Who doesn’t want to get outside and enjoy this amazing weather? After being cooped up all winter to avoid the rain and snow, it’s time to get your family out and about to explore. If you’re looking to shake up your weekend, we recommend taking a daytrip and experiencing something brand new, exciting and family friendly.

Nothing says excitement quite like an alligator theme park. Head to this one-of-a-kind experience in Beaumont where visitors can see all types of reptiles and other animals. Kids will be thrilled to attend a show and see firsthand the skill of handlers working with two of the largest alligators in captivity, Big Al and Big Tex, both weighing in at 1,000 pounds and almost 14 feet in length. If you’re interested in purchasing a trip to Gator Country, visit our Houston Experience Marketplace where you can buy your pass online.

Other fun options available for purchase include the Fun & Games Pass, which gives you three fun activities - a Sugar Land Skeeters game, a day at Typhoon Texas Waterpark and admission to the Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center. These locations are all conveniently located on the west side of Houston, making it easy to pack your weekend full of great memories. 

If you’re aiming for a more relaxing weekend in the sun, Pine Gully Park in Seabrook offers outdoor activities for the whole family. This 52-acre park offers amazing views of Galveston Bay from its 1,000 foot fishing pier. The woods and wetlands of the park are teeming with life, which makes it a great spot to scour the skies for birds or the ground for critters. Don’t forget to bring your bikes along to enjoy the 6-mile loop for hiking and biking. Afterwards, have a seat at a picnic table and fire up the grill. If the kids still aren’t worn out, there’s plenty of playground equipment and swings to enjoy before dinner.  

Royal Purple Speedway Baytown

For a day packed with activities sure to keep kids from getting bored, Baytown has the perfect experience. Home to one of only four GeoTours in the state of Texas, visitors get the chance to hunt for hidden containers at 31 of Baytown’s landmarks, piece together a puzzle through codes on the containers, and earn swag at the end of the journey. While on this expedition through Baytown, families will visit the Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center to see live baby gators, Pirate’s Bay Water Park, Royal Purple Raceway, the Baytown Nature Center and more! Want to come away with a souvenir? Participants can stop by the tourism kiosk in the Baytown Buc-ee’s to pick up a passport or print a passport online here. The passport is your guide book for the journey, and your ticket to prizes like our minted Texas geocoin once completed.

Famous for its iconic pyramids, Moody Gardens also offers plenty of ways to breathe in the refreshing air of the season. Test your agility on the five-tier Ropes Course & Zip Line before going on a sunset cruise on the Colonel Paddlewheel Boat, a replica of an 1800s-era triple-deck sternwheeler. Keep an eye out and you may even see a dolphin or two. Or enjoy the sandy shores of Moody Gardens’ Palm Beach, where kids can enjoy the water park and parents can float the lazy river and soak up the sun.

Moody Gardens Penguins

Bonus: if the weather turns bad, just head indoors! The recently renovated Aquarium Pyramid is home to a 1.5-million-gallon aquarium and all new exhibits that house penguins, sharks and more.

Upcoming family friendly events

The League City Music Festival & Bar-B-Q Cookoff is an annual family-friendly event at Walter Hall Park.  This year the Festival is on May 4 and 5, 2018. Sammy Kershaw will be taking the stage on Friday night and Country Duo Maddie & Tae will light up the night on Saturday! 

Stop at the Rails & Tails Mudbug Festival in Tomball. This annual event features a full day of celebrating tasty crawfish through music, food and fun at Tomball’s historic downtown Depot. Musical acts include The Fab 5, Waylon Thibodeaux, John Evans, and Bayou Roux. Mark your calendars for May 5, 2018.

For more family friendly activities around Houston, click here