Looking for something fun to do this summer that you and the kids will love? Whether your kiddos are into movies, dinos or Barbie — there’s plenty of great family-friendly happenings in LA. These are 9 of our favorite things to do in Los Angeles with kids.
1. Let The Kids’ Imaginations Run Wild Inside Bubble World’s Multisensory Wonderland
Whether they come from a soapy tub or you blow them out of a wand, bubbles are always fun. And at Bubble World, you can discover and play with every type of bubble imaginable (and some you’ll have to see to believe). The dream-like world features massive and vibrant objects spanning 10 rooms. Each space has an entirely new theme, and they’re all made to stimulate your senses and stoke the creative mind. There’s even an immersive VR experience towards the end!
📍 1345 N. Montebello Boulevard, Montebello, California
🎫 Book your tickets for Bubble World here!
2. For Kids Aged 1 to 101, World Of Barbie Lets You Live The Ultimate Plastic Fantasy
This experience is perfect for kids, but it’ll also bring the kid out of you! Featuring all things Barbie, you’ll be able to sit in her life-sized Camper Van, walk through a Dreamhouse, sit onboard the Barbie Space Shuttle, and much more. World of Barbie is also a space to create, with a recording studio, a color creation lab, and even a salon! The hot pink icon comes to life at World of Barbie, and you can get your tickets here.
📍 395 Santa Monica Pl, Santa Monica, CA 90401
🎫 Book your tickets to World of Barbie here!
3. Whisk Kids Into The Past With Life-Sized & Animated Prehistoric Creatures At Dinos Alive!
Venture into the Jurassic age with this theme park full of realistic dinosaurs. Located in Montebello, Dinos Alive is home to 80+ faithfully recreated creatures from a bygone era. Kids can learn about the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, play in the “Budding Experts” interactive space, and even take an underwater adventure with a unique virtual aquarium. The experience is suitable for ages four and up, so even your little ones will love it.
📍 1345 N. Montebello Boulevard, Montebello, California
🎫 Book your tickets for Dinos Alive here!
4. Make Even The Pickiest Eater’s Mouth Water At The Smorgasburg LA Food Fair
If you’ve never been to Smorgasburg, or never taken the kids, they’ll love the diverse options of food, sweet treats, and more. Whether your child has dietary restrictions or is simply choosey, they’ll certainly find something. There’s also brand new additions to the lineup of vendors in 2023, like Champion Eats and All About Cinnamon. The food festival takes place every Sunday so you can round out your weekend on a high (and very full) note.
📍 777 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
🎫 View all the Smorgasburg details here
5. Watch A Movie On The Lawn, Listen To Live Music, & Eat From Tasty Food Trucks At Street Food Cinema
Coming to beautiful venues like The Autry Museum and LA State Historic Park, Street Food Cinema (SFC) is back with another season of classic flicks and fun for the whole family. From Hocus Pocus to Practical Magic, there’s a screening for everyone.
📍 Various locations
🎫 Book your tickets to Street Food Cinema here!
6. The Kidspace Children’s Museum Invites Kids To Play, Discover, Create, and Explore
Kidspace is the children’s museum of every kids dreams. They can get messy at the Muddy Boot Farm, where kids are given a wheelbarrow and a trowel and told to get digging. They can also dance in fountains, walk across a rope bridge, ride on the Trike Track, and get hands-on with science in the Physics Forest. With just as much fun to be had outdoors as indoors, the Kidspace Children’s Museum is the definition of making learning fun. And for other great museum ideas, click here!
📍 480 N Arroyo Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91103
🎫 Get your tickets to Kidspace here!
7. Explore Icons Of Darkness, The World’s Largest Privately Owned Collection Of Horror, Sci-Fi, & Comic Book Movie Props
With a name like “Icons of Darkness,” you probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that this impressive collection features props, memorabilia, and even makeup kits from franchises like Alien, IT, and The Thing. But there’s much more than just top-tier horror and sci-fi props in this collection. You’ll find incredible pieces of film history from The Terminator, Star Wars, Batman, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and many more beloved movies. Learn more about Icons of Darkness here!
📍 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90028
🎫 Book your tickets for Icons of Darkness here!
8. Experience falling stars when Astra Lumina returns to light up Los Angeles
Moment Factory is bringing back their galactic night walk after last year’s thrilling run. For a limited time, Astra Lumina is back, allowing you to experience a bit of magic in L.A. This cosmic night walk blends nature with a stunning array of vibrant lights and sweeping sounds.
📍 South Coast Botanic Garden, 2300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
Tickets are now officially on sale—grab yours for Astra Lumina here!
9. Relive the glory days at The FRIENDS™ Experience
Pass along a bit of ’90s pop culture to your kiddos and relive the glory days at The FRIENDS™ Experience: The One Near Long Beach. Curated by the producers behind the actual show — Themed Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television Group — this immersive event is a wonderfully crafted blast from the past. You and your kids can wander through the show’s iconic sets (and yes, sit on the couch), look at real costumes from set, purchase fun merch, get the perfect photo-op and ogle at plenty of memorabilia as you tell stories and reminisce about the old days with your little ones.
📍 Lakewood Center, 4661 Silva St, Lakewood, CA 90712
🎫 Book your tickets to the Friends Experience here!