50 Things to Do With Kids When School is Out

With so many school holidays on the horizon, we wanted to update our list of go-to destinations for families with grade school children. Enjoy!

Thanks to LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Bay Area for sponsoring today’s guide. We love playing with countless LEGO® bricks at themed build stations, learning from Master Model Builders, seeing 4D movies, meeting favorite LEGO characters, and more!

What to do with East Bay kids when school is out?

1. Spend the day at LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Bay Area. Experience a 4D movie, ride Imagination Express, explore MINILAND Bay Area, and spend the day building and ogling creations. Skill and agility tests will entertain parents, too.
2. Tour a tasty factory. Chocolate lovers age 8 and up will enjoy the TCHO Factory tour, and jelly bean lovers of all ages will have fun at the Jelly Belly Factory Tour (Fairfield).
3. Claw Arcade. We like the small Claw Crushers near 99 Ranch and the Cali Claw in Concord.
4. See animals up close. Make a plan to say “hi” to cows, bunnies, or goats at one of the best places for kids who love animals >
5. Pedal Boat around Central Park. During the warm months, pedal boats can be rented for $19.
6. Hike. Discover the Secret Stairs of the East Bay in Oakland, or take a toddler-friendly hike with a little sibling.
7. Science & Space. We love The Lawrence Hall of Science (Berkeley Hills) and Chabot Space & Science Center (Oakland Hills) for curious kids. The NASA Visitor Center is one of only ten in the country!

8. Go bowling. Bowl ten frames at Lucky Strike Alameda. Find more bowling alleys and discounts here >
9. Stargaze. Stay up late to see all the stars. Our tips show you how to escape the Bay Area light pollution.
10. Swing from the rafters. Check out the massive indoor-outdoor facilities for Ninja Warrior wannabes at Traverse Fitness (Richmond).
11. Climb up the walls. The area has plenty of great rock-climbing gyms, from The Oaks on Solano to Benchmark on Shattuck. Also, Pacific Pipe (Oakland) and Bridges in El Cerrito.
12. Adventure on the edge. Lands End offers stunning views of the edge of our continent and close proximity to cool City outings like Tunnel Tops or the Presidio.

40+Activities for Teens & Tweens >>

13. Transit day. Take the ferry to SF (from Jack London Square, Alameda, or Richmond). Intrepid families can ride Salesforce Park’s free gondola from 6 am to 8 pm and take a streetcar, cable car, city bus, robo-taxi, and BART all in the same day.
14. Ice Skate. From San Francisco to San Ramon, with frozen spots in between, you can enjoy wonderful seasonal ice rinks. Lace-up.
15. Fly a kite. Fly kites in Berkeley Marina or one of our other favorite spots, perfect on a day when most places are closed, like Thanksgiving Day.
16. Get beachy. Our beautiful West Coast beckons with these 14 Bay Area beaches worth the drive. Head out early and bribe your kids with donuts as needed.
17. Escape. Older kids will enjoy the novelty and challenge of an Escape Room. We like Red Door at Bay Street for teens and families.
18. Play pinball. Go full tilt on the old-school pinball machines at the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda.
19. Experiment. The Exploratorium and Cal Academy are superior, world-class hands-on museums if you’re willing to cross a bridge.
20. Minigolf. Alameda’s SubPar is tons of fun! GoldenTee is a classic destination for putt-putt enthusiasts. Scandia has mini-golf plus more. Find all our favorite East Bay mini golf spots >

21. Discover a playground. (510) Residents swear that Heather Farm is always worth the drive to Walnut Creek! Here are nine playgrounds with zip lines for your high-energy kid.
22. Play tennis. East Bay tennis courts are open for tennis and pickleball. Get out there.
23. Tide pools. Take a day trip to the Fitzgerald Tide Pools during really low tide to see all the critters.
24. Cheer on the Cal Bears. UC Berkeley athletic events are often affordable, year-round, and kid-friendly. Find a new-to-you sport.
25. Treasure Island. This place has everything: biking, food, giant Jenga, a small beach, a playground, family events, and the best views in the Bay Area.
26. Ropes Course. Take a trip to Quarry Park for big fun on the zipline, rappel, free fall, ropes course, and a massive playground.
27. Roses and Ice cream. Visit the Oakland Rose Garden. After you amble, you’re a 15-minute walk to Fentons to split a sundae.
28. Modern Art. Visit BAMPFA in Berkeley, where kids under 13 get in free. Exhibits change regularly, and BAMPFA also offers hands-on creation labs.
29. Zoo Day. Hang out with the wild animals at the Oakland Zoo and enjoy the gondola as often as you like. Older kids can play photographer and then come home and make a video. (We love to share your kid-generated videos!)
30. Hop on a train. There are so many train options in our area, but our favorite is the Steam Train in Tilden.

31. Discover a special garden. Visit Kensington’s Blake Gardens on a weekday, or any of our favorite gardens for a kid-friendly visit.
32. Geocache. This worldwide scavenger hunt is always open! Geocaching 101.
33. Go fishing. Grab your fishing rod and head to one of our favorite family-friendly fishing spots. Or go BIG with some sportfishing on the Bay.
34. Fourth Street. Spend the day wandering around 4th Street with ice cream and crafts. Peek at the reptiles at the East Bay Vivarium and then walk over to Peet’s for hot cocoa.
35. Painting Party. Paint pottery at Color Me Mine in Alameda, or Brushstrokes in Berkeley.
36. Collect sea glass. Hunt for sea glass at Point Molate Park Beach. You can make crafts from them afterward.
37. Bike the dirt. For knobby tires, visit Dirt World in Richmond or loop the pump track at the BMX dirt bike park in Pleasanton. For a whole day of thrills, head to Marin and ride Stafford Lake Bike Park.
38. Check out the library. Stock up on books, museum passes, and specialty equipment at your local library.
39. Bounce it out at Bay Play or Urban Air Adventure Park. Each place offers cool features for kids of mixed ages.

Jump into a world of creativity at LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Bay Area, the ultimate indoor LEGO® playground. Enjoy a LEGO-themed ride, MINILAND Bay Area, 4D Cinema, and hands-on build-and-play zones where children’s imaginations can explore endless possibilities!

40. Brr in the snow. Spend a day playing in the snow (when it comes, of course); we know where to take Bay Area kids to get snowy, even if they don’t ski.
41. Drive-in Movies. Let everyone stay up late for a drive-in movie. I LOVE wintertime drive-ins because the shows start so much earlier… and when there’s no school the next day? C’mon!
42. Climb & Scramble. Scale the heights around Indian Rock in North Berkeley or check out one of Berkeley’s lesser-known rock parks. Always free and open!
43. Discover ladybugs. Find ladybug colonies in Oakland from late October through mid-February.
44. Swim. Plenty of indoor and outdoor pools to choose from, with varied rec swim times. Affordable and splashy fun!
45. Play all the games. The board game destination, Victory Point Cafe, has hundreds of games and a great menu for pizza fans. Or visit Games of Berkeley to grab a new board game.
46. Play in the rain. No need to stay indoors on a rainy day; you can seek out sneaky salamanders and splash in the puddles! 5 more great spots to play in the rain with kids >
47. Discover the magic. The fairy houses in Point Richmond are a must-see.
48. SUP. Stand-up Paddleboarding is another super way to enjoy our corner of the world. It’s like an instant vacation.
49. Big Ship. Tour the enormous USS Hornet aircraft carrier museum – great for visiting grandparents. You’d also be in a great spot for a family-friendly bike ride that ends at a brewery.
50. Scoot and roll. Not ready for a skate park quite yet? Here are 25+ fab places to roll your scooter.

Where else do your grade-school-age kids love to go when school’s out?

Thanks again to LEGOLAND Discovery Center for offering a day of creative, good family fun and sponsoring this post!