CENTRAL TEXAS (KXAN) — It doesn’t *technically* need to be the summer season yet for Central Texas to feel positively tropical, with high temperatures and humidity to match.
With schools out for the summer, you might be looking for ways to keep your kids occupied the next couple of months. We’ve got you covered: Here’s a list of kid-friendly activities to beat the heat and make some summer memories this year.
Take a dip in a local pool, splash pad
The City of Austin is home to 45 public aquatic facilities, comprising regional, community and neighborhood pools, one wading pool, Barton Springs Pool and 11 splash pads.
And there’s welcomed news for residents this summer: With enough lifeguards hired, all operational pools — 32 of them, to be exact — are now open in Austin for the first time since 2019.
On June 16, Parque Zaragoza Pool was temporarily closed due to mechanical issues. City staff are working to fix it as soon as possible, the city said.
To find the closest pool or splashpad near you, click here.
Hit up a local park
If you’re looking to beat the extreme midday heat and get an early start to your day, what better way to spend it than with a trip to the park?
The City of Austin is home to dozens of greenbelts as well as metropolitan, neighborhood and pocket parks. A complete list of those can be found online.
For those Austinites looking to make a slightly further trek up north, the City of Round Rock’s Play For All Park is an inclusively-constructed park designed to entertain kids of all abilities. Park attractions include a sensory pod-sand box, an all abilities playscape and swing set and some retreat pods, among others.
Visit a kid-friendly movie screening
Some days, it’s just too dang hot to do anything outside. That’s when an ice cold movie theater — and accompanying soda and popcorn — can be your best friend.
Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse locations offer Kids Camp movie screenings during summer and winter breaks, with $5 tickets for all attendees. The camps feature a blend of more recent animated favorites along with classic kids films.
Titles planned this summer include “The Land Before Time,” “DC League of Super-Pets,” “Paddington 2,” “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and “Free Willy,” among others.
Elsewhere, Evo Entertainment offers a handful of Texas locations, including entertainment complexes in Austin, San Marcos, New Braunfels and Kyle.
This summer, EVO Entertainment will host its Kidflix Summer Movies Series, with 10 weeks’ worth of $1 movie screenings. Films on the roster include “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” “The Lego Batman Movie,” “The Secret Life of Pets,” “Shrek 2” and “Paw Patrol: The Movie,” among others.
Check out a local musuem
Who says summer can’t be a time for learning? Escape the heat and expand your horizons with a visit to one of many museums and educational centers in the greater Austin area.
Some options include:
Austin Nature & Science Center
The Bullock Texas State History Museum
Plan a day trip to the zoo, animal attractions
Lions, tigers and bears, oh my! Nothing thrills quite like seeing wild animals up close.
You can go the more traditional zoo experience with the Austin Zoo, or check out area animal sanctuaries like the Austin Farm Sanctuary and the Safe In Austin Rescue Ranch.
Looking for something where the animals are a highlight but not the full attraction? The Jester King Brewery Farm is located on 165 acres of Texas Hill Country land and features beer for the parents, live-in goats to delight the kids and pizza and sandwiches for all to enjoy.
Venture to an area waterpark
You request a pool, we raise you a waterpark. Thankfully, several waterparks have set up shop in Central Texas for Texans to rev up the adventures while putting a pin in that unforgiving summer heat.
Some area attractions include Kalahari Indoor Water Park in Round Rock, Typhoon Texas Waterpark Austin in Pflugerville, Volente Beach Resort & Waterpark in Leander, Lake Travis Waterloo Adventures in Leander and the Rock’N River Water Park in Round Rock.