School’s out, and summer has kicked into high gear. Almost three months of bliss, right??
Wait, do you hear that? That is the collective groan of moms everywhere realizing that they have almost three months to fill when the sing-song chorus of “I’m soooooo booorrred” begins approximately two weeks after the last day of school.
Have no fear! We’re here with a sand bucket list to help you keep the littles at bay, so inhale and stay calm. Remember, they can sense fear, so really—chill out. Summer is not a competition. There is no definition of the “perfect” summer. Memories will be made no matter what activities fill your days.
By the way, family legends don’t grow from “perfect” summers. The stories that are told time and time again about funny memories that will never go away, are born when bathing suits fall off in big waves, diaper bags are left on car trunks, backyard barbecues require a fire extinguisher to put out the flames, and the dog eats your picnic lunch.
Your kids will remember the crazy and it will make them smile. If cooking up a storm is your thing, enjoy kitchen time with your kids. If glittering anything that stands still makes you smile, whip out the glitter and let the kids go to town. Hit the pool, hit the beach, watch movies, and eat popcorn. Let that paleta drip down your chin, relax, and fill your sand bucket any way you like.
Before we jump into sure-fire fun, don’t forget: there are still summer camp slots available, as well as Vacation Bible School options, too! We also have a great list of FREE—that’s right—totally free activities and events to help fill your summer. And as always, ACMB will keep you informed with monthly calendar posts of all the latest/greatest/coolest activities in San Antonio. Get the June scoop here, and don’t forget to check back in for July and August events sure to keep boredom at bay.
Now, fill your sand bucket with:
Indoor Fun
- Explore Texas and more at the new Witte Museum.
- Play for hours at The DoSeum.
- Take in a free or $1 movie (Santikos, Regal, Alamo Drafthouse, and more).
- Get the wiggles/jumps/bounces out inside (Pump It Up, The Jumpy Place, Aerial Athletics, Urban Air, Inflatable Wonderland, and more).
- Explore San Antonio Art Museum and get into the art of summer.
- Get a little soul for your soles: tour the San Antonio Shoe factory.
- See the masters, modern art, and more at The McNay.
- See spurs, art, and the world of the West at the Briscoe Western Art Museum.
- Hit New Braunfels for fun at McKenna Children’s Museum.
- Learn some new crafts at Michael’s Camp Creativity.
- Visit with Dinosaur George and enjoy his traveling museum June 16–17.
- See the stars during the day at Scobee Planetarium (and Friday nights, too—different programs each month).
- Visit the library.
- Get some indoor fun for all levels, abilities, and sensitivities at We Rock the Spectrum.
- Try indoor skydiving at iFly.
- Enjoy open art time.
- Learn some aviation history at the Texas Air Museum.
- Visit the San Antonio Fire Museum.
- Check out Summer Play Days at the Disney Store.
- Do in-home mani/pedis or facials.
- Become a train engineer at the New Braunfels Railroad Museum.
- See glass blowing at Garcia Art Glass or Caliente Hot Glass.
- Unleash your inner Picasso at Inspire Community Fine Art Center’s free Family Art Day (second Saturday of each month).
- Let someone else do the reading during story time at the library.
- Experience video games, laser tag, bowling, and more at Main Event.
- Get a group of friends together and tour your local H-E-B.
- Learn Texas history at the Institute of Texan Cultures.
- Let out your inner artist to paint pottery at Clay Casa or Color Clay.
- Participate in a summer reading program at your local library, Barnes & Noble, Chuck E. Cheese, Half Price Books, Scholastic, Pizza Hut, or H-E-B.
- Take your soccer fans to enjoy a game with the San Antonio FC.
- Visit Miss Anastasia’s Story Time at The Twig Book Shop on Fridays.
- Play mini golf indoors at Monster Mini Golf.
- Add new books to your personal library on the cheap.
- Make cards and deliver them to your local nursing home, or check with them and see if you and your kids can visit and do crafts with the residents. Brings friends and make it a party!
- Enjoy a show at Magik Theatre.
- Take your little artist to an all-ages class at Painting with a Twist.
- Make slime.
- Hit the ice and try your hand at skating.
- Read a book with your kiddo(s), then see the movie, and talk about which was better, what was different, etc.
- Go bowling (maybe even for free).
- Have a whale of a time or get blown away at the Witte’s special summer exhibits.
- Cheer on the San Antonio Stars.
- Yeehaw! Celebrate National Day of the Cowboy (July 22) at the Briscoe Western Art Museum.
- Learn more about the Alamo at Battle for Texas: The Experience.
- Get handy and create a craft the first Saturday of the month at a Home Depot workshop (July 1 is a bug house).
- Go roller skating.
- Try your hand at laser tag at Laser Legend or Laser Quest.
- See how trucks are made: take a tour of San Antonio’s Toyota manufacturing facility.
Outdoor Adventures
- Bust out a blanket and take in movies in the park (San Antonio Museum of Art, Travis Park, Mission Marquee, Universal City).
- Visit a farmer’s market.
- Hit the pool!
- Feed the deer at the Fort Sam Houston Quadrangle (and learn some military history).
- Take a hike in town or explore and hike close to San Antonio.
- Enjoy an outdoor concert, like the Balcones Heights Jazz Festival.
- Hit the park, explore parks you haven’t been to, and get outdoors.
- Let the kids stay up late and see the Saga.
- Enjoy Summer Magik at the Pearl with outdoor Magik Theatre performances on select Tuesdays throughout the summer.
- Roam the grounds of the San Antonio Botanical Garden, enjoy a picnic, and take in the beauty.
- Join in the fun and hide/find painted rocks in the Kindness Rocks Project. Join a local group or start one yourself.
- Soak in the quiet tranquility at CHRISpark.
- Roam the Texas Star Trail Walking Tour.
- Hike Enchanted Rock.
- Take a picture at the “I love tacos so much” wall (located at Viva Tacoland).
- Enjoy family-friend German fun at Boerne Berges Fest June 16–18.
- Hit First Thursdays at the Pearl for shopping and family fun in the evening.
- Explore the Mission Reach.
- Step back in time and visit with dinosaurs at Dinosaur Park.
- Get bugged at the San Antonio Zoo.
- Go batty and see the largest concentration of mammals in the world at Bracken Bat Cave.
- Ride the coasters and more at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
- Play/splash/enjoy paletas downtown at Yanaguana Garden.
- Check out the terrific art and get some exercise along the Museum Reach.
- Visit your nearest San Antonio fire station and bring snacks for the firefighters.
- Enjoy the Japanese Tea Garden.
- Go tubing.
- Check out natural springs from a glass-bottomed boat.
- Enjoy some old-school fun at Kiddie Park.
- Get out and learn with Friends of San Antonio Natural Areas.
- Dance outdoors and have a ball at the Pearl.
- Explore the San Antonio Botanical Garden, Cibolo Nature Center, or Mitchell Lake Audubon Center.
- Play mini-golf at Cool Crest Miniature Golf.
- Make some new reptile friends at Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo.
- Do a self-guided walking tour of King William.
- Check out the Cave Without a Name.
- Enjoy Fiesta Noche del Rio at Arneson River Theater.
- Do some geocaching.
- Water fun, snowboarding, and more at Texas Ski Ranch.
- Go camping at Garner State Park.
- Walk or ride the Mission Trails.
- Visit the Blue Hole.
- Cheer on the San Antonio Missions.
- Volunteer at Schwartz Farm.
- Choo-choo around Brackenridge park on the Zoo Train.
- Enjoy dinner and a rodeo at Tejas Rodeo.
- Play the day away at Morgan’s Wonderland.
- Plant a garden.
- Visit the World Heritage Site, our very own San Antonio Missions.
- Gaze at the stars at a star party.
- Let your kids become Junior Rangers when they visit the San Antonio Missions or any national park.
Play Tourist
- Coast into summer fun with the thrills and rides at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
- Ride the “rio” and see the River Walk from a boat.
- Go western at the Briscoe Western Art Museum.
- Remember the Alamo!
- Jump into the art of art appreciation at the McNay.
- Explore more of the Alamo City with no-fail, fun excursions sure to please.
- Visit the animals at the San Antonio Zoo.
- Book a staycation at a local resort. Great family options include the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa and the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa.
- Shop at El Mercado.
- Go on safari at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch.
- Look down on everyone and everything from the top of the Tower of the Americas.
- Visit the Japanese Tea Garden.
- Explore the River Walk.
- Check out the Buckhorn Museum.
- See the oddities and wonders at Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
- Go underground, zip line, and more at Natural Bridge Caverns.
- Visit your marine life friends and check out Wave Breaker, the new roller coaster at SeaWorld San Antonio.
- Take advantage of free admission and programs at San Antonio’s fabulous museums.
- Check out San Antonio and its attractions from the top of a double-decker bus.
- Ride a train at the Texas Transportation Museum.
- Tour Villa Finale and the Steves Homestead in King William.
- Paintball!
- Become a Ninja Warrior, or at least train like one.
Road Trips
- Head north to Austin and enjoy the Thinkery, the Texas Memorial Museum, the Bullock Museum, the Blanton Museum of Art, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden, or Barton Springs Pool.
- See the bats come out at night from Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge.
- Take a short drive north to New Braunfels and enjoy indoor and outdoor fun.
- Venture to Waco to see mammoths, Cameron Park Zoo, and Magnolia Market (moms deserve some summer fun, too!).
- Get away to Fredericksburg.
- Explore Houston and enjoy the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Children’s Museum of Houston, Space Center Houston, Kemah Boardwalk, Downtown Aquarium, and Houston Zoo.
- Visit the Caribbean without leaving Texas by visiting the Texas State Aquarium.
- Travel out to Johnson City for science fun at the Hill Country Science Mill and see animals at the Exotic Resort Zoo.
- Bask in the sun and fun in Port Aransas.
- Visit Wildseed Farms.
- See sea turtle hatchlings begin their life adventure.
- See bats at Frio Bat Flight (and cool off in the Frio River).
- Check out Legos, Legos, and more Legos at Brick Fest in Austin (July 29–30).
- Hit the road and make a splash at a watering hole.
- Take a trip to Lake LBJ, Lake Buchanan, Canyon Lake, or Lake McKinney.
Summer Flavors
- Cool off with a paleta (or two…or 10…).
- Decorate donuts at Krispy Kreme (every Wednesday, 6:00–8:00 P.M.).
- Have a picnic in the backyard, at your favorite park or on the beautiful grounds of the McNay.
- Enjoy $1.50 ice cream at Baskin Robbins on the 31st of July and August.
- Take your temperature down with raspas.
- Make s’mores: via a campfire, a backyard fire pit, or even your oven (put graham cracker bottom and marshmallow in the oven for a bit; when the marshmallow is good and fluffy, add chocolate and the top cracker; warm a bit longer; and YUM!).
- Savor local ice cream: Lick, Brindles, Amy’s, or anywhere else you love and tell us what flavors to try!
- Freezer fun: Turn your Go-Gurt (or any stick yogurt) into a frozen treat.
- Travel the world through food: pick a country or regional cuisine and try out a traditional dish (and learn about the country while you’re at it).
- Make fun ice: put mini-toys in tubs of water, freeze them, and pop them into a kiddie pool for cool, melting fun.
- Sip a fantastical milkshake from Honeysuckle Teatime.
- Enjoy brunch at the Guenther House.
- Have dinner by candlelight inside or tiki torches outside.
- Eat your fill of Texas barbecue (two of Texas Monthly‘s top 50 BBQ spots in Texas are in San Antonio!).
- Make homemade ice cream.
- Cool off with a root beer break at Schilo’s.
- Invite friends over for a potluck picnic.
- Get shaved ice at Bahama Buck’s.
- Make fruit kabobs or did them in yogurt and freeze them for a super summer cool off.
- Build your own pizza night (at home or somewhere like Mattenga’s).
- Make smoothies.
- Have a progressive dinner with friends in your area, hitting different houses for each course.
- Let the kids plan your dinner menu and help prepare everything.
- Make popsicles.
- Have a family barbecue and let corn on the cob/watermelon/popsicles drip down your chin.
- Let the kids host a lemonade stand.
- Have breakfast for dinner.
- Make banana splits.
- Explore the burgers of San Antonio.
- Make yogurt parfaits.
- Enjoy the sugary donuts of San Antonio.
- Take a night off from cooking and enjoy dinner out at a kid-friendly spot or any of these great places.
- Eat dinner on the patio.
Water Fun
- Splash at a splash pad (Fisher Park, Yanaguana, Pearl, and more).
- Cannonball into the pool.
- Jump into fun at Schlitterbahn with littles or not-so-littles, on your own.
- Explore dolphins, sharks, and water fun at SeaWorld and Aquatica.
- Enjoy the naturally cool water at Landa Park.
- Have fun in your backyard with sprinklers, kiddie pools, Slip ‘n Slides, water balloons, and water guns.
- Go tubing in New Braunfels.
Old-School Fun
- Run in the sprinklers.
- Have a family slumber party: put blankets and pillows on the floor, tell stories, and make shadow puppets.
- Play hopscotch.
- Have a water balloon fight.
- Create chalk art on the sidewalk, driveway, or street.
- Go on a bug hunt in the backyard.
- Splash in a kiddie pool.
- “Paint” and play in shaving cream outside (then hose off the fun).
- Blow bubbles.
- Ride bikes.
- Create your own obstacle course.
- Make shadow puppets.
- Experience a drive-in movie at Stars and Stripes Drive-In in New Braunfels.
- Hula hoop!
- How low can you go? Limbo!
- Play in the sand.
- Create your own reading challenge: once you’ve read for so many minutes or read a certain number of books, have a celebration or do a special activity.
- Build a pillow fort.
- Play Twister.
- Write a letter to your favorite Disney character (and get a card back).
- Have a water gun shoot-out.
- Enjoy a game night with “old school” games like Clue and Monopoly.
- Take in a Fourth of July parade and fireworks (a couple of fireworks options: San Antonio’s official fireworks at Woodlawn Lake, Schertz Jubilee).
- Ride in the car with the windows down.
- Finger paint.
- Eat popsicles outside.
- Become pen pals with faraway friends or family.
- Have a dance party.
- Host a family movie afternoon or night, complete with popcorn and snacks.
- Admire the ducks at Heritage Duck Pond & Park in Boerne, Brackenridge Park in San Antonio, or Landa Park in New Braunfels.
- Make cascarones (in San Antonio they’re never out of season!).
- Watch the sun set and see if fireflies come to visit.
- Make paper airplanes.
- Make puppets and put on a puppet show.
- Go on a scavenger hunt.
- Make your own kites and fly them.
- Have a tea party.
- Do a jigsaw puzzle together.
- Make Playdough.
- Play hide and seek (and yes, you have to find the kids—eventually).
Extra Fun
- Have a “Yes Day” where the kids are in charge and you have to say yes to anything (within reason) the kids suggest.
- Let the kids pick out your wardrobe for the day.
- Check out different national holidays and do something fun to celebrate each one (June, July, August).
- Create your own holiday and let the kids decide how to decorate and celebrate.
- Make a chore chart to keep chores on track during your summer fun.
- Add some gratitude to your summer by asking everyone in the family to write down (or tell Mom so she can write it) one thing they are grateful for each day.
- Keep a summer journal of all of your adventures: let the kids draw pictures of where you go/what you do.