For families coming to visit San Francisco deciding what to do here can often be a bit tricky. Do you choose activities that will appeal to mom and dad and make the kids tag along, complaining all the time? Or do you focus on child friendly excursions that can, frankly, get a bit boring for the parents? Probably a bit of both, right? Trust us, you can do way better than that. San Francisco is a family and child friendly destination with dozens of activities and attractions which will be entertaining for everyone in your group. In this list of the best things to do in San Francisco with kids we’ve broken it down to bring you our tried and trusted family favorites.

1. WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM

When people think of Disney and California, they usually think of Disneyland, near Los Angeles, but this museum is the best if you want to learn the personal history of Walt himself. There are some fabulous galleries, following his life and achievements from the beginning, in Missouri, all the way to the establishment of yes, you guessed it, Disneyland, and beyond.

2. BAY AREA DISCOVERY MUSEUM

It’s called a museum but think of it as a learning environment full of hands-on experiences and exhibits for the little ones. They’ll be occupied for hours, learning about the natural world, doing scientific experiments and trying as hard as they can to winch themselves up a pole. It’s a great, fun, safe and affordable experience for the whole family. It's also in a great location in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge from downtown.

3. GOLDEN GATE PARK

This is another well located attraction. Golden Gate Park is full of things to occupy your kids, from the Japanese Tea House and Garden, to a windmill, to real American bison, to the Koret Children's Quarter and a historic carousel. You could easily spend whole day exploring the park - it's a must-do on our list of things to do in San Francisco with kids!

4. CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Here's a great institution you can visit that's actually inside Golden Gate Park. From it you can explore deep sea, deep space and everything in between, all from the safety of the Bay Area. There's an aquarium, a planetarium, a rainforest and, whisper it, sleepovers (shhh!). Pretty much any child - and most parents - can find something to interest them here.

5. CHILDREN'S CREATIVITY MUSEUM

Your children are creative - as you've undoubtedly noticed whenever they're making an excuse for doing something they shouldn't have, or trying to get you to let them do something you don't want them to, so why not channel and develop that creativity? This is a great attraction, right in the heart of downtown, which is designed to build creative confidence in children aged 2-12 years old.

6. SAN FRANCISCO ZOO

What kid doesn't like the zoo? In the past some children might have been concerned to see wild animals being kept in small, contained spaces etc, but most zoos nowadays have extensive conservation programs, including of course the San Francisco Zoo, In addition to the animals there are talks, feedings, rides and tours. This could easily be a day trip.

7. MISSION DOLORES PARK

"Encompassing nearly 16 acres, Mission Dolores Park is one of San Francisco’s most popular parks, the vibrant heart of its equally vibrant, culturally diverse neighborhood. Here you’ll find lush green lawns shaded by tall palm trees, a soccer field, six tennis courts, one basketball court, a multi-use court, a playground, and two off-leash dog play areas. Yes. Many festivals, performances and other cultural events are also held here". Sounds good, right?

8. CABLE-CAR MUSEUM

An icon of San Francisco, everyone wants to travel on one of our cable-cars, so what could be better than learning all about them at this amazing museum, right in the historic Nob Hill neighborhood? This is not to be missed.