Planning a visit to the great state of Texas and want to have a beach nearby? Houston, Texas is the perfect city for you to go to! You have a big city, swamps, lakes, beaches, and gardens all within an hour drive of each other.
I love to travel, but having toddlers under the age of 3 years old can really discourage a vacation. It is so hard to find entertaining things to do for both toddlers and adults that is not ridiculously expensive, but I am here to tell you that it is possible. Possible to find fun stuff for you as an adult to do, plus fun for kids to do at the same time and still maintain your sanity.
I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old and they loved our trip to Houston and I gotta say that I really enjoyed it too. We were there for 5 days in September of 2020. We like traveling in September with our toddlers, because the majority of the people have kids in school and so everything is a lot less crowded. Great part about September too is that most attractions, like waterparks, are still open from the summer season, but like I said are way less busy and usually cheaper.
Saying that though, we did not get to do any of the fun seasonal activities due to COVID shutting a lot of tourist activities down. Despite the restrictions though, we still had a blast and got to do most everything that we wanted to do.
Another problem with traveling is the expenses involved. Planning where and what to eat, where to stay, gas, travel expenses, and activities. I am definitely and frugal traveler so I try to do as much myself as I can. Like make all of our own meals, except for 2 that we get to go out to eat; and plan activities that are close together in a day and if we can we usually drive our own vehicle to the places we are visiting. Just by doing these simple things you can cut costs of traveling considerably, but that is a different article in total.
The reason I brought this up is the cheapest way to do activities in Houston, Texas or almost any other big city it to use the city pass. I love using the city passes. You can do almost all of the big ticket items for way less. For Houston, Texas in particular it is $64 per person for a 30 day pass from date you start using it. Now $64 seems like a lot per person right, but hear me out. With everything you can go see with the city pass it will cost you $119 per person, so hearing that $64 doesn’t sound so bad huh? Haha! This will save you $55.43! I highly suggest it. The city pass will cover at least 4 of the activities listed below. It is worth it!
1. Houston Downtown Aquarium-
Can you ever really go wrong with toddlers and animals? Honestly aquariums and zoos are a safe bet for any toddler vacation. This aquarium was small, like really small, but if you are wanting to spend the money there is a ton to do. I am talking a train ride, feeding stingrays, a splash pad, a restaurant that looks like you are under the sea, a kid friendly amusement park, and of course the animals.
Now we went during the COVID pandemic and so a lot was closed off, but we still managed to have a blast. The best part about an aquarium with a toddler is it is easy for them to spot the animal, because the fish are always moving, whereas at a zoo they don’t always see the animal just laying on the ground.
Since you are in Houston, Texas a city by the beach, you have to stop and eat some amazing fish! The restaurant in the Aquarium is super delicious, but you will pay a pretty penny towards a meal. The meal isn’t the most exciting part about the restaurant though, the environment is. The entire restaurant looks like you are under the sea. The lights are fish, there are aquariums all over with giant fish, and coral walls. It is definitely a fun environment to eat in!
Price: $22.99 per adult for all activities and $21.99 per child under 42”
https://www.aquariumrestaurants.com/downtownaquariumhouston/default.asp
2. Old McDonald’s Farm-
Not gonna lie this little farm is slightly ghetto, but it is so fun to do with toddlers! There is so much room to run around and about 4 different playgrounds for all different age of kids. They have a pool, but like I said GHETTO!! The pool was filthy so I would not advise swimming in it. But the animals were so much fun!!!
They have all kinds of friendly farm animals that you can feed and pet. Goats, chickens, cows, horses, deer, a donkey, if old McDonald sang about it, they have it. Get your little ones dressed in boots, chaps, and a cowboy hat as they have both a pony for little kiddos to ride and a horse for the adults to ride.
The barn is covered in a mountain of hay to run in and roll around in. There are bridges to overlook the farm and to help cross railroad tracks. They have a small train that takes you around the farm. Also there are photo stations all over. It may be run down, but I still recommend it, cause your kids will love it.
Price: $14 per person, 18 months and under free
http://oldmacdonaldshumble.com/
3. Houston Zoo-
Like I said earlier there is no way to fail in a toddler’s eyes when animals are involved. Whether looking at them, touching them, or feeding them, they will find joy in a zoo. Houston zoo is no exception!
We went during COVID so unfortunately a lot was blocked off and closed, but I suggest looking on the website to make sure you can see the shows, animal encounters, and feedings. Bring some swim clothes and a towel for your kiddos too cause there is a splash zone for them to run and play in and they will get soaked.
The Houston, Texas zoo is a big zoo, so for the little ones you know will get tired. Bring a stroller or your arms are gonna get pretty tired. Being a bigger zoo I suggest bringing snacks and drinks as well because like any zoo, the food is very overpriced. The selection of animals is huge and the exhibits are really nice and have a lot of viewing spaces so when one spot gets crowded, there is probably another spot to look out. There is a carousel too!
Price: Adult: $22.95, Child (Ages 2-11): $17.95, Senior: $17.95
4. McGovern Centennial Gardens-
If you go to the Houston, Texas zoo, then drive a minute down the road to this nice little garden. It is free and so beautiful. My husband is not a flower person, but I love gardens, so this garden was perfect. It is not big which made my husband happy, had the beauty that I love, and the space to run around that is a toddlers favorite thing to do. Super place to take pictures too.
Price: FREE
https://www.hermannpark.org/visit/mcgovern-centennial-gardens/
5. Kemah Boardwalk-
Delicious food, fun stores, exciting rides for all ages, and the fresh smell of salt water all await at the Kemah Boardwalk. There is something here for everyone! There is music and seagulls all around, with food vendors selling delicious smelling funnel cakes. This isn’t just a magical place for kids; it was magical for me a grown adult.
It is a boardwalk and so you are right on the ocean doing all kinds of fun activities. This isn’t a huge theme park, so remember that as you go, but there are about 14 rides you can go on. Half of those rides will allow toddlers and you can even take an infant on the carousel and Ferris wheel.
It has a great variety too. There were terrifying rides for my husband, and just pleasant slight adrenaline rush rides for me. There is also a speedboat ride and stingray feeding. Your toddler will love the lights, the arcade games, the music, the greasy food, and of course, the ocean.
Price: $24.99 for those over 48” and $18.99 for those under
https://www.kemahboardwalk.com/
6. Houston Museum of Natural Science-
This one is a tougher one for toddlers, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I was hoping it would be more interactive, but it is more a look and see kind of place. My toddlers did love dinosaurs though and so the dinosaur exhibit was a huge hit. The animal exhibit was so fun too! They have all kinds of stuffed animals and it was so fun to play what noise does this animal make.
My older daughter, who is almost 3 years old, loved the rock exhibit too. She loves princesses and so all the sparkles were magical for her. The butterfly exhibit was closed for us due to COVID, but that would have been a hit for sure.
There is such a variety to this museum and something interesting for everyone. Like I said my toddlers loved the animal and dinosaur exhibits, my husband loved the mummy and Egypt exhibits, I loved the animal art section, and my mother loved the native American history section. It was tough to keep toddlers from touching everything, but it was a win as long as you make it magical.
Price: $25 per adult and $16 per child
7. Galveston Beach-
If in Houston, Texas you are so close to Galveston, so you need to stop by the beach there! This was the absolute best part of our trip! This is a toddler dream come true! Sand, seagulls, food, waves, water, and getting as dirty as they want. This is also a parents dream come true, cause this will wipe out your toddler with exhaustion and they will sleep forever! Haha! It is a super easy beach to find and there is parking absolutely everywhere. We didn’t find any bathrooms or port-a-pottys anywhere so that is inconvenient. There are boardwalks you can walk to also. We went on a Friday in the evening and it was not really crowded at all.
Price of parking right on the beach: $2 an hour
https://www.galvestonbeachinfo.com/
My essentials for a perfect beach trip:
- Sport-Brella– Most people use just a regular umbrella at the beach, but this one is by far the best! Not only can this be set up like a normal umbrella, but it can also be braced on its side in the sand. When braced on its side it keeps you shaded longer, keeps the wind from blowing all your stuff away, and is super easy to set up and take down. The absolute perfect beach umbrella.
- Beach Blanket– How many times when going to the beach do you set a towel down and had it blown away or get it covered in sand that just won’t come off? This is the perfect beach towel! Sand does not stick to this towel so you don’t have a messy towel every time you need sit on your towel. Also you can stake down the blanket so it doesn’t blow away in the wind!
- Sand Toys– Making sandcastles are my toddlers favorite activities to do at the beach. Shovels and molds make it so much easier for little ones to build compared to them just using their hands.
- Beach Bag– Mesh bags are a lifesaver when it comes to beach days. Instead of having a bag filled with sand that smells stinky like the beach, have a mesh bag that doesn’t keep the smells and lets all water and sand fall out!
- Sunscreen– Spray sunscreen is my favorite! It smells better, keeps you from sweating a ton, doesn’t turn your skin white, and doesn’t make your skin greasy.
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