The Best things to do in Los Angeles with Children

Part museum, part sensory playground, the Sloomoo Institute is a dream for slime-obsessed children. This rainbow-hued space invites kids to touch, stretch and squish their way through a series of interactive exhibits. The messy-fun highlight is creating a custom slime to take home, choosing the fragrance, colour, consistency and trinkets to mix into their masterpiece – who knew slime could be so bespoke?

For those keen to go all out, there’s an enhanced experience that ends with standing (in a rain mac) under a cascading shower of gloriously oozing slime, an activity that makes keeping a straight face all but impossible. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, the historic Original Farmers Market is nearby, with stalls selling quick bites.

A guaranteed hit with music-loving children, the Grammy Museum wins them over from the start with its immersive sonic playground floor. Designed around learning through play, the space features recording booths where families can experiment with professional instruments and lay down vocals on tracks.

It’s easy to spend a full afternoon here, hopping between hands-on exhibits, watching live-performance reruns in the cinema and creating original sounds at the mixing desk. Teens can linger over displays of glitzy stage costumes, including Sabrina Carpenter’s sparkling sequined looks, while parents will appreciate the well-curated gift shop.

When energy levels dip, the Big Bus Tour is a brilliant way to see La La Land without wearing everyone out. Families can sit back and relax as the open-top bus cruises past the city’s biggest landmarks, with hop-on, hop-off stops that make sightseeing flexible and stress-free.

There are two main routes: the red route that circles around Hollywood and Beverly Hills with stops at Paramount Studios and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The blue line loops to Santa Monica, for some the beachside fun. It’s an easy introduction to LA for children, and a welcome rest for parents too.