Ultimate Sacramento Summer Bucket List for Kids: 34 Fun Things to Do
Ready to turn up the summer fun in Sacramento? From countless on-the-water activities on lakes and rivers to water parks and seasonal events, this ultimate summer bucket list in Sacramento will keep kids entertained during summer break. Whether you live in Sacramento or are visiting, it’s well-known that it gets hot in the Capital city in the summer. Indoor activities and splash pads are a few ways to keep kids cool when it’s scorching hot outside.
Plus, check out this list of free summer activities for kids in Sacramento!
Work through this bucket list for an unforgettable summer of adventures and memories in Sacramento. This family-friendly summer guide is teeming with fun ideas to keep kids active, cool, engaged, and busy all summer.
Outdoor Summer Activities in Sacramento
1. Splash Pads
It’s not summer in Sacramento with splash pads. There are so many fantastic splash pads in the Sacramento area! There are 12 splash pads in Elk Grove, alone. One of the most popular splash pads in the area is White Rock Splash Park in Rancho Cordova, which makes it stand out due to its water slides. Splash pads are a great way (and a free summer activity) for kids of all ages to cool down when the Sacramento heat hits.
2. Folsom Lake
Families flock to Folsom Lake for a summer day at this favorite Sacramento-area lake. One of the best spots for families to enjoy a lake day is Granite Bay, which has a buoyed swimming area, a sandy beach, and a snack bar.
Beals Point is another popular spot for families in Folsom Lake. There are BBQ pits, a snack bar, and access to the American River bicycle trail. Snack bars at Granite Bay and Beals Point also have rental equipment, including water vessels like kayaks and stand-up paddleboards.
If you plan to paddle on Folsom Lake, Black Miners Bar is an ideal location. The water at this site is very calm and clear. Lake Natoma Paddle Rentals has water vessels like kayaks to rent right on the beach at Black Miners Bar.
3. Roseville Golfland Sunsplash
With a water park, mini golf, arcade, bumper boats, and other fun attractions for kids of all ages, Roseville Golfland Sunsplash tops the list of must-do summer activities near Sacramento. The Sunsplash Water Park has water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and even a water play area for younger kids called Adventure Island.
4. 4th of July Fireworks
Don your red, white, and blue with the summer tradition of fireworks on the 4th of July. There are many family celebrations throughout the Sacramento area, from Rancho Cordova to Roseville, Elk Grove, Davis, and more. This year, the San Francisco Giants play the A’s at Sutter Health Park with a fireworks celebration after the game on July 4th.
5. California State Fair
There’s just something about fairs and summer that go together. An annual summer tradition for so many families is attending the California State Fair at Cal Expo. Even when temperatures hit triple digits, the fair crowds still emerge to check out the pavilions, ride the monorail, enjoy rides, play carnival games, get a Dole Whip, and watch the pig races. Don’t miss out on these money-saving tips for the California State Fair.
6. West Wind Drive-In & Outdoor Movies
It’s not a Sacramento summer evening without watching movies in the evening with the Delta breeze blowing. Catch some free outdoor movies in the summer at Folsom Movie Nights and Friday Night Moonlight Movies in Rancho Cordova.
While the movies aren’t free, a favorite summer tradition in Sacramento is Movies Off the Wall at The Crocker Art Museum. For something different, see a film from the comfort of your car with the whole family at the West Wind Drive-In.
7. Land Park
Land Park is a great attraction for kids in Sacramento all year. What makes it essential in the summer is that the Land Park Wading Pool is open. With a shallow-depth entry, it’s perfect for younger kids and is next to the Land Park playground. The Sacramento Zoo, Funderland Amusement Park, and Fairytale Town are fantastic spots to visit during summer mornings in Land Park before it gets too hot.
8. Bertha Henschel Wading Pool
Speaking of wading pools, the Bertha Henschel Wading Pool in East Sacramento is a hidden gem for toddlers. Younger kids can safely splash around in this free shallow wading pool, which also has a mushroom water fountain.
9. Lavender Farms
Peak lavender season tends to take place in June and July. Luckily, several lavender farms near Sacramento provide a blanketed purple backdrop for photos and fresh flower picking. Some of the many lavender farms near Sacramento to visit are Capay Valley Lavender and Bluestone Meadow Farm in Apple Hill, which has the annual summer tradition of Lavender Blue Harvest Days.
10. Sac State Aquatic Center
Being out on the water is essential in a city nicknamed “River City.” Lake Natoma is a gem for on-the-water adventures in Sacramento. Sac State Aquatic Center rents various water vessels to use on Lake Natoma. They range from kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards.
11. Quarry Park Paddle Boat Rentals — Rocklin
Quarry Park Adventures in Rocklin is known for its thrilling zip lines and aerial adventures. In the summer months, paddle boats are available to rent! Take a 4-person or 2-person paddle boat for 30 minutes on Quinn Quarry Lake.
12. Full Belly Farm Pizza Nights — Guinda
Full Belly Farm has Pizza Nights at their Capay Valley farm in the summer. It’s a fun and delicious way for families to enjoy farm-to-fork fare on wood-fired pizzas in a casual atmosphere. They also serve up homemade ice cream. Make a reservation and bring your own chairs or blankets.
13. Velocity Island — Woodland
Velocity Island Park in Woodland is a water wonderland. It features a cable wakeboarding system, an inflatable aqua park, and a sandy beach area. It’s a summer hotspot in Yolo County for kids of all ages.
14. Mezger Family Zinnia Patch — Woodland
Stop and smell flowers, and pick them for free at this family-run zinnia flower patch in Woodland. The flowers are available for picking seasonally in the summer. Sometimes, there are even vases you can take (but leave a donation!).
15. Aquatic Centers
Aquatic centers near Sacramento know how to level up water play. They also make very affordable outings for a day at the pool. You don’t need to be a resident of the local area to enjoy the various aquatic centers around Sacramento.
Several aquatic centers have zero-depth entry splash pools with water play structures and slides. One of the top ones is the North Natomas Aquatics Complex. In addition to water play structures, the Steve Miklos Aquatic Center in Folsom and the Wackford Aquatic Complex in Elk Grove also have inflatable water obstacle courses.
16. Impossible Acres — Davis
Venture to Yolo County for U-pick fruit season at Impossible Acres in Davis. From berries to peaches, ripe fruit is available for u-pick on the farm. Kids will also love the animal barn, where they can interact and hold farm animals.
Indoor Summer Activities in Sacramento
It’s not a secret that Sacramento gets hot in the summertime. Sometimes, it’s too hot to the point where it’s best to stay inside. But kids need to be entertained in the summertime, even when the weather hits triple digits. Sacramento has plenty of indoor entertainment for kids of all ages when it’s too hot for outdoor adventures.
17. Kids Bowl Free
Yes, you read that right! Kids Bowl Free is a nationwide program with a presence in Sacramento. Only a few select Sacramento bowling alleys participate in the program, though. Register kids ages 2-15, and they can bowl for free all summer.
18. Mini Golf
While there are a few outdoor mini golf courses for when you want to try for hole-in-ones over water features and through windmills, there are several indoor mini golf courses in Sacramento. These are particularly great options for when it’s too hot, which is frequently the case in Sactown. Putt through the Sac Town Family Fun black-light course or the Gold Rush-themed Underground Mini Golf course in Old Sacramento.
19. Indoor Play Spaces
There are plenty of indoor play spaces for kids in Sacramento to release all that energy. Let them bounce off the walls at the recently opened Funbox in Natomas. There’s also Enchanted in Elk Grove, Enchanted Cosmos in Natomas, and the soon-to-open Enchanted Rocklin. All three have different themes and different play equipment.
20. Museums
Check out the many Sacramento area museums in the summertime. One of the most interesting museums with incredibly engaging and technological exhibits is the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity. Fly over to the Aerospace Museum to see various aircraft and learn about the history of cars at the California Automobile Museum.
You can also use your Sacramento Library card to get into several Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area museums for free!
21. Summer Movie Clubhouse & Summer Movies Express
Take advantage of the Summer Movie Clubhouse at participating Cinemark movie theaters. From June 2 to August 7, 2025, Summer Movie Clubhouse films will be shown at 9:30am on Wednesdays for $1.75 per ticket for each movie. Several Cinemark locations in Sacramento, Elk Grove, and Roseville participate in this fantastic summer deal.
Additionally, Regal Movie Cinemas has a $1 Summer Movies Express deal from June 6 to August 6, 2025. This deal is available for the first show every Tuesday and Wednesday during this timeframe.
Essential Summer Sweet Treats in Sacramento
Sacramento knows how to do ice cream and seasonal treats. There are many fantastic spots to satisfy your sweet tooth with an ice cream cone on a hot day, but these are must-visit spots for families.
22. Gunther’s Ice Cream — Land Park
This wouldn’t be a list of things to do in Sacramento in the summer without Gunther’s! While it’s open all year, going to Land Park for an ice cream or fruit freeze to enjoy at Gunther’s should be at the top of your summer bucket list.
Unsurprisingly, lines can get long at Gunther’s on a hot day. Avoid waiting by preordering. Our family usually combines Gunther’s with a Sacramento Zoo outing. We usually go when they open their doors for the day and never have to wait in line early in the day.
23. Osaka-Ya — Southside Park
Osaka-Ya opens its seasonal window and serves its famous shaved ice in the summer. Lines can get long for this seasonal treat. In addition to shaved ice, this Japanese confectionery has many varieties of homemade mochi. Don’t forget to bring cash.
24. Alaro Craft Brewery — Midtown Sacramento
Alaro is one of the many kid-friendly restaurants in Sacramento. A unique feature of their restaurant is that they have soft-serve ice cream flights. Split a flight with the whole family at this delicious restaurant in Midtown.
25. Boxcar Eats — Old Sacramento
If you need a Dole Whip fix outside the California State Fair, Boxcar Eats in Old Sacramento has several Dole Whip flavors. Pretend you’re at Disneyland and stroll the cobblestone streets of Old Sacramento with a Dole Whip.
There are many fantastic ice cream places to add to your Sacramento summer bucket list! Other spots include Davis Creamery, Vic’s in Land Park, Licked in Oak Park, and Leatherby’s at multiple locations throughout the Sacramento area. If you need additional food recommendations, check out this list of kid-friendly restaurants in Sacramento.
Summer Day Trips from Sacramento for Families
Sometimes, it’s too hot in Sacramento, and you need a break. Luckily, Sacramento is an easy day drive to places like San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, which have considerably cooler weather. When you need to escape the Sacramento heat in the summertime, take these day trips from Sacramento.
26. San Francisco
One of the perks of living in Sacramento is that you can take a quick day trip to San Francisco to enjoy the city’s always pleasant, breezy, cool Bay weather. Some fun, family-friendly activities in San Francisco include the Presidio, Fisherman’s Wharf, and California Academy of Sciences.
Some free activities in San Francisco include the always-free Randall Museum and Yerba Buena Gardens. Free Circus Bella in the parks performances occur throughout San Francisco in the summer, and the popular Stern Grove Music Festival is a free weekly summer music series with impressive headliners.
27. Lake Tahoe & Truckee
When you don’t feel like going to San Francisco to escape the summer heat and are craving mountain and lake views, Lake Tahoe and Truckee are incredible day trips. Do know that Lake Tahoe gets busy in the summer, especially in July. Some fun adventures for kids of all ages in Lake Tahoe include the East Shore Trail, Kings Beach playground, Ridge Rider Mountain Coaster, Taylor Creek, and taking the Angora Lakes trail to Angora Lake Resort to have one of their famous lemonades.
In Truckee, take the Truckee River Trail, starting at Truckee River Regional Park, which has a playground. The Truckee River Railroad also has train rides for kids starting in the park. Don’t miss a stop at Little Truckee Ice Creamery.
28. East Bay
When it comes to the Bay Area, the East Bay is closest to Sacramento, and we should feel grateful for that. While the East Bay might not have a beautiful coastline, it’s full of fun things for kids.
Walnut Creek deserves its own mention as a summer day trip. Want to learn more? Here’s how to have the ultimate summer day in Walnut Creek for kids. The Larkey Park Sprayground is a fantastic summer activity where younger kids can test out water slides.
The Oakland Zoo is also a worthy day trip on its own, especially for its incredible California Trail. Roberts Regional Recreation Area is an underrated spot to see gorgeous redwood trees. The park has easy walking trails and a playground, and you could combine it with a visit to the Chabot Space & Science Center. Cull Canyon is a perfect summer adventure in the East Bay as well. Cull Canyon has shallow waters on a sandy beach in a chlorinated swim lagoon.
The Headlands-Berkeley Beer Garden is family-friendly, with a kids-only area that has a large chalkboard and grassy area. It’s not too far from the Lawrence Hall of Science, which has animatronic dinosaurs and awesome science exhibits for kids of all ages.
29. Black Chasm Cavern — Volcano
One way to cool down in the Sacramento heat is to go underground. Black Chasm Cavern is a quick day trip away in Volcano. Take a guided walking tour to see dramatic crystal formations and a blue lake in the 50-minute walk through a cave. To expand the day trip, you could add on Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
30. Sonoma County
There’s a lot more to Sonoma than wine. Kids will especially love the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County in the summer for its Little Russian River water exhibit, where kids can catch and release lifelike salmon, and their Mechanical Waterways exhibit. Howarth Park brought back pony rides this year. The park also has a miniature train ride, animal barn, and carousel.
For more seasonal fun in Sonoma, venture to Armstrong Redwoods Preserve and soak up stunning coastal views at Sonoma Coast State Park. Cap off your visit with some seafood at the Fishetarian Fish Market in Bodega Bay (which has a kids’ menu).
31. Santa Cruz
Sacramento is full of lakes and rivers but no beaches. Santa Cruz is the best option for the kids to enjoy a traditional beach day with an ocean in the summer. In addition to beaches, it has a whole Beach Boardwalk full of amusement rides and games.
Santa Cruz isn’t just a beach city; it also has redwoods. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is a must-do when in Santa Cruz. Roaring Camp Railroad is also right there, where you can take train rides through the redwoods.
32. Marin County
You don’t need to cross the Golden Gate Bridge to have some incredible family adventures in the summertime. There is so much to do on a day trip to Marin County. The Bay Area Discovery Museum is a child’s wonderland, much of which is outdoors overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge with lots of fun water play features.
Muir Woods has easy, family-friendly hiking trails with lots of shade cover. Cool down by jumping into McNears Beach Park Pool. The Junction is a new, family-friendly beer garden with a playground on its outdoor patio.
33. Gilroy Gardens
When the kids have already done Funderland Amusement Park for the summer, and you don’t feel like driving to Southern California for Disneyland, Gilroy Gardens is a fantastic option for a theme park outing. In addition to a whimsical theme park in a botanical-like setting, they have water play areas ranging from a Water Oasis Lagoon to splash buckets and water slides.
34. Lassen National Park
Yosemite National Park gets all the glory (rightfully so, as it’s stunning), but Lassen National Park is also near Sacramento and is a highly underrated national park. Lassen might be too far for a day trip, but it’s worth adding to your summer bucket list. Trek to Lassen National Park in the summer as the roads frequently close for snow for much of the year. If you venture to Lassen, tack on Burney Falls and Turtle Bay Exploration Park to your adventure.
