Abc’s here we go! Here is a list of kid friendly things to do in Michigan! Can you finish the list before the year is up?
A- Ann Arbor Hands On Museum
The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum has over 250+ interactive activities for kids. Kids can experiment with simple machines, water, lights and optics. You learn by playing, kids can use their imagination exploring miniaturized worlds of medicine, commerce and community – your littles will love the child-sized fire engine.
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum // 220 E. Ann St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Ann Arbor Hand’s On Museum, Ann Arbor
B- Bower’s School Farm
Take a trip to Bowers School Farm for hands-on fun. Let your kids carry chickens, brush horses, milk a cow, go on a wagon ride and more! Each month there will be a different theme of activities, starting with Earth Day in April. Families can also borrow a Jr. Farmer Pack that includes exploration tools and activities that enhance your Open Barn visit.
Bowers School Farm // 1219 East Square Lake Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
Bower’s School Farm, Bloomfield Hills
C- Carousel Acres
Your admission allows you to feed the parakeets, brush the miniature horses and zonkey, and go into the goat pen! (Please wait for an employee to help you with these.) You can then take a self-guided tour around the rest of the farm. Staff are around to help you, or answer any questions you may have. There are tons of informative signs and the names of the animals. Because let’s face it, all of the kids want to know the Ox’s name. (Oliver). On weekends they offer pony rides for an additional $7. They also offer a gemstone mining experience where you can sift for treasures for an extra $10. They also do private parties, summer camps, and you can schedule a visit for them to come to you!
Carousel Acres // 12749 9 Mile Rd, South Lyon, MI 48178
Carousel Acres, South Lyon
D- Discovery City Children’s Museum
The Discovery City Children’s Museum is now open and ready for you to explore! Let their imaginations run wild with tons of pretend play options and tiny towns. Discover treasure on the pirate ship complete with costumes and maps! Serve dinner in the restaurant, go fishing on the boat, grocery shopping at Sam’s Club or perform veterinarian checks at the animal hospital. And that’s just in the first room!
Discovery City Children’s Museum is located at // 317 Grand River Avenue, Port Huron, MI
Discovery City Children’s Museum, Port Huron
E- Ella Sharp Museum and Planetarium
The museum hosts a kids play area with hands on toys such as marble runs, dress up area and a play kitchen area. There are also multiple scavenger hunts throughout the museum to keep the kids entertained and engaged in learning. Outside be sure to check out the Hurst Planetarium. Admission to it’s shows are included in the price of the museum. You can find the show schedule here. Pack a lunch and play at the park directly across the street from the museum to complete the fun filled day! The Ella Sharp Museum is located at: 3225 4th St, Jackson, MI 49203
Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson
F- Ford House
The Ford House has always been a favorite place to visit. Edsel & Eleanor Ford’s house on Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Shores is beautiful and the grounds fun to explore all year long. The new 40,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Visitor Center takes the experience to a new level with a permanent interactive museum exhibit, indoor and outdoor class room space and a restaurant featuring a picnic to-go option.
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House // 1100 Lake Shore Rd, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI
Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores
G- Greenfield Village
Experience firsthand the sights, sounds and sensations of America’s fascinating formation, where over 80 acres brim with resourcefulness and ingenuity. Here, 300 years of American perseverance serve as a living reminder that anything is possible. Step foot in the lab where Thomas Edison had his lightbulb moment or the workshop where the Wright brothers taught us to reach for the sky. Take a ride in a real Model T, or a walk through four working farms. Rub shoulders with world-class artisans, and explore the place where America’s can-do spirit inspires you to go out and get it done. Greenfield Village is located at // 20900 Oakwood Blvd, Dearborn, MI 48124
Greenfield Village, Dearborn
H- Henry Ford Museum
Travel through time at the Henry Ford and experience the evolution of innovation in America. From farming equipment to steam engines, climb onto the machines that defined their times. From race cars to freedom rides, modular houses to microprocessors, the wide-ranging exhibits of the Henry Ford bring you face to face with real things that have the power to inspire, inform and engage you in ways no image or description can do on its own. The experience always feels different with regular traveling exhibits that are included with the price of admission.
Henry Ford Museum is located // 20900 Oakwood Blvd, Dearborn, MI 48124
Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn
I- Impressions 5
Impression 5 Science Center is a dynamic, interactive space for families to play, create, and challenge their understanding of science. The museum regularly hosts traveling exhibits and the permanent hands-on activities are always popular with kids and feature water, light, bubbles, music and more!
Impressions 5 is located at // 200 Museum Dr, Lansing, MI 48933
Impressions 5, Lansing
J- Jessica’s Splashpad
Jessica’s Splash Pad is the coolest, biggest FREE splash pad in metro Detroit! Located at Bosco Field, the splash pad includes weather-themed features, new restrooms and indoor changing rooms, showers, and great turf area for families to gather, relax, toss a ball, and have fun! Jessica’s Splash Pad is located at // 25805 Beck Rd, Novi, MI 48374
Jessica’s Splash Pad, Novi
K- Kids Gotta Play
Kids Gotta Play is the perfect place to escape the weather, no matter the season and have tons of fun! They have an open showroom for play structures and trampolines. Climb up rock walls, ladders and steps. Play basketball with multiple different sized hoops. Slide down massive slides or swing on tire swings. Everyone’s favorite is definitely the four netted trampolines. There is plenty of fun to make your time fly by! Plus, lots of seating for adults. (That is if you don’t want to play too!) Kids Gotta Play is located at: 53535 Grand River Ave., New Hudson, MI 48165
Kid’s Gotta Play, New Hudson
L- LEGOLAND Discovery Center
Start your visit at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan is the ultimate indoor LEGO playground. Your visit begins with an interactive look at how LEGOs are made and a chance to design your own. Afterwards you can hop aboard a chariot to rescue the princess on the Kingdom Quest ride and later take to the sky on Merlin’s Apprentice Ride. Kids of all ages and interests will have their choice of where to play. Legoland is located at // 4240 Baldwin Rd, Auburn Hills, MI 48326
Legoland Discovery Center, Auburn Hills
M- Michigan Science Center
The Michigan Science Center is a world class hands-on museum with over 220+ interactive exhibits, IMAX Dome and planetarium. Plan a trip to explore space, learn about engineering, watch physics in action on the Science Stage and more! If you haven’t been in a while here are a few NEW reasons to plan a visit.
The Michigan Science Center is located at // 5020 John R. Street, Detroit, MI 48202
Michigan Science Center, Detroit
N- Nature’s Playhouse
All ages are welcome on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 12pm. Natures Playhouse offers a non-toxic yesteryear open playtime experience within an all-natural play environment. Enjoy spending time with other families at a relaxed unstructured pace. $15 per child per session.
Nature’s Playhouse is located at // 777 Livernois St, Ferndale, MI 48220
Nature’s Playhouse, Ferndale
O-Oak Pointe Church
We love FREE! The HUGE four-story playscape is located inside Oak Pointe Church is perfect for ages birth to 5th grade – complete with multiple slides and climbing obstacles, with a separately enclosed toddler area. Monday-Thursday & Saturday 9am to 4pm. Oak Pointe Church is located at //50200 W 10 Mile Rd, Novi, MI 48374
Oak Pointe Church, Novi
P- The Parade Company
Come on down to the Parade Company and see exactly how floats are made. You will be so close you can touch them! From the first basic sketches from the artists, to how they form bases of the floats and decide how big to make it. You will learn it all! Did you know most of the floats are made from using layers of metal, styrofoam and wood? The tour guide will guide you through it all. They are extremely knowledgeable and love to answer your questions.
The Parade Company is located at // 9500 Mt. Elliott, Studio A Detroit, MI 48211
The Parade Company Tour, Detroit
Q- Quirk Park Splash Pad
Quirk Park hosts the LARGEST FREE fenced-in splash pad around! Complete with a dump bucket, shaded areas, a playground pavilions, and a bathroom/changing area close by. We can easily see why this is an absolute favorite of many parents. Quirk Park is located at // 46425 Tyler Rd Van Buren Township, MI 48111
Quirk Park, Van Buren Township
R- Reptarium
Meet some of the world’s rarest reptiles – including a two-headed snake! Look and HOLD snakes like Burmese pythons, Reticulated pythons, Boa constrictors, Blood pythons, and many smaller snakes. Lizard lovers will go crazy for Night & Albino Nile Monitor Lizards, Asian Water Monitor Lizard, Monkey-tailed Skinks, Chameleons, & Geckos from all around the world. Add Albino and Melanistic baby alligators and Giant Aldabra tortoise and you can see why you need to make the trip. Not only are there reptiles but you can also meet a variety of arachnids, amphibians and SLOTHS! The Reptarium is located at // 45559 Van Dyke Ave Utica, MI 48317
The Reptarium, Utica
S- SEA LIFE Aquarium
The aquarium will leave your littles in awe as they spot over 250 species including sharks, rays, seahorses and more in 12 interactive exhibits. The underwater ocean tunnel will mesmerize and remind kids of the popular Pixar films Finding Nemo/Dory. Sealife is located at //4316 Baldwin Rd, Auburn Hills, MI 48326
Sealife, Auburn Hills
T- T & B Play
You won’t find indoor fun like this anywhere! T & B Play is the most creative space that features ball and bead pits, giant slides, tube slide, trampolines, glow in the dark tunnels and more! The structure is spacious enough for adults to fit through with relative comfort – always a bonus! The children’s tiny town area has a play store AND a dress-up shop with clothes to wear. If you want to play games they have basketball and an interactive screen game in the ball pit that kids and parents will enjoy. T&B Play // 1068 W 14 Mile Rd, Clawson, Michigan 48017
T&B Play, Clawson
U- Urban Air Adventure Park
Urban Air Adventure Park offers fun for all ages. The amusement center is open daily and offers a variety of admission levels for a two hour visit. Try it all for $29.99 per person or access 8 attractions for $19.99. Kids 5 and under can play for $8.99. Parent admission is 50% of their child’s cost. Reservations are recommended but not required due to limited capacity. Urban Air Adventure Park – Commerce: 3010 Union Lake Road
Urban Air, Commerce
V- Veteran’s Park
The new playground at Veterans’ Park is extra special because it’s a tribute that local mom, Ashley, organized with her family in honor of her grandparents Elaine and Roger Zatkoff. She shares, “As a mom of three I worked so hard on the design to give it things moms know kids love (and moms love). It has a dedicated tot structure for 2-5 as well as a 5-12 structure so you can watch your kids on one spot as well as swings. It has specific structures to make it accessible for all kids.” Veterans Park // 8648 Joseph Campau Ave, Hamtramck
Veteran’s Park, Hamtramck
W- Ward Church
The Ward Church Playscape is for children 12 and under and is free and open to everyone 5 days a week. It is available for private party rentals on Saturdays. Parking near and entering through Entry 1 or Entry 3 may be the most convenient route to the Playscape. Ward Church is located at //40000 Six Mile Rd Northville, MI 48168
Ward Church, Northville
X- 2TheXtreme (Sloan Museum)
2TheXtreme features 32 different stations which are organized into six themed main stations: Outdoor Action / Adventure Sports, Build Your World / Environment, Future Style / Style and Design, Kickin’ It / Entertainment, Game Plan / Game Design, Robotics and Space. Each station will encourage visitors to see how math is used in their favorite everyday activities. Some of the stations include riding in a live action snowboard race, controlling a Mars rover, designing and playing your own video game, and capturing your image in a 360-degree freeze-motion video.
The Sloan Museum is located at // 1221 E. Kearsley St., Flint, Michigan 48503
Sloan Museum, Flint
Y- Yoyo’s Fun Center
Yoyo’s Fun Center in Westland was just remodeled and you are going to love it! The play cafe offers everything you need for an exciting afternoon – including a full menu. Kids can bounce around and shoot hoops on the trampoline. Get lost in the ball pits and race through the playscape and down the slides. There are spaces for toddlers and bigger kids. Yoyo’s Fun Center is located in Westland at // 8044 North Middlebelt Road, Westland, MI, 48185
Yoyo’s Fun Center, Westland
Z- Detroit Zoo
The Detroit Zoo is home to over 2,000 animals and its 125 acres features multiple award winning attractions including the National Amphibian Conservation Center, Great Apes of Harambee and Arctic Ring of Life. Take your littles to race along side the sea otters, walk next to kangaroos, get close up to lions and feed the giraffes. The Detroit Zoo offers a local dose of Vitamin Z 52 weeks a year and with a family membership it’s easy to stop by anytime to stretch your legs among the animals for an hour or an entire afternoon. The Detroit Zoo is located at // 8450 W 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak
