All Family Fun in San Mateo, CA | 12 Activities

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Tap an activity to see top picks in San Mateo.

Top picks across San Mateo

Highly rated across categories

San Mateo Evergrande speed skating club

★★★★★ 5 (1)

Skating Rinks

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San Mateo CuriOdyssey

★★★★☆ 4.6 (2035)

Zoos

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San Mateo Red Door Escape Room

While You're in San Mateo

Make it a full day

Parks & Nature

Seal Point Park
San Mateo Japanese Garden
Coyote Point Recreation Area
San Mateo Central Park

Museums & Culture

CuriOdyssey
Pulgas Water Temple

Attractions

Kiddo Adventure Indoor Playground
GAMA Ride
Safari Run, San Mateo
Bel Mateo Bowl

Planning notes

San Mateo has 12 family activities across 5 categories. Pick an activity to see top picks, or explore a nearby city.

Venue notes from San Mateo tracks

GAMA Ride

Is an independent family entertainment center (not a franchise), distinguishing it from national chains like Dave & Buster's that dominate the FEC market
The venue features actual motion simulator rides in addition to traditional arcade games, bowling, and bumper cars, offering a more diverse attraction portfolio than typical arcades

Kiddo Adventure Indoor Playground

Was founded by local parents Tim and Sammie who wanted to create more family entertainment options for the Peninsula community
The venue offers fully customized party experiences including custom-themed decorations (such as Thomas-the-Tank Engine centerpieces) created by the owners

Imagination City

Is an independently-owned facility created by local parents Janine and John, who designed it as an intentional early childhood educational experience featuring a child-sized city with role-play activities focused on developing self-confidence, social skills, math, reading, science, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
The venue operates on a fixed time-slot booking system where customers pay the full session rate ($20-$22) regardless of arrival time within the session window, and must exit when the session ends for staff cleanup and disinfection - a unique operational model compared to typical open-play facilities.

Safari Run, San Mateo

Safari Run features a distinctive animal-themed party room with custom wall art, which reviewers consistently praise as superior to competitors like Pump It Up
The venue maintains exceptionally high cleanliness standards with staff actively wiping down all structures and equipment, plus hand-washing stations for kids before and after play

Bel Mateo Bowl

Features an old-fashioned scoring system with classic animations and sounds, offering a nostalgic bowling experience distinct from modern digital scoreboards
The bowling alley has an unusual seating arrangement where 2 lanes share joined seating and tables, unlike modern bowling centers where each lane has individual seating

More venue notes

Nakoko

Uses coin-operated machines rather than card systems, a deliberate design choice by the owner to provide transparency so customers know exactly what they're spending
The owner regularly adjusts prize pile amounts throughout operating hours to maintain accessible winnings, keeping machines stocked with fresh prizes on a frequent rotation

Pinstripes

Offers a unique combination of three recreational activities in one venue: bowling, bocce ball, and Italian-American dining, which is distinctly different from traditional bowling alleys or restaurants
Camp Pinstrikes provides free summer Saturday morning programming for children during June-July, offering a no-cost recreational option for families

Sandbox VR

Offers themed VR experiences inspired by popular media franchises, including Squid Game and Stranger Things, allowing fans to immerse themselves in these fictional universes
Each VR experience includes professionally edited video recordings of gameplay that capture both the in-game avatars and real-life reactions of participants, delivered at the end of the session

Red Door Escape Room

Specializes exclusively in combination lock puzzles, which is a distinctive design choice that sets them apart from escape rooms that use electronic locks and other puzzle mechanisms
The venue has achieved an exceptional 4.9-star rating across 3,367 reviews, indicating consistently high customer satisfaction and experience quality

CuriOdyssey

Features an open aviary where visitors can walk around in close proximity to birds without barriers, creating an immersive wildlife interaction experience
The facility offers themed special days (such as Bubble Day) that add interactive programming experiences to regular exhibits, enhancing educational value

Nazareth Ice Oasis | San Mateo

Oasis is one of the only ice skating rinks in the San Mateo area available for safe public practice, making it a notable destination for both professional figure skaters and recreational skaters in the region
The rink offers public skating sessions at $20-$22 per person including skate rental, providing accessible ice skating without requiring a trip into San Francisco

Evergrande speed skating club

Coach Ge is noted for being exceptionally friendly and patient with children, making the rink particularly welcoming for young learners
The rink offers Learn To Skate programs, providing structured instruction for beginners

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Family Fun in San Mateo

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Family Fun Centers in San Mateo

Skating Rinks in San Mateo

Zoos in San Mateo

Escape Rooms in San Mateo

VR Experiences in San Mateo

Top picks across San Mateo

While You're in San Mateo

Parks & Nature

Museums & Culture

Attractions

Planning notes