Content enthusiastically approved by Co-Founder and Momtrepreneur, Rosalind Prather. Writing accredited to Kayla Formalejo, Trusting Connections Intern.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Looking for the best kids activities in Phoenix? Search no further! Our childcare experts have narrowed your choices down to our Top 10 favorites for locals and visitors alike.
Why We Love It: LEGOS® GALORE! Get ready to enter the land of Legos® and watch, build and play in all 10 of the different attractions offered. Spark your little builder’s imagination by walking through MINILAND® – a town built from over a million different bricks, making up interactive play towers, airships and city landscape. Next, race your speedy Lego® car at the tracks, garden at the DUPLO® farm, or get tips and tricks on building at the Creative Workshop. Finally, don’t forget to visit Olivia, Emma, Mia and Andrea at Lego® Friends Heartlake City or explore the extensive Dino exhibit! Once you think you’ve seen it all, encourage your kiddo to run around on the jungle gym with the other little builders and afterwards, enjoy a carefully crafted treat at the Café.
2. Scottsdale’s McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park
Why We Love It: Spark your long-forgotten love of getting your hands and feet dirty. See the world from the eyes of your children again. At this 30-acre railroad park, there’s plenty of room for running around and blowing off some steam (pun intended). Bring your train lovers to explore the museum with model trains and a full-sized train on site to gawk over. Don’t forget to board the miniature train-ride afterwards to make it a full experience. Say yes to a beautiful day in the sunniest parts of Arizona. And make sure you’re on your best behavior, or else the “Sheriff” might take you to “jail”! In addition to the two shaded playgrounds, there’s a mini Western town with a stagecoach, jail and a general store. A carousel, snack bars, souvenir shops, ramadas – there’s nothing this park doesn’t have.
3. i.d.e.a Museum
Why We Love It: Museum? More like an indoor playground built for adventure! Spark and satisfy curiosity and get those creative juices flowing by exploring, creating and discovering through one, or all, of the multi-themed hands-on activities and imaginative “towns” available. Try ARTVILLE to explore and discover through this tactile and imaginative play. Fascination always comes with construction, and here they offer the opportunity to become a real-life builder. Construct and design structures, buildings and bridges at the HUB. Then, geek out with your little one and engage in the interactive Solar System exhibit. This exhibit is created with science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). Finally, enjoy one of the special exhibits such as Infant Messy Creations Series for sensory exploration. We all know how hard it is to enforce “keep your hands to yourself”!
4. OdySea Aquarium
Why We Love It: This will have people of all ages mesmerized and amazed! Lots of energy and boundless curiosity? Don’t miss out on a perfect family-outing where you’ll get the most bang for your buck, with displays ranging from captivating to informational. OdySea is the largest marine aquarium in the Southwest, spanning over 200,000 square feet, holding 2M gallons of water! There are over 30,000 animals and 500 different species in 50 exhibits to keep your attention. Give your kiddos the opportunity to see live marine-life when pictures from a book come to life: exhibits including penguins, sea turtles, jellyfish and countless more.
Tour guides span the area with knowledgeable facts and answers ready to questions. If that’s not enough, there are special tours available such as the Shark Tour, exploring all about sharks from a behind the scenes look and visiting the kitchen to learn what they eat and specifics about veterinary care.
5. Butterfly Wonderland
Why We Love It: This place is truly a “wonder”land. Start with the educational and moving 3D film about the flight and plight of the Monarch Butterflies. Afterwards, watch the beautiful butterflies dry their wings in the Emergence Gallery and follow them into the largest Rainforest Conservatory in the United States. Then, prepare to be transported into a serene and surreal world where you will find yourself amongst over 3,000 free-flying butterflies of various species from around the world, fluttering between the lush tropical plants and flowers.
Keep the camera handy! You’ll want to capture this one-of-a-kind experience by the dozens; worthy of its own album. This is a great way to get the little ones to move slowly and if they stand still long enough, a butterfly hitch-hiker might land on a shoulder. The fun doesn’t stop there though. Get an up-close and educational experience with the Rainforest Reptile and Amphibian exhibit. Then, see the Honey Bee Extravaganza and the large Aquariums filled with African Cichllids, Amazon Pacu fish and other colorful exotic fish.
6. Children’s Museum of Phoenix
Why We Love It: This museum is better described as the Children’s Playhouse of Phoenix! You can entertain littles or bigs with three floors of nonstop fun. Each floor has a baby zone and a big kid zone for safe play. A giant jungle gym treehouse made of recycled materials encompasses the first floor for climbing, hopping, skipping, and sliding. Next, take the kiddos upstairs to the second floor for more focus-based activities like arts and crafts, creating/building and learning stations. Keep exploring to find all the hits: a grocery store, a “house” area with baby dolls, a pizza shop, a noodle forest, a racetrack, and a tricycle carwash. Mini games, workshops and magic shows – even the parents will find themselves wanting to come back!
7. Arizona Museum of Natural History
Why We Love It: Listen up, Arizonians and visitors! The perfect way to learn the history of how this state came to be through the eyes of the Natives is at the Arizona Museum of Natural History. Not only will your little ones learn in an educational and fun way, but you’ll probably gain some insight to history even you never knew before. Explore the Anthropology Section to learn about the daily habits and living techniques of the early Arizona settlers. Take a step back in time and see all of the different fossils of dinosaurs, fish and wildlife. With over 50,000 historic objects in 7 different collections, you and your little ones will have plenty to see!
8. Musical Instrument Museum
Why We Love It: Make some memories at the Musical Instrument Museum! There is a variety of classes for all different age levels. Mini music makers up to age five have the opportunity to play, sing and dance with each other. Or, explore the different cultures that make up the beauty of music from around the world. Plan your visit during the special events to experience one-of-a-kind concert. However, a spectacular collection of instruments is always on display. Your kids will not only be immersed in the music. They will also learn music history and be introduced to tunes from different continents.
9. iFLY Phoenix Indoor Skydiving
Why We Love It: Calling all thrill-seekers, ages 3-103! Ever want to know what it’s like to fly? Ever want to skydive, but don’t want to jump out of a big airplane? Or, if you’re just looking for some good ol’ excitement, here it is! A dream becomes a reality as you float on a smooth cushion of air in the Wind Tunnel at iFLY, an indoor Phoenix Indoor Skydiving arena. The expertly trained and certified Bodyflight instructors will guide you through the fully controlled “flying” adventure.
Feeling really brave? Also available for the ultimate thrill, is iFLY VR with the rush of skydiving from a 13,000 feet free-fall with Virtual Reality technology, set in various spectacular locations. Some events are custom designed for individuals with physical and cognitive challenges.
10. As You Wish
Why We Love It: Pottery and paint, this is arts and crafts made easy and fun for the whole family. To start, choose from a wide variety of creative pottery options: plates, platters, photo holders, planters, bowls, cups, wall hangings, animals, characters and more. What seems like an unlimited selection of colors of paint line the walls, along with brushes and stencils. Then get to painting and make them your own – the limit of your imagination is the only limit! After the masterpiece is done baking, return and see your little ones beam with joy and pride when they receive their finished creation! Classes and workshops are available for those who want to get a little more fancy. Big groups and party events are encouraged – the more the merrier!
Looking for high quality child care? Our nannies and sitters are your gateway to kid-free time. But that doesn’t mean your kiddos have to miss out. Our nannies and sitters can take kids on pre-approved outings to enjoy these and other kids activities in Phoenix. If you live in Phoenix, check out everything our memberships have to offer. Just visiting? Our Resort and Hotel Sitters are the perfect addition to your vacation.
More Kids Activities in Phoenix…
Honorable Mention: Our Co-Founder, Rosalind Prather, raves about Makutu’s Island: “My kids beg to drive all the way up to Chandler just for this. This massive indoor jungle gym is fashioned like a sprawling tree. It’s imaginative, great exercise and loads of adventurous fun. My husband and I even crawl through the tunnels and go down the slides, which really makes the girls giggle.”
in tucson by 