Looking for the best places in the Memphis area to take your kids this summer? I’ve already shared my favorite parks here, my favorite outdoor kid friendly places here and my favorite pools and splash pads here. The temperatures are warming up, and the kids will be out of school this week. Can you believe it?! We are all so excited to spend some fun family time together in the sun! If you’re looking for some great things to do with the kids this summer to keep them busy and have some fun together, I’m sharing some of our favorites in the Memphis area. Check them out below and let me know what your favorites are!
1.) Walk through Dixon Gallery & Gardens and have lunch – Leighton and I visited back in March and saw the tulips, and they were just stunning! The tulips are gone now, but there is no shortage of pretty blooms there still. They also have such a great little cafe there where you can grab lunch and have a picnic outdoors by the pretty flowers. Leighton and I had such a nice spring day there together.
2.) Spend the Day at Cedar Hill Farm – We love visiting here for Easter and Halloween, but this gem in Mississippi is great any time of the year. There is SO much to do there. A barn and animals you can feed, a train ride, a hay ride, food onsite, a zipline, slides, swings and so much more. My kids could play there all day, and it’s really great for all ages!
3.) Play in My Big Backyard and see the Trolls exhibit at Memphis Botanic Garden – This is always one of our favorites spots! The kids love My Big Backyard. There are musical instruments, swings, little wooden playhouses, a slide and so much more. They also love running around and looking at all the pretty flowers and plants. If you haven’t been yet, you have got to add it to your list! They also have an amazing cafe there too, and it would be so nice to have a little outdoor picnic. Make sure you check out their Live at the Garden concert lineup; they are usually very family friendly too!
4.) Explore the Memphis Zoo. One of the best zoos around, there is so much to do here! They just renovated the cafe, so make sure to grab lunch while you’re there. On top of all the animals, they also just added a new outdoor train and a splash pad a couple years ago. They even have an outdoor playground for the kids!
5.) Spend the morning at Go Ape Ziplining – I took Leighton for the first time last year when she turned 10, and it was such a great day! The spring when it is still cool out is the perfect time to go ziplining. You will definitely have a blast, no matter whether you’re a kid or adult! Just eat and hydrate before you go!
6.) Ride bikes at the Wolf River Greenway – We love riding bikes together. Amelia learned how to ride last summer, and fingers crossed Grayson will get it down this summer. Right now he’s still on a balance bike. That will give us even more chances to go riding bikes together this summer! We love riding along the Greenway. It’s super close to our house, and I love riding through the parts that are covered with trees for shade. There are also several parks along the way to stop and play out. It’s perfect for families!
7.) Cool off at a Splash Park. We love the one in Collierville at Johnson Park and the one at the Memphis Zoo. Take a little bucket, and they will be sure to have hours of fun! You can find more information about the 2 Collierville splash pad parks here.
8.) Visit your favorite park and have a picnic. If you’re looking for one of the biggest parks in the area with the most amount of things to do, you will definitely want to try out Shelby Farms Park. One of the best playgrounds around, you won’t want to miss this one. With swings, slides, sands, tunnels and more, the fun never ends. You can also go ziplining, paddleboating, stand-up paddleboarding, horseback riding, hiking, cycling and more. You can even stop by the coffee shop or grab lunch or dinner while there too. Check out my other favorite parks in and around Memphis here too.
9.) Play outside in the splash pad at The Children’s Museum of Memphis. We love the outdoor playground, zipline and splash pad. And if you get too warm, you can still go indoors and cool off. They just recently renovated their indoor toddler area, and it is great! There is so much to do here for kids of all ages with tons of hands-on interactive fun.
10.) Visit your favorite pool – We love buying pool passes at Lifetime, but you can also visit any of the Memphis city pools or even the YMCA pools. Lifetime has pool passes for $25, and they have a hot tub outside and an outdoor restaurant where you can get food. It is just perfect for families!
11.) Crosstown Concourse – There is so much to do here! They have some favorite places to eat and visit like Farm Burger (yummy milkshakes!), Mempops, Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co, and Abner’s for a great kid-friendly place to eat with grilled chicken tenders. There are tons of food and sweet treats here at Crosstown. There are also tons of opportunities to listen to music, look at art and even read and explore throughout. It’s a great way to spend the day! We took Grayson recently, and he had a blast reading and eating, and playing all day.
12.) Fire Museum of Memphis – My dad and I just recently took Grayson for the first time. He had SO much fun! There is so much to do there, and it’s really great for all ages! You can learn so much about the history, look at old fire trucks, buy some collectibles from their shop, play and even learn about fire safety. Grayson couldn’t get enough of climbing from fire truck to fire truck and even turning on the simulator so it looked like he was driving it himself!
13.) MoSH – Check out their exhibits from fossils to plants to other historic artifacts. MoSH is a favorite of ours! We especially love coming when they are showing some great family-friendly movies at the giant screen theater!
14.) Overton Square – Overton Square is so kid friendly. They have everything! From food to play to everything in between. We love taking the kids to Belly Acres for burgers or Babalu’s for Mexican food. 17 Berkshire is great for cupcakes and macaroons, Sweet Nothings has great ice cream. And the Art Project is a favorite of all of ours! The kids can run around and create so many different types of art. It is definitely a unique place you have to take your kids to! Overton Square is such a super walkable and kid-friendly area.
15.) Peabody Hotel – You can’t spend the day in Memphis without stopping by the Peabody. It’s our favorite home in town. The deli has amazing treats that the kids will love, and you know they will love watching the ducks march too. The girls never get tired of it. They always feel so special staying at the Peabody, and I couldn’t agree more!
Have you been to any of these? What are your favorite family-friendly places in Memphis you’re heading to this summer?
