Fun Things to Do in the Plano/Frisco Area

I am surprised by how few responses you have gotten, including the negative one! I do not live in Plano/Frisco and my kids are no longer little, but even I have a lot of suggestions. Definitely check out the websites - Aroundtownkids, guidelive or just google "Things to do with kids in Plano, Frisco." The Stonebriar Mall in Frisco has a real carousel (not free), an ice skating rink (your kids are too young, but fun to watch others) and an indoor children's play area; there is a large IKEA near the mall and they have children's activities (check their website); Hawaiian Falls (The Colony may be fairly close to you) is a great family water park - if you can afford to buy season passes, that is best - we found that if you go about 3:00 or 4:00pm, it is usually not very crowded and you can enjoy a nice couple of hours -there is a wonderful play area for small children; Heritage Farm; Fairview Farms; Interurban Railway Museum; Pump it Up; Wiggly Play Center; Pizza Planet. Check the City of Frisco and/or City of Plano website for parks and other city events. All public libraries have story times, as well as many bookstores like Barnes and Noble and even Pottery Barn at Stonebriar Mall. I always suggest moms with young children join either a MOPS group or an Early Childhood PTA or both. Depending on your religious preferences, MOPS - Mother's of Preschoolers - is an excellent program. They usually meet in a local church. Check out MOPS website for a group near you. They have monthly meetings with childcare and arrange group outings, playgroups, baby sitting co-ops and even couples events. Join the Early Childhood PTA in Frisco and/or Plano and you will have an opportunity to meet other families and learn about the area schools. No matter where you live, there are opportunities for you and your kids. You just have to get out and find them. Welcome to the area!

Welcome to Plano!! I am in Far North Plano/West Allen (Plano schools).

Watters Creek at Bethany/75 is a great family place to dine, etc. They have live music weather permitting on Thurs-Sat nights. Once a month they have Lucky Ducks Club where children get to participate with a craft, etc. They often have hay rides, art festivals, and lots of family activities going on. In the summer they have movie night as well. We love it there and our daughter is 17. Good restaurants as well.

Allen Event Center/Villages of Fairview have a lot of family events as well.

Heard Museum in McKinney is nice.. they have displays of some animals and some trails. We saw displays of snakes from the area which was helpful since we back up to the woods and often have snakes, bobcats, coyotes and other wildlife in our backyard.

Although it is a little further down the road, the Arboretum is very nice.

Dallas World Aquarium in downtown Dallas is nice.

There are several splash parks in the area. Plano has Tom Muehelenbeck (sp) center which is indoor pool/play area located just East of Parker and the North Dallas Tollway.. Oak Point park which is East of Spring Creek and 75 (Central) is nice as well. Allen has Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium which is good.

We love going to the Frisco Roughriders baseball games..

I am sure Frisco has some splash parks as well.

For July 4 Allen has a celebration usually the weekend before July 4 that is awesome at Celebration Park. There are all kinds of activites for children, live music and food. We volunteer there with the children's games.

Do you like festivals? The Wildflower festival is one of our favorites held on the Richardson/Plano border off Galatyn/75. Good music, crafts, food, etc.

We've been here since 1989 and it has only gotten better since we moved. Welcome to the area.

Added: Whew.. I sense some frustration/anger from another new resident. If you don't open your mind, take the time and effort to look for opportunities, rest assured, they won't come knocking on your door. It takes effort anywhere, even CA and CO. DFW is a great area... don't let the negative nellie's get to you.

Your last poster offered some great suggestions (with the exception of Wiggly Play Center which no longer exists). The Hawaiian Falls water park in The Colony is great and it's got a wonderful play area for younger kids. And I agree that going later in the day is best. Head north to McKinney (where I live) and you have the Heard Natural Science Museum, http://www.heardmuseum.org/. I'm sure there are some great parks in Frisco and Plano, including ones with splash pads -- check each city's offical website for park listings (that's what I do for the McKinney parks). I also take my daughter (she's 5) to the Dallas Zoo (www.dallaszoo.com), and there is also the Dallas Arboretum which has a lot of fun stuff for younger kids including a splash area (www.dallasarboretum.org). In Wylie there is the In-Sync Wildlife Rescue Sanctuary, www.insyncexotics.org. For indoor fun you can try Amazing Jakes at the Collin Creek Mall in Plano, www.amazingjakesplano.com (they have a handful of rides for little ones and games) and the Collin Creek Mall just revamped their kiddy play area so you can do both. There are bounce houses all over the place, just Google "bounce house Plano" or "bounce house Frisco." At the Grapvine Mills Mall (south on 121) there is now Legoland Discovery Center (www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com) and the Sea Life Aquarium (www.visitsealife.com/grapevine). The indoor stuff is all good for summertime when it's too hot to be outside. The Grapevine Mills Mall also has a Rainforest Cafe which my daughter always enjoys. There is the Dallas World Aquarium (www.dwazoo.org), and there is also a smaller aquarium and a museum of nature and science at Fair Park in Dallas (www.fairpark.org).

Metroplex Baby & Kids
We can't believe summer movies start this weekend! Want to know what's coming and when, and what's appropriate for kids? We have the scoop at http://www.metroplexbaby.com/Summer-Movie-Guide.html!

Weekend Spotlights

Mayfest
Annual Fort Worth tradition with a focus on children, arts, music and culture. The Children's Area includes over 20 free activities. Also available are a petting zoo, pony rides and more. All ages. Thurs & Fri 3:30-10pm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 11am-7pm near downtown Fort Worth and the cultural district, Mayfest spans 33 acres in beautiful Trinity Park, winding along the river. $8/Adults, $5/Children 6-12, Children 5 and under Free. For more info: http://mayfest.org/.

Cottonwood Art Festival
Festival of over 240 local, regional, and national artists, as well as local and regional bands performing the best in rock, country, jazz, blues, swing, and folk. The Art Stop area allows children of all ages the opportunity to create a sculpture hat from scrap, design a masterpiece in plaster, add to an enormous collage, or practice their hand at sculpting clay on a real potter's wheel. All ages. Sat & Sin 9am-6pm in Richardson at Cottonwood Park. Free. For more info: http://www.cottonwoodartfestival.com/.

Scarborough Renaissance Festival
Step through the gates of Scarborough Village and feel your cares slip away. Thrill to the thunder of hooves and crash of lance on shield at the joust. Watch in amazement as birds of prey swoop just inches above your head at the command of the Royal Falconer. Enjoy swordplay, comedy, music and other unique entertainment on 21 stages. Witness artisans create one-of-a-kind works of art. Browse 200 quaint shoppes for unique handmade jewelry, clothing, leather goods and other offerings. Feast like a King on food and drink from around the world. Grab a turkey leg and stroll among the villagers of Scarborough. Spend the day in the 16th Century and have the time of your life. All ages. Sat & Sun 10am-7pm in Waxahachie (Driving Directions). Adults/$24, children (5-12)/$9, under 4/free. Parking is free. Discounts for advance purchases. For more info: http://www.srfestival.com/.

Diary of a Worm, a Spider, & a Fly
Children's production of the coolest ever rock-n-roll romp in a bug's world, capturing all the droll humor and whimsy of the wildly popular books. You might just find that a bug's life is not all that different from your own. Ages4+. Fri 7:30pm, Sat 1:30pm, Sun 1:30pm & 4:30pm in Dallas at Dallas Children's Theater. $16-$25. For more info: http://www.dct.org/).

Saturday 5/5

AsiaFest '12
AsiaFest 2012 will feature a traditional lion dance and over 30 live performances including folk dances, martial-arts demonstrations, and traditional music from a variety of Asian cultures. A popular favorite is the fashion show with children and adults dressed in colorful costumes from their native countries. Over 60 booths will showcase Asian art, literature, fashion and more. Kids are sure to have a great time with the hands-on activities and clown entertainment. 10:30am-5pm in Plano at Haggard Park. Free. For more info: http://www.asianamericanheritage.org/.

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a parade (10am) and fun activities. The parade will depart from the Texas Woman's University parking lot, corner of Locust and Oakland streets, proceeds down Elm St. to the Court House Square, around the Quarkertown Park, and ends at the Civic Center parking lot. All ages. 10am-6pm in Denton at Quakertown Park. Free. For more info: http://www.dentoncinco.org/.

Cinco de Mayo Dallas
The Cinco de Mayo celebration in Oak Cliff started 22 years ago. It features the Big Parade, a very lively and colorful parade with floats, decorated vehicles, marching bands, drill teams, cheerleaders, ROTC cadets and more. The celebration also includes a Festival with music and performances. There will be many booths featuring food, products and services. All ages. 11am-2pm in Dallas; visit website for routes. Free. For more info: http://www.cincodemayo-dallas.com/.

KidFish
Rheudasil Pond will be stocked with more than 500 lbs. of catfish for this special event open to kids 16 and under. Ages 3+. 9am-12pm in Flower Mound at Rheudasil Park. Free. For more info: http://www.flower-mound.com/.

Fishin' Fun
Get that rod and reel ready young anglers and prepare to catch the big one. Farmers Branch Rawhide Creek will be stocked full with one ton of hungry catfish. But that's not all, there will also be prizes, kayaking and more. Fishin' Fun is free and open to kids age 16 and under. All Children must register onsite with a parent or guardian signature in order to participate. Ages 3+. 8-11am in Farmers Branch at Gussie Field Watterworth Park. Free. For more info: http://www.farmersbranch.info/.

Target First Saturdays at Nasher
Enjoy children's activities, architecture exhibits, musical entertainment and more. Art Scavenger Hunt 10am-2pm; Children's Art Activity 10am-12pm; Art in Action Sculpture Demo 10am-12:30pm; Family Tours hourly 10:15am-12:15pm; Yoga in the Garden 11:30am; Storytime with the Dallas Public Library 12:30pm; NasherKids Live! 1 pm. NasherKids Meal Available at Nasher Cafe 11am-2pm. All ages. 10am-2pm in Dallas at Nasher Sculpture Center. Free admission 10am-12pm. For more info: http://www.nashersculpturecenter.org/.

Adventure Asia: Family Days at the Crow
Japanese Maple trees are known for their foliage which comes in many different shapes and colors. Take a tour of the trees of the Crow Collection, create works of art with natural and tree materials, practice your tree pose with Yogiños: Yoga for Youth and have your face painted like a blooming maple tree. Ages 3+. 10am-2pm in Dallas at The Crow Collection. Free. For more info: http://www.crowcollection.org/.

Sunday 5/6

Dog Bowl
Dallas' most historic football field will transform into a super-duper dog park for canines of all sizes to romp and run unleashed. Enjoy pooch-pleasing fun including an animal-only agility course; Dallas DAWG demos featuring jumps, tunnels, A-frame, teeter totters and more (1 and 3:05 p.m.); a pet/owner look-alike contest (4:20 p.m.); splash pools, a one-stop fitness and canine obedience class with Hustle-N-Heel (1:30 and 2:45 p.m.); giveaways; exhibits; pooch portraits with DFW PhotoButtons ($5); plaster of Paris paw print canine crafts ($5); music by the seasoned jazz bassist Barri Pearson (1:45 - 2:45 and 3:20 - 4:20 p.m.); and more. All ages. 1-5pm in Dallas in the Cotton Bowl at Fair Park. Free admission; parking/$10. For more info: http://www.fairpark.org.

Bounce U
bounceu.com
###-###-####
2532 Summit Ave, #501, Plano, TX

After living in Colorado and California...I am sorry to say there is very little to do in North Dallas area - at least compared to CA or CO. With all the young families you'd think they'd have more.

Aroundtownkids.com has a calendar or things going on in the area. They also have a list of local places. Also check out frisco's free splash parks. There are three that are right next to parks. They open Memorial weekend. Good luck.

My kids are 2, 4 and 5 months. We like Indoor Safari Park. The libraries usually have good storytimes.