Keep Your Kids Entertained During Spring Training
Arizona Science Center, photo credit Arizona Science Center
By Lauren Wong
Spring Training is finally back! It’s that time of year when visitors from all over the country fly into Sky Harbor to see their favorite teams play. Whether you’re in town for baseball, or spring break, there’s plenty to do in the valley to make sure your kids enjoy your vacation as much as you do.
While you get decked out in your home team’s gear, don’t worry about trying to figure out what to do during the down time with your kids. We’ve got you covered! Here’s just a few things to look into while you plan your trip.
Parks:
If your kids are a little older and love some adrenaline, there’s plenty of amusement parks to check out. If you’ve got a roller coaster lover, you and your kids can buckle in for an adventure filled ride. If it’s warmer, hit a water park!
Amusement parks:
- Enchanted Island Amusement Park: There’s just about everything for all ages here. You can visit their website to see how tall you have to be to ride each individual coaster. You can rent a pedal boat or canoe, go rock climbing, and more.
- Castles N’ Coasters: Make a trip over to Castles N’ Coasters to enjoy 20 rides and attractions, 4-18 hole mini golf courses, and over 150 arcade and pinball games. When you’re in need of a break, stop by one of their six food and drink snack bars.
- Rush Fun Park: You’ve got trampolines, basketball, playgrounds, and more, all at Arizona’s newest indoor fun park.
- Uptown Jungle Fun Park: If the weather isn’t the best, take your party over to Uptown Jungle Fun Park. They offer an air floor, obstacle course, super slides, a climbing wall, spider tower, and a mini zip line just to name a few.
Water Parks:
- Great Wolf Lodge- Scottsdale: Book your stay at their hotel or buy a day pass to take advantage of their five restaurants and pool bar, indoor and outdoor pool, and famous water park.
- Hurricane Harbor Phoenix: Visit Six Flags for both roller coasters and water rides all in one!
- Oasis Water Park: Located inside Arizona Grand Resort and Spa is the Oasis Water Park. Travel Channel has named this resort as one of the country’s Top 10, so booking a visit is 100% worth it. Kids of all ages can find something to do here across their seven-acre water park. They have eight-story thrill slides, a wave pool, a 25 person hot tub, and the Wild Cat Springs for your youngest guests.
Museums:
I could write an entire article just about all the museums that are in the greater Phoenix area. There are so many great museums geared towards children of all ages. The names are self-explanatory, so if any of these interest you just click the link to get more information. If museums aren’t your thing, just go ahead and skip to the next section.
Arizona Science Center
Photo credit Arizona Science Center
Children’s Museum of Phoenix
photo credit Sandra Tenuto Photography
i.d.e.a. Museum
photo credit I.d.e.a Museum
Sightseeing:
photo credit Desert Botanical Garden
Whether it’s your first time visiting the Phoenix area, or are a dedicated spring training fan, there’s plenty of sights to add to your list to check out.
- Butterfly Wonderland: Arizona is home to the largest butterfly conservatory in the country! Stepping through the doors will transport you into a rainforest full of butterflies and other animals. You can watch a 3D movie to learn about the Monarch migration, observe live chrysalis on their path to becoming butterflies, and walk around taking in the beautiful creatures in nature. If you’ve got a strong stomach, you can even try some edible insects.
- Desert Botanical Garden: Explore the trails at the Desert Botanical Garden to learn about the plants that flourish in the hottest and driest environments. There’s multiple Sonoran Desert nature paths for you to choose from to explore. Not only are you surrounded by beautiful views, but you’ll also learn about some strategies for effective, sustainable, and harmonious ways to work with our desert terrain.
