10 Best Things To Do in San Francisco, US with Kids

Before starting your trip, you should check the weather and choose the best time to visit San Francisco. This city has a mild year-round climate with little seasonal temperature variation. Therefore, the best time to travel for family should be from June to November is summer and autumn, it’s good for outdoor activities and family camp at National Park. However, from June to August is a peak season with many tourists from all over the countries are drawn by the hope for nice weather and the summertime festivities. Therefore, the rate for hotels may increase at this time. Between September and November is autumn, this also a good time for sightseeing and downstream under the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge.

Let’s check out for some activities to do with your loved ones in San Francisco right now!

San Francisco Zoo & Gardens is a wide garden with more than 1,000 exotic animals, endangered, and rescued animals. Over 40 ha located in the southwestern corner of San Francisco, California, between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean along the Great Highway. San Francisco Zoo & Gardens provide visitors a chance to meet the most beautiful and fascinating creatures on the planet in their habitat. On the other hand, your kids also can watch many shows animals talks and feedings to understand more about routine, their living environments to explore more about animal words. You should check the time of shows to plan your visit to the zoo, it takes around 3-4 hours to discover the whole zoo.

Most of the kids knew about Walt Disney – an American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor, and film producer. He is one of the founders of Disney Brothers Studio with his brother Roy and expands it into a magical kingdom at the present with the Walt Disney Company, Disneyland amusement and bringing the magic world to all of the children to make dream come true. Therefore, if your kids are a Disney fan, you should bring them to Walt Disney Family Museum where the life and legacy of Walt Disney appeared in each exhibition from the early beginnings of his career as an animator artist to the 248 awards he achieved during his career. This gallery also shows the procedure of how Walt Disney create his characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Goofy, all the prince, and princesses. Let’s bring your kids to explore the world of Disney in a different way in San Francisco.

Your family is a fan of thrilling, animals, and shopping? Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is a heaven for your whole family with all of the favorite things that you can do in one attraction. This attraction has many zones that provide an entire fun day for the family with thrill rides, family rides, kids ride, and animal attractions. Besides that, they also have live entertainment if you really can catch up on the shows time (you can refer their official website before visit). Don’t miss out on this iconic theme park in San Francisco with your kids.

The ocean world always makes us keep curious and your kids also would like to explore this place. Since you are traveling to San Francisco, why don’t you bring the kids to visit Aquarium of the Bay San Francisco where is home of 20,000 aquatic animals to learn more about marine life! Don’t be scared to walk through the tunnel of sharks, bat rays, and swirling schools of anchovies; also the kids can hands-on experience touching sea stars, anemones, bat rays, and sharks. If your kids have any questions, they can ask the staff to understand more about sea life. They offer free for children under 5 years old and they have different opening hours base on the time, you should checking on their website before visiting.

If your kids love science and would like to discover this wide world, you can help them with a trip to California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco trip. This is a research institute and natural history museum – one of the largest museums of natural history in the world, with over 46 million specimens. Be with your kids to stroll down the lobby pass through to explore its massive rainforest covering for floors, a planetarium, and an aquarium. You should experience the Planetarium with the virtual cosmos is projected onto Morrison’s 75-foot-diameter screen, the dome itself seems to disappear, resulting in a uniquely immersive experience. Relaxing and learning about rainforest at the dome with your kids and breath the fresh air here to improve your health. If you really want to discover all this place, it may take one day. Therefore, you can consider coming early when the museum just opened if you have another place to visit after that.

Another science museum in San Francisco that you also can list down in your plan is Exploratorium. This museum is not only about science but also about technology and art. Exploratorium’s main topic is about modern technology and interaction. This is an interactive museum located on the city’s waterfront Embarcadero, and it fosters art, science, and human perception. Your kids can learn about the new technology in a friendly environment or interact with over 600 activities that were created inside with touch, tinker and play it. Please note that they may have exhibition events in a period of time follow the topic and another opening hours on holiday, you should check the time before the visit.

If you think that some of the above indoor activities are quite enough for your list and you are looking for some outdoor activities that could be enjoyed with your kids in San Francisco, you can refer to some places as below.

You certainly know about Muir Woods National – a United States National Monument managed by the National Park Service, this place is quite suitable for a family’s camp or walking to enjoy the ecosystem and the fresh air. Besides that, the breathtaking view of San Francisco Bay on the way to here is the most thing that you could grab for a few photos. Let to show your kids the fantastic natural landscapes of Muir Woods, famous for its towering Giant Redwoods. There is something that you should note for this place: you should avoid coming here from late October to May since it may rain even though the National Park opens in whole year, the best time to visit is from June to August and the temperature just from 4 – 21 Celsius degree, so, you should prepare some jacket or coat for your family. On the other hand, you can’t use WiFi or handphone at or around Muir Woods National Monument, so, you should prepare anything your need before going here.

Don’t think that Yosemite National Park is also the same as Muir Woods National! It is totally different, Yosemite National Park is known with a great valley, waterfall, the power of glaciers, and the tranquility of the High Sierra. In a distance of 1,200 square miles, your family can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more. Every moment at Yosemite is gorgeous that you can take a thousand photos each time you raise up your camera. This is a chance for a family moment with plenty of photos as picturesque in your family album! A small note for your family is prepared hiking shoes or boots with hiking clothes for this trip is strongly recommended.

Can you imagine? All the celebrities are waiting for you in the same place! Let’s go to Madame Tussauds San Francisco to take photos with US president, or walk the Golden Gate Bridge and stand beside Mark Zuckerberg! Either your kids also have some idols that they wish to meet at least one time, you can tell them that they can meet and take some photos with their idols or play basketball with the famous player. Madame Tussauds simulate the celebrities with the real size and make them look the same as a twin with famous people. Your kids may not recognize until they touch them! Don’t miss this attraction if your kids have someone that they really want to take photos with.

It will be an omission when you said that you have traveled to San Francisco but haven’t visited San Francisco Bay yet! Therefore, make a trip to San Francisco Bay on a Cruise with your loved ones, why not? Let bringing your family onboard the cruise and downstream to visit almost the iconic landmarks in the city such as Alcatraz Island, Colt Tower, Ferry Building, the Palace of Fine Arts, Treasure Island and learn about the history, culture, and explore the bay’s view. If you would like to have the best moment of the bay, you can choose to go to the sun-down to catch the spectacular sunset of the bay and take more gorgeous photos.

San Francisco is not only the city with the temperate weather that is quite suitable for a family trip but also has many things to do with kids at indoor or outdoor activities. Depend on how you plan your trip, you can refer and choose which activities that your kids may like and help them to learn more after this trip. Having a nice trip ahead!