Houston Kid-Friendly Activites
The holiday season is a very fun and busy time of year. If you’re looking for ways to entertain your little ones, as well as knock a few items on your to-do your list, we’ve got a few ideas for you to help deck the halls. We’ve broken the activities down into three categories: memberships, running errands, and free.
Memberships
This is one of our favorite categories! Memberships pay dividends. Spend once and play over and over again. Memberships can have an exponential return on investment. Get the most out of your memberships by bringing the kids along.
1. Mister Car Wash
Mister Car Wash has an Unlimited Wash Club starting for $20 per month. Strap the kids in their car seats, and go for a ride, and come out of the other side with a squeaky clean car. If you have time, vacuum all of the raisins, goldfish and hidden goodies your kiddos have left for you in the back seat. If it rains, doesn’t matter. You can do another quick drive through mañana!
2. Costco
‘Tis the season! Knock out some holiday shopping, stock up on diapers, grab a slice of pizza and call it a day!
As a Houston Zoo Member you can visit the zoo anytime 9 am – 4 pm without buying tickets in advance. During the holidays, Zoo Members do have to purchase Zoo Lights tickets just like everyone else but members get a discount!
There are different levels of membership. Find what suits your family!
Running Errands
If you have to go shopping or really need that cup of coffee at your favorite spot, bring the kids and turn it into an adventure!
4. HEB
Yes we mentioned Costco earlier but this is our favorite grocery store in Houston. The produce, the price, the people are all top-notch! Plus, this can be a fun outing for your little ones. They get to see lots colors, help mom or dad choose the best looking fruits and veggies, maybe have a banana or a healthy snack while they get toted around the store.
Grocery shopping is a great conversation starter with your littles about food, animals, farms, and more.It gets them off of their ipads or your iphone unless they’re having a melt down and you just need some peace and quite haha. The idea is to involve them as much as possible on this outing.
5. Coffee Shops
There are so many amazing coffee shops in Houston that have great options for kids! Go ahead and order your flat white, latte, iced coffee or tea. Then ask for a “kid-temp” hot chocolate. There are a variety of milk options or substitutes from oat milk, soy milk, almond milk and full fat cow’s milk.
Need to pick up a prescription? Instead of going through the drive through, get everyone out of the car for a field trip into Walgreens. While you’re waiting for your prescription to be filled, stop by the photo department. They offers amazing coupons on their photo books, prints, holiday cards, canvas prints and all things photo. This is not meant to sound like a ad but we’re always surprised when we realize that more people don’t know about this little hidden gem.
You can create and order 4 x 6 photo books normally listed at $9.99 so for around $5. Walgreens regularly offers 50% – 70% off of photo books, and same day pick-up so you don’t have to pay or wait for shipping!
You get a personalized photo book with pictures of your family members, friends, birthdays, special events, vacations, the sky is the limit. The book is small, or essentially, kid-sized. It’s learning tool and hopefully helps interest them in books rather than screens only.
Let me just say that I am not opposed to screen time as long as the kiddos know how to interact with other humans, make eye contact, run around and get involved in their physical world.
Credit to another Lorena! We got this idea from one of our other working mama’s who is a rockstar!
Some of the free things to do require zero spending with the exception of gas for driving. Others listed below are completely free with regards to spending money.
Now that it starts getting dark around 5 pm CST, you can see Christmas lights on the drive home from school, practice or work. Or on the weekends, feel free to take a drive, and cross your fingers that the littles will fall asleep on the way home! Ho! Ho! Ho!
River Oaks and the Heights are two Houston Favorites in town with the giant trees lining the streets. In River Oaks, closer to the Christmas Holiday, it can get pretty packed. Cars fill the streets, people park their cars to get out and take pictures.
Lights in the Heights is a free event in Woodland Heights on December 9th, 2023 this year. The streets are closed to cars for an expanded block party with decorated homes, live music and cheery Houstonians celebrating the season.
The Houston Chronicle has a pretty great list if you want to check out more festively lit Houston neighborhoods.
Here are three yoga poses that are kid friendly that my littles enjoy doing with me.
1. Down Dog
Down dog is great fun for your little ones. It helps develop balance, strength, and they get to see their world upside down! You can ask them to breathe for three breaths. They are learning to focus their minds and pay attention to specific instructions. Great life building skills.
2. Cat Cow Pose
Animals and yoga go so well together. Ask your little to be a kitty cat, on all fours, arched up and they can hiss or meow. Then they can curl their spine, take a deep breath in and let out a big “moooo!” Playing pretend works wonders for their cognitive development. Arching and rounding the back strengthens their spine and enhances their flexibiilty.
3. Tree Pose
Tree pose is more challenging so encourage any attempt that your little one makes. Tree pose is promotes proper posture, breathing, a relaxed calm face and balance.
Maintaining a house hold is a full time job, especially with kiddos in the picture. If you work, exercise, or do anything else other than spending all of your time cleaning up after your kids, recruiting your littles is a great way to keep things tidy (somewhat) while maintaining your sanity. Get ’em while they’re young to plant the seed of organization.
1. Putting the dishes away
If your little ones are too small to physically put away the dishes, they can have just as much fun pointing out and naming the items in the dishwasher, spoon, fork, plate, cup, bowl. If you’re body allows, you can help them put the items in their home. They love being our little helpers!
2. Throwing trash away
This is something your littles can do before they even walk! We learned this from their “school.” They know how and like to throw away their own trash. Soon, they’re find things on the floor and put them in the trash all on their own.
Make sure you check the trash can every once in a while to make sure they didn’t toss something that wasn’t supposed to be. We later realized that a few plates, and some kiddo plastic wear had gone missing. It’s never to early to start grooming them to be self-reliant and successful humans.
3. Clean Up Time
Part of playing is cleaning up. Our littles have a tendency to get a toy out, leave it, get another toy out, leave it, and on to the next until the house looks like a rainbow threw up everywhere. You can help them clean up to help jumpstart the process. If you smile, are cheery, and enjoy the process of getting organized then they will too in most cases :0)
This isn’t meant to be strictly adhered to but when you’re finished playing with something put it back where it belongs. This way you always know where your thing are when everything has a home.
In our household, our pets are family. We teach our kids to be respectful to our pets just like we are respectful with each other. Sometimes our pets need space. They need to be cared for; it is a mutual loving relationship. Caring for household pets together is another wonderful way to teach responsibility, compassion, and patience.
1. Feed your pet
Dinner time can be an exciting time for your little one and your fur baby! Letting your kids scoop the food, put the bowl in it’s designated space and watch them eat is fulfilling on so many levels. Your child is developing hand-eye coordination, they are contributing, showing love, developing responsibility and creating a stronger bond with the animal.
2. Walk the dog
If you have a family dog, taking family walks is a very good bonding exercise. It’s good for the humans, get outside, destress, see some trees, nature, fresh air. And it’s good for the dog, fulfilling its desire to be part of a pack
Read more from the best dog trainer in the world, Cesar Milan.
11. Go for a Walk
Rather than this being a one-off, make this part of your daily routine. You can do this in morning before the hustle and bustle of school and work starts. The streets are quiet, you may get to see the sunrise, and it’s precious time that you get with your child, or children before the chaos begins.
