Winter Adventures with Kids

We pulled these 307 winter adventures out of our full catalog of kid-friendly spots in Hawaii, Texas, New York, Florida, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. Every listing has the ages it suits, what it costs, how long to budget, parking notes, and what to pack.

Showing 66 of 307 adventures — pick a state above for the full list

Haleiwa, HI

Waimea Valley

Paved botanical garden walk to a swimmable 45-foot waterfall. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Stroller-friendly.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Kapaa, HI

Lydgate Beach Park

Protected rock pools for safe snorkeling and a massive playground on Kauai east side. Free. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 1+
  • ~4h
  • Free

Kapaa, HI

Wailua River Kayaking

Kayak Hawaii's only navigable river, then hike to a 120-foot hidden waterfall you can swim under. Paid, ages 5+. No kayaking on Sundays.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 5+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Kula, HI

Haleakala National Park Sunrise

Sunrise from 10,023 feet above a volcanic crater that looks like Mars. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

  • Nature
  • Ages 4+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Honolulu, HI

Iolani Palace

The only royal palace on US soil, with guided tours of the throne room and the upstairs room where Queen Liliuokalani was imprisoned.

  • Museum
  • Ages 5+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Kaneohe, HI

Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden

Free 400-acre botanical garden with dramatic mountain backdrop and camping. Free. Works from toddler age. About two hours.

  • Nature
  • Ages 1+
  • ~2h
  • Free

Kapaa, HI

Ke Ala Hele Makalae (Kauai Coastal Path)

Scenic oceanfront bike path along Kauai east coast with beach stops and whale watching. Free. Best from about age 3. About two hours.

  • Biking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~2h
  • Free

Lihue, HI

Kauai Tubing Adventure

Float through century-old plantation tunnels on inner tubes with headlamps. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. A half-day trip.

  • Tubing
  • Ages 5+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Pahoa, HI

Lava Tree State Monument

Eerie forest of lava-molded tree columns from a 1790 eruption. Free. Best from about age 3. About an hour. Stroller-friendly.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Pepeekeo, HI

Pepe ekeo Point Lookout

Scenic drive through a tropical corridor with one-lane bridges and ocean views. Free. Works from toddler age. About an hour.

  • Nature
  • Ages 2+
  • ~0.5h
  • Free

Waianae, HI

Leeward Coast Dolphin Watching

Boat tours to see wild spinner dolphins and sea turtles along the leeward coast. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

  • Nature
  • Ages 3+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Wailuku, HI

Maui Tropical Plantation

Tram tour through a working tropical fruit farm with tastings and zipline. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About two hours.

  • Nature
  • Ages 2+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Canyon, TX

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Second-largest US canyon with the iconic Lighthouse Trail hike. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip. Moderate effort.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Fredericksburg, TX

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

Iconic granite dome summit scramble with 360-degree Hill Country views. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Glen Rose, TX

Dinosaur Valley State Park

Real dinosaur tracks in a riverbed plus 20 miles of trails. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Needville, TX

Brazos Bend State Park

Wild alligator viewing from boardwalks and stargazing at the observatory. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

  • Nature
  • Ages 3+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Austin, TX

Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve

Peaceful woodland trails with a waterfall and nature programs. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. About an hour. Moderate effort.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~1h
  • Paid

Cedar Hill, TX

Cedar Hill State Park

Family-friendly state park on Joe Pool Lake just 20 minutes from Dallas - swimming, hiking, camping, and mountain biking for all ages

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Frisco, TX

Frisco Square

Urban architecture and a central park gazebo ideal for portraits and family photos. Free. Works from toddler age. About an hour.

  • Photography
  • Ages 2+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Frisco, TX

National Videogame Museum

Frisco museum of video game history with a free-play 1980s arcade, playable consoles, and decade-by-decade living rooms.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 5+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Plano, TX

Crayola Experience Plano

Two floors of hands-on art stations in Plano where kids name their own crayon, melt wax into art and take home everything they make.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

San Antonio, TX

Phil Hardberger Park

Land bridge and world-class nature playscape in San Antonio. Free. Works from toddler age. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~2h
  • Free

Tatum, TX

Martin Creek Lake State Park

Year-round warm-water fishing with unique island campsites in East Texas - a hidden gem for family fishing trips and peaceful lake paddling

  • Fishing
  • Ages 3+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Poughkeepsie, NY

Walkway Over the Hudson

Walk 212 feet above the Hudson River on the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. Free. Works from toddler age.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Tupper Lake, NY

The Wild Center

Natural history museum with a treetop Wild Walk and live animal exhibits. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

  • Nature
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Albany, NY

New York State Museum

Free Albany museum with a full-size mastodon, New York habitat dioramas and a working 1890s carousel running rides on the top floor.

  • Museum
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Free

Buffalo, NY

Buffalo Museum of Science

Buffalo science museum with dinosaur skeletons, a mummy, live animal encounters, and a rooftop observatory for night sky viewing.

  • Science
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Cooperstown, NY

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Three floors of baseball history in Cooperstown with the Plaque Gallery, game-worn jerseys, and a team-by-team locker room.

  • Museum
  • Ages 5+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Corona, NY

New York Hall of Science

Queens hands-on science museum with a build-and-test design lab, a room-size interactive ecosystem, and a preschool zone.

  • Science
  • Ages 2+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Lake Placid, NY

Cobble Hill Trail

Quick family hike with a big High Peaks view just outside Lake Placid village. Free. Best from about age 3. About an hour.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Niagara Falls, NY

Aquarium of Niagara

Aquarium steps from Niagara Falls with penguins, daily sea lion training sessions, Great Lakes tanks and a shark and ray touch pool.

  • Aquarium
  • Ages 1+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Rochester, NY

The Strong National Museum of Play

Enormous Rochester museum of play with a Sesame Street set, classic arcade, butterfly garden, carousel, and Toy Hall of Fame.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 1+
  • ~6h
  • Paid

Schenectady, NY

miSci Museum of Innovation and Science

Schenectady science museum with hands-on electricity exhibits, General Electric history and a planetarium running daily star shows.

  • Science
  • Ages 3+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Syracuse, NY

Museum of Science & Technology (MOST)

Syracuse science museum with four floors of hands-on exhibits, a simulated cave crawl, a toddler area and a domed IMAX theater.

  • Science
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Syracuse, NY

WonderWorks Syracuse

Indoor science-and-illusion attraction at Destiny USA in Syracuse with a hurricane simulator, ropes course, and laser tag.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 4+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Crystal River, FL

Three Sisters Springs

The only place in the US where you can legally snorkel alongside wild manatees, plus a boardwalk view for families staying dry.

  • Snorkeling
  • Ages 6+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Homestead, FL

Royal Palm and the Anhinga Trail

A half-mile boardwalk over a gator hole where alligators, anhingas, herons and turtles sit within a few feet of the rail.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Sarasota, FL

Myakka River State Park

A canopy walkway suspended in the treetops, an airboat across an alligator lake, and one of Florida's oldest and largest state parks.

  • Nature
  • Ages 3+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Williston, FL

Devil's Den Spring

Snorkel inside a collapsed underground cavern lit by a single opening in the roof - a prehistoric spring reached by a staircase.

  • Snorkeling
  • Ages 6+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Altoona, FL

Alexander Springs Recreation Area

A first-magnitude spring in Ocala National Forest with a rare gently sloping sand bottom - the easiest spring entry in Florida for small kids.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 2+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Chiefland, FL

Manatee Springs State Park

A first-magnitude spring running into the Suwannee River, with winter manatees, a boardwalk through cypress swamp and easy swimming.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 3+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Dunedin, FL

Honeymoon Island State Park

Drive-on barrier island with calm Gulf swimming, excellent shelling, an osprey trail and one of Florida's best dog beaches.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 1+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Homosassa, FL

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

An underwater observatory puts you at eye level with wild manatees and thousands of fish inside a first-magnitude spring.

  • Nature
  • Ages 2+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Jupiter, FL

Blowing Rocks Preserve

At high tide on a windy day, waves force seawater fifty feet into the air through blowholes in the largest limestone outcrop on Florida's coast.

  • Nature
  • Ages 4+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Marathon, FL

Sombrero Beach

A free, shaded, sandy municipal beach in the middle Keys with calm shallow water, a playground and real palm-tree shade.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 1+
  • ~3h
  • Free

St. George Island, FL

St. George Island State Park

Nine miles of undeveloped barrier island beach with almost nobody on it, plus calm bay-side water and excellent shelling.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 2+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Beaver Lodge Nature Trail

Easy 2-mile forest loop trail through towering pines in Beavers Bend State Park. Free. Best from about age 3. About an hour.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Broken Bow, OK

Beavers Bend Safari Park

Drive-through and walk-through safari with 350+ exotic animals near Hochatown. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About two hours.

  • Nature
  • Ages 2+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Cedar Bluff Nature Trail

Easy 0.8-mile river-view loop across from Dogwood Campground in Beavers Bend State Park - one of Broken Bow's best quick family hikes

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~0.5h
  • Free

Broken Bow, OK

Hochatown Cabin Rentals

The private cabin market around Hochatown and Beavers Bend, where hot tubs, bunk rooms, game rooms and fire pits are the family standard

  • Lodging
  • Ages 1+
  • Overnight
  • Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Hochatown Petting Zoo

Rescue-based petting zoo with barnyard animals and exotics in Hochatown. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About an hour.

  • Nature
  • Ages 2+
  • ~1h
  • Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Riverman Trail Rides

Guided horseback riding through the Ouachita Mountains overlooking the Glover River. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. About an hour.

  • Nature
  • Ages 3+
  • ~1h
  • Paid

Broken Bow, OK

The Maze of Hochatown

Giant 29,000 sq ft wooden maze in Hochatown near Broken Bow - tickets sold at the gate, with checkpoint towers and stamp collecting kids love

  • Nature
  • Ages 3+
  • ~1h
  • Paid

Idabel, OK

Museum of the Red River

Idabel museum forty minutes from Broken Bow with a full mounted Acrocanthosaurus and Native American art of the Americas.

  • Museum
  • Ages 4+
  • ~2h
  • Free

Oklahoma City, OK

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Oklahoma City Western museum with a full-scale indoor frontier town, a kids cowboy corral, and rodeo and Native American galleries.

  • Museum
  • Ages 4+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Oklahoma City, OK

Science Museum Oklahoma

Huge Oklahoma City science museum with a high-wire bike, tinkering garage, planetarium, and daily explosive demonstrations.

  • Science
  • Ages 2+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Tulsa, OK

Discovery Lab

Tulsa children's museum by the Arkansas River with a maker space, water channels, a climbing structure and a crawler-friendly zone.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 1+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Aguadilla, PR

Crash Boat Beach

Submerged pier pilings have grown coral and sponge into an artificial reef, making this the easiest genuinely good snorkel on the west coast.

  • Snorkeling
  • Ages 5+
  • ~3h
  • Free

Camuy, PR

Parque Nacional Cavernas del Rio Camuy

One of the largest cave systems in the world, entered by trolley down into a sinkhole, with a subterranean river running far below the walkway.

  • Nature
  • Ages 5+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Isabela, PR

Playa Jobos

A limestone-framed bay on the north-west coast with a reliable surf break at one end and sheltered tide pools for children at the other.

  • Surfing
  • Ages 6+
  • ~3h
  • Free

Rincon, PR

Domes Beach

Puerto Rico's best-known surf break, with beginner lessons when the summer swell drops and humpback whales passing offshore in winter.

  • Surfing
  • Ages 8+
  • ~3h
  • Free

Vieques, PR

Sun Bay (Balneario Sun Bay)

A mile-long public crescent of calm turquoise water with picnic shelters, wild horses on the grass, and almost nobody on it.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 1+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Christiansted, VI

Cane Bay Beach

Swim a couple of hundred feet from the sand and the reef simply ends at a wall dropping thousands of feet into open blue. Easy entry, big drop-off.

  • Snorkeling
  • Ages 6+
  • ~3h
  • Free