What to Do When the Summer Starts Slummin’

The summer is half gone and parents are running low on ideas to entertain the kids. To try to avoid the summer slump we have created a list to help all who are wondering how to entertain and enjoy the rest of summer vacation. The list basically cuts it down to two areas, with AC and without, that include the summer’s best pick-up-and-go activities to do with your kids. Many of these activities are specific to Austin, but the ideas (like going to a museum, or bowling) can be done anywhere!

With AC:

1. Stay cool, get a cone, or a cupcake!
Snow cones on Lamar
Amy’s Ice cream on Burnet Road
Bar-B-Que adventures to Llano
Hey, Cupcake! on 24th
2. Read a book or have one read to you
Book Fairs
Library Day: Thursdays
Book Readings at Barnes & Noble
Pottery Barn: Story-time
3. Get crafty
Workshop: Make a garden gnome
4. Bowl
Dart Bowl $1 Mondays
5. Museums
Bob Bullock Museum: IMAX
Blanton Museum
Children’s Museum

Without AC:

1. Movies in the Park
2. Fairs
Hill Country Art fairs
Weekend Book Fairs at AMOA Laguna Lagoria location
3. Free live music
Blues on the Green every other Wednesday at Zilker
Austin Symphony Free Sundays outside Long Center
4. Get your sweat on
Explore the Greenbelt beyond Barton Springs
Take a 20 minute hike to Sculpture Falls and Bull Creek
Fishing in Port Aransas
Disc Golf
Canoe trips on Town Lake
Peter Pan Putt-putt
Blackberry picking escapades
Camping trips to Paleface Ranch
Family oriented Fun Runs

5. Put on a play or watch one for free
Zilker Outdoor Theatre: Thursday - Sunday at sundown
6. Go to camp or join a club
Longhorn, Ozark, Chess, Art
First Samples Sewing camps
Ballet Austin Dance camps
Church camps
Book People Book Club
7. Go to A Park or Pool
Take the dog out to a park
Slip ‘N Slide Contests
Austin Pools
Picnics at the Botanical Gardens
Gardening to encourage butterfly and bird watching
Volleyball courts at Zilker Park and Pease Park

Tags: Austin Hot Spots, children, summer | Posted in Around Austin, Life and Learning | No Comments »

Austin’s Hot Spots

As my spring break came to a close, my little sister’s was just starting. She’s 17, lives in a suburb of Ft. Worth, and had no big plans because of protective parents, homework, gymnastics practice, and work. So being the amazing sister that I am, I arranged to have her come spend a couple days in Austin with me.

She’s a high schooler and I’m a clean cut kid, so no 6th Street. The weather was awful, so that took out outdoor things at Zilker Park or Barton Springs. Having shallow college student pockets, we couldn’t do anything too extravagant. And of course time was limited, because I still had to go to class and my amazing internship. Being an Austin immigrant, I didn’t really know what to do.

We ended up having her do homework during the day, and then going to Toy Joy and Kerbey Lane the first night, and the UT campus, Pangaea, and Madam Mam’s the second. We had a great time, but it got me wondering what other places were fun but maybe obscure in Austin. If you’re having problems figuring out what to do or where to take guests in this diverse, unique city of ours, check out this video we made for SXSW visitors:

Tags: Austin Hot Spots | Posted in Life and Learning | No Comments »