fun things to do with kids in monterey california    
  Travel for Kids
  | California | Central Coast
     
    Monterey
Sea lions

In May, 1770, when Spanish explorers reached Monterey, "thousands of sea lions were about, so close to one another that they looked like a pavement." Today Monterey Bay is a marine sanctuary, where kids can see tons of barking sea lions (it's fun to bark along with the sea lions) and other incredible underwater creatures in the calm waters.

 

Cannery Row – Monterey Bay Aquarium

 

Old Monterey

 

Pacific Grove

Monterey Recreation Trail The Recreation Trail goes for miles along Monterey Bay, all the way to Pacific Grove. Go for a bike ride or rent a surrey (seats four) if you have toddlers in tow. Kid's bikes and helmets are available. Rent bikes and surreys at Bay Bike Rentals or Adventures by the Sea on Cannery Row. Fun for everyone in the family (bigger kids can bike to Pacific Grove in record time) and spectacular scenery.

Tip: In summer, from May to September, ride the free trolley through town. It makes a loop from Fisherman's Wharf and downtown to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and back. Click here for the map.

   

Fun food

     

Wander down Fisherman's Wharf, past steaming pots of crabs and salmon sizzling on the grill. Try the clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. The fried calamari is also delicious and makes great finger food!

family hotels monterey

Travel for Kids has so many fun things to do with kids in Monterey, but you'll need a fun place to stay.

Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels in and around Monterey, all styles and price ranges, in neighborhoods that are comfortable for families, and near to places you'll want to explore:

Monterey family hotels
kids books monterey california
     
Snapshots: The Wonders of Monterey Bay - kids books Monterey  

Picture the wonders of Monterey Bay, with giant whales, floating kelp forests, fascinating sea otters, quiet tidepools, bright orange sea stars, flippered friends, ancient dunes, crashing waves and pocket beaches. Gorgeous photographs and fun facts about the bay. (Picture book)

 

     
A Lot of Otters
Barbara Helen Berger

A glowing sea otter tale that's the perfect bedtime story. Lots of otters dive into the translucent sea to gather up the stars dropped by the moon, they taste the stars and rub the starlight into their fur. Luminous illustrations will delight small readers. (Picture books)

 

 
A Lot of Otters
     
A Raft of Sea Otters  

Get to know the southern sea otters floating in Monterey Bay. Find out these enchanting creatures survive in cold waters (really warm fur), why sea otters rest with their paws up (to conserve heat), how they eat (in the water, floating on their back), and more. Great close-up photographs. (Picture book)

Also, get the scoop on the seals and sea lions you'll see barking on the rocks in Monterey: A Colony of Seals

 

     
Kelp Forests
Melissa Cole, Brandon Cole

Giant kelp beds for sea otters, or seaweed in a tide pool, they're all just algae plants. Discover the kelp forest layers, what lives in the kelp forest (sea otters, harbor seals, fish, starfish, anemones, crabs), what eats kelp (sea urchins and crabs). (Chapter book, photographs)

 

 
Kelp Forests
     
When the Mission Padre Came to the Rancho  

Fictional diary of Rosalinda and Simon Delgado, teenagers on a rancho near Monterey. It's 1838, and Padre Ramon, visiting from Mexico City, is a treasure trove of stories tales of pirates in Monterey and uprisings at the Carmel Mission. Excellent historical illustrations. (Chapter book)

 

     

Monterey, 1818. Life is peaceful in Spanish-controlled Monterey, until a black frigate sails into the bay and buccaneers attack the town. When young Carlito's father is shot and killed, Carlito tries to burn the pirate ship, but ends up a stowaway, sailing down the coast of California. (Chapter book)

 

 
The Stowaway
(More children's books on other California pages)