Having a list of fun places to go with your mom (or with your kids if you are “mom”) is something I like to keep for our free time in the summer.
I’m a big believer in not over-scheduling our kids and making sure they have free time at home – even if sometimes it’s like pulling teeth to get them to use it, haha. Say it with me, it is good for them to be “bored” and learn how to entertain themselves. That being said, I like to spend time with them away from home too. I feel like I can be more in-the-moment and enjoy those times differently as opposed to always seeing a project or chore that needs to be done at home.
I have a lot of memories adventuring with my mom. They weren’t usually extravagant – one of our favorite places was to go to a toy store (yeah, an actual store! Remember those?) and play with their floor models. We also loved the climbable indoor playground at the mall, and of course, the zoo.
As a kid, fun places to go with your mom don’t have to cost an arm and a leg, they just have to have you there.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase.
Making Sweet Summer Memories
With my daughters now being 5 and 2, going fun places together is much easier and much less stressful for me. I have this weird habit of feeling like I need to do everything I’ve ever wanted to do with them in the summertime right now. Obviously that’s not the case, and hopefully, this is just one of our many summers together.
One of the great things about this stage of life with my girls is that it really doesn’t take much to impress them. During 2020, I had to get a little more creative, but their favorite things were being pushed on the tire swing and making “chalk obstacle courses” in the driveway. Kids are just the sweetest.
Free Mommy and Me Outings
Some of these fun places to go may lean toward younger kids, because that’s what I know right now. So leave me a comment below with some of your favorite places to take your kids, especially if they’re older or teenagers.
The Pet Store
Around here, we call the local pet supply store the “free zoo,” haha! When my husband goes to get his haircut, I usually take the girls to explore. The free zoo is one of their favorites! They get to wander around and visit all of the animals.
They love to watch the rodents wind their way through the tunnels and see if there are any bugs for the reptiles to eat in their cages. The fish are always a big hit too. We all seem to get sucked into watching the dogs get groomed and peek at the kittens waiting to be adopted. Sometimes if they’re extra good, I let them pick out a small treat to bring back home to our two dogs.
Sure, I know it’s a far cry from the zoo, but to them, it’s almost just as fun!
Playground and/or Splash Pad
Park days are the best days! Meeting at a park helps kids learn to socialize with others, lets them burn tons of energy, and……keeps your house clean! Hooray!
In the summertime, make sure you pack plenty to drink and sunscreen if you’ll need it. If there’s a splash pad near you, it’s definitely worth the drive. Your kiddos can explore and keep cool without the constant stress of watching them swim in a typical pool.
The Library
The library is a popular mommy & me destination. Many libraries offer groups for different age groups that include storytime and maybe even a craft or activity. Let your kids explore the aisles and pick a few books to take home – that’s what the children’s area is for! So no need to worry about keeping them perfectly quiet either.
Bonus: the library is a great place for you to meet other mommies! Some of my first friends when we were new to town came from meeting at the library.
Special Admission Days
During the summer, many parks and attractions have free admission days. Find them and write them on your calendar! These special admission days make exploring new places even easier and makes for a free day trip. You may even get to explore somewhere you’d never considered or thought of before.
Keep an eye out for these on social media or check your local parks and rec websites.
Biking
If your kids love riding bikes as much as mine do, why not load everyone up for a change of scenery? Look for parks or trails that are paved and if possible, are off-limits to motor vehicles. The last thing I want to do is have to worry about my little ones falling over into oncoming traffic!
If you don’t already have one, a bike rack like this is an inexpensive way to transport everyone’s bicycles. We recently loaded everyone up and made a short drive to a friend’s neighborhood. We got to see some new sights and spend some time with some of our favorite people.
If possible, I highly recommend riding your bikes to run errands and pick up/drop off your kiddos. Bike riding is a fun way to be more active as a family. While she was still in school, we would pick up my oldest daughter from PreK in our bike trailer. I got in a great workout (nearly 10 miles round-trip!) and the girls enjoyed picking our music and munching on their snacks.
Cheap & Fun Places To Go With Your Mom
YMCA
Goodness, it seems like we live at the Y, and I’m totally ok with it! I enjoy working out and participating in several group fitness classes. I also teach an indoor cycling class twice a week. If I’m not exercising, you can probably find us in the pool!
I love how the YMCA has something for everyone – swimming lessons, summer camps, and sports for the girls and some kid-free exercise time for me!
Depending on your local rules, you may qualify for discounted memberships if you’re a first responder, military or veteran, teacher, or in our case, a ministerial family.
Nail Spa
I frequently paint my girls’ nails at home, but for less than $10 (usually more like $5), they can go to the “real” nail salon and have them painted by a professional. It’s a special splurge I like to treat them to from time to time.
I let them pick out any color (even if it makes my eyes bulge a bit, haha) they like and enjoy watching them pretend to be oh-so grown up while they sit in the manicurist chair.
Sweet Treats
Who doesn’t like a cold, sweet treat on a hot summer day? Little treats like ice creams and slushies are usually pretty inexpensive and can be a part of a fun day date with mommy, or an outing all its own! Making memories together don’t have to be expensive or extravagant – enjoy sipping a slushy together at a park or on the ride home.
Bigger Adventures and Annual Memberships
A great way to get the most bang for your buck is to consider purchasing annual memberships to varying places. If you know you’d like to visit more than once, it may be more cost effective to go ahead and buy the membership. Membership privileges often include discounts on attraction purchases, special access to areas and events, and maybe even free guest tickets.
Depending on where you live, you may have even more options to consider when making your list of fun places to go with your mom, but here are a few ideas to get you started!
Children’s Museum
Children’s museums are a fun and interactive place to explore during the summer. They’re literally designed for kids, so you don’t have to worry about all of the “do not touch” signs typically associated with museums. Plus, they get to make new friends and play with all sorts of different toys!
A great perk of children’s museums is that they occasionally have partnerships with other area museums, meaning your membership may grant you access to multiple attractions.
Zoo
What kid doesn’t enjoy a good zoo day? I can’t think of any! Enjoy the day by observing the animals, enjoying the attractions (our local zoo includes a carousel and kiddie-sized roller coasters), and maybe even share a special snack.
Taking your kiddos to the zoo provides them with an educational and entertaining experience they won’t soon forget.
Theme Park
Living in central Florida certainly has its perks – and this is one of them! When possible, buying annual memberships to theme parks is my favorite way to purchase tickets because it takes the pressure off to enjoy everything in one day. Rushing around from attraction to attraction adds stress to an already potentially chaotic day.
If the theme park is within a short driving distance, you can even use your annual memberships to just go for a few hours at a time and hit up only your most favorite attractions. A membership gives you the flexibility and freedom you need to get the most out of your experience.
Fun Together at Home
Who says you have to leave home to have a good time? As kids, sometimes the most fun places to go with your mom are right outside your front door.
Tire Swing
I mentioned this earlier, but my kids love their tire swing. We have spent countless hours on that thing. They even let me ride from time to time, haha.
I make the most of this time by singing songs with them, and most importantly, quizzing them on their Bible trivia (or “quiz questions” as we call them). Ahem, Bible trivia?? Ok I know that may sound less than fun to some, but they love it! I’ll ask them each a question, and if they give me the correct answer, I give them an extra big push. At nearly 6′ tall, my “big push” is really pretty big!
It’s really special to me to have my kids beg me to ask them quiz questions and I know these are memories (and truths!) they’ll treasure forever.
Chalk Obstacle Course
I mentioned this at the beginning of this post, but here’s a little bit more detail. Use sidewalk chalk on your driveway or sidewalk to create age-appropriate obstacle courses.
For my youngest, I’ll dry squiggly lines for her to walk along and follow or circles for her to jump to and from. For my older daughter, I can be a bit more creative – I’ll jumble up the letters in words she knows and have her jump to them in the correct order; have her spin or do other commands at certain points; follow a number sequence or complete simple math problems…you get the idea.
This idea gives you so much freedom to make it be anything you want it to be! Use it to review things you’ve been working on together or to teach something new.
Nature Walks
We live in a parsonage on church property, so we’ve got some room to roam. These “nature walks” are hardly hiking, but the fresh air always does us good.
Take time to point out different plants or insects. Play I-Spy. Ask them questions. Let them wander and explore.
“Play With Me!”
Mama, if you’re like me, sometimes I just really don’t want to play. But you know what, not much makes my kids happier than me setting aside whatever I need (or want) to do and let them be in charge for a bit. Play a game. Color or do a craft. Do a puzzle. Play make believe. Bake. Dance. You get the idea – your presence is what they crave most.
