Summer Activities for Kids Around DFW - Lakin Stearns Photography

How to Keep Kids Entertained this Summer

Summer is a love/hate relationship, right? Kids love it, and parents, well, love it sometimes. If you are a parent, then you are most likely scrambling to find summer activities for kids around DFW. If you’re like me you start out strong with big plans and a decent amount of patience, but then July rolls around, and well… both of those are a little depleted. Put this little list in your back pocket and let this summer be different.

Entertaining Summer Activities for Kids Around DFW: Fun Destinations Edition

Dinosaur Valley
- This is a kid-friendly state park for all the dino lovers or just someone who enjoys being outside. Here you will find dino tracks, water to play in, trails to hike, and dinosaur replicas.
- Cost: $8/person, 12 and under free.
- Hours: Open daily, 6:00 am-10:00 pm
- Reservations are recommended because they do reach capacity.
- Location: Glen Rose, TX
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
- Encounter the wild here in Texas. Here you will encounter wolves, rhinos, giraffes, and more all from the comfort of your car (or via a guided tour).
- Cost: $29.95 for 12 and older, $24.95 for ages 3-11, and free for 2 and under for self-guided, $39.95 for ages 3 and up for public guided tours.
- Tickets can be purchased online here.
- Hours: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
- Location: Glen Rose, TX
PlayStreet Museum
- Local child-size museums made specifically for play!
- Cost: $13/ 2 hours of play for children 1-8
- Reservations are required (2-hour increments, 8:30-10:00, 10:30-12:00, 12:30-2:00, 2:30-4:00, and 4:30-6:00)
- Location: Allen, Fort Worth, Lake Highlands, Mansfield & Plano
Perot Museum
- Museum of Nature & Science
- Cost: $15-$25 for general admission or $10+ for membership which includes a year of unlimited visits and more.
- Tickets can be purchased online here.
- Location: Dallas, TX
- Other notable info: in addition to the regular exhibits, they have an incredible space to play for littles on the bottom floor. It’s a life-size city for littles that will keep them entertained for hours. This is solely worth the cost of admission in my opinion.
Fort Worth Science & History Museum
- Cost: $14 for 65+, $16 for ages 12-64, $12 for ages 3-11, FREE for 0-2,, or memberships starting at $90
- Ticket info can be found here.
- Location: Fort Worth, TX
Hawaiian Falls
- Outdoor waterpark with water slides, lazy river, wave pool, kid-friendly water areas, and more.
- Cost: Guests under 48″ $20.99+, Guests over 48″ $30.99+
- Location: Mansfield, TX & Roanoke, TX
Play Studio by Green Space
- Montessori-inspired indoor & outdoor play space that fosters the imagination of littles through various versions of the play.
- Cost: Open play $12/single child $20/family, Planned play activities $15+
- Location: Fort Worth, TX
- Other notable info: monthly special events, Open Play on Wednesdays-Fridays 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, First Saturday of the Month Open Play 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Fort Worth Zoo
- Cost: $14 for ages 65+, $18 for ages 13+, $14 for ages 3-12, FREE for ages 0-2, or memberships begin at $35 (for kids), PARKING is $5
- Location: Fort Worth, TX
- Notable Info: Big Cats are coming back June 22nd, Zoo Splash Pad access is $4 for members and an additional $5 for non-members, WEDNESDAYS are HALF-PRICE admission
Epic Waters
- Indoor Water Park for adults & children
- Cost: Grand Prairie residents under 48″ $17+, Grand Prairie residents over 48″ $22+ | Non Grand Prairie residents under 48″ $29+, Non Grand Prairie residents over 48″ $34+
- Location: Grand Prairie, TX
- Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm + twilight swims
- Notable Info: reservations are required.
Dallas Zoo
- Cost: $16+ for ages 65+ & ages 3-11+, $20+ for ages 12-64, FREE for ages 2 and under, PARKING is $10
- Location: Dallas, TX
- Hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Notable Info: There is currently a Destination Dinosaurs exhibit that runs until September 30th (an additional $6 for entry for non-members and $4 for members)
Imagination Station
- Indoor playspace for kids & babies.
- Cost: children 12 and up or single child above 6 months – $12.99, accompanying siblings between 6 months – 11 months $6.50
- Location: Benbrook, TX
- Notable Info: Complimentary coffee and water are included in admission. Reservations and waivers are required – these can be completed online before you arrive. They use non-toxic cleaning products (Branch Basics) which is a huge plus for me!
The REC of Grapevine Indoor Playground
- Indoor playspace
- Cost: FREE
- Notable Info: there are restrooms attached to the area and access to an outdoor covered area with turf.
Irving Bible Church: Indoor Playground
- Indoor playspace: “The Tubes”
- Cost: FREE
- Hours: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Notable Info: There is an individually owned espresso bar located within the church, so you can grab some coffee to sip on while your kiddos play!

Summer Activities for Kids Around DFW: At Home Edition

Let your kids make art for your home.
- If you have been on Instagram as of late you have probably seen the trend of letting your kids help make a large statement art piece for your home. There are several artists that travel around and come to your home to help do this. While I would love to do that it wasn’t really in our budget. So, I did this the DIY way! All you need is a canvas (size of your choice), paintbrushes, and paint. Oh, and a little patience, so do this early in the summer :)
- Pro tips: choose the paint colors BEFORE you present the activity to your child, have various brushes/tools ready, use layers – we did three main layers and let it dry completely in between, and smaller amounts of paint for darker colors.
Reusable water balloons
- Just go ahead and buy those reusable water balloons that are spamming your feed. They are as awesome as they look. The quality is surprisingly great and they are so fun!
Indoor Scavenger Hunt
- This old-school activity can be your new go-to when your kids have a lot of energy, but you still need to get things done around the house. One night while you are lounging on the couch after the kids have gone to bed, make a list of clues that hint to things around the house. This activity is versatile because the clue list can be adapted depending on age. You can do riddles for older kids, objects that start with certain letters for younger kids, and objects of a certain color for toddlers. The possibilities are endless. If you want to get really creative and make this educational you can type these up and let older kids read them aloud or you can print photos for younger kids.
Chalk Paint
- Grab a muffin tin, some old/busted chalk, and water, and mix them together. You’ve just created a fun sensory-rich activity for the driveway/patio.
Water Balloon Pinata
- Fill up some old-school water balloons and hang them from a string across your yard. You can use various objects to test what breaks them the easiest.
Outdoor Curtain Mural
- Grab a clear shower curtain from the Dollar Store, some kid-friendly paint, a few paintbrushes, and a fishing line. Hang the curtain somewhere in the yard and let the kids create a masterpiece
DIY Water Blobs
- Have a sensory-loving kiddo? Create their very own water blob lounger with just plastic sheeting, an iron, parchment paper, water & duct tape.
Outdoor Potion Station
- It’s simple, kids love making messes. Set up this potion-making station and let them explore. All you need is dish soap, baking soda, white vinegar, water, shaving cream, measuring cups, peri bottles, syringes, and jars. There’s not much to this except letting them learn and play through experimentation.
Nature Cutting Bin
- Grab a pair of kid scissors and lots of random pieces of nature from your yard (grass, leaves, twigs, etc.). Your preschooler will love being able to use scissors, and the bonus is that it’s a valuable skill they need to learn.
Pool Noodle Pom Pom Shooters
- You’ll need a pool noodle, duct/masking tape, balloons, and pom poms

SummerActivities for Kids Around DFW: Water Play Edition

Arlington

Bad Königshofen Family Aquatic Center12 months & under FREE / Under 48″: $8.00 / Over 48″: $9.009:00 am – 12:00 pm Monday-FridayBeacon Recreation CenterMembership or $8 day passMon-Sat 10:00 am – 6:00 pm & Sun 12:00 pm – 6:00 pmBrantley Hinshaw Park & SpraygroundFREE Public ParkBicentennial Park Splash PadFREE9:00 am – 8:00 pm until Labor DayHoward Moore Play Pool12 months and under FREE / Under 48″: $3 / Over 48″: $410:00 am – 5:00 pm M-Th /12:00 p-7:00 pm Fri – Sat / 1:00 pm -5:00 pm Sun Randoll Mill Aquatic Center12 months and under FREE / Under 48″: $8 / Over 48″: $9*varying hours, check schedule on the website*

Coppell

Coppel Old Down Town Splash PadFREE Mon – Sat 8:00 am – 8:00 pm / Sun 11:00 am – 8:00 pm

Dallas

Nancy Best FountainFREE – Public ParkOpen daily from 8:00 am – 10:00 pm

Flower Mound

Heritage Springs Splash PadFREE – Public Park 9:00 am – 8:00 pm through September 30

Grapevine

Dove Spray Park$3 for Grapevine residents / $6 for non-residents – May 26th – Sept 4Mon – Thurs 11:00 am – 9:00 pm / Fri – Sun 11:00 am – 7:00 pmParr SpraygroundFREE – Public Park8:00 am – 8:00 pm until September

Southlake

Bicentennial Park Playground Splash PadChampions Club

Summer Activities for Kids around DFW: Library Edition

Arlington Story Times

June & July

Baby Time

Tuesdays: 10:15 am @ East Arlington Branch Wednesdays: 10:00 am @ Downtown Branch

Cuentos en Espanol

Thursdays: 10:30 am @ East Arlington Branch

Family Storytime

Mondays: 10:30 am @ Lake Arlington Branch Wednesdays: 10:30 am @ Woodland West Fridays: 10:30 am @ Southeast

First Walkers Storytime

Wednesdays: 11:00 am @ Downtown Branch

Music’n’Motion

Tuesdays: 10:30 am @ Southwest

Toddler Time

Tuesdays: 11:15 am @ East Arlington Wednesdays: 10:15 am @ Southeast

Thursdays: 10:30 am @ Lake Arlington

World Language Storytime in Portuguese

Tuesday, June 12th @ 4:30 pm & Wednesday, July 10th @ 4:30 pm @ Southwest

June ONLY

Jazz Time Storytime -Wednesdays 1:00 pm @ Downtown Branch

Outdoor Storytime at River Legacy – Wednesday, June 9, 1:30 pm @ River Legacy Nature Center

July ONLY

Folk Tale Storytime – Wednesdays 1:00 pm @ Downtown Branch

Arlington Activities

Preschool Fine Motor Skills (ages 0-4)

Every other Wednesday – East Arlington @ 1:00 pm

Water Play (ages 0-4)

Friday, June 9 & July 7: East Arlington @ 9:30 am

Preschool Playdays (ages 0-5)

Friday, June 16 & 30, July 21: East Arlington @ 10:00 am

Preschool Playdays + City Square Meals (ages 0-5)

Tuesdays: Southeast @ 10:30 am

Little Explorers (ages 1-4)

Thursdays: Southwest @ 11:00 amFridays: Downtown @ 10:00 am

Little Messy Art (ages 2-5)

Mondays; East Arlington @ 10:00 am

Afternoon Art (school age)

Mondays: Woodland West @ 2:00 pmTuesdays: Southeast @ 4:00 pm

Create Something (ages 5+)

Wednesdays: Downtown @ 3:30 pm

Deep Dive into the Ocean (ages 5-8)

Thursdays: Southeast @ 11:00 am

LEGO Challenge (ages 5-12)

Wednesdays: Lake Arlington @ 2:00 pm

All About Kindness (ages 5-8)

Thursday, June 15 – Woodland West @ 2:30 pm

Connect-the-Dots Scavenger Hunt (ages 5-8)

Every Other Tuesday Beginning June 13 – Downtown @ 1:30 pm

Build Something (ages 5-8)

Every Other Thursday – Southeast @ 4:00 pm

Dinosaur Party (ages 5-8)

Tuesday, June 20 & July 11:Lake Arlington @ 2:00 pm

Discover STEAM (ages 5-8)

Every Other Thursday – Southeast @ 4:00 pm

Family Stitch Along (ages 5-8)

Monday June 5 & July 3 – Southeast @ 4:00 pm

Game Day (ages 5-8)

Friday, June 9, 23 & July 21 – Lake Arlington @ 2:00 pm

Fun with River Legacy (ages 5-8)

Friday, July 28 – Downtown @ 1:30 pm

LEGO Free Play (ages 5-8)

Saturday, June 17 & July 8 – Lake Arlington @ 2:00 pm

Mysteries at the Library (ages 5-8)

Monday, June 5, July 3 & July 17 – Southwest @ 4:30 pm

Read-a-thon (ages 5-8)

Thursday, June 15 & July 25 – Lake Arlington @ 12:oo pm

Junior Robo Camp (ages 6-9)

Monday, June 26 – Wednesday, June 28 – Downtown @ 10:00 amMonday, July 17 – Wednesday, July 19 – Downtown @ 10:00 am

Short Story Intensive (ages 9-17)

Fridays, June Only – Southeast @ 3:00 pm

Chess Club (ages 7-17)

Mondays: Lake Arlington @ 5:00 pm

Teen Time

Mondays: Downtown @ 3:00 pmThursdays: Downtown @ 3:00 pm

Family Chess Club

Tuesdays: Downtown @ 6:30 pm

Homeschool Textbook Swap

Friday, July 14 – Downtown @ 1:oo pm

Fort Worth Story Times

Family Story Time

Mondays: Reby Cary @ 6:30 p.m.Tuesdays: Golden Triangle @ 5 p.m. & Summerglen @ 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays: Riverside @ 10:30 a.m., Ella Mae Shamblee @ 3 p.m., East Berry @ 4 p.m. Thursdays: Northside @ 6:30 p.m.Fridays: East Regional @ 10:30 a.m.Saturdays: Northwest @ 10:30 a.m. & Rise @ 1 p.m.

Preschool Story Time

Tuesdays:: East Regional @ 10:30 a.m., Northwest @ 10:30 a.m. & Reby Cary @ 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Central @ 10:30 a.m., Southwest Regional @ 10:30 a.m. & Summerglen @ 10:30 a.m.Thursdays: Vivian J. Lincoln @ 10:30 a.m. (starting July 2023) & Golden Triangle @ 1 p.m.Fridays: Ridglea @ 10:30 a.m.

Saturdays: Wedgwood @ 10:30 a.m.