Top 10 Kid Friendly Things To Do and Attractions in La Playa

"In the heart of downtown San Diego, Balboa Park is 1,400 gorgeous acres of green space. (By comparison, New York City’s Central Park is 842 acres.) In 1915, Balboa Park was the setting for the Panama-California Exposition celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal and securing San Diego’s place as a port, which is why several of the city’s oldest and most ornate buildings can be found here. Many of those historic buildings now house robust museums such as the San Diego Museum of Man, San Diego Museum of Art and family-friendly San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT)."

"This 1,400-acre site encompasses historical buildings, numerous museums, gardens, and green space. The park was created for the Panama California Exhibition of 1915-1916, and most of the buildings remain from that event. The predominant architecture is Spanish-style, with low-rise buildings that blend in with the natural surroundings."

"Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre urban green space featuring natural vegetation zones, planted gardens and walking paths. It is one of the oldest public recreational areas in the country. The park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion is the site of free weekly concerts."

"The Children’s Museum provides a dynamic, playful public space and community center for children and families—a place to experience exciting art exhibitions, hands-on studio projects, performances, birthday parties, in-depth classes, camps and educational programs. Across the street from the new building is a beautiful park, extending the museum visit outdoors with space for running, climbing, family picnics and a view of the trains and trolley going by."

"A new model of children’s museum whose mission is to stimulate imagination, creativity and critical thinking in children and families through inventive and engaging experiences with contemporary art."

"Pappalecco is bringing the taste of Tuscany to America’s Finest City, serving up their mouthwatering eats and soul pleasing coffee at six locations across San Diego County. Believing there should be a piece of Tuscany in every corner of the world, chef and co-owner Lorenzo Bucci has attributed a lot of their success to the authenticity and simplicity of their menu as well as their unusually welcoming long-time restaurant staff. Patrons have been known to drive well over 10 miles daily to indulge in their organic Tuscan coffee and delightful breakfast croissants."

"For nearly 40 years, this family owned shop has been scooping cones of traditional Mexican-style ice cream in wild flavors that include chili cucumber, rice pudding, and the customer favorite pistachio. With their secret recipe, owners Juan and Juanito Andrade use old-fashioned methods to create their creamy specialties. While a scoop will only set you back $1.90, make sure to bring cash."

"This old-school (and cash only) gem in the South Bay has been making delicious Mexican style ice cream and traditional paletas, plus sundaes, fresh sorbets and banana splits since the late 1970s. Still family owned and operated, flavors here range from tropical guava and coconut to jamaica and tamarindo."

"The colorful and whimsical architecture of Horton Plaza sets it apart from any shopping mall in the region. The complex has become somewhat of a San Diego icon since its construction in the 1980s. It is credited with jumpstarting the revival of San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter and continues to appeal to visitors alike to this day."

"Horton Plaza, not to be confused with its adjacent namesake Horton Plaza Park, is a five-level outdoor shopping mall located in downtown San Diego known for its bright colors, architectural tricks, and odd spatial rhythms. It stands on 6.5 city blocks adjacent to the city`s historic Gaslamp Quarter."

"Both a full scale mall and an architectural piece of art, Horton Plaza boasts over 130 stores including Louis Vuitton, Arden B., Bebe, Victoria's Secret and BCBG.[Learn more]"

"The San Diego Asian Pacific Historic District, San Diego’s historic Chinatown, is an eight-block district adjacent to and in part overlapping with the Gaslamp Quarter Historic District. The San Diego Chinatown is bounded by Market Street on the north, 2nd Ave. on the west, 6th ave. on the east and J st. on the south. 22 structures are considered historically contributing."

"The Chinese Historical Museum displays Chinese-American art, culture and history. Housed in a restored mission-style building, exhibits include miniature models, historic photographs and rare artifacts related to the heritage of San Diego’s Chinese community. *Small donation requested."

"The Museo de las Californias chronicles the history of Baja California from prehistoric times to the present. The exhibit kicks off with replica cave paintings, then covers important historical milestones, illustrated in many cases by realistic dioramas and scale models, including replicas of a 16th-century ship, several missions and even a freestone chapel."

"Therefore, it’s possible to walk into this museum to learn about California’s mission history (the museum sits on the first European settlement site in California) for free. If you did enjoy your visit and feel compelled to donated upon exit, this is possible. (Location: Presidio Park / Old Town)"

"Within Old Town don’t miss Casa de Estudillo, which is one of the few original buildings (many are reproductions), Whaley House and Museum, which is believed to be haunted and Junípero Serra Museum, literally the place where California began. You can get more information here."

"Pickup is available in San Diego and here are some places that offer it: Devil’s Hot Wings in Clairemont Mesa East, Hot Sandwich Bar in University Heights, Whats Your Beef and Baby Cheese Don’t Go in Stockton, and Just Wing It."