Kid Friendly Recreation | Southern CA USA
7 Best Recreational Activities to do With Your Kids
1. Zip Lining - Skull Canyon
Your kids love their cell phones and video games but you‘re hoping to show them ... there’s way more fun and excitement OUTSIDE! It‘s time to set them up for a clear view ... right on top of Skull Canyon ... for zip lining! Zip Lining is the type of sport that‘s both safe and exhilarating. It‘s a clear choice for all recreational seekers.
You’ll start your adventure with a short hike to gain insider access to some extraordinary views. But don’t get too comfortable because you won’t be up there for long! Take the jump! And suddenly you'll find yourself enthralled by nature as you zip down over the flora and fauna amongst wildlife and breezy open air.
Gravity has never felt so great! As you’re propelled down the mountain slope with wind in your face, your only stress will be in deciding which of Skull Canyon‘s 4 courses to choose next! Enthusiasts will be coming back again and again to face off with “the Extreme Course” or for the even longer and faster zip flight, the “Monster Course!”
There’s a reason Skull Canyon is the clear choice as the best and most exciting zip lining adventure in Southern CA! For starters, check out their amazing reviews and testimonials! Not convinced? Then note - Skull Canyon zip lining has been featured on several television programs on channels including The History Channel and The SciFi Channel! Zip lining is gonna get your family hooked on the great outdoors. But ... WARNING: afterwards, your kids will probably prefer hanging out with you instead of their video games! Life will never be the same again
2. Sea Kayaking - La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks
Kids love caves! Especially “secret” caves that can be only found while on a kayak! Embark on a thrilling journey of excitement while also achieving that strong connection with nature that human‘s crave! Explore various elements that create the illustrious ecological bounty of California‘s famous coastlines. Enjoy eye-pleasing views of earth, ocean, plants and wildlife while paddling harmoniously atop tranquil tides to your ultimate destination ... the spectacular sea caves!
This adventure is safe and suitable for your whole family. The kayaks are sit-on-top and very user friendly, so no previous experience is required. Just set your imagination to the wild side as you paddle alongside the magnificent cliffs that are home to the sea caves. Your journey will likely be wildly expanded by chance encounters with sea lions, giant bat rays, brightly colored fish and even leopard sharks!
Curiosity is the basis for learning - and what better way to inspire your children's sense of adventure and further develop their appreciation of the outdoors than giving them a glimpse into a world rarely seen. Nature is waiting! And La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks will deliver an experience guaranteed to be remembered by your family forever!
3. Horseback Riding - Pony Land
Boys and girls alike are mesmerized by horses. Sure - it’s usually the girls asking for a pony, but boys enjoy riding a horse and indulging their ‘inner cowboy‘. It's great to encourage our children’s love for animals, so it's wise to nourish this sentiment. There is an unwritten moral duty for parents to instill and teach a deep respect for all living things. The love that’s created in a bond with a majestic horse is something incredibly special that can only be felt firsthand. What better way to create that connection than ... horseback riding? This adult recreational activity can now be experienced by your kids too! The horses are appropriately ‘kid-sized‘ because they're ... ponies!
Pony Land provides pure enjoyment for all ages with their introduction to many kinds of intriguing and friendly animals - and, of course - horses! Set in a surreally beautiful location Pony Land offers horseback rides along a scenic, soft sanded sea shore. Your children will also be able to enjoy a petting zoo, play area and pony rides! At Pony Land they'll meet pigs, chickens, bunnies, goats, tortoises, camels and other exotic animals including a ZEBRA! Pony Land‘s experienced guides will help even the tiniest and most timid visitors to experience the immense joy of animals. You'll be amazed to see your children strutting proudly and joyously atop ponies around the corral.
For those looking for a more mature and invigorating experience ... sign up for a ‘beach and trail ride‘ and let relaxation and euphoria carry you away. These rides will take you through a gorgeous river valley nature preserve filled with fragrant, lush greenery as you make your way to the beautiful beaches that line San Diego's pristine ocean coastline. Pony Land‘s expert guides will make you feel confident and comfortable atop their graceful and gallant horses as you gambol along, taking it all in. So remember ... the next time you want to impress your kids and play outside ... let Pony Land carry all of you to blissfulness!
4. ATV’s - Off Road Rentals
If you’re looking to win the “Parent of the Year“ award - you’ll need to race your family out to Palm Springs and check in to Off Road Rentals! Watch your kids eyes light up as they strap on their helmets before driving their own personal ATV’s - they just have to be 6 years or older! Think back to when you were an adventurous little kid. Now try to recall the excitement you would‘ve felt turning the key, letting the engine roar, pulling back the throttle ... and leaving all your kid-cares behind in a cloud of dust!
Atop ATV’s smiles are contagious, so your only concern will be in keeping the dirt out of your mouth as you race around the dunes! You can trust that with Off Road Rentals safety comes first! ORR will ensure an amazing and wonderfully memorable outdoor family experience. Safety gear, drinks and an instructional video are provided to riders 365 days a year! And year-round fun means you can play in the shade or have fun in the sun on top of a dune-riding ATV!
Be a hero and treat your kids to a recreational day of play where they can build confidence feeling like an all-star racer! This could be the event that shapes your child’s life forever. So don't be left behind! Steer your family in the right direction on an ATV with Off Road Rentals!
5. Rafting - SoCal Rafting
Southern California is known for Hollywood stars and sandy beaches! While the beach sunshine and glitz are incredibly attractive, some of the most extreme excitement can be had ... on the river! Whitewater rafting is a water splashing, action packed, haystack bouncing thrill ride for the whole family! SoCal Rafting brings you all of this adventure with four terrific trips for ages 6 and up! Whether you choose a shorter 3 mile trip or the full day of fun, monumental memories and unharnessed happiness will certainly ensue.
Kids and adults alike can’t deny the absolute enjoyment of riding on wild whitewater waves! And SoCal Rafting utilizes their state of the art equipment and skilled guides to make sure your wet rushing ride is both safe and sensational! This kind of excitement beats the beach any day!
Kernsville epitomizes the type of olden-time western town where you’d expect a wild and scenic whitewater adventure to begin. The beauty is natural and picturesque, giving you that fully realized outdoor experience you've been craving. Located just a short drive from glamorous Los Angeles and the gorgeous Giant Sequoias, this activity is the perfect addition to your touristy theme park beach vacay and a terrific treasure secretly cherished by locals!
Rafting with family and friends will make for that super “what I did last summer“ story for your kids to tell back at school. Bragging about class II - III rapids with names like Freight Train and Big Daddy will make your kids the envy of all their friends. This outdoor activity promotes water safety, athletic skill, teamwork and family camaraderie! Additionally, it gives your children a chance to partake in water recreation beneath the sun ... instilling a lasting relationship with nature by highlighting the immense fun that can be had outdoors. Mom Nature will be proud and your kids will be thankful should you choose to connect with the great outdoors on this surely spectacular outing! So splash-splash ... it’s time to GO RAFT!
6. Snorkeling (with leopard sharks) - SD Expeditions
The earth is abundant and alive with amazing things, and so, too, is the ocean. Developing a curiosity about living creatures is essential in promoting an understanding and respect for all natural life in your children. Some of our planets‘ most unexplored and alluring spectacles are located in a world generally unseen, because most people never enter it. This world ... is underwater. And it is immense - 70% of the worlds‘ surface is ocean, and much of it remains a complete mystery - unexplored. Our oceans provide sustenance and sanctuary for many species of marine life. And these vast salt water expanses are a gift for humans … especially for those of us who love water sports! Paddle boarding, kayaking, surfing, skim boarding, sailing, scuba diving ... and (my personal favorite) ... snorkeling!
Snorkeling is an excellent introduction to the water for beginner swimmers and ocean goers. That’s why snorkeling is an obvious pick for an outdoor recreational activity you can enjoy with your children! SD Expeditions has taken that experience to the next level by providing tours to you and your family to snorkel with friendly fish-feeding sharks!
Leopard sharks are harmless to humans, however they are active swimming predators. They are found along the Pacific coast of North America from Oregon down to Mexico. Identified by the large black spots over their backs, these slender-bodied sharks can grow to nearly 5 feet long. Typically, these sharks congregate over sandy ocean bottoms, close to reefs and kelp beds near the coast - in water depths of less than 15 feet. That’s why SD Expeditions offers guided snorkel tours with these majestic marine creatures right off the La Jolla coastline! It's an amazing activity for confident swimmers who‘re looking for a little adventure!
The snorkeling in La Jolla is arguably the best in all of California and an absolute must for all ocean and marine-life lovers. Snorkeling is an easy sport to gain experience and assurance in compared with other ocean sports. It's possible to feel confident the first time you try it, with the right equipment and training techniques. And SD Expeditions will spend ample time making sure you and your family are comfortable with the equipment and all the techniques before you even enter the water so that, by the time you do ... it feels natural and effortless.
Developing a love for this popular pastime is almost unavoidable! So when and if you‘re ready to dive deeper, SD Expeditions also offers scuba classes and tours that will help you to truly soak up the experience. That's why so many families visit SD Expeditions again and again ... there‘s always something new to do and see ... beneath the sea!
7. Skiing, snowboarding, etc - Bear Mountain Resort
Basecamp at Bear Mountain Resort is where kids go to train for the next XXX so they can grow up to be cooler than Vin Diesel! Bear Mountain Resort Is located in the base area at Snow Summit, and during snow season your family can hit the lifts and shred the slopes! If you live in or are visiting SoCal, this is where you'll find year-round outdoor adventures for all ages! This premier winter mountain is without compare for those folks in Southern California who are looking to escape the rat race for some super-fun and snow during the winter months!
But there’s so much more to this big mountain resort than simply snow skiing! During the summer months at Bear Mountain Resort you’ll find an abundance of action for toddlers and teens alike. This place is the perfect setting to begin instilling a zest for life and cultivating the free spirit in every member of your family. Basecamp optimizes the idea of recreation in nature. In this outdoor haven you’ll find a climbing wall, trampoline, zip line, and QUICKjump free fall! All of this can be included in your unlimited day or season pass while your family soaks up the sun, inhales the fresh pine and refreshing breezes! Don't spend the summer with your neighbors, commiserating about your kids that wouldn’t get off the couch. At Basecamp, Bear Mountain thrill seekers are spending summer getting started on their course to “bad to the bone“ boldness!
The more experienced outdoor enthusiasts are likely to enthrall themselves in some of the more mature recreational adventures. Big Bears “big kid” activities include hiking, mountain biking, and golf. Snow Summit is SoCal’s best lift-served mountain bike park. Its diverse features and runs will help improve your abilities, offering challenges to riders of every skill level. If golf is your game, whether you’re Hall of Fame or a new swinger like me whose best shot is lame ... Bear Mountain Golf Course will let you practice without shame!
Yet the biggest challenge in Big Bear comes in capturing all of these must-sees in a selfie atop the mile-long Scenic Sky Chair at over 8,000 feet in elevation! Capture those incredible vista views so that the couch taters next door can live vicariously through your photos! Your family won't get enough of riding, sliding and driving outside year-round ... at Bear Mountain Resort!
