I know how hard it is to get young kids out of the house to go somewhere - even quick outings require you to pack enough snacks, diapers, and toys to make you think you’ll be gone for a week. And who wants to wrestle kids in and out of carseats just to find out that your destination isn’t kid-friendly? That’s why I’ve decided to visit Triangle area sites to see if they’re worth your trip. I won’t use a rating system but I’ll try to describe what you’ll see well enough for you to decide if your kids would find it interesting. I’ll also give you the heads up on bathrooms, stroller accessibility and any other SNAFUs I encounter.

2/27/2012

Master List of Kid-Friendly Triangle Attractions


I've been posting to this blog for a year now and I figured it was time to create some kind of Master List of the most kid-friendly places I've been to in the Triangle. As you will notice, there are a lot more outdoor attractions than indoor. Because of this, one of the hardest things to do is to find things to do during January and February - the two months when it gets really cold.

 By clicking on any item in the lists you can go to the post reviewing that attraction. As I continue to find child-friendly sites I'll add them to this list.
Outdoor and Parks

 Anderson Point Park - nice playground and relaxing porch swings

White Deer Park - natural playground has an Adirondacks vibe

Pullen Park - playground, rides, and a train

Noah's Ark Ministries - good for a petting zoo fix

Lake Crabtree Park - nice spot for fishing

Yates Mill Park - historic mill

JC Raulston Arboretum - great southwest garden

Raven Rock State Park - beautiful views and an impressive rock ledge

Falls Lake Recreation Area - nice swimming area 

Carolina Tiger Rescue - lions, tigers, and other carnivores

RDU Observation Park - best place to view takeoffs and landings

NC Railway Museum - train rides 

Oak View Park - friendly goats and children's exhibits

Little River Park - relaxing waterfall

Sarah P. Duke Gardens - lots of walkways through garden vistas

 Indoor Attractions

 Pullen Aquatic Center - inexpensive indoor pool

NC Museum of History - Story of NC exhibit Part I is kid-friendly

Country Doctor Museum - antique automobiles

Atkinson's Grist Mill - see a modern milling operation

NC Life and Science Museum - theme park + petting zoo + science museum

Marbles Children's Museum - plenty of interactivity

Harris Energy and Environmental Center - kids can try on a bullet-proof vest

NC Museum of Art - stunning artwork even kids will notice

Morehead Planetarium - kid-friendly planetarium shows

Ackland Art Museum - staff caters to families with young children

Rainbow Play Systems - Pay-for-play indoor showroom of playground structures

Outside the Triangle (over an hour and a half from the Triangle)

 Town Creek Indian Mound - kids will love the mortuary hut

NC Transportation Museum - trains, cars, and a working roundtable

 North Carolina Zoo - 2 continents, lots of animals

Sylvan Heights Bird Park - birds from the domestic to the exotic and you can get really close

 Seasonal Entertainment

 Carolina Rollergirls - (Fall/Winter) lo-tech sports experience allows spectators to get close to the action


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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 4, 2012 at 4:30 PM

    Kidzu in chapel hill is free on Sunday's. It is fairly small but nice reprieve with little kids. They have a book corner and Arts and craft areas. They have some pretend play areas ( planting area, store , kitchen area ). I found this space easier than marbles if you have little kids, but it is smaller and not as dynamic. I found marbles difficult with a 2 1/2 year old and 1 year old. It is too chaotic to watch Little ones.Marbles seems best with 1 child or older children.

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  2. Capt. Dad the Cruise DirectorAugust 6, 2012 at 3:35 PM

    Great comment. I took the kids to Kidzu long before I started this blog and when I only had one child. We went on a weekday when the admission is a little pricey, but it sounds like Sundays are a great time to visit.

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  3. AnonymousAugust 18, 2012 at 11:25 AM

    Went to u-bounce in apex this weekend. My 2 1/2 year old had a great time as did the 14 month old baby. It cost us 6$ total as baby was free. We did need 2 people to watch the two kids but was well worth going. Also had to help 2 1/2 up steps to giant slide, which ended up being th highlight. You do need to check times and reserve a spot. We went during "free time" But called to secure spot.

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