Parks & Nature

• Levy Park Conservancy (must go)
• Houston arboretum and nature center
• Discovery green splash pads, movie nights (pick up picnic from Phoenicia int’l grocery store)
• Niko’s at Market Square Park (bring blanket, often they have bingo evenings)
• Barbara Fish Daniel Play area off Sabine near the skate park.
• Explore buffalo bayou trails (starting at the skate park all the way to the police memorial) exploring around that Buffalo Bayou play area/stage/trails
• Sam Houston Park (old houses and gazeebos) across from Hobby Center/City Hall is nice to walk around, too.
• Visit a farm or a zoo nearby Houston (many berry farms, Brenham pumpkin and maze farms)
• Memorial Park (great for picnic, bike-riding, running, rollerskating)
• Glassell school of art rooftop garden (MFAH)
• Donovan Park
• Mercer botanical garden
• Fleming Park in River Oaks
• River Oaks ‘Pumpkin’ Park
• Old MacDonalds farm / petting zoo
• The West 11th St Park near the Heights/Timbergrove
• Eleanor Tinsley Park downtown view and police memorial
• Huffington Park
• James Turrell’s Twilight Epiphany Skyspace at rice University
• Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark
• Nottingham Park (has an amazing splash pad)
• Hermann Park
  • Good for walking/running around
  • Sometimes they have events too
  • There’s Pinewood cafe by the lake where kiddos can feed the ducks, ride the paddle boats, ride the little train
  • Once a year there is kite festival (March)
  • McGovern Centennial Gardens in Hermann Park is awesome for letting kids run around. There’s a family garden that’s great for exploring and identifying seasonal fruits, veggies and herbs
  • On Fridays they have a free story hour 10a-11a that includes an activity and short walk!
  • Hermann Park accessible playground
  • Hermann Park Japanese garden

Activity

• Children’s museum (free every Thursday evening 5-8pm, 3rd floor children’s museum is for babies
• Walking in the downtown tunnels, ride the light rail to the museums
• Ride the Greenlink bus, which is sort of a free downtown tour
• Area around the Dunlavy (near Common Bond bakery, get coffee with kids at the Bacchus)
• Ride on the light rail to the museum district, then walk around Rice University, there are hammocks too!
• Farmer’s market in front of City Hall
• Blue Field Market  in East of Downtown (has volleyball court for the adults and free yoga on Sunday evenings)
• Walk thru The Westmoreland Historic District
• Bayou Bend (look up their calendar because they have regular art-oriented events for kids usually on 3rd Sunday)
• J.P. Morgan chase tower (climb up to see a great downtown view)
• Waterfall park by the galleria
• The Contemporary Arts Museum
• Art car museum in heights
• Blaffer art museum
• Eat outside at Cedar Creek or Cottonwood (dress kiddos in play-clothes)
• Museum Monday’s at the square at memorial city , 10-11.30am
• Project row houses
• Rothko Chappell
• Beer Can House
• The Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern
• Baking classes at Bonjour & Bienvenue (frenchclubhouston.com) paid
• The Original Ninfas to eat and walk around historic east of downtown plaza
• Glow in the dark mini golf
• Have a free meal for kids at Your Pie in downtown (Mo and Tu)
• Studio June Baking Classes
• Music classes for kiddos (first class is free, be sure to sign up)
  • Gymboree
  • Fundamentally Music
  • Prelude
  • Musikgarten Bellaire
  • Crescendo

Entertainment

• Free museum days!
• Miller Outdoor Theater (absolutely the best thing in Houston & always free)
• Movie Theaters often offer kids movies for $1 or less during low times
• Downtown aquarium (rides, splash pad, games & wheel to see cityscapes)
• Fire truck museum (Fire Truck Park in West U)
• NASA
• Kaboom books (bookstore to go to)
• Houston zoo
• Battlefield Houston
• The art car museum
• Fire museum
• For families with little (or big) aviator enthusiasts: Hobby Airport’s annual festival where you can see vintage aircraft & more! (Plus it’s FREE.)
• Kids cooking in Phoenicia
• All public libraries around town have events for kids (i.e. story time)
• Music classes (Prelude, Fundamentally Music – first class free)
• Gymboree Music & Play – They offer activity classes throughout the week and also free classes too. There are multiple locations!
• The Heights library has a decent play area with fun toys and of course books (Monday story time)
• Menil collection area (Menil Bistro for food)
• Storytime on Saturday mornings at Brazos Bookstore (they include snacks and a craft)

Pool/Water activities

• Pool at the four seasons downtown for free if you order lunch by the pool. Yep, basically when you walk in just ask to be guided towards the pool and tell them you’ll be eating poolside and someone will let you out there.  They provide all the towels you could need and treat you no differently then a guest. They’ll also let you use the gym.
• If you call around, quite a few hotels offer the buy food/swim free policy or sell pool passes for $20/30. The Hilton downtown does this as well
• Marriott lazy river/pool/gym downtown (access by getting any spa service. Even the cheapest!)
• YMCA downtown pool (Sundays)
• Willow Pool or Maplewood Pool.
• The woodlands resort
• Marriott marquis selling day passes
• Second Saturday Buffalo Bayou Boat Rides
• Sam Houston Boat Tour (Where: 7300 Clinton Drive) tour of the ship channel
• Pool day
  • Colonial Park Pool (West U)
  • Rob Fleming Aquatic Center (Woodlands)
  • Typohoon Texas (Katy)
  • Quillian Recreation Center (Westpark Dr)
  • Pengu Swimming School
  • Emler Swimming School (offers classes)

Playgrounds (please see the page dedicated to playgrounds – hyperlinked here)