Looking for Some Hot Fun in the Summertime? Here are 10 Cool Places for Kids
For families with kids, living in the master-planned community of Northstar, located just north of Fort Worth, is the perfect spot for non-stop fun. With resort-sized pools and walking and biking trails planned, the amenities in this beautiful community mean that a “staycation” can turn into a full-blown vacation. But that’s only part of the reason to celebrate summer here. The Northstar LOCATION is the secret sauce for family fun.
Why? Glad you asked!
It’s just a short hop to some of the most kid-friendly places on the planet. That can only mean one thing: DAY TRIP!
The 10 Best Places for Summer Fun in DFW
Let’s Go Lego
If you have a budding engineer in the family – someone who just loves to “make stuff” – they will have a blast at the Legoland Discovery Center, just down highway 114 from Northstar in Grapevine. The discovery center has 12 great attractions. There are three rides, 10 LEGO build and play zones, and a 4D cinema.
Legoland Discovery Center
3000 Grapevine Mills Pkwy,
Grapevine, TX, (469) 444-3050
dallasfw.legolanddiscoverycenter.com
Everything from Dinosaurs to Diamonds
Less than an hour from Northstar, The Perot Museum is located right in the heart of Dallas. Kids can race a T. rex, challenge friends in robot competitions, explore the astonishing links between dinosaurs and modern-day birds, and even experience a simulated earthquake.
Splish Splash
If you’re a kid, it’s important to be cool! That’s why a day trip to Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark, DFW’s newest waterpark, is a must-visit! This massive indoor waterpark is 80,000 sq ft. filled with slides, pools, rides, lazy rivers, and more. No matter how hot it gets this summer in Texas, you can stay cool all day while riding down slides and splishing and splashing in the wave pool! They have fun events all summer long.
Epic Water Indoor Waterpark
2970 Epic Place, Grand Prairie, TX
(972) 337-3131
https://epicwatersgp.com/
Play On, Crayon
Who knew there were SO MANY colors of crayons? Mr. Crayola, that’s who! Located inside The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano is the Crayola Experience. If you have some artists in the family, they will love this place. It is a perfect place for creativity, fun, and family. Visit the Plano Crayola Experience today!
Crayola Experience
6121 W Park Blvd Suite A100, Plano, TX
(469) 642-2901
crayolaexperience.com/plano
Sleep Over
Sometimes it’s fun to pack an overnight bag and have a sleep-over. You and your little ones, can stay and play at Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine! This resort offers recently renovated suites, 80,000 square feet, indoor water park fun, and dry-land adventures for the entire family. This amazing place features kid-friendly activities throughout the year, cabanas, a range of dining options, an adult-friendly “wine down” service, all under one roof.
Great Wolf Lodge
100 Great Wolf Dr, Grapevine, TX
(800) 693-9653
greatwolf.com/grapevine
Where Moola is Made
This is where they make the BIG BUCKS. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Fort Worth offers a public Tour and Visitor Center and is such a great place to learn about U.S. currency! Just a few minutes south of Northstar, visitors can see where billions of dollars are printed from an enclosed walkway, which is suspended above the production floor! Over half of the nation’s currency order is produced in Fort Worth. Families can purchase souvenir items including uncut currency sheets and other specialty currency products.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
9000 Blue Mound Rd, Fort Worth, TX
(817) 231-4000
moneyfactory.gov/fortworthtxtours.html
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
Fascinating stories and hands-on activities can also be great summer fun. Dedicated to lifelong learning and anchored by their rich collections, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is an educational oasis and one of the most interesting things to do with kids in DFW. Kids of all ages will enjoy learning about the stories of Texas and the Southwest.
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
1600 Gendy St, Fort Worth, TX
(817) 255-9300
fwmuseum.org
Believe It or Not
When was the last time you and your kids spent some quality time in an Odditorium? Well, that’s too long. This summer, visit Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! in Grand Prairie and see all the strange oddities and people the world has to offer! Kids can strike a pose with their favorite celebs in Louis Tussaud’s Palace Of Wax, get lost in the mirror maze, shoot zombies in a 7D Moving Theater, and dodge lasers in the Impossible Laser Race!
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
601 E Palace Pkwy, Grand Prairie, TX
(972) 263-2391
ripleys.com/grandprairi
Lions and Tigers and Bears
Sometimes those hazy, crazy, lazy days of summer turn kids into wild animals. If that’s what’s going on with yours, they will feel RIGHT at home at this next Northstar day trip stop. Adventure awaits at the Fort Worth Zoo. Explore wildlife firsthand at one of many interactive exhibits, from giraffes to stingrays.
Fort Worth Zoo
1989 Colonial Pkwy, Fort Worth, TX
fortworthzoo.org
Choo Choo Cha Boogie
How about a quick stop on the way to the Fort Worth Zoo? Forest Park Miniature Railroad is a family attraction with roots stretching back to the 1950s. Located at Fort Worth’s Trinity Park and TCU/Zoo area, The Forest Park Miniature Railroad offers a five-mile round-trip train ride around the area. The train is open year-round, however, their schedule varies by season and weather. Check the website for current schedules.
Forest Park Miniature Train Railroad
1700 Colonial Pkwy, Fort Worth, TX
(817) 336-3328
forestparktrains.com
Just North of Fun!
There are many reasons that more and more families are building their “forever” home in the master-planned community of Northstar, but one of the great ones is its prime location. It is in the middle of EVERYTHING.
It is also far enough away from the big cities to offer peace and quiet.
Maybe Northstar is what you’ve been looking for. Click here and let us show you where good times start.
