Fun Things to Do With Kids This Weekend Near You
If you need fun things to do with kids this weekend, start with how much energy they need to use and how much planning you want to do. This list covers active, creative, indoor, and low-cost family activities near you, with age guidance and one detail to check before you go.
Choose a weekend activity based on your family
- For a weekend experience that feels new to kids and adults: Indoor skydiving at iFLY
- For kids who need to keep moving: A climbing gym or trampoline park
- For children who like making things: A pottery studio or cooking class
- For a low-cost outdoor plan: A nature scavenger hunt or farmers market challenge
- For a rainy-day backup: Bowling, mini golf, or a children’s museum
Active adventures for kids who need to move
1. Fly at iFLY
Best for: Ages 3 and up, first-time flyers, mixed-age families, and kids ready to try something new
At iFLY, kids enter a vertical wind tunnel at floor level and fast-moving air lifts their bodies. There is no plane or jump. Before flying, they complete training, put on provided gear, and meet the certified instructor who joins them in the tunnel.
Every iFLY package includes two or more 60-second flights. The first introduces the airflow and balance. On later flights, kids can follow the instructor’s signals and feel how small body adjustments change their movement.
Quick answer: Indoor skydiving at iFLY is available to kids as young as 3. No experience is required, and a certified instructor stays with each first-time flyer in the wind tunnel. Plan for about 90 minutes. Reservations are strongly recommended because weekend sessions can sell out. Weight, health, and other participation requirements apply, so review the current iFLY FAQ or contact your local tunnel before booking.
2. Try an indoor climbing gym
Best for: Ages 5 and up and kids who like solving a physical problem
Beginner routes let kids choose a handhold, test a move, and try again. Look for youth sessions and confirm minimum ages, harness sizes, and supervision rules.
3. Visit a trampoline park
Best for: Ages 5 to 14 and kids who want continuous movement
Trampoline parks may have open-jump courts, foam pits, and obstacle lanes. Reserve a timed session, and check for separate areas for younger children and required grip socks.
4. Take on an obstacle-course venue
Best for: School-age children, tweens, and teens who enjoy a challenge
Ninja-style gyms combine climbing, swinging, and balancing. Check height rules, introductory sessions, and whether an adult must stay beside younger children.
5. Play laser tag
Best for: Ages 6 and up, birthday groups, and competitive families
Laser tag gives kids a timed team game with clear scores. Ask about minimum age or height, lighting and sound levels, equipment weight, and whether groups play privately.
Creative and learning activities for a hands-on weekend
1. Paint pottery or a canvas
Best for: Ages 4 and up and families that want a slower outing
Choose one item or canvas per child. Ask how long the session lasts, whether pottery requires later pickup, and if the studio accepts weekend walk-ins.
2. Take a kids cooking or baking class
Best for: Ages 6 and up and children who like a job at every step
Kids can measure, mix, shape, and decorate. Confirm allergy procedures, adult participation rules, and whether they eat the food during class or take it home.
3. Find a science museum workshop
Best for: Ages 5 to 12 and children who ask how things work
Look beyond general admission for demonstrations, maker labs, planetarium shows, or experiments. Check the day’s schedule before leaving home.
4. Build something at a library maker event
Best for: Ages 5 and up and families looking for a free or low-cost activity
Libraries host LEGO clubs, crafts, beginner coding, and story programs. Search the branch calendar by age and registration status because small events may fill.
5. Try a space or engineering project at home
Best for: School-age children and a weekend with no room for another drive
Build a paper rocket, trace shadows, or make a water-cycle model. NASA’s family activity library sorts projects by grade and topic.
Outdoor and low-cost things to do with kids this weekend
1. Create a nature scavenger hunt
Best for: Ages 3 to 10 and a free hour outside
Make a list of things children can spot without disturbing them: a smooth rock, insect, leaf, or animal track. The National Park Service has scavenger-hunt ideas for parks, backyards, and neighborhoods.
2. Give the farmers market a mission
Best for: Most ages and a family that wants an outing with a practical stop built in
Ask each child to find a new fruit or choose one dinner ingredient. Check dates and hours in the USDA National Farmers Market Directory, then look for children’s activities on the local event page.
3. Choose a kid-friendly bike route
Best for: Confident riders and families with bikes or scooters ready to go
Choose a protected path with a clear turnaround point. Check the surface, road crossings, and parking, and bring helmets and water.
4. Check the community-event calendar
Best for: Families who want something tied to this specific weekend
Check city, library, parks, and downtown calendars for festivals, outdoor movies, and seasonal events. Confirm the date, rain plan, parking, and registration requirements.
5. Visit a splash pad or seasonal water area
Best for: Toddlers through elementary-age children on a warm day
Confirm that the water feature and restrooms are open because splash pads follow seasonal schedules. Pack dry clothes and water shoes.
Indoor ideas when rain changes the weekend plan
Indoor skydiving works the same way on a rainy Saturday as on a clear one. Reserve iFLY before the weather turns because indoor sessions may fill.
1. Go bowling or play indoor mini golf
Best for: Mixed ages and families that want familiar rules
Bowling can add bumpers and ramps for younger players, while mini golf moves the group through short challenges. Reserve on rainy weekends and ask about lighting and sound if either affects your child.
2. Spend two hours at a children’s museum
Best for: Ages 2 to 10 and kids who learn by touching, building, and testing
Choose two priority exhibits before the visit. If children split by age or interest, decide which adult will cover each area and where everyone will meet.
3. Visit a board-game cafe
Best for: Ages 7 and up and families that enjoy learning rules together
Ask staff for a game that fits the youngest player and your available time. A 30-minute cooperative game is a good first choice. Check the age policy and table fee.
4. Turn a movie at home into the event
Best for: All ages and a low-energy weekend
Let each person nominate one movie and choose the winner before snacks come out. Build a blanket fort, make tickets, or choose food connected to the setting.
How to choose the right activity for your child’s age
- Ages 2 to 4: Choose short activities with room to stop early, such as a children’s museum, splash pad, or scavenger hunt. iFLY begins at age 3.
- Ages 5 to 9: Look for movement and a clear task, such as indoor skydiving, climbing, cooking, or a maker event.
- Ages 10 to 12: Try friendly competition or a skill to improve, such as obstacle courses, laser tag, climbing, or flight sessions.
- Ages 13 to 16: Let teens help choose. Indoor skydiving, cooking, and climbing let adults participate too.
How to plan a family activity for this weekend
- Check availability before announcing the plan. Popular sessions can fill before Saturday. iFLY strongly recommends reservations.
- Confirm the participation details. Review the age, health, clothing, and supervision rules for each child.
- Choose based on today’s energy. Active kids may want to climb, jump, or fly. Tired kids may prefer pottery or a movie.
- Give children a limited choice. Present two options you have already checked so they get a real say.
- Plan the moment after the activity. On the ride home, ask what they would try differently next time.
Before a first flight, read what to expect at iFLY. For celebrations, review iFLY birthday parties and group events.
Where can families go indoor skydiving at iFLY this weekend?
Use the iFLY location finder to find the nearest tunnel and check available flight times.
Questions parents ask about weekend activities
What are fun things to do with kids when they are bored?
Offer one active choice and one hands-on choice. Try indoor skydiving or climbing for movement, or cooking and pottery for something they can make.
What is a good indoor activity for kids on a rainy day?
Indoor skydiving at iFLY works for children starting at age 3 in any weather. Bowling, climbing, children’s museums, and cooking classes are other indoor options. Check reservations when rain enters the forecast.
What age can kids try indoor skydiving?
Children can fly at iFLY starting at age 3, with no upper age limit. Flyers under 18 need a parent or legal guardian to sign the waiver. Review current health, weight, and location-specific requirements before booking.
Can parents fly with their kids at iFLY?
Parents can book flights in the same session and experience the wind tunnel too. Each flyer enters the wind tunnel one at a time with an instructor, while the rest of the family watches and cheers through the glass.
Try indoor skydiving at iFLY this weekend
If the usual weekend rotation feels too familiar, try indoor skydiving at iFLY. Kids and adults each take a turn while the family watches and cheers. Choose your flyers, select a session, and get ready to feel the wind lift you into the air.