Boredom busters: 25+ fun local things to do with kids this summer

This article was originally published in the April 2021 issue of 225 Magazine. It has been updated.

Summer has just begun for many kiddos in the Capital Region. For parents who are still plotting how to fill the next few weeks, we revamped this story from the 225 archives featuring local parenting writer Tricia Raney’s favorite family activities around town.

From a dinosaur experience to ice cream and French fries galore, read on for her picks.

Explore the themed playgrounds at LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens.

March your little ones to the nature-inspired Oak Grove playground (Think: climbing stumps, balance logs and a wooden swing) or the newer bug-themed Pollinator Playground. It has an excellently stocked Little Lending Library and the most beautiful fields of flowers. (Its sunflowers are the backdrop of 90% of my friends’ profile pictures.)

Turn a visit to BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo into your own DIY scavenger hunt.

Print a zoo-themed scavenger hunt from a site like Pinterest, and see what animals you can find! Afterward, bring the zoo home with you by watching virtual educational programming on BREC’s YouTube channel.

Read on a East Baton Rouge Parish Library rooftop terrace.

The view is absolutely stunning from the rooftop terrace at the Main Library at Goodwood. Or, you can head to the other side of town and check out the newer River Center Branch Library’s outdoor terrace, complete with a greenery wall and Mississippi River views.

Picnic at BREC’s Bayou Manchac Park.

Just off Old Jefferson Highway near Hoo Shoo Too Road is a hidden gem of a park. Grab a to-go meal from your favorite restaurant and head to this green space, where you’ll find a little playground, baseball field and basketball court. Head to the very back to uncover a beautiful shaded trail. It’s about 1 mile of easy walking and is a go-to of ours.

Shoot for the stars at the Highland Road Park Observatory.

I am raising a Mars-bound, space-loving, astronaut-in-training. We first visited the observatory for Mercury’s transit in 2019, and I was blown away that this place existed in our backyard and we’d missed it all these years. It’s amazing and informative, and it’s a great place to view meteor showers, moon phases and so much more.

Book a cooking class.

Our kids are more prone to branch out and even—gasp—eat without complaining if they help prepare the meal. Family cooking classes are such a fun way to bond, help a small business and get a delicious dinner out of it. Try a course offered by the Young Chefs Academy, or arrange a private session with the chef of your choice.

Walk the Mississippi River levee.

From measuring how high the water is to seeing how many steps we can get in, my kids absolutely love everything about the levee. There are plenty of downtown Baton Rouge restaurants within walking distance to pick up from and have a picnic.

Check out the aquariums at Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops.

My kids love to go look at the fish and turtles. We’ve gotten lucky a few times to be present when workers donning scuba gear are cleaning the tank. It has given my son a new career path!

Catch some air at a skate park.

Did you know BREC has multiple skate parks around town? For a little adventure, head to Perkins Road Community Park, Old Hammond Highway Park or Zachary Community Park. Just don’t forget your helmet.

Fly a kite or splash around at BREC’s Highland Road Community Park.

This park’s wide-open green spaces are perfect for flying kites! There’s also a shaded playground, splash pad and boat launch—just the thing for summer sunshine.

Gather art supplies from your backyard for a craft day.

Do a little exploring of all nature has to offer us in Louisiana. Pick items like sticks, leaves, pine needles, flowers and acorns. Create your own mixed media piece, nature mandala or even a selfie backdrop.

Play some disc golf.

There are several parks where you can try it, like BREC’s Highland Road Community Park and the Louisiana Healthcare Connections DiscGolfPark in Scotlandville.

Head to storytime at the newly reopened Red Stick Reads.

Encourage kiddos to explore the world through reading. Red Stick Reads’ new digs will offer story time sessions and plenty of kiddie books in an expanded children’s area.

Make a French fry charcuterie-style board.

For my daughter’s 3rd birthday, she just wanted French fries. So I hopped in the car and made a 1-mile loop hitting up all the fries in our area, ensuring we had a good mix of plain fries, cheese fries, chilli fries, tater tots and onion rings. Once home, we tossed them on our largest cutting board to make a French fry tasting board.

Shop local game shops and plan a game night.

Our family loves game nights. We find our unique games at The Rogue Games, a local shop of board, collectible card and role-playing games. Or, you can check out all the gaming options at Little Wars. Check out 225‘s full guide to local gaming stores here.

Have an adventure at BREC’s Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center.

Just past Perkins Rowe off Bluebonnet, you’ll find a bit of wild in the middle of the city. An easy-to-navigate trail walks you through the swamps, and on a good day you’ll see turtles, snakes, all kinds of birds, grasshoppers, dragonflies and so much more! There are even some covered seating areas for resting and cooling off.

Day trip to Prehistoric Park in Henderson.

If you have a dinosaur lover on your hands, this park is so worth the quick drive. On 12 acres of paved walkways, life-size dino depictions tower overhead.

Teach your kids about shopping local ingredients at the weekend edition of the Red Stick Farmers Market.

It’s outdoors, full of fresh food and supports small, local businesses—is there anything better on a Saturday morning?

Plan a dessert night with local treats.

Y’all, stop what you’re doing now and plan a trip to one of the city’s treat shops. Bonjour will make all your dessert dreams come true with its bubble waffles, crepes, milkshakes and riffs on the Dubai chocolate trend. LSU Dairy Store is a recently revamped but tried-and-true classic, and Gail’s Fine Ice Cream is a haven for artisanal, playful flavors.

Spend a day learning at the USS Kidd Veterans Museum.

While the ship—which the Historic Naval Ships Association recognized as one of the most authentically restored vessels in the world—is currently out of town for repairs, browse veteran and naval military history artifacts at the museum, which remains open daily.

Say hi to Mike the Tiger.

Have you even lived in Baton Rouge if you haven’t visited Mike the Tiger? LSU is one of the few colleges with a live mascot, and Mike is often found taking dips in his wading pool or curled in the shade of his expansive habitat.

Learn about trees, shrubs and wildflowers at the LSU Hilltop Arboretum.

Take in the scenery of the walking trails and the unique architecture of the covered pavilion, walkways and auditorium, or browse the children’s bookshelf in the gift shop.

Walk BREC’s Blackwater Conservation Area.

The trails at this ecosystem restoration area are easy on tiny legs and partially shaded—and if you follow the right path, you’ll be led to the Comite River.

Do a car wash tour.

Hear me out on this one. Back during the pandemic, my kids begged to ride through car washes around town. So, we made it a thing! We made a list of car washes close to us and broke them into categories of price, length, colors, coolness and vacuum strength. After each new car wash, we’d rate them on our scorecards.

Wind down The Harris Walking Trail at Woman’s Hospital.

There’s a great little pea gravel 1-mile walking path around the ponds. My kids love to go look for turtles on sunny spring days and have foot races along the walking path.

Take a family bike ride.

There are plenty of places around town to ride bikes, but our favorite route is to pedal around LSU’s campus to River Road.

Wander the grounds of the Louisiana State Capitol.

Between Capitol Gardens and Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park, there’s so much to see. Soak in the views of oak trees, large hills and lakes, and don’t miss this weekend’s Memorial Day display.

Explore a new part of town by staging a progressive dinner.

Our family loves to pick a neighborhood, set a radius, then hit up all the deliciousness for a progressive feast. Here’s our sample menu from Mid City: truffle fries from Curbside, wings from Chow Yum and crawfish queso and a chocolate cream pie from Elsie’s Plate & Pie.

Make new plant friends at BREC’s Cohn Nature Reserve.

This gorgeous spot is one of our go-to outdoor destinations, with both wooded and landscaped areas full of native and foreign plants.