According to a recent study by the Family Travel Association, one-third of families plan to take a theme park or water park vacation in the next year. While many families save up for a trip to Disney, there are many theme parks for toddlers and preschoolers scattered throughout the United States.
These theme parks are geared toward the under-eight crowd (or at least under 12), with a focus on age-appropriate rides and theming. These amusement parks aren’t just a toddler section of a larger park, but are built exclusively for younger kids. If you do decide to take your toddler to a larger park like Disneyland, follow these tips for Disneyland with toddlers.
Story Land, Glen, NH
Story Land is a theme park based on classic fairytales and has been welcoming families since 1954. The park features over 30 kid-friendly attractions for the younger set.
Signature rides include Dr. Geyser’s Remarkable Raft Ride, Flying Fish, Turtle Twirl, Roar-O-Saurus, Dig-em Deeper Playground, Crazy Barn, and Farm Tractors. Our family favorites are the Polar Coaster (an easy roller coaster that didn’t scare any of us) and the Bamboo Chutes flume ride. When you want to cool off there is the new farm-theme water play area, Moo Lagoon.
There is even a Cinderella’s castle! It may not compare to the castle at Walt Disney World, but for those who haven’t yet had that experience, it is perfect. The location near North Conway, New Hampshire makes it easy to incorporate Story Land into a vacation to the White Mountains.
Story Land is located at 850 NH Route 16, Glen, NH 03838
Edaville, Carver, MA
Many New Englanders remember fondly visiting Edaville Railroad, a small theme park in Carver, Massachusetts focused on trains. In recent years, Edaville Railroad has expanded to become Edaville Family Theme Park.
Edaville Family Theme Park caters to younger kids – you won’t find any thrill rides here! The highlight of the park is the Thomas the Tank Engine Train Ride, which takes you on a ride around the park and through the cranberry bogs. Train lovers will especially enjoy riding Thomas. For the best availability, arrive at the train early to board. It can get busy, especially when the park is crowded.
Edaville Family Theme Park is located at 5 Pine St, Carver, MA 02330
Sesame Place, Langhorne, PA
I’m not sure there is a better theme park for toddlers than Sesame Place amusement and water park near Philadelphia and Valley Forge. The park recreates Sesame Street, complete with our favorite characters to meet and greet.
There are also kid-friendly rides including Oscar’s Wacky Taxi, Captain Cookie’s High C’s Adventure, Elmo’s Cloud Chaser, Flying Cookie Jars, and more. Kids will also love climbing through the Monster Clubhouse and slipping down Snuffy’s Slides.
The water rides open in late May and they run through the summer. They include tube slides, body slides, a wave pool, a lazy river, Ernie’s Waterworks, and The Count’s Splash Castle.
Sesame Place is located at 100 Sesame Rd, Langhorne, PA 19047
Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster, PA
Tucked in the heart of Amish Country is Dutch Wonderland, the ideal first amusement park. This family fun park offers 35 attractions, a water play area, games, live shows, and tasty treats. Almost all of the attractions are for kids under the age of eight, except two roller coaster rides. Dutch Wonderland is a quaint park nestled on 43 acres, which makes getting around easy with little ones.
The Wonderland Special train has been there since the park opened in 1963 and offers a great tour of the park. We ride the train with every visit. If you want to get a bird’s eye view of the park, hop on the monorail. When the kids tire of rides, be sure to catch a dive show in the aqua theater or storytelling with the Princess. Kids can also cool off in Duke’s Lagoon water area, or come face to face with dinosaurs on Exploration Island.
When you work up an appetite, grab a snack from the Potato Patch, or an ice cream at Pineapple Whip Junction. There are lots of great choices in the park, or you can pack a lunch and dine at the picnic tables in the parking lot. Dutch Wonderland is truly a kingdom for kids!
Make a weekend of it with an overnight stay at the Cartoon Network Hotel!
Dutch Wonderland is located at 2249 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster PA 17602
Legoland Florida, Winter Haven, FL
Legoland Florida offers an enjoyable break from the hustle and bustle and the extreme crowds you often find at Disney. We went in not knowing if Legoland was worth it, but we ended up having a fabulous time! My older son, age six, was new to rollercoasters and loved being able to throw his hands up in the air.
We also had a fabulous time walking around Miniland, which is full of famous buildings from around the world all made out of Legos. My younger son, only 10 months old at the time, did not go on the rides but enjoyed the live-action water show offered at the site of the historic Cypress Gardens.
Legoland’s rides are much more compatible with the young child set, and toddlers and preschoolers are perfectly suited for a number of the attractions including the DUPLO Tot Spot, Splash and Play, and DUPLO Farm.
Our multigenerational group, ranging from 10 months to 62 years old, enjoyed our day spent at Legoland and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a lower-key-themed park geared towards younger children in Orlando.
LEGOLand Florida is located at 1 Legoland Way, Winter Haven, FL 33884
Holiday World, Santa Claus, IN
If you’re looking for the perfect theme park for little ones, don’t miss Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. One of the best things about this amusement park is that it comes with free parking, sunscreen, wi-fi, and soft drinks. Yes, this is not a misprint, these things are all included in admission, as well as entry to the adjacent water park, Splashin’ Safari. It is also one of the cleanest amusement parks we’ve ever visited.
The park is divided into four main areas: Christmas, Halloween, 4th of July, and Thanksgiving. Food, music, and rides are themed accordingly, so little kids will love seeing their favorite holidays turned into attractions.
Some of the favorite rides include the Tippecanoes and Prancer’s Merry-Go-Round. There’s also a designated playground called Holidog’s FunTown where kids can slide and swing while parents catch a break. If you want to experience the water park too, there’s a huge water play area (and water slides they can ride with an adult) called SafariSam’s Splash Land. One thing is for sure, kids will never want to leave Holiday World.
Holiday World is located at 452 E Christmas Blvd, Santa Claus, IN 47579
Enchanted Forest, Salem, OR
Enchanted Forest in Salem, Oregon, is a fantastic theme park for the under-8-year-old crowd. While kids of all ages can enjoy the park, the vast majority of the rides and attractions are geared toward younger kids.
Take a stroll through Storybook Town, journey down Alice’s Rabbit Hole, and enjoy rides like Up and Away Ferris Wheel, Kiddy Frog Hopper, Tiny Tune Train, and Kiddy Bumper Boats, which are all perfect for preschoolers and early elementary school-aged kids.
There are a few attractions such as the Haunted House scattered throughout the park that are aimed toward older kids, but many of the rides are grouped in sections of the park and aimed toward the wee ones.
Enchanted Forest is located at 8462 Enchanted Way SE, Turner, OR 97392
Fairytale Town, Sacramento, CA
Every kid who lives in Sacramento loves Fairytale Town, and once you enter, you can see why. From a knight’s castle complete with a roundtable and moat to Peter Rabbit’s garden, this park ignites wonder in little ones but is small enough for parents to keep their cool.
Nursery rhymes and fairytales come to life here: there’s a giant “old woman and the shoe” slide, farm animals like the three little pigs, a “crooked mile” that twists and turns through a tiny forest, Cinderella’s carriage, and much more.
Free parking is available on the streets surrounding the park.
Fairytale Town is located at 3901 Land Park Dr, Sacramento, CA 95822
SkyPark at Santa’s Village, Lake Arrowhead, CA
SkyPark at Santa’s Village near Lake Arrowhead, California creates a memorable experience for guests to savor the nostalgia of an “Old World Christmas in the Woods” with family and friends.
There are many things to do and see at Santa’s Village which are included in the general price of admission including rock climbing, ice skating, zip lining, and meeting Mr. and Mrs. Claus in Santa’s Cabin. While many of these are for older kids, toddlers will enjoy the Construction Zone Playscape, Balance Trail, Discovery Playscape, and Mountain Movers. The best part is that SkyPark at Santa’s Village is open year-round!
SkyPark at Santa’s Village is located at 28950 CA-18, Skyforest, CA 92385
Gilroy Gardens, Gilroy, CA
Just south of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, the small town of Gilroy is home to Gilroy Gardens, an amusement park that caters exclusively to families with young children. Gilroy is known for its agriculture and in particular, its garlic.
The park runs with the agricultural theme in a way that might just encourage toddlers and preschoolers to eat their vegetables. Ride vehicles are shaped like artichokes, strawberries, and mushrooms. The park’s mascot is even a giant head of garlic. Young kids will especially enjoy going on a hunt for the park’s “circus trees” which are unique and weirdly wonderful horticultural works of art created using tree grafting techniques.
The thrills at Gilroy Gardens are mild, with only two small coasters that aren’t even as fast as Disney’s Big Thunder Mountain. Several rides have height maximums because they are intended for toddlers and preschoolers to ride alone. There are a number of other low-speed attractions that families can ride together, from a carousel to paddle boats to a monorail through a butterfly garden.
On hot days, families will also love spending time at the park’s two water playground areas, with slides of different sizes and several splash pads for every age.
Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park is located at 3050 Hecker Pass Hwy, Gilroy, CA 95020
Adventure City, Anaheim, CA
Adventure City in Anaheim, California is famously known as the little theme park that is BIG on fun! They have theme park rides for all ages, especially for children ages 2-10 years old and parking is always free.
The best part is that admission is less than $30 per person, which makes it one of the least expensive theme parks in all of Southern California.
Adventure City is located at 1238 S Beach Blvd, Anaheim, CA 90680
Legoland California, Carlsbad, CA
LEGOLAND California is a fun way for families with young children to spend a day and is a nice change of pace from the more hectic and crowded theme parks in the area. We loved LEGOLAND’s relatively tame rides, themed lands, and, of course, the LEGOS! It’s a great park for preschoolers and elementary-aged kids alike.
Our kids loved driving their own cars in the Fun Town Driving School, Riding the Dragon Coaster in Castle Hill, and touring the amazing cityscapes made of Legos in Miniland USA. Star Wars fans will be in awe of the incredible scenes created from the movies – all built from thousands of LEGO bricks.
There are two water parks at LEGOLAND, perfect for splashing around and enjoying the perfect Southern California weather. For some added fun, consider staying right at the park in the LEGOLAND Hotel. Themed rooms include Adventure, Kingdom, Lego Friends, Pirate, and Ninjago. Guests receive early entry to the park along with other great perks that the whole family will love.
LEGOLand California is located at One Legoland Dr, Carlsbad, CA 92008
PIN THIS FOR LATER
Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Publisher of We3Travel. A former marketing executive and travel advisor, Tamara is an award-winning travel writer and recognized expert in family travel. Tamara is a member of SATW, NATJA, IFWTWA, and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, and serves on the Board of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimetoFly.com and the co-host of the Vacation Mavens travel podcast.
Comments are closed.