Palm Springs with Kids

Palm Springs has long been one of our favorite getaway spots. It’s like a different world, this glamorous & colorful little town way out in the desert! We’ve been going for years and have taken Henry before, but this last trip with both kids really opened my eyes to the fact that Palm Springs with kids is a little different. Yes, there were definitely places that we took the kiddos where people looked at us like we had three heads because we were traveling with toddlers. But there were also plenty of truly family-friendly places that both the grownups and the kids loved. Here are a few of our favorite recommendations for Palm Springs with Kids!

Palm Springs with Kids

Where to Stay

We were lucky enough to partner with the team at Palm Mountain Resort and Spa, who welcomed us for a couple of nights. It turned out to be a really wonderful place to stay with a family — definitely more welcoming than some of the other boutique hotels we’ve stayed at in Palm Springs. My very favorite thing about it is that it’s close to the action, just a few steps off Palm Canyon Drive, which is the main drag. We walked to breakfast, shopping, and more. There’s a great pool, where they show films on weekend nights (they call it “Dive In Movies” and you can watch while you float!). They also arrange for a food truck to come on those evenings, which is super fun.

Our room was the perfect size for us — a king bed for Ryan and I, a pullout couch for Henry, and still plenty of space for Maggie’s travel crib. I only had one teeny complaint, and it was that the WiFi was too far from our room to work. So if you stay here, be sure to ask about that!

Where to Eat

There is SO MUCH good food in Palm Springs, everything from super high-end to very low key. But the great thing is that even the low key restaurants have incredible food. So when we’re there with the kids, we tend to forego the fancier places and stick to spots where kids aren’t sneered at. Here are some of our favorites.

King’s Highway A diner in the Ace Hotel with a super cool vibe. We’ve always had great luck taking the kids here — lots of families seem to stop for breakfast.

The Sandwich Spot I’m a sandwich connoisseur, and this place is no joke. Some of the best sandwiches ever. And they have grilled cheese or PB&J for the kiddos. They do have a high chair, you might just have to ask.

Bill’s Pizza A laid-back pizza joint with slices or choose-your-own toppings. Lots of tables, friendly service, and delicious pizza.

Lulu’s This is perhaps a little on the nicer end, but it’s busy enough that a happy toddler won’t disturb anything. The food is great, and both adult and kid friendly. I love it for kid meals because they always have some sort of steamed veggies on hand so you can get something healthy on your kid’s plate amidst all of the travel food. And they have cotton candy for dessert. 😉

Ice Cream & Shop(pe) A combo ice cream shop and boutique. Perfect spot to grab a cone and do a little shopping after dinner or on a hot afternoon.

Things to Do

There’s some amazing shopping in Palm Springs. But I regret to tell you, your trip with toddlers may not be the time to do it. As much as I love all of the vintage stores with the colorful clothes and beautiful housewares, it just wasn’t in the cards. But there’s plenty of other stuff to do, and we all had a ball!

Cabazon Dinosaurs About 15 minutes outside of the city, these giant dinos are a legendary roadside stop in California. You can purchase tickets and go into the museum to see about 50 dinosaurs and dig for “fossils.” Or you can do it like we did it. Don’t buy a ticket and just hang out outside the gates with the giant T-Rex and Brontosaurus. You can go up into the gift shop, which is inside the Bronto’s tummy. The kids were so tickled at the whole thing, and I loved it too. It’s a great spot for taking fun photos.

Wet n’ Wild I didn’t know it until this trip, but Palm Springs has a water park! The team at Palm Mountain Resort sent us, and it was a highlight of the trip. It’s a perfect spot if the day is really hot, and we had a great time. Henry was in total heaven; I think Maggie (at one and a half) was maybe a liiiitle on the young side for most of the park. But we found a few little slides and places for her to splash, and she loved it. If your kids are about 3 and up, this is a definite slam dunk of an activity.

Just Fabulous This is one shop that is really kid-friendly! We were greeted warmly and there are so many fun things for kiddos to look at here. They have a huge selection of SunnyLife, and a whole kids’ book section. Spend some time here.

Photobooth One of our favorite things to do as a family is to find vintage photo booths wherever we go. There’s a great one in the lobby at the Ace Hotel. Instead of buying souvenirs, we go and get a few photo strips. The Ace team has always been very friendly and lets us hang out in the lobby while we wait for the strips to print.

We can’t wait to go back again! If you have any killer tips for Palm Springs with Kids, share them with us in the comments! And see all of our recommendations for Traveling with Kids right here. xoxo

 

Our stay was graciously provided by Palm Mountain Resort and Spa.