fun to do kids santa barbara california   Travel for Kids
  | california | central coast
     
   

Santa Barbara

Year round, Santa Barbara is a great weekend destination with kids. On whale watching cruises, look for gray whales in winter, humpback and blue whales in summer. Museums and the sea center are a great introduction to marine life and the Chumash people. And there are miles of sandy beaches, from Carpinteria to El Capitan, for boogie boarding, surfing, sand castle making, and just playing in the waves.
    At the Beach
    Mid town - Mission Santa Barbara
    Ride the waves – California beaches are fun for kids to learn to surf, and Santa Barbara has great beaches to ride the waves. Lessons include wet suits and surf boards. Kids need to be good swimmers in the ocean.
   

Horseback riding – Explore the Santa Ynez Mountains behind Santa Barbara on horseback, riding through forested canyons up to viewpoints with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Take short rides or half day rides with lunch (for kids 7 and up).

family hotels santa barbara california
Travel for Kids has so many fun things to do with kids in Santa Barbara, but you'll need a fun place to stay.

Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels and vacation rentals in and around Santa Barbara, all styles and price ranges, near to places you'll want to explore and close to the beach:

Santa Barbara family hotels
Santa Barbara family vacation rentals
TfK Blog
TfK Blog