Things to do in Laguna Beach with children

Tide pools with an educator

Laguna Ocean Foundation provides free education at eight tide pool sites: Crescent Bay (north and south), Goff Island, Heisler Park, Shaws Cove (north and south), Treasure Island and Wood’s Cove. Its site says its biologists and volunteers teach the public every day and gives a tide level for each site: 2.5 feet or lower for Crescent Bay south, Goff Island, Heisler Park, Shaws Cove and Treasure Island, and 2 feet or lower for Crescent Bay north and Wood’s Cove. Read the tide table before you go, and check in with a lifeguard when you arrive, as the foundation asks.

The pools are part of California’s Marine Protected Area network, where it is unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource. The city’s Good Tide Pooler Rules say no collecting, never pick up or touch the animals, and walk gently. The city advises waterproof shoes for the sharp rock. The tide pools guide covers timing and the rules in full. Beach pages for Shaw’s Cove, Treasure Island and Crescent Bay give the stairs and parking.

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center

The center at 20612 Laguna Canyon Road is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and days it announces on social media because of weather. General admission is free, and the center says reservations are strongly encouraged but not required. Visitors can talk with docents, see the rehabilitation pools, use interactive displays and visit the gift shop. The center says you may see California sea lions, Northern elephant seals, Pacific harbor seals or Northern fur seals, depending on who is in rehabilitation. Parking is free but limited, and pets other than service animals stay home. For groups, the center also runs school programs, summer programs and outreach visits. See Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

Beach playgrounds and courts

Visit Laguna Beach places a play structure near the southern restrooms at Main Beach. The beach also has two half basketball courts, four sand volleyball courts and a boardwalk the length of the sand. Bicycles are banned on the boardwalk by city code. Visit Laguna Beach lists metered parking along Coast Highway and in downtown lots. Read the parking guide first, and use the free trolley described in getting around to avoid a search for a space.

At Aliso Beach in South Laguna, Visit Laguna Beach lists a playground, restrooms and showers, and the Coastal Commission lists a picnic area. The beach park is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Nix Nature Center

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, at 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, runs the Nix Nature Center with exhibits and wildlife viewing portals. OC Parks lists hours of Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and says the center may close on holidays or when staff or volunteers are unavailable. The park advertises free quarterly wildlife programs with live animals, American Indian customs and craft projects. Parking is $3 a day. OC Parks warns that trails may be closed for three days or more after rain. More in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

Museum, library and stage

Laguna Art Museum admits youth 19 and under free and offers K-12 tours. The Laguna Beach Library at 363 Glenneyre Street has an AWE Station, a computer with educational activities and games for ages 2 to 14 in English and Spanish, and a branch calendar that lists current events and programs. Laguna Playhouse runs youth conservatory classes, workshops and camps, and its 2026-27 season includes Aladdin & Yasmin’s Winter Wish from December 5 to 27, 2026, and Adventures of Tortoise & Hare on January 30, 2027. When the weather turns, the rainy day guide has more indoor stops.

The Museum of Make Believe, at 1590 S. Coast Highway #5 in the Bluebird Center, is a nonprofit walk-through exhibit: its site describes a 1,000-square-foot storybook forest of trees, fireflies, paintings, miniatures and sculptures, open Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with tickets priced by age. Outside the library, the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library keep a Butterfly and Fairy Garden of about 1,800 square feet on the building’s southeast side. The Friends say it holds about 30 fairy houses and scenes, changes its theme each month and answers children’s letters to the fairies.

Free options

Tide pool education and the marine mammal center are free. Parking near the beaches is the usual cost. The free things to do page marks which stops carry fees.