Top Things To Do in Palm Springs With Kids For An Exciting Vacation

Palm Springs is a beautiful destination in the state of California. Visited by a large crowd of tourists every year, Palm Springs is an ideal location for your much-awaited family vacation. And while planning a perfect family holiday, the most important thing is to look out for the best places for kids to keep them entertained and thrilled throughout the trip. Luckily, Palm Springs offers numerous activities to fit the interest of every child. 

So, whether your kid is a nature lover, enjoys wildlife and tours, or love playing indoors, there are plenty of fun things to do with kids in Palm Springs. Check out this list of some of the best things and places to visit in Palm Springs and get ready for an exciting adventure.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens – This massive zoo and botanical garden are among the most wonderful places in Palm Springs. Your kids can get up close with the wildlife and vegetation of deserts of North America and Africa. You can encounter animals such as hyenas, Bennett’s wallaby, olive python, giraffe, and emu – to name just a few. Besides this, the Private Safari Tour, the Behind-the-scenes tour, and the discovery center offer endless opportunities for children to know more about the wildlife and history of the stunning desert of the Coachella Valley.

Other fun things to do in the Zoo with older kids include camel riding and discovering the untouched beauty of the Colorado Desert through various nature walks and hiking trails. For younger kids, it is a great choice to check out the G-scale model train and enjoy carousel riding within the zoo. With so much to do and explore, a visit to the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is among the most wonderful Palm Springs activities.

Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert – This fascinating museum is a great place for your little ones to learn about the world in the most interesting ways. The museum is filled with an array of exhibits and thrilling hands-on activities emphasizing the overall growth of your children. After exploring the interiors, they can head to outdoor areas where they can discover species of tortoises in the Harvey Tortoise Habitat, see a variety of plants at Discovery Garden, or play at the Music Garden. This Palm Springs children’s museum provides numerous things under-one-roof making it a little paradise for kids of all ages.

The museum also hosts several workshops and events during weekends, so make sure to check the events calendar to make your visit even more special.

Cabazon Dinosaurs– When traveling to Palm Springs with kids, you cannot miss this iconic site. This roadside attraction has been alluring tourists especially kids from all over the country since the 1980s. Cabazon Dinosaurs, also known as Cabazon Dinosaur Museum is home to the world’s biggest dinosaurs, named Dinny and Mr.Rex. Besides being an extremely beautiful and Instagram worthy place, it provides an unforgettable experience to your kids with its Mr. Rex’s Dinosaur Adventure tour. This tour will introduce you to more than 50 dinosaurs and offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to climb up to Mr.Rex’s mouth.

After an exciting endeavor at this Palm Springs kid’s museum and attraction, take your kids to Dinny’s Gift Shop and let them fill their bags with a variety of quirky dinosaur-themed toys, and merchandise. And to add to your kid’s happiness, buy them delicious dinosaur-themed ice cream treats from the Wafflesaurus Truck available on weekends.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – It is impossible to miss out on the world’s largest rotating tram car located in Palm Springs. Don’t settle for views from your cars, or adventure tours, instead head to the Aerial Tramway and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Coachella Valley from above. This 10-12 minutes ride will amaze your kids with 360-degrees views of the wilderness and towering cliffs of Chino Canyon.

The tramway will take you to Mt. San Jacinto State Park where your kids can enjoy a whole host of fun activities. From a natural history museum, observation decks, restaurants with mountain views to hiking, nature walks, and overnight camping, there is something for kids of every age and interests. And if you plan to visit in winters, kids can also enjoy playing in the snow, making snowmen, and even skiing (Make sure to check for weather conditions in advance).

Palm Springs Air Museum – Tour Palm Springs will be incomplete without adding one of the most fascinating museums in the city, Palm Springs Air Museum. If your kids love airplanes and fighter jets (well, who doesn’t), then this is the place to be. The museum is known for having the largest collection of flyable World War II aircraft in the world. Grumman F4F Wildcat, Grumman F7F Tigercat, North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber are some of the permanent exhibits of the museum. If interested, you can opt for a guided tour to know more about the trivia and facts of aviation history and World War II.

Not only this, but the most interesting thing about this museum is also that you can actually book a ride in one of these fighter jets and historic planes. What else do children need? A visit to Palm Springs Air Museum is surely among the most thrilling things to do for Palm Springs kids.  

Joshua Tree National Park – Located at a distance of around 40 miles from Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park is a paradise for nature lovers. The park is filled with huge rock-formations, several hiking trails, and hundreds of Joshua trees. So whether you decide to hike through the beautiful natural beauty, or drive through it with your family, a visit to Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most wonderful things to do in Palm Springs with kids. And do not forget to head to the visitor’s center to get a deep insight into the geology and history of this mesmerizing wonderland. There is a cafe at the entrance from where you can grab some snacks before starting the hike. Also, it is advisable not to bring your kids during the summer months because of the harsh weather.

Robolights – This one-of-a-kind attraction is among the best places to visit in Palm Springs with kids that will delight them to the core. Popularly known for its magnificent Christmas display with more than millions of lights, Robolights is visited by thousands of tourists not only from within the country but from around the world. This massive 4-acre area has several sculptures, arcades that are adorned with lights especially during Christmas and other major holidays. Your kids will be amazed to see a stunning collection of intricate sculptures, futuristic woodland moving creatures glowing with lights and sci-fi techniques. And do you know what is the best part about Robolights? Entry is free for all.

Desert Adventure Tour – What can be a better way to discover the marvelous landscapes and scenic vistas of the region, then an open bed red jeep tour? The Desert Adventure Tour provides unforgettable eco-tours of Coachella Valley, from Indian Canyons, Agua Caliente Indian Canyons, Mecca Hills, and the San Andreas Fault Line among others. Your kids will love looking around and listening to trivia about the wildlife and history from your travel guides. To make this tour even more adventures and fun, you can also opt for Desert Adventure’s night tours. During the sunset, you will be taken to natural palm oasis and the fault’s slotted canyons. And after dark, you will be treated with an amazing stargazing session at Metate Ranch’s recreated mining town. Yes, the extremely clear sky of Palm Springs allows you to see and explore constellations through a telescope making it one of the most thrilling things to do in Palm Springs with kids.

Tahquitz Canyon – This spectacular canyon is home to a glittering waterfall gushing down from a height of around 60-feet. Besides, there are unique rock formations, rock art, native wildlife, and vegetation as well. The 2-mile loop hike at Tahquitz Canyon is just perfect for kids to explore the region and enjoy near the waterfall. Make sure to pack some snacks and water bottles, yes do not forget about caps and sunscreens.

Since this Canyon is under the reservation of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, visitors need to pay a minimal amount to enter the park. The Tahquitz Canyon Visitor Center tells you about the geography and history of the region and hands over a map to get you familiar with the place.

Apart from these, there are several other things to do in Palm Springs with kids for an exciting and cherishing vacation. So, take notes and plan a great vacation to Palm Springs with your family and little ones and fill your heart with memories of a lifetime.