When you don’t know what to do with the kids, make your way through the checklist. This is a list of our favorite activities in metro Detroit that we look forward to most each summer. Be sure to also check out our FREE digital magazine for ideas, events and inspiration!
Special Activations
- Brick Live @ The Detroit Zoo (Royal Oak)
- Monroe Street Midway (Detroit)
- Cranbrook On The Green (Bloomfield Hills)
- Saturday In The Park @ Hines Drive (Westland)
Save the Date
- Outdoor Movie Night: June 9th, July 14th, August 11th (Birmingham)
- Livonia Spree: June 21st – 26th (Livonia)
- Michigan Balloonfest: June 23rd – 25th (Howell)
- Greenfield Village’s Salute to America: June 30th to July 3rd (Dearborn)
- Reading and Rhythm on the Riverfront: July 6th – August 11 (Detroit)
- Detroit Kite Festival: July 9th (Detroit)
- Farmington Founders Festival: July 20th – 22nd (Farmington)
- LittleGuide Detroit’s Stroller Roll: July 22nd (Westland)
- Sterlingfest July 27th – 29th (Sterling Heights)
- Touch-A-Truck @Greenmead Historical Park: August 26th (Livonia)
- Big Rig Gig (Lake Orion)
Outdoor Fun
- Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve (Southfield)
- Blake Farms (Armada)
- Diary-Go-Round (Plymouth)
- Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad (Flint)
- Crosswinds Marsh (New Boston)
- Kensington Metropark (Milford)
- Leslie Science & Nature Center (Ann Arbor)
- USA Hockey Arena Summer Drive-In (Plymouth)
- Ford House (Grosse Pointe Shores)
- Geary Skatepark (Ferndale)
- Memory Lane Drive-In Theater (Monroe)
- Diamond Jack’s River Tours (Detroit)
- CJ Barrymore’s (Clinton Township)
Animal Visits
- Howell Nature Center (Howell)
- Calder Dairy and Farm (Carleton)
- Maybury Farm (Northville)
- Children’s Pony Ranch –pictured – (Trenton)
- Wolcott Mills Farm Center (Ray)
- Reptarium (Utica)
Playground
- Innovation Hills (Rochester Hills)
- Hess-Hathaway Park (Waterford)
- Belle Isle State Park (Detroit)
- Gallup Park (Ann Arbor)
- David Shepherd Park (Oak Park)
- Plymouth Township Park (Plymouth)
- Lower Huron Metropark – pictured -(Belleville)
- Booth Park (Birmingham)
- Thorn Park (Brownstown)
- County Farm Park (Ann Arbor)
- Scarlet’s Park (Commerce)
- Gainsboro Park (Pleasant Ridge)
Indoor Activities
- SEA LIFE Michigan (Auburn Hills)
- Bounce It Up (Livonia)
- Perfect Game (Farmington Hills)
- Sloan Museum of Discovery (Flint)
- LEGOLAND Discovery Center (Auburn Hills)
- Michigan Firehouse Museum (Ypsilanti)
- Rev’d Up Fun (Woodhaven)
- Cranbrook Institute of Science (Bloomfield Hills)
- DNR Outdoor Adventure Center (Detroit)
- Peppa Pig World of Play (Auburn HIlls)
- Troy Gym –pictured – (Troy)
- Castaway Play (Howell)
- Kidcadia (Dearborn)
- Stemville (Northville)
- Correander’s Children’s Bookshoppe (Grosse Pointe Park)
- Treat Dreams (Ferndale)
- Kids Gotta Play (New Haven)
Splash Pad/Pools/Waterparks
- Blue Heron Bay Splash Park (Whitmore Lake)
- Lake St. Clair Metropark (Harrison Township)
- Lakeshore Park (Novi)
- Normandy Oaks – pictured – (Royal Oak)
- Turtle Cove Aquatic Center (Belleville)
- Civic Center Park (Woodhaven)
- Indian Springs Metropark (White Lake)
- Dodge Park (Sterling Heights)
- Troy Family Aquatic Center (Troy)
- Mt. Elliott Splash Pad (Detroit)
- Lily Pad Springs Splash Pad (West Bloomfield)
- Stony Creek Metropark (Shelby Township)
- Sterling State Park (Monroe)
- Red Oaks Waterpark (Madison Heights)
- H20 Splash Pad (Westland)
FREE Family Fun
- Stage Nature Center – pictured – (Troy)
- Clinton-Macomb Library (Clinton Township)
- Farmington Hills Nature Center (Farmington Hills)
- Southfield Public Library (Southfield)
- Detroit Institute of Arts
- Great Lake Steamers Mini-Train Rides (Southgate)
- West Bloomfield Public Library (West Bloomfield)
Day Trip Destinations
- Dow Gardens (Midland)
- John Ball Zoo (Grand Rapids)
- MSU Children’s Garden (Lansing)
- Innovation Station (Toledo)
Photo credit: Facebook
