8 Fun Things to Do in Houston with Kids

Texas is as diverse as it is big.  And every major city in Texas has its own unique feel to it.  We love to visit Houston as there are so many different things to do with kids.  Check out these 8 unique & fun things to do in Houston with kids. 

When visiting Houston, you can choose from cultural, historic and outdoor activities. The weather year round is comfortable, allowing you to enjoy most outdoor adventures – with the exception of the summer.  Fair warning, it gets hot & humid most of June, July and August.  Regardless of the time of year, if you have a few days in Houston, here are some must sees when you visit.

8 Fun Things to Do in Houston with Kids

Things to Do in Houston: SPACECENTER HOUSTON

Though my kids did not grow up in the era of “Houston, we have a problem.” or the Challenger disaster, they were so very interested in the history of space exploration and really enjoyed SpaceCenter Houston. Along with tours of Johnson Space Center, there are plenty of hands on exhibits and movies that really teach the kids all about NASA and space exploration.

We spent an entire morning at the Mission to Mars exhibit, learning how to live on the Space Station, and taking a walk through history on the tram tour to Mission Control. Recently, they added the Space Shuttle Independence replica to the top of the actual Space Shuttle Aircraft on display in front of the building.

Texas TravelingMom Tip: Try to visit as early as possible in the day. Crowds can increase as the day goes on, meaning longer wait times for the trams & exhibits.

Things to Do in Houston: KEMAH BOARDWALK

Very close to SpaceCenter is the Kemah Boardwalk, a 35-acre park with amusement rides, restaurants, & shopping. With the CityPass, you can get an all-day pass to ride most of the rides, including the Aviator, Pharaoh’s Fury, and the Boardwalk Bullet. Lines were short when we visited, so my kids rode ride after ride and really enjoyed themselves.  The boardwalk offers themed-restaurants including Landry’s, Bubba Gump Shrimp & Saltgrass Steakhouse – you can easily do lunch or dinner here. I liked the fact that we were right on Galveston Bay and were able to watch boats come in and out of the bay and catch a cool, salty breeze.

Texas TravelingMom Tip: The all-day pass allows you to ride unlimited and is very reasonable. 

Things to Do in Houston: HOUSTON ZOO

The Houston Zoo is very shaded and a great place to go anytime of year – don’t let a summer month stop you. We all enjoyed the great animal encounters, such as the one-on-one time with the gorillas.  We really enjoyed some of the unique ways to see the animals – my kids loved playing in the fish tunnel so much I had to almost drag them out of there. There is alsoa great splash pad and a wonderful children’s area.

Texas TravelingMom Tip: Don’t miss the fun train ride around Memorial Park after the zoo!

Things to Do in Houston: HOUSTON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

The Houston Children’s Museum is one of our favorite children’s museums we have visited. Kidtropolis allows children to earn money in various jobs, put their money in the bank and even spend it on groceries & entertainment.  This is such popular exhibit, that the museum only allows a certain number of children in per hour.  My older son really enjoyed making his own airplanes and cars in the Invention Convention. But their favorite part of the Houston Children’s Museum is the outside FLOW exhibit, where they played with water in all different kids of ways.

Texas TravelingMom Tip: Make sure to bring an extra shirt or shorts in case they want to get wet at the FLOW exhibit.

Things to Do in Houston: HOUSTON MUSUEM OF NATURAL SCIENCE

Now normally my kids wouldn’t think that a science museum would be amazing, but they thought the Houston Museum of Natural Science was! They really loved the dinosaur exhibit – there were rooms and rooms of full-scale dinos to see. They were also fascinated by the Hall of Gems, where we saw tons of sparkling stones we had never seen before.  I was impressed that they had so many docents throughout the museum to answer questions and present fun, hands-on exhibits.

Texas TravelingMom Tip: The Houston Museum of Natural Science also has an IMAX and a planetarium, so make sure you have given yourself enough time to see it all. 

Things to Do in Houston: DISCOVERY GREEN

Discovery Green is a large park in Downtown Houston that has a splash pad, model boats, playgrounds, dog park, and more. On some evenings, they host free concerts, movies on the lawn, and yoga classes. And in winter, they offer ice skating. It’s a fun green space smack dab in the middle of downtown and worth spending an afternoon or evening here.

Texas TravelingMom Tip: Discovery Green is a cool space to relax after a busy day sight-seeing. There are 2 restaurants here, a sandwich shop and a sit down restaurant.

Things to Do in Houston: JUS’ MAC

This Houston favorite has been on my list to try for years, so we hunted it down on a recent trip. And I’m so glad we did. Jus’ Mac is gourmet macaroni and cheese – and not anything like what mom makes. There are a ton of creative varieties you can try from buffalo chicken, to cheeseburger to BBQ brisket. It is rich and delicious and a totally fun restaurant to take the kids to. It was very affordable and we left so very full.

Jus’ Mac locations:
2617 Yale Street, Houston, TX
106 Westheimer, Houston, TX
16525 Lexington Blvd, Sugarland, TX

Texas TravelingMom Tip: What can I say? Go hungry!

Things to Do in Houston: THE CHOCOLATE BAR

If there is one fun place to visit with kids while you are in Houston, it’s the Chocolate Bar – a sugar-lover’s dream store. Along with some of the most unique-shaped chocolate bars, you can custom-make your own chocolate bark. They serve the most amazing chocolate cake and even make their own ice cream. It’s a fun, sweet afternoon stop.

The Chocolate Bar locations:
2521 University Blvd, Houston, TX
1835 West Alabama, Houston, TX

Texas TravelingMom Tip: Make sure to catch them making their chocolate delicacies through the window!

Looking for more Houston fun? Check out all these free things you can do there!