10 Best Things to Do with Kids in Monterey

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a family-friendly spot at the top end of bustling Cannery Row. Exhibits include recreations of the Californian ocean kelp forests, stingray touch pools, tanks with blacktip reef sharks, and inlets filled with rare sea otters.

Just outside Monterey Bay Aquarium, you can spot the boisterous barking California sea lions. They're often basking in the sun on the jetties and rocks alongside the aquarium itself. There's even an onsite café where you can settle with a coffee and enjoy their company.

The Dennis the Menace Playground offers plenty of hands-on fun for the little ones in Monterey. Just a single block back from Del Monte Beach, it's easy to get to from the bustling promenades of Monterey. Inside, tunnels and swinging bridges and challenging climbing frames with corkscrewing slides keep the more energetic travelers busy.

History buffs will also love it, mainly for that vintage Southern Pacific locomotive. It takes pride of place, showcasing its classic steel chassis from the 1920s. To the north, you can hop on curiously themed pedalboats on Lake El Estero to cycle the waters on an oversized rubber ducky.

The Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary attracts thousands of monarch butterflies between October and February. These beautiful insects are usually out and about during the day, along with the sanctuary’s docents who are more than happy to answer your questions about monarch butterflies. Enjoy a leisurely walk past pine, cypress, and eucalyptus trees that dot the nature reserve.

Entrance to the Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary is free – you’re allowed to admire and take photos or videos of this unique phenomenon, too. The best time to visit is from noon to 3 pm. Pacific Grove's annual Butterfly Parade takes place on the 1^st Saturday of October, hosting a lively street parade and butterfly-themed bazaar.

San Carlos Beach Park is at the western edge of Cannery Row in Monterey, right next to a beach of the same name. While surfers and divers frequent its clear waters, the 2.87-acre park is very popular with families enjoying picnics on weekends and vacations.

It has grassy lawns, picnic tables with benches, and sandy beaches, all of which offer views of Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. If you want to stretch your legs, there’s a paved trail right behind San Carlos Beach Park called the Monterey Peninsula Recreation Trail.

Asilomar State Beach, located on the western side of the Monterey Peninsula, is a popular spot for scenic walks and cycling in Pacific Grove. The beach spans around 1 mile in length, facing the heavy surf of the Pacific Ocean. It’s very popular with surfers, though families often stay on the shore, where they can explore tide pools and relax with a picnic and blanket.

Harbor seals often frequent Asilomar State Beach’s rocky outcroppings at low tide. If you visit in August, you can even spot migrating humpbacks and blue whales out in the ocean. You can also walk the 0.25-mile boardwalk at Asilomar Natural Dune Preserve, which covers 25 acres of restored dune ecosystem.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary covers over 5,000 square miles of natural seascapes, making it one of the USA’s largest marine sanctuaries. It’s home to over 450 marine plant species, 26 species of marine animals, and 4 species of turtles. You can enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities year-round, including diving in kelp forests and rocky reefs, tide pooling, as well as kayaking in wetlands.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of the best whale-watching spots in California. Gray whales migrate through the sanctuary in spring and winter, while humpback whales are easily spotted in summer and autumn. Smaller marine animals like sea otters and harbor seals often bask on the rocks throughout the year.

The Monterey County Youth Museum (MY Museum) offers hands-on exhibits and programs specifically designed for kids to learn about various careers. The 8,500-sq-ft museum is located on Washington Street in Downtown Monterey, around 700 yards southeast of Old Fisherman’s Wharf.

There are around 80 exhibits, with themed zones like MY Hospital, MY Creation Station, and MY Healthy Farm. There’s also a 2-storey treehouse called MY ImagiTree, where kids of any age can enjoy many rides and slides. MY Day at the Beach is excellent on rainy days – it has a large sandbox and slide, as well as a walk-through lighthouse.

Point Lobos State Reserve is a stretch of coastline at the northern tip of the world-famous Big Sur. Called the “crown jewel of the state park system”, it’s home to sea lions, harbor seals, elephant seals, sea otters, and orcas. You can enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities, from diving and whale watching (December–April) to hiking and picnicking.

There are several beaches to explore at Point Lobos State Reserve. Start in the north, where crystal-clear waters filter through to Coal Chute Point. Then hike the pine woods that halo lovely Whaler's Cove. Push on to Sea Lion Point, where you'll be able to see some of the region's more entertaining coastal inhabitants sunning themselves on the rocks.

Carmel River State Beach is a mile-long shore with clear waters that are excellent for diving and kayaking. It’s also part of the Carmel River Lagoon and Wetlands Natural Reserve, where you can spot the resident population of birds. The beach also offers easy access to the kelp forests of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, making Monastery Beach one of the best diving spots in the area.

This nature reserve spreads across an estuary with a winding waterway, small oxbow lakes, and glowing sandbanks covered in verbena and sage bushes. You can get to Carmel River State Beach by following Highway 1 south for 15 minutes and passing the Comstock cottages of charming Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The National Steinbeck Center Museum in Salinas honors the works and life of the American author John Steinbeck, with interesting exhibits and special programs. The permanent gallery displays his past writings and stories to help you relive Steinbeck's experiences. The museum also has a research room with more than 45,000 artifacts, manuscripts, historical documents and movie archives.

The National Steinbeck Center Museum organizes various educational programs for those interested in honing their writing skills. The Steinbeck Young Authors program is tailored for middle school students, where they learn by reading John Steinbeck’s The Red Pony or The Pearl.