We love the beach! No matter the weather, it’s our favorite spot for a quick activity or a long day in the sun. And now that warmer days are here it’s the perfect place to spend time with your kids. There are dozens of great beaches along the coast, but here are four of my favorite kid-friendly beaches in the LA area.

Will Rogers State Beach - This is our default beach and my personal favorite. It’s not too far up the coast, has an easy parking lot and feels pretty small and manageable. The beach and water are mere steps from the parking lot so you don’t have to worry about hauling bags across hundreds of feet of sand while your toddler begs you to carry them. It never feels too crowded here and is a great spot to meet up with friends.

Venice Beach - Whenever I used to hear “Venice Beach” I automatically pictured the board walk, big crowds, dirty spaces, muscle-y men, etc. But that all changed when I started going to the beach that is literally at the end of Venice Blvd. I originally went to go sand sledding and have been going back once every few weeks since even without our sleds. I love how low the water is so it’s easy for kids to wade around and walk in the water without having to worry about large waves. The wide open expanse and sand embankment make it easy to watch kids from a distance. And I like to stop by a local spot like Great White and bring it over to the beach for the perfect morning.

Malibu Creek Lagoon - Head to Malibu Creek Lagoon for a few hours in the sun and then walk across the street to the Malibu Country Mart for some food and shopping. This is a relatively small beach right by the Malibu Colony (multimillion dollar houses on the beach) where the Malibu Creek meets the ocean. There are tons of birds to watch on the lagoon side and the beach itself is small and easy to monitor your kids as they run around. One note: it is a bit of a hike from the parking lot so make sure to bring a beach wagon or just mentally prepare yourself for a 5+ minute walk with your stuff.

Leo Carillo State Beach - I’ve got two words for you - tide pools! Need I say more? Ok, I can. This is a favorite spot for adventuring and is equally fun on cold days. We usually come here to explore the tide pools and walk about the beach. There is a parking lot across the PCH with an easy walking path to the beach. It’s also a beautiful drive up the coast to get here.

Zuma Beach - To me Zuma is the type of beach where you pack an umbrella, bring a cooler and plan on staying all day. There is a paid parking lot and once you park it’s a little bit of a walk across the beach to get to the water. Once you’re at the beach proper it’s huge and sprawling (it feels like a stereotypical LA beach you’d see on TV) with plenty of room to spread out. It’s the perfect spot to meet a group of friends and set up for the day.

Happy beaching!