san diego for kids

[sarahbear]

In Mission Beach is the roller coaster and boardwalk area. Tourist shops, restaurants and some kids activity/games. It's right on the beach. Family friendly area. No specific recs for eating, but you won't have trouble finding something.

Downtown is the Children's Museum. Supposedly good. To eat there is Spaghetti Factory in downtown that's kid friendly and cheap.

A theme restaurant for families is Corvette Diner in the Hillcrest area.

LegoLand in Carlsbad.

Balboa Park has a train museum, puppet shows, Natural History and Space Center museum. Basically, lots of museums. Take a picnic and let the kids run wild on the grassy areas. There's a carousel and mini-train for kids too.

For mom's to relax...you could do afternoon tea at the Westgate Hotel or Hotel Del (I think has one?).

Seaport Village is a tourist trap sort of place, but it's family friendly with kids's attractions, ice cream shops, street artists, etc. Along the waterfront downtown. You could even take a ferry ride to Coronado if you felt like it.

[rootbeerfloat]

The Science Museum at Balboa Park. DS liked the Natural History Museum, too, but he's a dinosaur lover.

Birch Aquarium.

My kids also did a boat ride from downtown to Coronado and like it. There's a big playground on Coronado.

If you eat at Old Town, I think they have some interactive stuff for kids, like digging for gold. Casa Guadalajara is touristy, but kid-friendly.

[sunny]

oh and what is your fave chinese, if any, in san diego? where we live there aren't any good chinese restaurants...

thanks for your suggestions!! I really appreciate it.

[sarahbear]

Kearny Mesa is an area of town basically filled with all the good, authentic places. I think people like this one a lot....
www.chinamaxsandiego.com/

[alleinesein]

Just an FYI- Corvette Diner moved out to Liberty Station; its no longer in Hillcrest.

There is a great playground at Balboa park; the kids can run around and play and the moms can hang out on the grass.

We prefer Korean BBQ in Kearny Mesa- we love Manna BBQ. There are always a ton of families there with kids and its super noisy so it might work for your group.