Sooo many fun things to do with kids in January this month! Many are free, some are paid. I am actively working on discounts for the paid ones, check back here for updates and I will also be posting on my Instagram story. I will also be posting in depth reviews of each thing as we go!

The first half of this post features events that are happening this month and the second half is a list of suggestions for fun things to do all month in San Diego! Whether you are visiting for a family trip or a San Diego resident (lucky you!) there is a TON to do this month.

Events for January 2026

Grab a Preschool Fun Pass For SeaWorld San Diego

​Every year Seaworld releases FREE annual passes for residents ages 3-5. As soon as they go live I will post the link here and on my Instagram.

Link to free Preschool Fun Cards

The first 10k are free and then after that they are $25. Please note, the adult will need a pass as well. Here is my breakdown of which annual passes are best depending on what you want.

A little bit about SeaWorld: 

SeaWorld is a great place to visit on a trip to San Diego! It’s wonderful because it works for a range of ages. Older kids will love the giant roller coasters. Younger kids will love the Rescue Jr area. All ages will love the animal shows and learning more about animals!

Our favorite area for kids here is the brand new Rescue Jr. area to the right of the entrance. They have some playgrounds and cute shows and kid rides! We also love the feeder fish at the front and the manta ray touch tank by the manta roller coaster.

First, a word on SeaWorld’s relationship with San Diego. Not everyone loves SeaWorld here. People think that large marine mammals should not be kept in tanks or asked to perform for guests. I can see where they are coming from, but it should also be noted that SeaWorld has saved 40,000 SoCal animals and counting. Their animal rescue program is really remarkable. In my opinion, if you can visit a zoo, if you’re ok with training dogs, you can visit SeaWorld. The trainers really seem to love their work and their animals!

SeaWorld Inside Look Event

This event runs January 10-11 and January 18-19. It’s so fun to be able to see behind the scenes in their animal hospital and meet some of their patients! There are other fun events happening as well, like a scavenger hunt and special shows. Included with admission.

Seaworld Events

SeaWorld has many cool events throughout the year. As mentioned, in January they have their Inside Look event where you can go behind the scenes and learn about their animal conservation program. They have fireworks regularly in the summer. In October they have a fun daytime Halloween activity and an after hours haunted house event (16+). Seaworld San Diego’s Christmas Celebration is great too and has tons of festive decor! They also do fireworks at the New Year.

If you’ve got the budget, I highly recommend the Up Close Animal Encounters. We got to do the Beluga whale one and it was amazing! It’s $70/person and it’s unforgettable for kids and adults.

There are lots of ways to get in to SeaWorld without paying full price. SeaWorld participates in Kids Go Free October. They offer a $25 preschool pass at the first of the year. At Black Friday they usually offer BOGO season passes and tickets. They also offer K-12 teacher passes! Other deals happen throughout the year. 

The King Tides

The King Tides are coming to San Diego! If you don’t know what King Tides are, it’s a few times of the year when the tides are especially low or especially high. This makes for excellent tide pooling conditions. The days the tides will be the lowest are on January 1-4th but you can also check out the tide pools on other days. Get there one hour before the peak low tide time for maximum creature spotting!

Check this chart for the low tide times. 

Our favorite places to look for creatures are Swami’s, La Jolla tidepools, Sunset Cliffs, Juan Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma, and Bird Rock. Really you can see critters at any rocky beach though.

Ninjago Weekends at LEGOLAND

We love Ninjago weekends at LEGOLAND! You can meet ninjas and take ninja training courses. They have various shows and elements for fans of the Ninjago LEGO series. We went last year and it was super cute. Don’t forget to play on the ninja training course!

Their NEW Galaxy themed land and roller coaster opens in March! It’s also a great time to try a stay at the LEGOLAND hotel especially for pass holders (use pass holder discount). They have Ninjago themed rooms!

January 17 – 19, 24 – 25, & 31

February 1, 7-8, 14-16

Get tickets here (affiliate link)

Free rides on The Old Town Trolley

Every January The Old Town Trolley offers free rides to residents! This year the promotion goes from January 2-17. They allow 4 free riders per household. Must have a San Diego County ID (this includes Carlsbad, Escondido, Chula Vista etc). Spots are limited, so you must book online, not at the ticket counter. If you can’t ride during these dates, you can always take advantage of the Hometown Pass where one resident rides for free with a paying visitor.

Update: This is currently SOLD OUT.

Link to tickets

Old Town Pioneer Festival

This is a free event put on by The Mormon Battalion Museum in Old Town San Diego. It happens on January 31st from 10-3 pm this year. We have been to this and it’s so cute! They have tons of volunteers from the museum doing pioneer activities with the kids. They also have cow milking and square dancing and even a parade. We always eat at Barra Barra where kids eat free with a paying adult. The activity takes place on the main field in the middle of Old Town. You can come and go as you please and you don’t need to make a reservation.

More info here

The San Diego Auto Show

Check out and test drive new cars at The San Diego Convention Center from January 1-4!

Buy tickets here

Monster Jam at Snapdragon Stadium

Monster Jam will be at Snapdragon Stadium from Jan 10-11 & 24-25. Make sure to bring ear protection for little kids! I am actively working on a discount code for you, stay tuned! Tickets start at $68 and go up from there.

Buy Tickets Here

Jurassic Quest at Del Mar Fairgrounds

This fun walkthrough dino experience is perfect for kids. You get to go straight to Jurassic Park and learn all about dinos! Note: there have been mixed reviews on this experience, most say it’s not as great as Jurassic World. Still, if your kid loves dinos, it’s worth a look! Tickets start at $20/person. January 16-19.

Ticket link here.

Poway Winter Festival

Come ice skate and sled in San Diego! January 9 and 10.

Get Tickets Here

Disney on Ice at Pechanga Arena

Disney on Ice at Pechanga Arena is so much fun! This version is Mickey themed and it’s here from Jan 22-25. They have night showings and matinees. Tickets start at $36 and go up from there. Here are my tips from all the times we’ve gone.

1. There’s a big parking lot around Pechanga Ice Arena and it’s $25. I would not try to park outside of the parking lot. The area can be unsafe.
2. The show kept all three of my kids’ attention with the frequent special effects, costume changes, and music. Even the baby was mesmerized by the lights!
3. It was loud in there (both from kids and the show itself) so I felt very at ease with my rowdy crew. I would bring headphones for babies or noise sensitive kids.
4. Clear or small bags only. They wouldn’t let me take my big water bottle in and they don’t allow any outside food and drink.

Get tickets here.

Rodeo at Petco Park

Did you know we have a giant rodeo in San Diego? No, they don’t ride surfboards, they ride bulls. This year’s is at Petco Park and it’s from January 16-18. Tickets start at $67.

More Info Here

Winter Reading Challenge at San Diego Public Library

Free event from The San Diego Public Library. Complete a series of reading-based challenges from January 1-31st and earn free tickets to The Museum of Us in Balboa Park! FYI, this museum does not have a ton for kids, but it’s fun to climb the bell tower (extra charge).

More info here

Fun all Month!

The next section are things that are great to do in San Diego during January weather! 

Torrey Pines Hike

NOTE: Closed until March.

January is a perfect time for outdoor activities in San Diego. Torrey Pines is the most beautiful hike in San Diego. It has the best view of the Pacific Ocean! It’s also the most expensive at $20 to park (fee waived with a CA State Parks Pass). Park in the upper parking lot. You’ll drive past the gate and up the hill. 

We like the Razor Point Trail. It was 1.3 mi out and back so very doable even if you have to carry your kids part of the way. The terrain is too rough for a stroller. If you wanted to go further, there are multiple paths down to the beach!

Visit Gallagher Square Home of The San Diego Padres

No it’s not baseball season, but it’s an excellent time to visit Petco Park and play at the playground! They keep a schedule on their website of when the playground is open / closed, so check there for the best time to visit. Also here are my tips for Petco Park with kids!

See Calendar

Visit Birch Aquarium

With the beautiful weather it’s a great time to visit Birch Aquarium to get your beach fix. This sweet little aquarium is high up on the cliffs above La Jolla. 

The aquarium isn’t huge so it’s easy to see everything here in a few hours. You enter in the middle of the aquarium. There are two halls displaying fish on either side. Walk directly through the entry and you’ll reach the touch pool. The lunch area, leopard sharks, and seahorse exhibit are to the left. Turtles, jellies, and kelp forest to the right. 

The touch pool at the back of the aquarium overlooks the rolling waves of La Jolla Shores. We loved touching the sting ray here!

The shark tank is at the end of the aquarium outside. The tank is raised so you can see the sharks super clearly. My kids were mesmerized watching the leopard sharks swim about! This is also a good place for lunch.

Make sure you spend some time enjoying the ocean views over La Jolla Cove. All the fences are glass so it’s easy to find a spot to sit and soak it all in.

Visit Waterfront Park or any of our other fantastic playgrounds

Here is my list / map of all the fun playgrounds if you’re looking for fresh ideas. This is a great time of year to explore a new playground because it’s not too hot or too cold. You can think about other places buried in snow at this time of year while standing outside enjoying the sunshine. 

I listed Waterfront Park in particular because The Maritime Museum is nearby and makes a great combo visit. The park has a splash pad and great views of the boats if you don’t want to tour the actual museum. There are also sculptures by Nikki St. de Phalle, a famous mosiac artist that lived in San Diego. She has pieces in Balboa Park as well and her own sculpture garden in Kit Carson Park in Escondido. 

If you do choose to tour The Maritime Museum, don’t miss the B-39 Submarine, the HMS Surprise (used for filming Master and Commander!), the San Salvador, and of course The Star of India!

You can climb all around the ships, touch everything, and even use the periscope in the submarine. Open 10-5 every day. Last entry is at 4 pm. I would expect to spend 2 plus hours there, more if you have a kid who is into boats. $10/kid $20/adult. The USS Midway Museum is nearby as well and makes for a great visit.

Visit Belmont Park

Belmont Park is such a fun seaside amusement park! January is never crowded here. San Diego is known for world-class theme parks, however, my family loves this one because it is always more chill and less expensive than the nearby SeaWorld, especially on school breaks. It’s less crowded than the other theme parks and more budget-friendly as it is free to enter. You have the option to pay per ride or get their unlimited wristband for $60 for adults or $55 for kids.

The wristband covers not only the rides but a large ropes course, laser tag, ziplining and a whole host of other fun activities. You can easily spend a whole day here. Pair it with a visit to the nearby Bonita Cove Park and a sunset on the beach!

​Visit LEGOLAND

January is theme park season for SoCal locals. This is when crowds are lowest and we can enjoy all the fun without all the wait! Here is everything I have written on LEGOLAND including discount ticket options!

For my LEGOLAND newbies: LEGOLAND Park is the best amusement park in San Diego. Here is why Legoland is awesome: It’s less focused on the rides and more on the creative play stations and stuff built out of Legos. Yes, there ARE rides, but what other theme park will your kid happily spend most of the time in creative play? 

LEGOLAND California opened in 1999 (I went the year it opened at 8 years old!). It was the first LEGOLAND in the United States. It used to be just Miniland (the huge collection of LEGO models) and a few fun rides. It’s since expanded to include more rides, a movie theater, and now a water park and aquarium. The LEGOLAND team is constantly expanding, adding more lands, amazing LEGOLAND hotels, LEGO friends, interactive LEGO features, more rides, and more playgrounds.

LEGOLAND California Resort is located in Carlsbad, just north of San Diego and about an hour south of Orange County. It’s close to the ocean so it rarely gets too hot or cold. Some fun things around LEGOLAND include the sandy beaches (Carlsbad State Beach is the nearest beach, Moonlight State Beach is our favorite), The Flower Fields (open in the spring only), and The San Diego Zoo Safari Park to the west. It’s a great addition to any San Diego vacation.

Visit The World-Famous San Diego Zoo

This outing is a personal favorite of mine. I love both The San Diego Zoo and The Safari Park! This time of year is great to go because it’s not too hot and there are lots of animals out. We like to visit the polar bears in the winter and play on the play areas back there. They also just got pandas! You will need to sign up for a time to see them. You will see the QR code when you walk in!

Don’t miss the new children’s area at The San Diego Zoo. It’s called Adventure Basecamp and it’s amazing! There is a splash pad feature there, but it will likely be off in January. I love how all the exhibits are kid-sized. We love looking at the little bugs (and the big bugs) in all the buildings. There are also multiple play areas. We also enjoyed checking out the Skyfari tram. In January, there are rarely any lines for the rides!

For The Safari Park, it gets HOT out in Escondido in the summer. Our winter weekday morning Safari Park outings are my absolute favorite. The animals are awake and there is no one there but the docents and us! We always stop at the playgrounds they have near The Tiger Trail and the gorillas. 

Catch the Last Bit of Holiday Cheer at Hotel Del Coronado

The best light show in San Diego offers free admission and is one of the top family activities for the holidays. It sticks around until January 5th this year.

If you have ONE outing to do this holiday season, make it this one. In my opinion, The Hotel Del has Disneyland beat for holiday lights. AND it’s free! Don’t miss the giant ornament for pictures, the massive tree inside the lobby, and the holiday light show (with snow!) out back! We like watching that show twice, once lying down and once standing up.

One big tip I have for you is to NOT use The Hotel Del’s parking lot. Our neighbors accidentally paid $80 to park here for one night. I recommend parking on Orange Avenue or using one of the many metered spots on the streets around The Del. We also always eat at the Chipotle across the street before going because we know our kids will actually eat that food and it’s not too expensive. Miguels is pretty good too and has outdoor dining. If you have a bigger budget and less wiggly kids, there are also food options inside.

This is also the location of ice skating on the beach! It’s pricey at $40/person so we’ve never done it. We are content to watch and walk around and enjoy the amazing lights for free.

The event runs from November 21st through January 5th. I like going super early in the season and then again after New Years to avoid crowds!

More Info Here

Check out a new restaurant

I have a map of the ultimate guide of places to eat with the whole family in San Diego! This is a great time of year to check out local restaurants as they generally aren’t too crowded. I like to check on their website to see if they have any live music / live entertainment before we go! 

Some of my favorites include Corvette Diner at Liberty Station, Panama 66 in Balboa Park, Kaminski’s in Poway, Beach House in Mission Beach, and Village Pizzeria on Coronado Island. 

See Restaurant Map

Allow me to introduce myself…

My name is Camille! I am a San Diego stay-at-home mom who is never ever at home. I share a lot of fun things to do around San Diego including parks, restaurants, LEGOLAND, the zoo etc.

My goal with my Instagram account and blog is to make any mom feel prepared for any outing with her kids so that she doesn’t have to stay home unless she wants to. Getting out with my kids was key for me in overcoming postpartum depression so I try to pay it forward by sharing what we do to help other moms in a similar situation. Read more about my story here.

Thanks so much for reading!

If you find any of this information to be incorrect or need updating, please send me an email to sandiegomamas@gmail.com or a DM on Instagram to @sandiego.mamas . There is a reason I chose to call this San Diego MamaS (plural) not San Diego Mama. It takes our whole mom community (which now includes you!) to make sure I can share the most accurate information for your family.

Sharing this post helps the mom behind you and helps my page grow! Please feel free to share this link with any other mom who might need it.

Oh I also send out a monthly email with dates of all the events coming to San Diego and my top suggestions for outings for that month.

Planning all the fun for your family is a hard job, let me help you! You can find info on signing up for that below.