures, plant collections, a farm, and a lake.
- 241 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills
A 33,000-square-foot public garden with walkways and dining areas.
- Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
“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.”
- 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Estates
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."
(
Photo courtesy of Kidspace
)
Museums and culture
- 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
The LACMA offers free perks to residents of L.A. County.
Cost: Adults residing in L.A. County, $23; Children under 17, free; L.A. County residents on weekdays after 3 p.m. with valid ID, free.
- 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles
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.
The museum also offers free admission to L.A. County residents on Monday-Friday from 3-5 p.m.
Zoo Friday Nights returned to the Los Angeles Zoo on July 7.
(
Jamie Pham/ Courtesy of the LA Zoo
)
Animals and sea creatures
- 1801 E. Chestnut Ave., Santa Ana
- 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange
- 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach
(
©02kim_ from pixabay via Canva.com
)
Coffee shop with kid space
- 7311 Melrose Ave.
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.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. -
Southern California might see some light rain tonight into Wednesday morning. After that, cooler weather is on the way, but expect the humidity to remain. -
A gate tax at Disney? It's a possibility.
Best of LAist