Camera Obscura
A dark room behind the old Cliff House where a rotating lens throws the ocean outside onto a big white dish. Five minutes, and kids remember it for years.
1050 Point Lobos Ave
How kid-friendly is it?
Nearby places
Outer Sunset coffee stop with room for strollers and a quick pastry before the beach.
Trails through cypress and eucalyptus along the cliffs, down to the ruins of Sutro Baths, with the Golden Gate in view and old shipwrecks below.
A working Dutch windmill at the ocean end of Golden Gate Park with beds of tulips in front of it. Short stop, flat paths, best in February and March.
Ocean Beach restaurant with a kids' menu, a lawn out front, and room for strollers; lively and easy.
A playground on the park's quieter west side.
Outer Richmond pizza with a lively patio where kids can be loud.