35+ Fun Places for Kids We Enjoyed in Riverside in 2025
Every year I love to look back through photos of the past 12 months and see the places we enjoyed. You can see the Southern California places we’ve enjoyed for the past few years here, and this year I thought it would be fun to make a list focusing specifically on the places we enjoyed in and around Riverside.
(For the record, this is based on photos, so I am sure I missed some places that didn’t feel very photo-worthy, especially libraries, parks, and places to eat.)
Hope this gives you some ideas for the future, or helps jog your own memory on places you’ve visited!
Hunter Hobby Park - train rides! We went to a birthday party here on a blustery day in January and it was so sweet and fun. The kids got to go around a few times and had fun riding, and playing on the train-themed playground.
Taft Park - we went to this park twice in the winter… it didn’t have shade so was best for cool days! I believe the playground was renovated recently… we’ll have to take a look at the updated one soon!
Bordwell Park - we have friends who live nearby and we always enjoy visiting this park, which has some nice green hills to run around on.
Casa Blanca Library - we stumbled upon a special Earth Day story time happening here… they even had a big recycling truck parked outside so we could ask questions, and kids could climb up to take photos in the driver’s seat! On a different day, I brought a toddler I was babysitting, and he loved pulling every book off the shelf as I chased behind him putting them back(lol) before we went on a lovely stroll through the little garden at Casa Blanca.
Eastside Library - for a while, they were hosting craft or game activities every Tuesday afternoon at Eastside so we went to a few, including a neat Valentine’s canvas painting event! Unfortunately Eastside Library moved to Lincoln Park (with more limited hours) while they build a new library building at Bobby Bonds Park, so we haven’t continued, but it was fun while it lasted!
SkyZone Riverside - my boys were kindly invited to a 2nd grade birthday party at this trampoline park on the Corona/Riverside border… they always have a blast!
Galleria at Tyler Mall - my daughter went to a birthday party at Claire’s at the mall, and when I took our other kids to go pick her up, we realized it had been years since we had been inside the mall! (When my girls were younger, we lived around the corner and would regularly walk to the mall to visit the Disney Store, RIP). We ended up going back a few more times this year to go shopping or just browse, especially for their birthdays. As a child of the 80s/90s, I loved getting to share the joys of pretzel samples, riding escalators, and eating at a food court with the next generation. ;)
Build a Bear Riverside - on one of our mall outings, I took my 9 year old sons to Build a Bear. We had missed the Mother-Son night at their school, so I thought this would be a fun alternative. It was, but whew, was it expensive! The animals, outfits, etc. certainly add up fast… but I know the days are numbered that they’ll still enjoy something like that, and they have sure treasured their bears!
Mt. Rubidoux Hike - we’re slowly training to hike the Trans Catalina Trail a (a 5 day hike that goes across Catalina Island), and Mt. Rubidoux is one of the best local hikes for gaining elevation. It’s so lovely on a clear day when you can see out across the Inland Empire!
Summer Reading at the Woodcrest Library - we always try to participate in Summer Reading at the Woodcrest Library. This is a county library (connected to Robidoux and Home Gardens), not the city library (connected to Main, Casa Blanca, Arlington, La Sierra, etc.) so they run things a little differently, and the prizes and activities are usually really good. They also offer free lunch for all kids under 18 during the summer at Woodcrest through the state of California, which is always a nice bonus too.
Pool at Villegas Park - this summer we tried out a few public/community pools here in Riverside, and the one at Villegas Park was our favorite. It was about $10 total for my family to visit each time (cash only), and we had some lovely evening swims here!
Sippy Woodhead Pool at Bobby Bonds Park - I am admittedly pretty anxious about my kids around water, so this pool was not my favorite, because most of the pool is 4 ft or deeper, which is hard when you have four children and they can’t all stand in that depth. However, plenty of others seemed to enjoy it… next summer my children will be taller, so hopefully we’ll try it again!
UCR Botanic Gardens - this is always a favorite for hiking or meeting up with friends. We went a few times, including for my birthday! Parking is around $2/hour, with free admission and beautiful grounds, so this is always a winner in my book! (Note they usually aren’t open on weekends, so it can be a little tricky to get here with kids in school.)
Buenos Dias Cafe - we noticed this new little coffee shop on the way back to the freeway from Bordwell Park, so my son and I went on a little outing here. The horchata was great! Note: I haven’t been here yet, but I believe there is a new playground at nearby Dario Vasquez park which could be a good spot to take your coffee and treats if seating is full at the cafe.
Ice skating at Icetown Riverside - my children had a field trip with a school group here earlier this year, so we had the place to ourselves. We had a great time (I skated too for the first time in ages) and would love to have them take lessons sometime.
Castle Park - like the skating rink, we came here with my children’s school group and had the place to ourselves. We’ve been here a couple times and always enjoyed the rides and a bit of mini golf, but since we’ve never had to pay and we’ve always been among friends, I’m not sure what the experience is like as a regular visitor.
Fireworks at Mt. Rubidoux - Like much of Riverside, we enjoyed watching the fireworks at Mt. Rubidoux (and subsequent annual burning of the mountain) on 4th of July. We don’t ever do the official event… we just head down about 30 minutes early and park downtown somewhere that you can see Mt. Rubidoux and watch from lawn chairs outside our car.
Galaxy Theaters in Mission Grove - this is our favorite movie theater since the parking is easier than the Plaza, and the seats all recline (unlike the AMC at the mall). We also really enjoy the $12 bottomless popcorn which is perfect for my family of six. This year we saw Elio, Wicked: For Good, and Zootopia 2, and enjoyed all three!
Basketball Game at CBU - a couple years ago we loved cheering on the women’s basketball team at CBU when they made it to the playoffs and we even went to UCLA to see their March Madness game! This year we didn’t make it to as many games, but still enjoyed making it to a game!
Aerospace Community Expo at Riverside Airport - my husband is an aviation buff so we all went to the 1st Annual Aerospace Community Expo at the Riverside Airport… I am not an aviation fan, but still really enjoyed it! A highlight for all of us was riding on the self-driving trolley around the airport… our first time in a driverless car! I hope this event comes back in 2026!
Hiking at the Gage Canal - we went on several strolls here this fall! The Gage Canal was built in the 1880s and still functions today! There is a walking path along the canal that runs throughout much of Riverside. Lately we’ve been parking near the intersection of Hawarden and Arlington and starting our walk from there. It’s worth noting that the canal is open next to you on the trail, and the water can be quite deep here at certain times of year, and it would be difficult to rescue someone because the walls are very steep. Therefore, make sure children stay far away from the canal. I wouldn’t bring a toddler or preschooler, or any child who elopes, without containing them in stroller. I also would NOT bring bikes or scooters. (If you want a walk without water nearby, just walking along Victoria Ave is lovely too).
Land Use Learning Center - this sweet little garden is free, open 7 days a week, and a lovely place to bring your family. It’s located right next to Mt. Rubidoux, but I feel like most people don’t know about it! We enjoyed a morning of nature journaling here… this is much easier to access than UCR Botanic Gardens or Citrus State Park (free parking, open more hours) and much smaller.
Cellar Door Bookstore - this independent bookstore is located in the parking lot across from Sprouts in Mission Grove (on Alessandro/Trautwein). They have a lovely children’s section, and often a sweet dog is there - my kids’ favorite reason to go!
Free Pancake Day at IHOP - I saw this advertised on social media and so we headed over spontaneously one day after school. I’m always grateful for free food that I don’t have to cook!
SoCal Air Show viewing at Thundersky Park - I can’t remember now what was going on that weekend, but when the SoCal Air Show rolled around, we just couldn’t muster up the energy to go to the full day event at March Field. Instead, we headed to Thundersky Park for an hour or so to catch the aerial shows. It worked out great! There were a few other people there, but tons of space to set out our camping chairs and watch the Thunderbirds.
Mission Inn Festival of Lights - we ended up at the Festival of Lights a few different evenings this holiday season. The first time, my children were pretty grumpy about having to walk around (admittedly, taking them to hike Mt. Rubidoux first was probably a bit much! Ha!) They were cheered by some French fries from the Food Lab (which also got us free parking in their structure) and a humorous meeting with Santa. As I’ve shared elsewhere, my suggestions for the Festival of Lights are go before sunset, on a weekday, find free street parking or park at the Food Lab (and eat there), and tell your kids beforehand the expectations regarding purchasing things (in my family, we plan not to spend any money and just enjoy seeing the lights).
Rancho Jurupa Splash Pad - the splash pad at Rancho Jurupa is the best in the area for big kids, in my opinion! There is a LOT of water and plenty of space to play (plus shady picnic tables for parents!) My children also enjoy drying off on the huge boulders nearby. There is a fee to enter Rancho Jurupa Regional Park, but sometimes you can check out a free County parks pass at the library.
Louis Robidoux Library - it was trying to get a free county parks pass for Rancho Jurupa that led us to visit Robidoux Library (which is relatively nearby). My teenage bookworm daughter loves the selection of books here, so we’ve been back a few more times since then. Their staff is so kind!
Andulka Park - this is another one of our favorite parks, and we visited here a few times this year, especially while I was babysitting a 2 year old boy last spring. I especially love taking a few laps around their big walking path before the kids play on the playground.
Main Library in Downtown Riverside - in case you haven’t noticed, we’re fans of the library in this house! We went to a special event in the spring here, and have visited a few other times to pick up books. It’s not my favorite library due to parking and my fear of heights, but the views sure are lovely!
Not quite in Riverside, but close:
San Bernardino County Museum: this museum in Redlands focuses on science, nature, and history of the area, with plenty of hands-on activities for children. Best of all, it’s air conditioned and mostly indoors, making it a favorite of ours on hot or rainy days! We have a membership, which is pretty inexpensive (around $50) and feels well worth it (especially since parking is free).
Enchanted Hills Playground in Perris - we really enjoyed this fun playground with beautiful theming and plenty of space to explore!
Rainforest Cafe - one of our favorite parts of the summer was watching Ryan Trahan’s 50 States in 50 Days series on YouTube together. In one episode, they visit Rainforest Cafe (in Las Vegas) and a little Google-ing led us to realize there is still a Rainforest Cafe at Ontario Mills mall! (Since the one at Downtown Disney closed, I thought they had all closed down). We went out for dinner as a family as a special First Day of School treat, and actually really enjoyed it. The food was a little better than I expected, they had a balloon artist who made balloons for everyone (for tips), and I got to enjoy my favorite Rainforest Cafe dessert, the Volcano! (Alas, they no longer come out shouting “Volcanoooo.”)
Glen Ivy Hot Springs - this was a mom’s only trip (you can’t enter if under 18). It was my first visit to Glen Ivy, and I really enjoyed it! We were celebrating a friend’s birthday and went for their evening-only passes in June. It was pretty crowded, but we found plenty of space to enjoy. I especially enjoyed the mud grotto, and the shallow pool with blue mats to float on. I’d go back!
Oak Glen Preserve - we just got back from a festive Christmas gift exchange with friends at Oak Glen Preserve, and I was reminded why we love visiting here so much, and feel it’s worth the 45+ minute drive from Riverside. It’s free, with lots of open space for kids to run around and play. If you’ve only ever visited Oak Glen during apple picking season or on a snowy day, I encourage you to consider coming to Oak Glen Preserve sometime in the “off season.” It’s really lovely!
Shopping in Redlands - we spent a delightful afternoon buying a baby gift in downtown Redlands. We stopped into Kissui Baby, The Frugal Frigate (a lovely children’s bookstore), and got liquid nitrogen ice cream at A La Minute (I tried the avocado flavor!)
Here’s to another great year of exploring Riverside!