Balboa Park is full of many kid-friendly museums as well as the oldest continuing childrens' theatre program in the country. It's an affordable way to introduce young children to highly polished and talented performances by other kids, with an entertaining mix of song, dance and acting, as well as wonderful costumes. Presently playing A Christmas Story.

We hosted our daughter's 3rd or 4th birthday party here and the kids had a blast. It's a working farm and has a fresh produce stand at it's entrance. There are shaded picnic tables, pony rides, a giant inflatable slide, barnyard animals, hay rides, a maze, and a bounce jump. Little kids also love participating in the u-pick strawberries March through June, u-pick watermelons July through September, a pumpkin patch Sept through November, and Christmas trees November through December.
It can be very hot in the summer as it is in east county and you might want to call ahead to see how many parties there will be so it isn't too crowded.

45 minutes north of San Diego is a theme park with plenty of colorful lego rides and activities for toddlers. There are several great play-grounds and forts, as well as a water park suitable for little ones. The Duplo Play place has lego building bricks for toddlers and preschoolers. Much like the zoo, the adults can enjoy the attention to the foliage and landscaping which makes for enjoyable and leisurely strolling. Rent one of our top-of-the line BOB all-terrain strollers to make for an even more enjoyable outing.

The ride on the San Diego-Coronado Bay Ferry is a fun 15 minute trip over to the Ferry Market Plaza which has a variety of casual restaurants and sheltered beaches perfect for little ones. Or you can drive over the Coronado bridge and visit the famous Hotel Del Coronado and white sand beach which has more accessible parking and less crowds than La Jolla and some of the other beaches. We rent beach toys, beach chairs, umbrellas, ice-chests and infant cabanas, so you can enjoy the beach in full comfort.

Obvious but still essential, toddlers will delight in seeing some of the 4000 rare and endangered animals at the World famous San Diego Zoo. I recommend getting there early to avoid the crowds, and getting on the Sky Fari straight away over to the polar bears for the best chance of seeing the cubs diving and playing underwater. Other highlights not to be missed are the petting zoo, the pandas and gorillas, and the Dr Zoolittle show or sea-lion show. I enjoy the beautiful landscaping and foliage as much as I enjoy the animals.