Things to do in California with kids and family while on vacation. We travel around golden state exploring best spots to see with children. See out checklist guide to Redding, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Palm Springs.
There’s no point of visiting San Francisco with kids if you won’t add San Francisco zoo to your itinerary list. Likewise there’s no point of visiting San Francisco zoo if you don’t stop by the Elinor Friend Playground designed by Scientific Art Studio (Website) . This is undoubtedly the best playground in all of San Francisco.
San Francisco Zoo playground is located next to the Exploration Zone immediately to the left as you enter the zoo. See the SF Map PDF. San Francisco Zoo map
Near the entrance to the Fisher Family Children’s Zoo and adjacent to the expansive Playfield Lawn, the Playground is located at the historic heart of the San Francisco Zoo.
Tips before attending the zoo!!!
Promo Code: 75000Here’s a promo code for 25% off the attendance fee
Free parking along the Sloat blvd
Place is huge! Consider looking at the map prior the visit
Bring your own food, snack for kids and parents
Come in early in the morning to avoid crowds at the zoo and the city
What will you see at the San Francisco Zoo playground?
Elinor Friend playground, created by fabricator Scientific Art Studio (their website),is divided into multiple distinct zones, however every zone has a slides, swings and some unique features like a “nest” in the jungle. There’s also a cordoned off area for very young kids age 3 month- 1 year with swings and just some safe features. Other zones include
The Jungle – Older kids
Arctic Land – probably for a bit elder kids to maybe toddlers
Tree stump – for toddlers and younger kids
Dentzel Carousel – older kids (ours doesn’t care much for vomit inducing gyration)
Very cool animal sculpture park
Our kid loves San Francisco Zoo playground and he had a great time enjoying The jungle and the Arctic Land. Tactile animal sculpture park (5) was Bear’s favorite since he spent almost like an hour just checking animals out. Honestly, the artists did such a great job that these creatures look alive! Our son was even a bit reluctant to touch some of them.
Scientific Art Studio did an amazing job creating the tactile stimulating animal figures and textured playground. Check out more of their work at the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito.
Here’s a quote from their website: We are designers, sculptors, painters, welders, builders, crafters, fabricators, and – above all – dreamers. We live to see the world through new eyes, to laugh and play like children, and to explore boldly and fearlessly. We push boundaries and relish challenges.
There’s also a Meerkat land within a stone-throw from the playground.
Check out the Exploration Zone if you’d like to ride a pony or go to a petting zoo.
What else is at the Zoo besides Elinor Friend playground?
Misha likes to look at pictures of animals in his books and make animal noises. I guess that’s his job at the moment and seeing the animals in real-time was probably the highlight of his toddlerhood. It’s pretty amusing to watch him make animal sounds as he moved from one exhibit to another. Walking from one exhibit to another was like discovering an animal for the first time and it really was his first time seeing some of the exotics.
San Francisco Zoo features ultimately the best playground and even a miniature Train. The old steamer – for some reason is located on the opposite part of the zoo in the South America Zone. Miles and Miles of walking paths. Gardens and much more. If you don’t have any plans for the weekend this would be a place to check out in San Francisco, California. Finding things to do in California with kids is easy with our webpage and hope that you hit that like button and share our blog with friends ! Thanks!
The Elinor Friend Playground and the Animal Sculpture Learning Plaza were created by us at Scientific Art Studio. I just stumbled on your post and we are so glad you and your little one are exploring and enjoying them! Thank you for the great article!
Thank you for building this amazing play ground! Our son was simply ecstatic! We just realized that you guys also built the set for Monterey Bay Aquarium & our son’s favorite -bay area discovery museum. Your work is simply amazing! The tactile animal figures are so real!
[…] map prior setting out on your walk. The zoo is not as huge as for example San Diego zoo or the San Francisco Zoo, however keep in mind you are in the desert. The weather conditions in the heat of the desert can […]
[…] The playground is designed by a really cool fabrication company -Scientific Art Studio (Website). They have also designed exhibits at the Monterey Bay Museum and the San Francisco Zoo Elinor playground. […]
[…] place is just as great as the San Francisco’s Elinor Friend Playground. Perfect for energetic toddlers and lazy teenagers. A great playground to blow off that extra […]
The Elinor Friend Playground and the Animal Sculpture Learning Plaza were created by us at Scientific Art Studio. I just stumbled on your post and we are so glad you and your little one are exploring and enjoying them! Thank you for the great article!
Thank you for building this amazing play ground! Our son was simply ecstatic! We just realized that you guys also built the set for Monterey Bay Aquarium & our son’s favorite -bay area discovery museum. Your work is simply amazing! The tactile animal figures are so real!