Santa Barbara: 7 Kid-Friendly Things To Do
Santa Barbara is easily one of the most beautiful cities in California. My parents live there and we are fortunate enough to visit often. It’s home to killer foodie spots, world class spas, golf courses and entertainment venues. All things that kids SUCK at doing. Visiting there with kids is a different trip. Fear not, I have three of them myself and we still have lots of fun, every time. It’s just a different kinda fun. Here is a list of 7 of our favorite spots that we keep on the kid-friendly circuit in Santa Barbara.
#1. Moxi: The Wolf Museum of Innovation and Exploration. This is a 3-story interactive museum that is super innovative and fun for kids and adults. Their exhibits are all centered around STEAM (science, technology, engineering and math). It's located on State Street which is in the heart of Santa Barbara’s downtown, home to endless restaurants and shops. You can spend several hours here or just hit some highlights for about an hour. Adults are $15, children age 3-12 are $10.
#2. Padaro Beach Grill- This restaurant is ON the water in Carpinteria (just a couple miles south of downtown Santa Barbara). It’s by far our favorite kid-friendly place to eat. Good news, the food is adult friendly too. All the picnic tables surround a giant sand box filled with toys. Kids play, adults eat and drink. WHAT A CONCEPT. There are little trails and pathways for the kids to explore that is all fenced in. The train goes by every once in a while which is super exciting for the kids. WIN. WIN. Every time we go, we talk about how we wish there were more spots like this where we lived in San Diego.
#3. The Santa Barbara Zoo- This is my kinda zoo. First, it only costs $18 for adults and $11 for kids age 2-12. It’s small, it doesn’t overwhelm you but still has a lot of character. You can do this zoo in a couple hours and feel like you got your money’s worth. I hate spending $100 when I know my kids are only good for 2 hours anyway. I am not a big zoo, amusement park person and this is one I’ll gladly do anytime. I know, I am terrible mother.
#4. Rosewood Miramar Beach- This a very new boujee hotel in Montecito. But hear me out. If you are looking for a place to get a drink and see an incredible new landmark hotel on the water, believe it or not this property has plenty of kid friendly spots to allow this. There is a huge grassy field in the center of it covered with kids running around. There are boccie ball courts they can play on surrounded by adirondack chairs for lounging. The train goes right through the property with a fully-dressed conductor to escort you across the tracks…. to the beach. I was worried about brining mine here. But we just stopped for a drink and it worked out really well. I can’t wait to come back sans kids and actually eat on the water and pool it up. I just need to find a sponsor first.
#5. Stearns Wharf: This is the iconic pier at the end of the State street in downtown Santa Barbara. You can start with lunch at Longboard’s Grill. (Fun fact: I actually worked here for a summer after college which was last year :).) Eat a VERY casual meal on the pier over the water and not worry about your kids making a mess (like feed-the-birds-on-the-pier-kinda casual). After lunch, walk next door, grab an ice cream, take in the view and stop by the Sea Center (or as I call it, the “Aquarium”). It’s small and doable in an under an hour.
#6. Wheel Fun Rentals: This is a bit touristy, but it’s a great way to cruise the famous coast line of Santa Barbara. Just know who will be doing the pedaling and who will not be. Eh hem.
#7. The Santa Barbara Mission Depending on your kids ages, you might want to sprinkle in a little education and see a beautiful piece of history. They have scheduled tours or just stop by and take her in. I was flower girl here many moons ago for my aunts wedding. I doubt you will see this noted on the tour :)
Be sure to check Arlington Theatre and Santa Barbara Bowl before your visit to see who/what is playing. These are awesome small venues that host great concerts and shows, some of which might be kid-friendly, but probably not. So then you have to visit again and do it the adult way. Cheers.