jQuery get value within child div

You want to use children() and text() instead of val(). Although, since what you are selecting has an id (and ids must be unique), you could also simply select based on the id without involving the container element at all.

The val() method only works on input elements, textareas, and selects -- basically all form elements that contain data. To get the textual contents of a container, you need to use text() (or html(), if you want the mark up as well).

var text_val = $('#second_child').text(); //preferred

or

var text_val = $('#first').children('#second_child').text(); // yours, corrected 

next() and nextAll() traverse the siblings of the element, not the children. Instead, use "find()"

var text_val = $('#first').find('#second_child').html();

You use val() when dealing with elements like inputs and textareas. html() will return whatever is under the div (which works in your example). text() will return the text in the element (wich would also work in your example).

Your example also makes me suspicious of your design. If you have multiple ids set to "#second_child", your html is confused. Instead, use a class. However, if there's only one id "#second_child", then all you need is:

var text_val = $('#second_child').text();

you can simply:

var text_val = $('#second_child').text();

as pointed by previous answers. but, since you "need to grab the text value of a child div", i assume that the child div id probably not always available. you can try this instead:

var text_val = $('#first').children().eq(1).text();

where 1 is the index of the child div (since it count starts from zero)

Try this...

var text_val = $('#first > #second_child').text();

Simple,

var text_val = $('#second_child').text();

Or your change,

var text_val = $('#first').children('#second_child').text();

This will return "B" from div of id "second_child"

UPDATE Changed the second solution to children() instead of nextAll().

........

var text_val = $('#first').children('#second_child').text();