Family time is precious! There’s nothing better than planning a trip to a park to connect with nature and get away from the digital world or at any place where we can share a nice moment with our loved ones, especially the kids.
Dallas is a perfect city for parents looking for fun and educational things to do with their children. There are tons of museums featuring interactive exhibits, as well as zoos and aquariums, which are typically quite popular places to go as a family.
Besides these, you can also feel the excitement of going to a trampoline park or a laser tag and arcade venue, where everything is about pure fun! There are literally tons of family-friendly places in the city, so you have to get creative to decide where to go.
We’ve listed our top recommendations for where to take the family in Dallas or anywhere nearby! So, whether you’re looking for something educational or just need some good old-fashioned family fun, these are the top 50 places in Dallas to visit with kids. Check them out for some quality family time!
Best Places to Visit with Children in & around Dallas
1
The Northeast Texas Children's Museum
Looking for educational museums for kids near Dallas? Look no further than the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum! The little ones can have a lot of fun in the bubble room, grocery store, bank, vet clinic, hospital, pizza place, hand-powered train, and smaller exhibits like Legos and Lincoln Logs.2
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science offers many activities and interactive exhibits for kids in Dallas! Explore the universe, experience a simulated earthquake, have a robotics competition, and more!3
Fort Worth Zoo
The Fort Worth Zoo is home to more than 500 species, including 72 species of mammals, 148 species of birds, and 172 species of ectotherms. The zoo offers tons of fantastic exhibits. When it comes to thinking about weekend plans with children in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, this zoo opens on both Saturday and Sunday.4
Altitude Trampoline Park
This amazing trampoline park is one of the top 50 places in Dallas to visit with kids. From high-energy equipment, including trampolines, a foam pit, a battle beam, and gymnastics tumble tracks, to a kid zone, basketball dunking lanes, and dodgeball, you’ll never run out of exciting things to do!5
KidZania Dallas
KidZania can be a top destination when it comes to the top things to do in Dallas with toddlers! As a city built for kids and run by kids, little ones will play pretend to their maximum! The facility even has paved streets, moving vehicles, and storefronts where kids can role-play 100+ professions in ultra-realistic settings.6
Discovery Science Place
Discovery Science Place offers many programs and interactive exhibits for kids near Dallas. People of all abilities can enjoy this great place where learning is super fun! This will definitely become a new favorite family destination!7
Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark
This amazing 80,000-square-foot waterpark offers year-round fun for the whole family! Are you ready to have some fun under the arched roof? Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark offers waterslides, a lazy river, an outdoor wave pool, and more fun things to do with kids in Dallas.8
Hat Creek Burger
Planning weekend activities for your children near Dallas? Hat Creek Burger is open until 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Kids will enjoy quality food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Little ones will love the burgers, salads, fries, nuggets, milkshakes, vegetarian and gluten-free options, and more! There’s also a large outdoor play area for the kids to enjoy!9
Dinosaur World
Dinosaur World is a unique place for kids of all ages to learn about these amazing creatures. Not only the little ones but the entire family will have a blast wandering among hundreds of life-size dinosaurs! Don’t miss out on all the interactive exhibits for kids at Dinosaur World!10
Dallas Zoo
The Dallas Zoo is one of the top 50 places to visit with kids in Dallas. This 160-acre zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals and 400 species! Visitors can learn about the animals, feed giraffes, enjoy bird landings, and more. Meet all the unique species and have educational fun with the kids!11
Ground Control Trampoline Park Irving
This fantastic trampoline park has some of the best attractions for families near Dallas. Kids can enjoy adrenaline-filled activities like the warrior course, stunt fall, ultimate dodgeball, a rock climbing wall, and more!12
Play Street Museum
When it comes to fun and educational museums for kids in and around Dallas, Play Street Museum is one of the most popular options. This place was designed to encourage a young child’s sense of independence, exploration, and creativity. Tots will have fun pretending and exploring the many interactive exhibits and activities.13
LEGOLAND Discovery Center
Looking for rainy day activities for kids near Dallas? LEGOLAND Discovery Center is one of the best options. Kids can explore several interactive exhibits, build LEGO creations, and play in 10 themed areas with millions of LEGO bricks!14
Sci-Tech Discovery Center
The Sci-Tech Discovery Center inspires learners of all ages and backgrounds to embrace innovation by exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM education). Because of all these, the Sci-Tech Discovery Center is one of the top 50 places in Dallas to visit with kids.15
Hawaiian Falls Garland
Hawaiian Falls Garland is the perfect option for a day of family fun in the sun! Kids and adults alike will enjoy the water rides and slides, and you can choose from thrilling rides or more relaxing activities!16
Frontiers of Flight Museum
Frontiers of Flight Museum welcomes families with kids to experience aerospace history, from the Wright Flyer to the Flying Pancake, the Apollo VII spacecraft, 13 historic galleries, and over 35,000 artifacts. If your kid loves all about space, then this would be the perfect option when looking for educational museums for kids in Dallas!17
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the Museum of Science and History is a must-visit for the whole family. This is the perfect place to learn about world history through traveling and permanent interactive exhibits for kids, including DinoLabs & DinoDig, and more!18
The Little Gym of Fort Worth (Southwest)
The Little Gym offers unique educational classes that revolve around active play. Children are given space to channel energy, build confidence and develop critical skills. Explore the many unique programs and classes and choose the one that is right for your kid!19
Sea Life
Sea Life is an interactive aquarium with thousands of aquatic creatures, interactive touch pools, and a 360-degree ocean tunnel! Families will find plenty of things to do in Dallas with kids at Sea Life, including seeing sharks, seahorses, clownfish, jellyfish, sea turtles, and many more marine species.20
Airborne Trampoline Park
With 40,000 square feet of wall-to-wall trampolines, this place is home to some of the best attractions for families near Dallas! Airborne is fully equipped with a ninja warrior obstacle course, foam pits, wipeout, slam ball, dodgeball, trapeze, and more!21
Kid Mania
This is the largest and most modern playground in Dallas! With over five levels of entertainment and a safe, interactive area, kids have new worlds at the tip of their fingers. Hunt for treasures or embark on adventures in the ”Challenge Path”; master the ”Cave Climbs”; ride the ”Magic Carpet” or zoom down zip lines! It’s one of the top 50 places in Dallas to visit with kids!22
The Dallas World Aquarium
From the Rainforest exhibit, where kids can see exotic birds, to the Aquarium section, kids will love visiting the Dallas World Aquarium! Bring your family to experience the incredible, interactive exhibits for kids that this place offers!23
Crayola Experience Plano
Crayola features 60,000 square feet of the best attractions for families near Dallas. It’s the most colorful family destination for creative and interactive play! Kids will have the chance to go on a whimsical, wonderful adventure and discover 25 hands-on experiences.24
iFly Dallas Fort Worth
When it comes to hidden gems for families near Dallas, iFly tops the list! You can make your dream of flying come true! In an iFly wind tunnel, you will be able to fly your body in a controlled manner in the safety of a wall-to-wall air chamber.25
Bahama Beach Waterpark
Bahama Beach features 45-foot slides for big kids and grown-ups, an interactive water playground, a lazy river, zero-entry beaches, and more! This amazing water park offers something for every family member to enjoy!26
Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary
This 289-acre wildlife sanctuary also functions as a natural science museum! Its main purpose is to educate children about nature, and what better way to do that than in a natural environment? Kids will love to be in touch with the natural world as they learn about and enjoy it!27
Dino Kidz
This indoor children’s playground is designed for the excitement of the little ones! Here, in a safe and clean environment, kids can have the ultimate birthday party or develop their fine and gross motor skills through play, unique classes and imagination.28
Museum of Illusions Dallas
Kids will love this place that combines fun and entertainment with education and learning, where the incredible becomes real. This educational museum has something for all ages and offers personalized experiences for everyone!29
SPARK!
A play museum is way better than a regular museum, and kids will totally agree! SPARK! is an immersive and creative environment that builds confidence and shapes the future for children ages 7-17 through innovative programming and play! Without a doubt, this will become your favorite destination in Dallas for interactive exhibits for kids.30
The American Airlines CR Smith Museum
Visitors of all ages will find something fun to do at the American Airlines CR Smith Museum! Kids can play on flight simulators, step behind an actual cockpit, or try on the inflatable evacuation slide. The museum also offers educational workshops and family events.31
Adventure Landing
Adventure Landing is a mini golf course in Dallas that offers three themed courses for all ages to enjoy! The 18-hole course features a waterfall, zoo animals and caves. If you’re looking for even more fun, Adventure Landing also offers the Adventure Speedway Go-karts, laser tag in a themed arena, and more. For these reasons, it’s one of the hidden gems for families in Dallas.32
SeaQuest
Take your loved ones on a journey with this petting zoo and aquarium feeding experience. SeaQuest is home to nearly 1,200 animals representing 300 different species. These animals arrived at SeaQuest from rescues or shelters where they had outgrown their habitats, while others were injured and needed care and rehabilitation.33
Peppa Pig World of Play
Peppa Pig World of Play has some of the top things to do near Dallas with toddlers. At this indoor play center, kids will find over 14 themed areas of free-roaming play that bring the world of Peppa Pig to life and capture their imaginations!34
Jumping World
Jumping World is a huge family entertainment center filled with trampolines, foam pits, a ninja warrior course, a toddler area, a slam dunk arena, basketball dunking, and more! While there are no free activities for children, Open Jump prices start at just $4.00, making it quite affordable.35
Waterpark At The Villages
This is a great place to celebrate a birthday party or simply have a day filled with tons of fun. With a glass-enclosed recreation area featuring a retractable roof for summer, tube and body slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and more, it’s no wonder this is one of the top 50 places in Dallas to visit with kids.36
Trinity Forest Adventure Park
Looking for weekend plans with children in Dallas? If they're old enough for an adrenaline-pumping activity, take them to Trinity Forest Adventure Park. It has a self-guided ropes course with more than 20 zip lines and 70 elements. There are six courses and four difficulty levels.37
We Rock the Spectrum Dallas
We Rock the Spectrum is among the top things to do in Dallas with toddlers. This place is committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and fun environment that promotes learning, exploration, and safe sensory experiences. It offers social skills groups and activities for children on the spectrum.38
Castaway Cove Waterpark
At Castaway Cove Waterpark, fun awaits you and every member of your family! With over 40-foot waterslides, 50-foot towers, an interactive kids' park, a lazy river, a wave pool, and much more, this place features some of the best attractions for families near Dallas.39
House of Air Trampoline & Ninja Park
House of Air Trampoline & Ninja Park is among the top 50 places in Dallas to visit with kids. With so many activities and attractions to choose from, you won’t know what to do first. Choose from open trampoline jump time, aerial and physical training on trampolines, trampoline dodgeball, ninja obstacle courses, and more!40
PeeknPlay
Want to check out the best things to do in Dallas with toddlers? PeeknPlay is perfect for little ones! This indoor play area features a kid-sized play town and a tree house! In this area, the little ones can slide down a slide that leads into a ball pit and play with lots of other toys. The fun is guaranteed for the younger ones!41
Casey’s Clubhouse at Dove Park
If you’re looking for free activities to do in Dallas with kids, Casey’s Clubhouse is the place to go! It has slides, bridges, tunnels, and many more cool attractions for children to have fun! It also has a handicap-accessible play structure and swings so everyone can enjoy playtime!42
National Videogame Museum
For fun and educational museums for kids, look no further than the National Videogame Museum. To parallel the video game industry, this museum has exhibits with lots of interactivity. Discover game systems, a reproduction of an 80s arcade, and 20,000 items all related to video games! Kids and adults alike will love to visit this museum!43
Sky Zone Trampoline Park
We can’t forget about Sky Zone—it’s definitely one of the top 50 places in Dallas to visit with kids! You can choose a 3D play experience with trampolines and foam pits or a more adventurous activity at the ninja course. Sky Zone has literally something for every age so that the whole family can enjoy this trampoline park!44
Kids Empire
This indoor playground is filled with family entertainment for all! Kids will have a blast exploring the floor-to-ceiling climbing walls, play structures, and drop-in ball pit. Be sure to check out Kids Empire the next time you're looking for indoor activities for kids on a rainy day.45
JadeWaters Resort Pool Complex
JadeWaters Resort Pool Complex is a great spring and summer family destination! The complex includes a leisure pool with a swim-up bar, kids' splash and play area, a lazy river, luxury cabanas, two 180-foot water slides, and more!46
Klyde Warren Park- Children’s Area
This park connects Uptown with the Dallas Arts District. It features a children’s area with playgrounds, fountains, a storytelling tree, and a kid-sized amphitheater where the little ones can enjoy educational events such as reading clubs and more! ading clubs. Because of all this, Klyde Warren Park is one of the hidden gems for families in Dallas.47
Monster Yogurt
Monster Yogurt is a fun and entertaining dessert experience that kids will love! With more than 80 rotating, premium self-serve frozen yogurt flavors, there is a flavor to visit and try every day of the week! Kids can play in the Monster Cave and enjoy time with friends while parents relax with free WiFi.48
Allen Public Library
The Allen Public Library offers many free activities for children near Dallas. Choose between Storytimes, Baby and Me Storytime for preschoolers, Fun Ones and Twos for toddlers 1-2 years old, and other fun and engaging events. Be sure to check whether they’re free, so your kids can participate and have a great time!49
Dallas Public Library
This is another perfect destination for fun and free activities for children in Dallas. The public library has two areas for the little ones, each filled with books and activities that are more suitable for them.50
HAPIK Climbing
For families who love rock climbing, HAPIK is one of the top 50 places to visit with kids in Dallas. The facility has two ropes courses, over 100 routes on 40 themed walls, and more! It’s also great for all skill levels and ages!Clearly, there are so many incredible places in Dallas to visit with kids that you won’t know where to start. Now, exploring them and discovering your favorites is up to you! However, even a family lunch at a nice kid-friendly restaurant is just as important as planning a weekend activity with your children or their birthday party.
Hence, to top off your plan with the icing on the cake, don’t miss out on all these top destinations that range from nature trails for families to interactive exhibits and more! The whole family will definitely enjoy and cherish a wonderful time.