There are 940 Saturdays from the moment your child is born to the moment they go off to college (sentimental tear), give or take a few Saturdays depending on the birth month and if they are one of “those” kids that goes to college at 10. Mine aren’t. My toddler keeps following me around trying to touch her eyeball when I put in my contacts, and the other day my 4-month-old infant rolled herself under our couch (I’m not proud of myself for that, but we are here in the honesty bubble, so no judging). Nope, as far as I can tell, my girls are of normal intelligence and now I have less than 940 Saturdays to make their childhood count.
A recent conversation in the office sparked a thought about things to do in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with kids and what makes their minds think, explore and appreciate that there is a life outside of Super Mario (or whatever).
I wanted to provide a NOT-SO-OBVIOUS list of stuff to do in the DFW area that you wouldn’t think of immediately. The Zoo, the Local Park, LegoLand, Chuck E. Cheese, Putt Putt and the State Fair are amazingly great things to do with your kids on a Saturday to help explore their mind and develop their immune system, but they are a bit obvious for a list. Go DO them, take hand sanitizer and they will fill a few weekends of memorable fun. But you still have more than 900 Saturdays left.
5 Not-So-Obvious things to do in DFW with your kids:
1) The Galaxy Drive-In
Ennis, Texas
Adults $6, Kids $3 + Food and Drink that is surprisingly not too traditional-concession-stand expensive
This place keeps upping their game — it’s worth the drive outside of your bubble. I’ve been several times and the experience keeps getting better and better. All the showings are double features and there are always one or two screens full of kid-friendly G and PG movies. This theater is also baby-friendly (I took my oldest when she was 6 months old). There is an ambience of vintage flair with authentic metal car speakers, miniature golf for the kids, snack bar and even a screen for the movies that embody the drive-in (currently playing E.T. and Back to the Future). Their website.
2) Klyde Warren Park
in Downtown Dallas
Free, Always a great idea
I’ve been once to the new(ish) deck park that hovers over Woodall Rodgers Freeway; it was last month in August and it was 730 degrees outside. I was there long enough to get cake, see that there were a ton of activities including a children’s park, and realize that my family and I really wanted to go back once the weather cooled off. I’ll be heading that way this fall. Their website.
3) Perot Museum
Downtown Dallas
Tickets FREE-$27 for a ticket, depending on whether you are a member and what exhibits you want to explore. GET the membership.
So if you have been living under a rock you may not know about the new Nature and Science Museum in Dallas — but you may not need it because you’ve been living under a rock and there is a ton of nature and science under a rock. Anyway, the new museum is geared toward “the curious” and there is nothing on this earth that is more inquisitive than a child. There are plenty of different exhibits to fill up some Saturdays, for all ages. There are even programs and events for homeschoolers (personal shout out, I was homeschooled). Their Website.
4) Wee Volunteer
All over Dallas
Average $10 a person
Wee Volunteer offers volunteering opportunities tailored to the wee family members. It’s so important that kids learn how to volunteer and be helpful members of society. Wee Volunteer is helping bridge the gap between kid fun and “age appropriate service projects” with organizations like Meals on Big Wheels, SPCA, and many more. Check out their beautiful website — whoever designed that site must be a Goddess of affordable web design (Hint: it was me).
5) Lucky Layla Farms
3721 North Jupiter Road Plano, TX
Have you ever seen a cow be milked? I bet that would blow the mind of a 7 year old. Lucky Layla Farms have a little farm stand that sells raw dairy products, and at 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, you can call and schedule a tour of the nearby dairy barn. Just make sure you call ahead — ain’t nobody need to be sneaking up on no cow. But the farm stand store is open to the public 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and you can purchase fresh dairy. Their Website.
For my next list (I have a ton of ideas): What fun learning/exploring things do you recommend with the kids in DFW? Anything out of the ordinary? Seasonal ideas? Affordability is a plus. Though nobody on this list paid to be here, I do plan on having a part 2 for this list, and I can be bribed…with pie.
Shameless Plug: If you are a kid-oriented business or a parent in DFW, BubbleLife has a sister site called InTheLoopKids that focuses on the kids. You can always get advertising on all our sites including InTheLoopKids.