Things to do with kids in San Clemente

Courtney's SandCastle and Sensory Garden

Beautifully designed fully accessible and sensory playground musical elements, sand play, accessible structures. Remarkable quality and a genuine community treasure. Worth the drive for kids with sensory needs or anyone who loves beautiful play design.

Liberty Park

A packed playground in the Talega neighborhood spider web climbers, climbing walls, tunnels, zip track slide, 4 baby swings and 4 bench swings, spring ride-on airplanes, and a sand play area with pipe features. Shade covers over the structures, dedicated parking lot, bathrooms adjacent. Big kid area has steep drops so watch the toddlers near the upper sections. One of the more complete playgrounds in south OC.

Linda Lane Park

Bluff-top park in San Clemente with ocean views and the bonus of watching Amtrak trains roll through on the coastal tracks below. Ocean-themed equipment, relaxed energy, and cool coastal temperatures even in summer. Connects to the San Clemente Beach Trail. Mellow enough for little kids, scenic enough for parents to actually enjoy it.

Marblehead Park

Peek-a-boo ocean and canyon views from the playground the setting is the feature. Merry-go-round (increasingly rare), climbing equipment, twisty slides, and an amphitheater for pretend play. Restrooms right by the playground. Full sun so go in the morning. No swings. Easy freeway access (4 blocks from I-5 at Avenida Vista Hermosa exit). Tennis and basketball courts on-site.

Pirate Park (Forster Ranch Community Park)

San Clemente's go-to pirate-themed playground full pirate ship structure, cooler inland-hill location keeps it more shaded than coastal parks. The kind of park locals default to on a weekday morning when they don't want to deal with beach parking.

San Clemente Pier Pier Fishing

San Clemente Pier is beautiful and mellow no license required on CA public ocean piers, so just bring a pole and go. Perch, mackerel, and occasional bonito are common catches. The pier overlooks a great stretch of beach and the Spanish colonial downtown is a short walk for food. Best for early morning visits when wind is calm and the fish are active.

San Gorgonio Park

Brand new Kompan wooden structure (replaced September 2023) that actually feels like a treehouse rope bridges, tunnels, climbing walls, and a round net swing. This is the nicest new playground in San Clemente right now. A few safety notes: the firepole has a real 8-foot drop, the rope bridges intimidate smaller kids, and there are no baby swings, so this is firmly a big-kid park. Pickleball courts and tons of parking nearby. Bark surface.

Talega Park

Unusual tiered layout set at the end of a residential cul-de-sac swings and restrooms at the base level, then climbing structures and multiple slides at progressively higher levels. The multi-level design keeps kids engaged longer than a flat playground would. Quiet neighborhood park with a coastal temperature advantage.

Verde Park

Described as 'picnic perfect' a low-key San Clemente park better for spreading out on the grass than for a destination playground. Good picnic tables, shade, and the coastal temps that make San Clemente parks comfortable even in summer. Uncrowded on weekday mornings.

San Clemente Library

Casa Romantica Cultural Center & Gardens

The 1927 Spanish Colonial home of San Clemente's founder Ole Hanson, perched on a bluff above the Pacific with sweeping ocean views. Rotating art and cultural exhibits, family programs on weekends, and beautifully maintained historic gardens. It's a genuinely beautiful space that doesn't feel like a typical museum visit.

Surfing Heritage & Culture Center

Serious surf museum at 110 N El Camino Real with rotating exhibits, vintage boards dating to the 1920s, surf film archives, and art. Rotating exhibits mean repeat visits actually make sense and it's one of the few places kids can learn the actual history behind the culture they see everywhere at the beach.

Cabrillo Playhouse

South OC's hidden gem community theater at 202 Avenida Cabrillo, San Clemente intimate 99-seat venue running full-season productions including family shows, musicals, and classics. The Playhouse has been around since 1956 and the community investment shows in the quality. Check cabrillo-playhouse.org for the current season. Downtown San Clemente is walkable from the theater so you can make a full evening out of it.

San Clemente Beach Trail Biking & Skating

A 2.3-mile paved coastal trail hugging the base of the bluffs from San Clemente State Beach down to the pier bikes, scooters, skates, and strollers all use it. Flat and well-maintained with ocean views the entire way and the Amtrak coastal tracks running parallel. The San Clemente Pier at the end is the turnaround payoff. Bike and beach cruiser rentals available near the pier area. One of the most scenic family bike routes in OC.

Fisherman's Restaurant and Bar

Right on the San Clemente Pier at 611 Avenida Victoria the pier-end location with ocean views is the whole point. Fresh seafood and a casual family atmosphere. Kids menus available. The walk out onto the pier before or after the meal is part of the deal. Best for families willing to commit to a sit-down meal with a view; reservations recommended on weekends.

Nick's San Clemente

Modern American comfort food in a bright, airy space with walls of glass and a big covered patio the kind of place that works for date night AND family dinner. Kids menu available. Street parking only (metered), so factor that in. The exhibition kitchen and open layout keep things interesting for kids.

Pedro's Tacos

San Clemente's original fish taco stand since 1986 this is the local staple, not a chain. Two locations on El Camino Real (550 N and 2313 S), both with drive-thru and fast casual vibes. Fast, casual, totally kid-appropriate.

Sunrise Cafe

The local San Clemente answer for breakfast not a tourist spot, the actual neighborhood choice. French toast, pancakes, omelettes, eggs benedict, and a short lunch menu with burgers. Kids menu, outdoor seating, parking lot in back. Friendly service that knows returning faces. Pair with a walk down Del Mar Ave.

Rapport Coffee & Roasters

Rapport has SCA certified baristas doing pour overs and cold brew. San Clemente location means you're close to the beach, so you can do coffee-then-wave-check without replanning your morning.

Orange County Creamery

Orange County Creamery is handcrafted ice cream in San Clemente. The kind of place where they actually know what they're doing, not just scooping.

San Clemente Ocean Festival

Nearly 50,000 people at San Clemente Pier and beach for a weekend of ocean sports competitions surfing, paddleboarding, lifeguard races, bodysurfing, sand sculpting plus a fishing derby and exhibits. Kids Surfing Contest and Jr. Lifeguard Competition mean kids can actually compete, not just watch. Third weekend of July. Street parking is brutal arrive early or walk from nearby.