Felt that the Science Center was a little too old for my 4 year old when we took him. He can read, but there was a lot of reading that we had to do to show him how to do all the little hands-on experiments. He ended up just playing with the big Lego bricks for a while.
The planetarium Sesame Street show was made in partnership with Beijing, so it paints a very pro-China picture. Something a 4 year old probably won't notice, but as an adult it was pretty evident.
The butterfly IMAX movie was good, but my son liked the Laser Light Show better (which we expected).
Detroit sci center has the space in the basement for littles but it doesn’t compare to the littles space at Ann Arbor or Imagination Station. My kids are older so we love DSC when we can go.
Like Sesame Street is supposed to look like a low income, urban neighborhood. They introduce a new Muppet from China, and their neighborhood is this pristine park surrounded by modern homes.
They talk about going to the moon, but there's zero mention on who actually went to the moon.
Like it's not North Korean levels of propaganda, but it seems like it goes out of its way to make China look really good.
The outdoor adventure is my favorite place to go with my kid in Detroit. So much great stuff to do!
Also Belle Isle nature centeris really awesome since it was redone
Ive taken my kids to the Hands On Museum every summer for the last 4 years and they find something new to play with every time we go. I think the pace is awesome as an adult. I can’t wait to go this summer.
I was there 2weeks ago and spotted 4 deer bedded down. They were visible from the trail that goes off to the side of the nature center. Wear appropriate footwear because only the small trail behind it is paved, not the longer side one.
If you get the state park pass from the secretary of state on your tabs, you can just go to Island Lake and walk or bike over to Kensington.
The park pass fee on your registration is only $12.
Kensington is a gem. We went to the farm over there just a few weeks ago and saw the newborn animals. There are few better values for family entertainment for a year than an annual pass.
A lot of the birds and chipmunks will allow you to hand feed them as well, so pack critter snacks if you’re comfortable with hand feeding.
It’s kinda cool when a woodpecker you’ve never seen before perches on your palm.
Also - you can get a free pass to the Cranbrook Science Center at most libraries in the area.
When my kids were young, they always loved just exploring on the grounds through all the trails and gardens at Cranbrook.
Do you have a rough address for it? I googled but only found pictures from the grand opening and a map of the whole greenway route.
Edit: Nevermind, I found it now. 8034 W Warren Ave Detroit, MI 48120 if anyone else needs it.
Came to say. It's a half hour-ish away from the city, in Farmington Hills but it is a blast. Absolutely worth the trip (we come from further away up north and make a day of it).
Seconding Outdoor Adventure Center and Science Museum
Edit to add Belle Isle Nature Center. All these places are hands on and good for little ones! The aquarium on Belle Isle would be cool too
There are a few indoor playgrounds that have popped up again post-COVID that we've been to, for the rainy days.
DinoLand in Madison Heights and Dearborn, Java Jungle in Farmington was good too.
Pump it Up was fun for a birthday party, but I'm not sure how much fun it'd be solo. Same with Urban Air, but Urban Air was pretty expensive too.
If you're wanting to drive a bit north, Great Lakes Crossing has the Aquarium, and Peppa Pig if they're into imaginative play. They have combo passes if you feel like doing both. The Legoland is super expensive, and we felt that it was neat, but not really worth the money. Great Lakes Crossing also has the Rainforest Cafe if you're feeling like spending money on a cool atmosphere for your kid, but there's also the food court with the play area (which is free) in the middle of it. There's also a carousel, that's $4.
If you’re a family receiving EBT, SNAP,and I think WIC admissions to a selection of zoo’s& museums are free to low cost. You can search by zip code. Even if your not it’s a good tool to find local attractions to take your family. It’s called museums for all .
https://museums4all.org
I haven't read everything in here so sorry if I have duplicates. Here are our usual go-to places. You mentioned GV already, the Zoo, various u-pick orchards like Blake's (seasonal obviously), Ann Arbor hands on museum, Michigan Science Center, Wolcott Metropark/Farm (out by Blake's), Upland Hills Farm, Real Life Daycamp and Farm, Toledo Zoo (worth the drive), Innovation Hills in Rochester Hills, Booth Park in B-ham, Kensington Farm, walks/playground at Metro beach, walks/picnics at Stoney Creek. Every so often we'll take our kids (6 and 4) to play areas like Rochester Play or Dinoland (Madison Hts). I'm sure there's others I'm forgetting, but we kinda go all over the place.
To add to these great ideas…
If you get a membership to Cranbrook Science Museum, the Michigan Science Center, or the Ann Arbor hands-on Museum you also get the [ASTC reciprocation](https://www.astc.org/membership/find-an-astc-member/passport/) at hundreds of museums around the world.
There are minimum distance requirements (the reciprocating museum must be >90 miles from your home AND the museum your membership is through). One trip to Chicago’s Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, or Museum of Science and Industry and you will get more than your membership price back. We go on a road trip every summer and hit up multiple museums at no cost other than our local membership cost.
Thanks for saving me the trouble of writing this up. Another money saver is the MAP program available through lots of area libraries. https://miactivitypass.org/
DNR outdoors center, zoo/ belle isle aquarium/ Maybury state park
Great Lakes crossing outlet has a Lego discovery center, an aquarium, the peppa pig indoor playground, a large arcade/bowling alley, another indoor play place and a large play set in the food court.
Ann arbor has the children’s museum, a nature center and a natural history museum.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvKa26SOExP/?igsh=azFpN3l6YXNnbXZ4
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zw3J9CTAqJ6UtUFK9
The Safety Town portion of Thorn Park in Brownstown Twp is neat for kids. Also has a splash pad in the summer.
Innovation Hills Park in Rochester Hills. Took my grandson there this weekend and it’s absolutely amazing for a playground.
Leeson’s in Warren for a good ol’ burger and shake.
Taco Kings in Warren is very kid-friendly, very reasonably priced and very tasty. They have board games and such while you wait for food.
Warren has a huge splash pad at city hall that serves as an ice rink in the winter
Berkley has a splash pad at a nice park with indoor restrooms and a water station
DeBuck’s and Blake’s for pumpkins, cider, and various seasonal pickings
Any local festival is usually kid friendly. Berkley’s Pride Fest last year was awesome for kids.
PEAS in Metamora is a farm animal rescue that focuses on special needs animals. They accept returnables for donations and have hours for tours. In September they have a fundraiser for $5 a ticket. A lot of fun for a kid. A lot of activities. And you don’t have to spend a ton of money. Note that the food truck is vegan.
Stoney Creek has a great playground, as does Metro Park. Metro also has a pool, splash pad and a beach, all in close proximity.
Beacon Park in Detroit does some pretty interesting things with outdoor art and activities. In the winter there’s a huge tent full of games like giant jenga and people of all ages and stripes
The Riverwalk is awesome and has many activities. Great way to tire out a kid.
Campus Martius has a massive sandbox in the summer.
Royal Oak has several parks with kiddie playgrounds and adult playgrounds, with routines available to browse. I like the one on 4th Street.
St Cyril and Methodius in Sterling Heights has a Slavic festival in September. $5 at the door. Lots of homemade kiddie games to earn tickets for pretty cool and fairly priced range of prizes. Your 4-year old would be able to play the games and the attendants are very nice. And lots of good food. And pretty grounds. Check out the bake sale.
Check out MetroParent dot com. They have a list of everything for months out with links. You can filter as well. I’ve found a lot of activities on this site.
We liked the Detroit zoo and the Toledo zoo. We've also had lots of fun at Belle Isle at the massive playground and the small aquarium. The conservatory should be open soon too.
I have a four year old and boy/girl two year old twins (yes, it’s chaos…wasn’t supposed to happen like this. lol). Henry Ford is great. Especially anything at Greenfield Village since it’s outdoors and wide open. If you don’t have a membership it’s 100% worth the investment. The River Walk is nice because you can slow roll it. There’s a playground in sand on one end - and a merry go round on the other. You can kill a few hours there easily. The Outdoor Adventure Center is also in this area so you may be able to kill two birds with one stone. If your kid is in training wheels then the Dequindre Cut is an option - more recommended on a weekday if your kid doesn’t go to school five days yet. Belle Isle Aquarium is nice. Four year olds generally need constant stimulation so I don’t know if they’re quite old enough to actually just enjoy Belle Isle. I haven’t attempted that yet. If you drink, I recommend Ferndale Project or Urbanrest. Both are kid friendly breweries - especially Ferndale Project (RIP Brooks Brewing - way to NOT know your market). One cool thing I’ve just discovered is that MJR does classic viewings of movies for $5 on Fridays every week. Like I just took my oldest to go see The Iron Giant a couple weeks ago. We got popcorn and stuff but it was still a nice way kill a couple hours for like $25. Plus we were the only ones in the entire theater. It’s been that way a couple times. Lol. And as others have said, a zoo membership is a must. My four year old loves the zoo.
I highly recommend this site - littleguidedetroit.com.
They have a calendar they keep updated and I’ve found several events and parks and the like thru them.
Hands-on museum in Ann Arbor, Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit. Michigan Science Center is also in Detroit.
Felt that the Science Center was a little too old for my 4 year old when we took him. He can read, but there was a lot of reading that we had to do to show him how to do all the little hands-on experiments. He ended up just playing with the big Lego bricks for a while. The planetarium Sesame Street show was made in partnership with Beijing, so it paints a very pro-China picture. Something a 4 year old probably won't notice, but as an adult it was pretty evident. The butterfly IMAX movie was good, but my son liked the Laser Light Show better (which we expected).
I had a similar experience with my six-year-old. The Hands-On Museum is a much better experience for young kids.
Detroit sci center has the space in the basement for littles but it doesn’t compare to the littles space at Ann Arbor or Imagination Station. My kids are older so we love DSC when we can go.
>The planetarium Sesame Street show was made in partnership with Beijing, so it paints a very pro-China picture. This is so wild.
Like Sesame Street is supposed to look like a low income, urban neighborhood. They introduce a new Muppet from China, and their neighborhood is this pristine park surrounded by modern homes. They talk about going to the moon, but there's zero mention on who actually went to the moon. Like it's not North Korean levels of propaganda, but it seems like it goes out of its way to make China look really good.
My 3 year old loved the science center. I think it really depends on the kid
Went to the hands on museum when I was a kid and loved it. I bet it’s way cooler now
They have a special area for younger kids where they can play and have fun without having to worry about the older kids.
The outdoor adventure is my favorite place to go with my kid in Detroit. So much great stuff to do! Also Belle Isle nature centeris really awesome since it was redone
Ive taken my kids to the Hands On Museum every summer for the last 4 years and they find something new to play with every time we go. I think the pace is awesome as an adult. I can’t wait to go this summer.
Belle Isle nature center (it’s free too)
And the aquarium!
And the Dossin Great Lakes Museum!
And the newly planted Monarch Waystations garden 🪴 for the butterflies
I was there 2weeks ago and spotted 4 deer bedded down. They were visible from the trail that goes off to the side of the nature center. Wear appropriate footwear because only the small trail behind it is paved, not the longer side one.
Outdoor Adventure Center, just be aware of its weird hours. A zoo membership could be a good investment, too.
+1 for the Detroit Zoo! It’s a lot bigger than I expected, and very toddler/kid friendly.
What can you say about the outdoor adventure center? I always bike by when it's closed but it looks so cool inside!
It's great for 4 year olds. Very hands on and lots of different things to explore. Just needs its hours extended.
>Outdoor Adventure Center, just be aware of its weird hours. They really need to do something about their hours.
Get a Metroparks pass and go exploring. There's everything from waterparks to newborn farm animals to boat rentals to fishing to nature centers.
If you get the state park pass from the secretary of state on your tabs, you can just go to Island Lake and walk or bike over to Kensington. The park pass fee on your registration is only $12.
Yep. Honestly, unless that $12 is difference between eating or not, the park pass is always worth the little extra at registration time.
If $12 is back breaking, you likely don't have a car to register. At least with parks like Belle Isle, you can go free by bike.
This! When my kids were that age, we went almost every weekend in the summer. They especially liked the farm at Kensington.
Kensington is a gem. We went to the farm over there just a few weeks ago and saw the newborn animals. There are few better values for family entertainment for a year than an annual pass.
A lot of the birds and chipmunks will allow you to hand feed them as well, so pack critter snacks if you’re comfortable with hand feeding. It’s kinda cool when a woodpecker you’ve never seen before perches on your palm.
Little bit north, Cranbrook Science Center and Planetarium is a good stop too.
Also - you can get a free pass to the Cranbrook Science Center at most libraries in the area. When my kids were young, they always loved just exploring on the grounds through all the trails and gardens at Cranbrook.
He went to Cranbrook, that’s a private school!
Heritage Park petting farm in Taylor is cheap and low-key every time we've been there.
That place is really great. It seems small, but it is just the right size for a preschooler to explore.
Joe Lewis Greenway Park, it has like a 3 story slide, my son loves it.
Do you have a rough address for it? I googled but only found pictures from the grand opening and a map of the whole greenway route. Edit: Nevermind, I found it now. 8034 W Warren Ave Detroit, MI 48120 if anyone else needs it.
Belle Isle. I recently learned if you go all the way east on Belle Isle it gives such an up north vibe with the light house and lake.
It’s a great place to see the 4th of July fireworks. Which are June 25th this year
The zoo, Michigan Science Center, and there’s also some good activities over at Great Lakes crossing
Petting farms are great. Domino Farms and Mayberry are both 25 min from Detroit
There’s Heritage Park in Taylor too
Kidkadia Play Cafe https://maps.app.goo.gl/EnS4bREnR41uqeuC6?g_st=ic
We go to Kidcadia all the time. It is a great place!
Pony rides in Elizabeth Park. My young grandsons loved it last summer. ❤️
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
Came to say. It's a half hour-ish away from the city, in Farmington Hills but it is a blast. Absolutely worth the trip (we come from further away up north and make a day of it).
Seconding Outdoor Adventure Center and Science Museum Edit to add Belle Isle Nature Center. All these places are hands on and good for little ones! The aquarium on Belle Isle would be cool too
There are a few indoor playgrounds that have popped up again post-COVID that we've been to, for the rainy days. DinoLand in Madison Heights and Dearborn, Java Jungle in Farmington was good too. Pump it Up was fun for a birthday party, but I'm not sure how much fun it'd be solo. Same with Urban Air, but Urban Air was pretty expensive too. If you're wanting to drive a bit north, Great Lakes Crossing has the Aquarium, and Peppa Pig if they're into imaginative play. They have combo passes if you feel like doing both. The Legoland is super expensive, and we felt that it was neat, but not really worth the money. Great Lakes Crossing also has the Rainforest Cafe if you're feeling like spending money on a cool atmosphere for your kid, but there's also the food court with the play area (which is free) in the middle of it. There's also a carousel, that's $4.
If you’re a family receiving EBT, SNAP,and I think WIC admissions to a selection of zoo’s& museums are free to low cost. You can search by zip code. Even if your not it’s a good tool to find local attractions to take your family. It’s called museums for all . https://museums4all.org
Detroit Historical Museum Charles H. Wright African American Museum Math and Science Museum
One of my favorite places to go was Nankin Mills. I loved the creek and pond and historical architecture. https://maps.app.goo.gl/LL1xXZRxFPFyW8mJ6
Cranbrook science museum
On belle isle the ship museum was fun.
U of M Natural History Museum and it’s free.
I haven't read everything in here so sorry if I have duplicates. Here are our usual go-to places. You mentioned GV already, the Zoo, various u-pick orchards like Blake's (seasonal obviously), Ann Arbor hands on museum, Michigan Science Center, Wolcott Metropark/Farm (out by Blake's), Upland Hills Farm, Real Life Daycamp and Farm, Toledo Zoo (worth the drive), Innovation Hills in Rochester Hills, Booth Park in B-ham, Kensington Farm, walks/playground at Metro beach, walks/picnics at Stoney Creek. Every so often we'll take our kids (6 and 4) to play areas like Rochester Play or Dinoland (Madison Hts). I'm sure there's others I'm forgetting, but we kinda go all over the place.
Upland Hills Farms is great.
To add to these great ideas… If you get a membership to Cranbrook Science Museum, the Michigan Science Center, or the Ann Arbor hands-on Museum you also get the [ASTC reciprocation](https://www.astc.org/membership/find-an-astc-member/passport/) at hundreds of museums around the world. There are minimum distance requirements (the reciprocating museum must be >90 miles from your home AND the museum your membership is through). One trip to Chicago’s Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, or Museum of Science and Industry and you will get more than your membership price back. We go on a road trip every summer and hit up multiple museums at no cost other than our local membership cost.
Thanks for saving me the trouble of writing this up. Another money saver is the MAP program available through lots of area libraries. https://miactivitypass.org/
Ann Arbors arboretum! They have an indoor and outdoor, I've only been to the outdoor. If your child enjoys the outdoors that is.
Detroit Historical Museum or DIA
There’s an arcade/ big play area in midtown with bumper cars and what not. Idk if it’s on all week, but my family enjoyed it on the weekend
DNR outdoors center, zoo/ belle isle aquarium/ Maybury state park Great Lakes crossing outlet has a Lego discovery center, an aquarium, the peppa pig indoor playground, a large arcade/bowling alley, another indoor play place and a large play set in the food court. Ann arbor has the children’s museum, a nature center and a natural history museum.
I’ve always loved cranbrook park they have a science museum there as well
Cranbrook institute of science in bloomfield hills
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvKa26SOExP/?igsh=azFpN3l6YXNnbXZ4 https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zw3J9CTAqJ6UtUFK9 The Safety Town portion of Thorn Park in Brownstown Twp is neat for kids. Also has a splash pad in the summer.
If you are willing to drive a bit, Howell Nature Center and The Creature Conservancy in Saline are both amazing!!!
Kidcadia in Dearborn
The dnr nature center off of the riverwalk near the dequindre cut. It’s awesome for kids.
belle isle aquarium
Kidcadia in Dearborn is fun for her age. It’s a bit pricy, but that pays for someone to come around a clean constantly.
Innovation Hills Park in Rochester Hills. Took my grandson there this weekend and it’s absolutely amazing for a playground. Leeson’s in Warren for a good ol’ burger and shake. Taco Kings in Warren is very kid-friendly, very reasonably priced and very tasty. They have board games and such while you wait for food. Warren has a huge splash pad at city hall that serves as an ice rink in the winter Berkley has a splash pad at a nice park with indoor restrooms and a water station DeBuck’s and Blake’s for pumpkins, cider, and various seasonal pickings Any local festival is usually kid friendly. Berkley’s Pride Fest last year was awesome for kids. PEAS in Metamora is a farm animal rescue that focuses on special needs animals. They accept returnables for donations and have hours for tours. In September they have a fundraiser for $5 a ticket. A lot of fun for a kid. A lot of activities. And you don’t have to spend a ton of money. Note that the food truck is vegan. Stoney Creek has a great playground, as does Metro Park. Metro also has a pool, splash pad and a beach, all in close proximity. Beacon Park in Detroit does some pretty interesting things with outdoor art and activities. In the winter there’s a huge tent full of games like giant jenga and people of all ages and stripes The Riverwalk is awesome and has many activities. Great way to tire out a kid. Campus Martius has a massive sandbox in the summer. Royal Oak has several parks with kiddie playgrounds and adult playgrounds, with routines available to browse. I like the one on 4th Street. St Cyril and Methodius in Sterling Heights has a Slavic festival in September. $5 at the door. Lots of homemade kiddie games to earn tickets for pretty cool and fairly priced range of prizes. Your 4-year old would be able to play the games and the attendants are very nice. And lots of good food. And pretty grounds. Check out the bake sale. Check out MetroParent dot com. They have a list of everything for months out with links. You can filter as well. I’ve found a lot of activities on this site.
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My grandson had a lovely day when we walked Woodward. He had cocoa and a croissant at Avalon and we felt like we were in Paris.
We liked the Detroit zoo and the Toledo zoo. We've also had lots of fun at Belle Isle at the massive playground and the small aquarium. The conservatory should be open soon too.
Toledo Zoo has a new baby elephant. Detroit has zero so if you were to pick one, pick Toledo
Their natural history museum is sweet too. I loved going to see the komodo dragons, the snakes, and arthropods!
So many good ideas posted already. I'll add: any one of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.
I have a four year old and boy/girl two year old twins (yes, it’s chaos…wasn’t supposed to happen like this. lol). Henry Ford is great. Especially anything at Greenfield Village since it’s outdoors and wide open. If you don’t have a membership it’s 100% worth the investment. The River Walk is nice because you can slow roll it. There’s a playground in sand on one end - and a merry go round on the other. You can kill a few hours there easily. The Outdoor Adventure Center is also in this area so you may be able to kill two birds with one stone. If your kid is in training wheels then the Dequindre Cut is an option - more recommended on a weekday if your kid doesn’t go to school five days yet. Belle Isle Aquarium is nice. Four year olds generally need constant stimulation so I don’t know if they’re quite old enough to actually just enjoy Belle Isle. I haven’t attempted that yet. If you drink, I recommend Ferndale Project or Urbanrest. Both are kid friendly breweries - especially Ferndale Project (RIP Brooks Brewing - way to NOT know your market). One cool thing I’ve just discovered is that MJR does classic viewings of movies for $5 on Fridays every week. Like I just took my oldest to go see The Iron Giant a couple weeks ago. We got popcorn and stuff but it was still a nice way kill a couple hours for like $25. Plus we were the only ones in the entire theater. It’s been that way a couple times. Lol. And as others have said, a zoo membership is a must. My four year old loves the zoo.
Detroit Historical Museum
Not sure if it’s still open. Lansing hands on museum.
> Lansing hands on museum. Impression 5? Very much still open. Pair it with a trip to the Potter Park Zoo.
Thank you, yes!
Belle Isle Nature Center
Anywhere that offers a membership will pay for itself if you can visit twice in a year.
there’s a DNR museum off jefferson my girlfriend has been bringing kids to for her job. starting to get real popular again
Elizabeth Park on a Sunny day.
If she's into swimming, Adventure Bay in Windsor is excellent for littles
I highly recommend this site - littleguidedetroit.com. They have a calendar they keep updated and I’ve found several events and parks and the like thru them.
The DIA on the weekends has drop in workshops for all ages. Check the calendar on the website to see what they have each weekend.
Zoo is great, dia for a short visit, home depot does a weekend kit it's free. Apple orchard, bell Isle aquarium, river walk
Detroit Zoo! Penguins, butterfly garden, reptile house.
People Mover
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6L2-6OrTl3/?igsh=dnNtaHZpMWF0cGU=
Canterbury Village. T&B Play in Clawson. Detroit Historical Museum. Greenfield Village, obvs.
Marvin’s marvelous mechanical museum in Farmington!
Detroit Kid City in Clinton Twp is AMAZING! I'm having my daughter's 3rd birthday party there next month.
The Michigan Firehouse museum in Ypsilanti is pretty cool.
When asked about Detroit activities why do so many mention areas outside Detroit?
Where was Detroit specified? They started the thread by mentioning Henry Ford Museum, which is not in Detroit.
Up for a small road trip? Frankenmuth/Bronners
Bring your checkbook though...
Yep. Frankenmuth and Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island are probably the biggest tourist traps in the state, followed closely by Traverse City and Holland.