If you’re lucky to have family in town or kids old enough for sleep-overs or to stay home by themselves – you may not need this advice. And while we have some favorite babysitters, we’ve also been checking out the local Parents Night Out options around town. So I wanted to share what I’ve researched. Here are some options if you want your kids to get a night out at the same time as you get a date night:

Thinkery

Location: 1830 Simond Ave, Austin, TX 78723

Age range: 4+ years old (must be potty-trained)

Cost: $45 first child, $25 each additional child ($5 discount for Members)

Details: Kids have the museum to themselves and live it up with pizza, hands-on STEAM activities, exhibit exploration and MORE!

Extra perks: Check out the special discounts offered in the Mueller community for your date night

• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Receive FREE snacks (popcorn or two cookies) at any location!
• BD Riley’s – Receive 10% off your meal.
• Contigo – Receive 10% off your meal. To make a reservation, call (512) 614-2260 or contigotexas.com.
• Colleen’s Kitchen – Receive 10% off your meal. To make a reservation, call (512) 580-2413 or visit OpenTable.com.
• Halcyon Mueller – Free s’mores with purchase of 2 beverages.
• Lick Honest Ice Creams – Receive 25% off ice cream floats.
• L’Oca d’Oro – Receive 10% off your meal. To make a reservation, call (737) 212–1876 or visit OpenTable.com.
• Lilla & Beth – Receive 10% off your purchase.

Schedule and to book: Tend to fall on Friday nights from 5:30pm – 10pm

Crenshaw’s

Location: 5000 Fairview Dr, Austin, TX 78731

Age range: 5-11 years old

Cost: $30 first child, $20 for second child

Details: Night out of fun that includes gymnastics, trampoline, pit time, recreational swimming, games, snack, and a full length movie (G-PG) on a HUGE movie screen (includes a mid-evening light snack and a drink). Don’t forget to bring a bathing suit and a towel.

Schedule and to book: Saturday nights once/month 6:30pm – 10:45pm (Registration for each Kids Night Out starts TWO weeks before the date of the night.)

YMCA

Location: various

Age range: 3 – 12 years old

Cost: $30 members ($60 non-members)

Details: swimming, gym games, pizza, crafts and more

Schedule and to book: Saturdays from 5:00pm-9:30pm

Austin Ninjas

Location: 6001 W Parmer Ln #430, Austin, TX 78727

Age range: 5 – 12 years old

Cost: $30/child

Details: Gym time, 2 slices of pizza and water bottle included (must sign waiver)

Schedule and to book: Saturday nights, once/month, 6:30pm – 10pm

Lifekido

Location: 3636 Bee Caves Rd #212, Austin, TX 78746

Age range: 5 – 7 years old

Cost: $35 for current students, $30 additional siblings; non-members: $40 for first, $35 for additional siblings

Details: martial arts games, an obstacle course, movie AND pizza!

Schedule and to book: Saturdays from 5:30pm – 8pm (usually once/month during the school year)

Crux Climbing Center

Location: 121 Pickle Rd #100, Austin, TX 78704

Age range: 4 – 10 years old

Cost: $35/child (members); $45/child (non-members)

Details: Date Night is a 4 hour guided play session run by our professional and experienced staff. During these 4 hours your kids will climb and play in our awesome Pandamonium room! Kids will have toys, games, and all the climbing they can handle! Our classes are capped at 6 participants to ensure that your child gets plenty of attention and supervision. Crux will provide cheese/ peperroni pizza for your kids for no additional cost!

Schedule and to book: Ever first Friday of the month from 6:00pm – 10pm

My Gym

Location: 5307 W US Hwy 290 Service Rd, Austin, TX 78735

Age range: 2-9 years old

Cost: $30/child members, $35/child non-members (discounts are offered when enrolling siblings)

Details: games, rides, songs, dances, relays, obstacle courses and more.
* Pizza and juice are provided for dinner.

Schedule and to book: Fridays from 5:30pm – 8:30pm

Toybrary

Location: 2001 Justin Ln, Austin, TX 78757

Age range: Site doesn’t list age range

Cost: $35/child ($10 per additional sibling)

Details: Kids craft, play dress up, play outside and more

Schedule and to book: Saturdays from 5pm – 8pm

LittleLand

Location: Various locations in and around Austin

Age range: 2+ years old

Cost: $45/child (10% discount per additional sibling)

Details: Kids play and get pizza and juice

Schedule and to book: Alternating Friday and Saturdays from 4:30pm-8:30pm

Austin Bouldering Project

Location: 979 Springdale Rd #150, Austin, TX 78702

Age range: 5-12 years old

Cost: $40/child, $30 for sibling ($20/child and $15 sibling if Members)

Details: Kids climb and get pizza and a movie

Schedule and to book: Two Fridays a month from 5:30pm-10pm

Austin Gymnastics Club

Location:13776 US-183 Hwy, Austin, TX 78750

Age range: 4+ years old and up

Cost: $40/child, $35/sibling, $45/day of walk-in

Details: Gymnastics, pizza, games and crafts

Schedule and to book: Monthly – see site for dates

Capital Gymnastics

Location: They have Cedar Park, Pflugerville and Round Rock locations

Age range: 3-12 years old

Cost: $30/child, $25/sibling, +$5/day of walk-in

Details: Gymnastics, movie and dinner

Schedule and to book: Fridays from 6pm-10pm – see site for dates

Code Ninjas

Location: 3621 E. Whitestone Blvd. Suite 500, Cedar Park, TX 78613

Age range: 7+ years old

Cost: Not listed on site

Details: Games, puzzles, building and more

Schedule and to book: See site for dates

Enjoying dinner out on South Congress WITHOUT OUR CHILDREN

Now if you need ideas for things to do WITH your kids, you can also check out my blog posts on:

1. Top 10 Hikes around Austin with Kids
2. Top 12 Ideas from January to December in Austin with Kids

Bull Creek District Trail

One of my New Years Resolutions is to go on more hikes. The kids love them (collecting sticks! throwing rocks in creeks! climbing over boulders!) – and this time of year (January – April) is one of the most pleasant seasons to be outside in Austin (if you’re not in a body of water).

And besides enjoying the trails, visiting these spots doubles as location scouting since all of them make great settings for family photo sessions. Things I keep in mind when picking a place to go as a family – we want easy parking, bathrooms if possible, not too crowded and trails around 1-3 miles long (your own criteria may vary).

If you’re looking for kid-friendly hiking spots in and around Austin (or want ideas for where you next family photos should be), here are my Top 10 favorites:

Bull Creek District Trail

1. Bull Creek District Trail

Bull Creek – Our favorite and most visited park. There are boulders you can climb (near the small parking lot). There’s about a mile hiking trail that goes along the water. Bull Creek is also a favorite location I use for family photo sessions. (We’ve had our own family photos taken here twice)

Address: 6701 Lakewood Dr., Austin, TX 78731

Parking: two lots

Bathroom: yes

Balcones District Park

2. Balcones District Park

Balcones District Park – Another kid-friendly park with a small playground and pool (only open in Summer). It’s also where I take 75% of my wildflower portraits each Spring.

Address: 12017 Amherst Dr, Austin, TX 78759

Parking: yes

Bathroom: yes

St. Edwards Park

3. St. Edwards Park

St. Edwards Park – This 80-acre park has criss-crossing trails that can take you by the water or not. Keep an eye out for their small waterfall.

Address: 7301 Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78759

Parking: yes (small lot)

Bathroom: no

Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve

4. Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve

Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve – Wild Basin is part of the Balcones Canyonland Preserve, and it’s 227 acres of Hill Country woodland. Did you know you could apply to be an Artist in Residence there? (which led me down a rabbit hole of researching other Texas artist residency programs – see some options here).

Address: 805 North Capital of Texas Highway

Parking: yes

Bathroom: yes

River Place Nature Trail

5. River Place Fern Trail

River Place Fern Trail – We’ve only made one trip out to this trail so far, but have plans to definitely head back soon. There’s a lovely playground across the street we ended up at as well.

Address: 8820 Big View Dr, Austin, TX 78730

Parking: yes

Bathroom: yes (at playground across the street)

Common Ford Ranch Park

6. Common Ford Ranch Park

Common Ford Ranch Park – Large open field, boathouse and dock on Lake Austin – never crowded. You can also rent the ranch house/pool there.

Address: 614 N Commons Ford Rd, Austin, TX 78733

Parking: yes

Bathroom: yes (port-a-potty)

Lady Bird Lake – Hike and Bike Trail

7. Lady Bird Lake – Hike and Bike Trail

Lady Bird Lake – Hike and Bike Trail – Honestly it stresses me out a little to take the kids hiking here since it’s always so crowded – so we’re more likely to rent canoes and enjoy the lake from the water or just hit the patches of wildflowers by the baseball fields instead.

Address: multiple entry points

Parking: yes

Bathroom: yes

Circle C Ranch Park

8. Circle C Ranch Park

Circle C Ranch Park – A bit south for us to go regularly, but still a nice walk and does get lovely wildflowers some years.

Address: 6301 W Slaughter Ln, Austin, TX 78739

Parking: yes

Bathroom: yes

McKinney Falls State Park

9. McKinney Falls State Park

McKinney Falls State Park – Roughly 20-30 minutes from Austin, and it has an admission charge. But enjoy nine miles of trails to explore around Onion Creek. Good for bluebonnets as well.

Address: 5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy, Austin, TX 78744

Parking: yes

Bathroom: yes

Pedernales Falls State Park

10. Pedernales Falls State Park

Pedernales Falls State Park – Roughly an hour drive outside of Austin, also has an admission charge – but such a beautiful spot! I can’t get over the stunning color of the water. Swim, hike, climb over the limestone rocks – and then hop over to the Hill Country Science Mill in Johnson City to make a full day of it (a winning combo we’ve done at least three other times).

Address: 2585 Park Rd 6026, Johnson City, TX 78636

Parking: yes

Bathroom: yes

Those are our Top 10 favorite hikes in and around Austin.

Other spots we’ve enjoyed that I recommend visiting with kids are Inks Lake State Park and Enchanted Rock State Park.

Inks Lake State Park

Enchanted Rock State Park

And finally, five more Parks near Austin on my list to explore this year include:

1. Pace Bend State Park – Better save with one for the summer when we can go swim as well.
2. Bastrop State Park– We could also visit Bastrop’s Dinosaur Park since we’ve never been there either.
3. Palmetto State Park – We could all take portraits by the dwarf palmettos. It’d also be fun to rent a paddling boat or canoe for the paddling tour
4. Lockhart State Park – Need to add a stop for BBQ in town as well
5. Westcave Preserve – Heart eyes seeing pics of that grotto, need to see it in person – they only offer guided tours.

Have a spot to recommend or want to book your own family photos in one of these locations? Contact me.

Bat watching boat cruise on Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas.

Looking for things to do in Austin with kids? I’ve lived here since 1994, and while I’ve seen it change a bunch, I wanted to share some of my current favorite things to do with kids throughout the year. Whether you’re an Austin native or visiting from out of town, I recommend the following places to visit. So grab your camera & your kids to explore all year long…

Johnson City Science Mill

JANUARY – Visit Museums!

In January, the weather may be iffy, so it’s a good time to explore some indoor options. Some of our favorite museums in Austin (and nearby) to visit with kids include:

Thinkery – Austin’s children’s museum.

Hill Country Science Mill – located in Johnson City, TX. Great hands-on science experience (and their cafe has A+ mac and cheese)

DoSeum – located in San Antonio, TX. We spent over four hours there recently.

St. Edwards Park

FEBRUARY – Go on a Hike!

In February it’s not too hot to be outside (like over half the year in Austin). So take this opportunity to go on some hikes with your family. Kid friendly hikes can be found at each of the following:

St. Edwards Trails – also fun to visit in the summer to splash in the water, but lovely throughout the year.

Bull Creek– also popular in summer for swimming

Balcones Park – also good later in Spring for wildflowers

Emma Long Park – multiple trails, small stretch of beach on the shores of Lake Austin

Common Ford Park – nice dock for fishing, scenic old barn good for photo backdrops

Sweet Berry Farm strawberry, Marble Falls, Texas

MARCH – Pick Strawberries!

Spring is a great time to go pick your own fruit. Some farms we really like include:

Sweet Eats Farm – in Georgetown. Also fun to visit in the summer to pick peaches, wade in the river and ride the ziplines or to visit in the Fall for Pumpkins.

Sweet Berry Farm – in Marble Falls. Also fun to visit in the Fall for Pumpkins, pick your own flowers and Corn Mazes.

There are also loads of kid-friendly events during SXSW over Spring Break.

Mix of different colored bluebonnets

APRIL – Bluebonnets!

The wildflowers are out – go visit the Wildflower Center and admire all the bluebonnets, indian paintbrush, primrose, poppies and all the other Texas natives in bloom. And it’s tradition to get your photos taken in the flowers.

Rock the Park drawing

MAY – Listen to Music!

See a show at Central Market, North Lamar or KUTX Live at Mueller Park. You can also check the Austin Chronicle for local music listings.

Rock’N River waterpark in Round Rock, Texas

JUNE – Pools are open!

Lots of favorites to visit with kids:

Deep Eddy Pool (make sure to get a Jim-Jim’s water ice while you’re there)

Barton Springs Pool (the fastest way to cool down in a Texas summer)

Rock’n River (multiple slides, lazy river and splash areas at only $10/ticket for kids)

Veterans Memorial Pool (slides, jumping platform, rope bridge, etc.)

El Salido Pool (great diving board)

Quest ATX Waterpark (must be 7 years old)

Krause Springs, Spicewood, TX

JULY – Keep swimming!

It’s still blazing hot – check out these swimming holes just outside of town:

Krause Springs (go early to avoid the crowds – pretty much my life philosophy)

Hamilton Pool (you need a reservation)

Blue Hole Georgetown (go early to avoid the crowds)

Blue Hole Wimberley (you need a reservation)

Bats over Lady Bird Lake

AUGUST – See Bats! On Boats!

It’s still hot but being on the water is always nice. Try a Bat-watching boat tour on Lady Bird Lake. We got tickets to the Lone Star Cruises – and it was a hit with all ages. Cost is $12/adult; $7/kid; $10/seniors. The tour lasts about an hour, runs from March – October, but if you go in August, the bat colony is a real sight to see. You can also rent a kayak or canoe and hang out under the bridges at sunset.

Or you could take a Glass-bottomed boat tour in San Marcos.

Austin Central Library

SEPTEMBER – Learn something new!

In celebration of Back to School  – Visit the Downtown Central Library. The kid’s area is amazing. Board games to play, books to read, toys to play with and lots of computers. I also want to try their Cookbook Cafe with rotating cookbook menus.

Pumpkin Patch at Barton Hills Farm

OCTOBER – Pick Pumpkins!

Sure you could go to the grocery store and spend under $20 on a fresh pumpkin – but what’s the fun in that? Get dressed up in your costume, drive a bit out of town and explore nearby farms – and then buy your pumpkin.

Barton Hills Farm (45 minute drive from Central Austin)

Sweet Berry Farm (1 hour 15 minute drive from Central Austin)

Sweet Eats Farm (40 minute drive from Central Austin)

Volunteering with Generation Serve

NOVEMBER – Volunteer!

It’s time to Give Thanks and Give Back. Sign up to volunteer with your kids through Generation Serve.

Zilker Tree

DECEMBER – Celebrate the Holidays!

Spin under the Zilker Holiday Tree

Make gingerbread houses at the Thinkery

Drive around and look at lights

More holiday ideas

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For even more ideas of things to do in Austin with your kids, visit Do512 Family, Free Fun in Austin and Austin City Mom’s blog.

And if you want your family photos taken doing any of these things, please let me know.