15 Best Things to Do in San Diego With Kids

No kid likes to feel like school’s still in session while they’re on vacation, but sneakily dropping knowledge so my kids are still learning during family trips and school breaks is kind of my specialty. Because San Diego is the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California, it offers a wealth of rich history to discover. Most notably, a visit to San Diego’s Historic Old Town Park exposes kids to fascinating history that’s anything but textbook. When my family of six visits San Diego, it’s one of our favorite places to go: We love exploring the dozens of preserved buildings dating from the 1820s–1870s, souvenir shops and historic (but kid-friendly) museums and restaurants — all within its 1-mile radius.

The park hosts a series of live cultural events all year long. On Halloween, visitors can trick-or-treat in the park quad. On Día de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”), altars adorn shopfronts, and there is a variety of fun activities for families to celebrate the spirit(s!) of the holiday. During the religious novena Las Posadas, the park is decorated for the festival, which is celebrated with live music, piñatas and s’mores roasted over campfires. Even if there’s no formal event planned during your visit, it’s not unusual to happen upon a pop-up mariachi band or a jarabe tapatío (Mexican hat dance) in the park’s tree-lined quad.

Plus, if you’re looking for a place to load up on affordable souvenirs without venturing south of the border, Old Town is the place to go. Its bustling avenues are lined with shops vending brightly colored serapes, terra-cotta pottery, Mexican and Indigenous artisan products, and homemade Mexican delicacies, including homemade hot tortillas and tamales.

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