It’s here!! Summer is here!! Preschools and Elementary schools are wrapping up classes and before we know it, we’ll have our sweet babies back! Pretty soon there will be days of sleeping in, spontaneous day trips, surprise sweets, living room forts, splash pads, play dates. . . and then the first 20 days will pass and you’ll suddenly find realize there’s still 55 long days of summer to go.
Now what to do?. . . Dallas Moms is gonna help you with that!
I’ve polled our writers and we’ve come up with an incredible list of activities to help you get through the 75 days of summer vacation (give or take a few days depending on when your school starts). Whether you enjoy indoor fun, outdoor excitement, or quiet and independent play, there’s a little something for everyone — everyday — all summer long! So, without further ado, here’s your plan for the next 75 DAYS OF SUMMER FUN.
75 Days of Summer Activities in Dallas-Fort Worth
- Set up a sprinkler in the backyard.
- Make a weekly trip to the local library for storytime. (Summer’s a great time for your child’s first library card!)
- Escape indoor’s to Prestonwood’s Indoor playground.
- Take your child to their first play at the Plano Children’s Theater or Dallas Children’s Theatre.
- Head North to Gainesville and explore the Frank Buck Zoo.
- Make the trip to Terrell for some delicious peach ice cream at Ham’s Orchard.
- Stay up late for some Fro Yo at Play street Museum.
- Take a walk to your local park and collect fun finds along the way.
- Get crafty with your kids for Father’s Day.
- Turn your pool noodles into light sabers and have a battle.
- Bring your LEGO® Minifigures to Legoland Discovery Center and trade for a few new Minifigures.
- Have a bubble blowing contest.
- Eat on Chicken Scratch’s patio in Oak Cliff and spend the night playing outdoors!
- Practice being a Ninja at Obstacle Warrior Kids.
- Introduce your children to a new board game. (Chutes & Ladders, Mouse Trap, Candy Land, etc)
- Meet your favorite Octonaut at SEA LIFE Grapevine.
- Fly a kite at Klyde Warren Park & eat lunch off the Food Trucks.
- Attend an outdoor concert at Watters Creeks in Allen.
- Sign up for the Dallas Summer Reading Program and earn a few prizes while reading!
- See new butterflies hatch and be released at Texas Discovery Gardens.
- Turn your trampoline into a canvas by using sidewalk chalk.
- Play a round of mini golf.
- Catch a home run from Dirk Nowitzki at the Heroes Celebrity Game.
- Plan a visit to the ducks and turtles of NorthPark Centre.
- Attend Kaboomtown in Addison, Main Street USA
- Go berry picking at a local farm.
- Feed the Stingrays at the Children’s Aquarium.
- Start My Meal Monday’s with your kids!
- Go camping. . .in your backyard.
- Spend the day at your local splash pad.
- Bake cookies and introduce yourself to another neighborhood family.
- Mail letters/pictures to grandparents.
- Build an indoor fort and watch a movie under the sheets.
- Surprise your littles with a sweet treat from Berrynaked Pops or Monster Yogurt.
- Join Dallas Moms Blog for one of their fabulous Indoor Playdates!
- Pet a giraffe at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.
- Rent a kayak on White Rock Lake.
- Take the DART to Downtown Plano and explore a train museum.
- Mix it up and make some Kool-Aid Play Dough.
- Get silly at Shops at Willow Bend with the Clowns of Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey.
- Check a Dallas Must off your list, and visit the Mustangs of Las Colinas.
- Make your own chalk paint and create a gallery on your sidewalks.
- Explore a natural playground at the JCC.
- Attend a storytime above Downtown Dallas in the GEO-Deck.
- Enjoy an evening game at the Ballpark with the Texas Rangers.
- Start a Preschool Craft Exchange with other families.
- Summer’s halfway over! Let them spend a little downtime on a tablet with our favorite educational websites.
- Take a short drive to Ennis and catch a double-feature at the drive-in.
- Play “eye spy” at the Eye of the Collector exhibit at the Perot Museum.
- Skip lunch at home and spend the afternoon tasting fresh foods at a local Farmers Market.
- Sign up for a week of VBS at a local church.
- Make yard dice and play a game in your backyard.
- Pick one day trip from this list to explore a new city.
- Get your face painted at the Dallas Arboretum on a “Family Fun Friday”.
- Build a Sandcastle in your sandbox.
- Visit the animals at the Dallas Zoo, then get a little wet in the LaCerte Family Zoo.
- Pack a picnic and head to a parent’s (or grandparent’s) office for lunch.
- Spend your morning with the Lucky Duck Kids Club and spend the afternoon on the Watters Creek outdoor playground.
- Get wet at Bahama Beach or Hawaiian Falls.
- Spend Saturday morning watching cartoons in your PJ’s at Studio Movie Grill.
- Feel a cool breeze and go ice skating at Galleria Dallas.
- Stick ’em in the bathtub for some homemade bath paint fun.
- Let your child tumble without worrying about safety at Palaestra’s Open Gym times.
- Attend a Lowe’s Build & Grow or Home Depot Kids’ Workshop.
- Spend a Saturday night with the Dallas Zoo for Safari Nights.
- Build an obstacle course in your living room.
- Make frozen Watermelon popsicles or Applesauce treats.
- Volunteer WITH your children at one of these local, family-friendly non-profit organizations.
- Host a neighborhood BBQ in your front yard.
- Pop into a bookstore and play with trains.
- Make an appointment and visit a fire station.
- Go Fishing at Bass Pro.
- Participate in a scavenger hunt at Target First Saturday’s at the Nasher Sculpture Center.
- Free bounce at an indoor bounce house venue.
- Keep the kids in the car and the A/C on while you watch the airplanes at DFW or Addison Airport from your car.
Bricks and Minifigs is a great option too.