Kids can have a blast at The Dana!
The Dana on Mission Bay by SeaWorld is a perfect choice for kids! Our San Diego hotel has a wide range of San Diego attractions for kids available including bike rentals, paddle boat & aquacycle rentals, ping pong & volleyball, two heated pools & Jacuzzis, and a great sand play area.
The Dana on Mission Bay offers Dive-in Movie Nights on the weekends in the summer as well as seasonal pastimes like Ping Pong, Volleyball, Bocce Ball & Lawn Bowling! There are also great kids choices at the Blue Pearl and Firefly Restaurants.
The on-site Adventure Watersports facility offers summer youth classes. They are a great way for kids to be introduced to fun on the water. With a low student to teacher ratio, the kids will learn the basics of water sports and water safety with an hour in a skiboat where each student has a choice of waterskiing, wakeboarding, or tubing then 2 hours of a variety of fun that can include: Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, Riding Aqua Cycles and/or Paddle Boats. Guests staying at The Dana on Mission Bay can enroll in the 3-hour class for the price of the 2-hour class!
Top Things to do in San Diego for kids
- Rent bikes and ride down to the beach and up the boardwalk
- See how many different sea creatures you can find at the Point Loma Tide Pools
- Ride the carousel in Balboa Park or Seaport Village
- Get your Fun Town driver's license at the Volvo Driving School in Legoland
- Learn to surf on Mission Beach
- Dine with Shamu at SeaWorld
- Learn to snorkel and explore the La Jolla Sea Caves
- Feed Giraffes on a Photo Safari Caravan in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
- Swim with Dolly thre Dolphin in SeaWorld's Dolphin Interaction Program
Kid’s Favorite Local Amusement Parks
SeaWorld
Kids Tip: Dine with Shamu, try the Dolphin Interaction Program, be a Trainer for a Day, Ride Race to Atlantis & Shipwreck Rapids- and don’t forget to make time to watch the Shamu, Sea Lion & Otter, Pets Rule & Dolphin show!
The World Famous San Diego Zoo
Kids Tip: Visit the Children's Zoo during your visit, complete with a petting zoo and animal nursery. You may be able to feel a hedgehog's quills, listen to horned owls and watch zany science shows with Dr. Zoolittle.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Kids Tip: Take a photo caravan tour and you’ll be able to feed giraffes & rhinos. If you don’t feel like walking, take their segway tour!
Legoland
Kids Tip: Bring your swimsuits! Pirate Shores in Legoland is an awesome place to get wet!
Sea Life Aquarium
Kids Tip: Watch the feedings! They feed the shark pups Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm and the giant octopus every Tuesday & Thursday at 10:15am.
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Kids Tip: Visit Sea Horse babies in Birch Aquarium’s Sea Horse exhibit & nursery.
Belmont Park
Kids Tip: Buy a wristband and you’ll be able to ride the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster & all of their other fun rides like the spinning Chaos and bumper cars. They also have an arcade!
Kid's Favorite Local Museums
The New Children’s Museum
Kids Tip: Don’t depart without leaving your mark on Penelope, a large metal whale that everyone paints on!
Rueben H. Fleet Science Center
Kids Tip: After getting hands on with science in all of their interactive exhibits, watch one of their great films in their giant dome IMAX Theater.
San Diego Air + Space Museum
Kids Tip: Check out the Kids Aviation Action Hangar, a special play area for kids of all ages!
Hall of Champions Sports Museum
Kids Tip: Don’t miss the history of baseball and football exhibit!
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
Kids Tip: Mac’s Kids Corner is open at the museum every Tuesday & Friday from 11am to 3pm. This is a great place to have fun, play games, listen to railroad stories and do railroad crafts.
Museum of Man
Kids Tip: The Children’s Discovery Center in the Museum of Man has an interactive ancient Egypt exhibit that teaches kids the importance of archeology.
San Diego Natural History Museum
Kids Tip: Every Sunday is Wacky Science Sunday with Ms. Frizzle & The Magic School Bus. 2 free performances every Sunday!
San Diego Maritime Museum
Kids Tip: Don’t forget to board the Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship!
Midway Museum
Kids Tip: Try their flight simulators! The Strike Fighter 360 allows you to make rolls, loops and spin like a real fighter pilot!
Other Kid’s Favorites
- Surf Lessons! What better way to experience San Diego!
- Snorkeling and Scuba diving in the waters off La Jolla
- Exploring the Point Loma Tide Pools
- Visiting the Sea Lions at the La Jolla Children’s Pool
- Riding the Balboa Park Train & Carousel. They are classics!
- Visiting Seaport Village and riding their Bayfront Carousel
- Taking the Old Town Trolley Tour
- Getting up close to some of San Diego’s most majestic creatures on a Whale Watching Tour
