• There are a variety of things to do with children in San Diego.kids playing with sand image by Cherry-Merry from Fotolia.com
  
  San Diego is California's second-largest city. The city offers public beaches, family fun vacations, amusement parks and a zoo. With 25 percent of the local population under age 18 as of 2008, San Diego offers plenty of activities to keep little ones entertained.
  
  

San Diego Zoo

• This San Diego Zoo is home to more than 4,000 animals, including rare and endangered species. The Children's Zoo section features play equipment as well as a petting zoo and animal nursery. Activities such as craft stations and science shows are often scheduled, especially on days when school is out. Other activities at the San Diego Zoo include a backstage pass to get up close and personal with some of the animals, an inside-look tour for a special peek behind the scenes, and sleepovers. The zoo also offers spring and summer camps for children of all ages.
  
  San Diego Zoo
  2920 Zoo Drive
  San Diego, CA 92101
  619-231-1515
  sandiegozoo.org
  
  

Belmont Park

• Belmont Park is San Diego's only amusement park. It is a beachfront water park that features rides, attractions and food. Some of the attractions include a wave house (wave pools, surf machines and wave machines), an arcade, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf, a mirror maze, a laser maze and a coconut climb. This amusement park is also home to the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, which was built in 1925.
  
  Belmont Park
  3146 Mission Blvd.
  San Diego, CA 92109
  858-488-1549
  belmontpark.com
  
  

SeaWorld

• SeaWorld San Diego features a variety of live shows, each featuring exciting demonstrations, music and characters. SeaWorld also features a number of rides, including Journey to Atlantis, the Skytower, Oscar's Rocking Eel, Shipwreck Rapids and the Bayside Skyride; some are more appropriate for older children. The Sesame Street Bay of Play area offers family-friendly rides; the chance to see and interact with Sesame Street characters; and play areas, including some water features for little ones to cool off in. The Behind-the-Scenes tour allows children to get up close and personal with penguins, sharks and other animals.
  
  SeaWorld San Diego
  500 SeaWorld Drive
  San Diego, CA 92109
  800-257-4268
  seaworld.com
  
  

Birch Aquarium

• The Birch Aquarium, part of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, is located in La Jolla, which is approximately 13 miles from San Diego. The aquarium sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and is home to more than 380 species of fish and invertebrates. The aquarium features an interactive museum that shows what scientists have discovered about the earth, ocean and climate. Exhibits include the Wonder of Water, Tide Pool, Hall of Fishes, Feeling the Heat and Whales: Voices of the Ocean. Animal feedings take place daily, and the Tide Pool Plaza allows visitors to to touch and learn about inhabitants of tide pool such as hermit crabs, lobsters and starfish.
  
  Birch Aquarium
  2300 Expedition Way
  La Jolla, CA 92037
  858-534-3474
  aquarium.ucsd.edu