Kid-friendly places in Palm Springs
Rebuilt in 2024 with a tot lot beside the main structure and a sheltered picnic area, so lunch can happen out of the sun.
A newer playground under shade canopies, split into an area for ages 2 to 5 and another for 5 to 12, so toddlers aren't dodging the big kids.
Every room is a suite, and the cabana suites open straight onto the pool, so nap time and swim time are one door apart.
A separate tot lot beside the bigger play structures, with the mountains right behind, so a toddler and an older sibling can both play in view.
Turtles that squirt water are built into the play structures, so bring a towel and a change of clothes.
A splash pad with a water feature modelled on the Tahquitz Canyon waterfall, steps from the giant Marilyn statue, so it fits between lunch and the museum.
The pool stays open late, with a separate kids' pool, a sandbox and fire pits, and downtown is a short walk away.
A playground opened in 2025 with shade structures and musical pieces to bang on, built so kids of every ability can play together.
The pool is up on the roof of the tallest building downtown, right above Palm Canyon Drive.
A classic diner inside the Ace Hotel with an outdoor patio and live music some weekends, so a bit of noise from your table goes unnoticed.
The city's public pool, open for drop-in swims, so there's somewhere proper to cool off even without a hotel pool.
Pizza and spaghetti in a colorful room, and the kids' menu runs from bacon and eggs to pasta.
A classic deli with its own bakery and sandwiches stacked high, so everyone orders something different and dessert is already sorted.
A mid-century tiki motel with a lawn beside the pool, so kids can do cartwheels between swims.
Pancakes are the thing here, and the kids' version comes plated to look like a bear.
Mexican food on a palapa-covered patio with live music, so the table can be a bit loud without anyone minding.
A huge, colorful dining room hung with Old Hollywood stars, and kids' meals come with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The tribe's own museum, with family activity days and an ethnobotany camp for kids, so a canyon hike afterwards means more.
Breakfast only, with a bacon flight in different flavors and pineapple French toast. The line gets long, so go early.
Shakes, malts and floats, including a date shake, and some come with a mini donut on the straw.
A short walk from Palm Canyon Drive, so dinner and the street fair don't need the car.
Build-your-own sundaes and a gift shop in the same room, so the treat and the souvenir happen in one stop.
Coffee for you and hot chocolate for them, with a lawn courtyard out back where kids can run around while you sit.
Scoops and Dole Whip right on the Walk of Stars, so it pairs with hunting for famous names in the sidewalk.
A compact cactus garden with shaded paths, small enough that younger kids can walk all of it.
The car rotates as it climbs the cliffs to a forest far cooler than the valley floor, with easy trails at the top. Bring layers.
Hangars of WWII planes you can walk right up to, a scavenger hunt to work through and open-cockpit Saturdays, so kids get to sit in one, not just look.
Sculpture gardens outside and family days with hands-on workshops, so it holds up as the indoor break on a hot afternoon.
A kids' space with story times and take-home STEAM kits, so there's an easy hour indoors on a hot afternoon.
A wave pool for surf sessions plus slides, a lazy river and a splash pad, so an older kid can surf while a little one splashes.
A two-mile loop up rock steps to a waterfall at the back of the canyon. Not for a stroller, and bring more water than you think.
Palm Canyon Drive closes to cars for a street fair with food stalls and street performers, so kids can roam on scooters while you browse.