Y’all, let’s talk about Texas summers with kids. The days are long and it’s hot outside. Your kids either seem to have boundless energy or are complaining there is nothing to do. You’re tired and don’t think you can make it through another episode of Paw Patrol with your three year old or that it’s even possible to get your thirteen year old to stop playing Fortnite. Can anyone relate? To all my parents out there that are out of ideas on what to do with your kids, we’ve put together four trips in the DFW area that will get you out of the house and are fun for kids of any age.
Spend a Day at the Beach
It’s summertime and you’d like nothing more than to be on a relaxing beach vacation, sipping a margarita, soaking in the sun and watching your kids play in the sand. But you’re stuck in North Texas and planning a beach vacation with kids sounds stressful. What if I told you that you could have your summer beach vacation without having to spend hours traveling in the car with your kids or spending a lot of money. Welcome to Lakefront at Little Elm – a beach located in the middle of DFW. Spend a day or stay a couple of days and make it a family staycation. Little Elm Beach is always open (24/7), FREE, and has one of the largest open swim areas in North Texas. The beach offers a lot of family fun with sand volleyball courts, a covered play area for kids, grills for cooking, and a rental place for kayaks, bikes and stand up paddleboards. Added bonus for parents – the beach is groomed and cleaned nightly, has restroom buildings and life jackets for kids available on loan. If your kids are looking for an adventure beyond the beach, check out Hydrous Wakepark, one of the few wakeboarding cable parks operating in America.
Let your kids experience the new, rapidly growing sport of cable wakeboarding and you’ll definitely gain some cool points in their eyes. Hydrous cable park is surrounded by Towers Tap House restaurant and their patio is the perfect place for parents to sit back and watch their kids wakeboard. Towers Tap House is known for its great food, extensive selection of draft beers and amazing views of the cablepark. If you’re looking for a restaurant with a beachy vibe, you’ve got to try Hula Hut Little Elm, serving Tex-Mex food with a Polynesian twist. The restaurant is decked out with tiki torches, bamboo walls, grass-thatched bars, thousands of colored lights and offers amazing lake views. To get around the Lakefront area, take advantage of Efrogs Little Elm, a complimentary shuttle service that runs through the summer and goes anywhere in the Lakefront area, so your family can hop from beach to dining and don’t have to worry about driving.
Explore Art and Culture
Head downtown and expose your kids to art and culture at the Dallas Museum of Art. #1 reason to visit the Dallas Museum of Art is that general admission to the museum is FREE, every day for adults and kids. Be sure and check out the DMA’s Center for Creative Connections where there are fun, interactive activities for toddlers, kids, teens and you. Make an experience out of getting to the Museum and DART to the Art. Use Dallas’s DART rail system and ride to the St. Paul Station and walk north to the Museum’s Ross Avenue Entrance. The DMA is walking distance to Klyde Warren Park, an urban green space built over the recessed Woodall Rodgers Freeway between Pearl and St. Paul streets. Bring a picnic lunch or grab lunch at one of the various food trucks. Read a book or magazine from their lending library, play a game of chess or checkers and let your kids explore the Children’s Park and interactive fountains.
Burn Off Excess Energy
Are your kids bouncing off the walls of your house but it’s too hot to let them play outside? Escape the heat and let your kids run wild in a safe environment at Altitude Trampoline Park. Altitude features wall-to-wall trampolines, foam pits, basketball dunking lanes and dodge ball to wear your kids out and has locations all over the Metroplex in Denton, Fort Worth, Richardson and Grapevine. Are your kids obsessed with the TV show American Ninja Warrior? Be the cool mom and take them to Obstacle Warrior Kids, a place for kids to challenge themselves on a variety of obstacles that was inspired by the hit television show. Obstacle Warrior Kids has locations in Dallas, McKinney, Firewheel and Southlake. This place makes you feel like you’re on the set of American Ninja Warrior and is guaranteed to wear out your high-energy kids. You might even get a long nap from them afterwards!
Connect with Wildlife
Did you know we have one of the top zoos in North America in our own backyard? The Fort Worth Zoo was named the No. 5 zoo in North America in USA Today’s 10 Best Zoos. This zoo currently houses over 540 species including 72 species of mammals, 148 species of birds and 172 species of ectotherms! Take your kids for a day of watching monkeys, tigers, zebras, giraffes, lions, hippos, bears, birds, fish, reptiles, and more. I don’t care how old you are – you can’t help but smile while watching monkeys swing and play with each other. In addition to the animals, this zoo features a train, carousel, petting corral, play barn, rock climbing wall and a 14,000 square-foot splash area. The Zoo offers multiple dining options and permits outside food and beverage. Toddlers 2 and younger are free and Wednesdays are half-price admission. Enjoy the zoo any day this summer as it’s open 365 days a year.