Around October the temperatures in Dallas finally drop to a comfortable level with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s or 70s. For family fun in Dallas, fall is a perfect time to visit and enjoy outdoor activities in the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) area. Last weekend we took a quick family trip and enjoyed the Dallas Arboretum and The State Fair of Texas while in Dallas.
Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum
The Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden is the highlight of the Dallas Arboretum for families. After making your way through Pumpkin Village the kids will enjoy some playtime in the spray park before heading into the garden. The garden contains a maze, miniature river with lily pads, a wide variety of birds nest, plant and animal sculptures for the kids to play on and in. Behind the garden you can climb down a massive treehouse to an energy display with water and wind features, as well as a wind tunnel. Experience how wind energy can be transformed into electricity to power a light bulb on Pure Energy Island. The almost four year old most enjoyed aiming the water cannons like he was a firefighter putting out fires (though I think the purpose was to see how water energy makes the blades spin).
Habitats and earth cycles follow. The kids will have fun, connect with nature and learn about life and earth science along the way. You will all see how a change in one system can cause a domino effect for many systems. Plan on a full morning to explore and exhausted kids after you’ve taken it all in. If we lived in Dallas we would certainly become members of the Dallas Arboretum. We finished the morning off with Torchy’s Tacos just around the corner. It was a perfect stop for a group of hungry kids, fast and good.
State Fair of Texas
A visit to Dallas in October would not be complete without a day at the Texas State Fair. While the gates open at 7 am, around 10 or 11 am is a good arrival time. The Kids Boardwalk is a good first stop with free arts & crafts activities for the kids. And, of course, you need to see Big Tex.
The State Fair Building and Exhibits open at 10 am. The rides and games at the Midway open at noon. The rides could keep the kids entertained all day but could also break the bank. You might want to take a look around starting around 11:30 and pick out some rides that look fun and budget for a set number of rides. Most are 8 tickets or $4. This can add up quickly.
And, what visit to the Texas State Fair would be complete without a Fletcher’s Corn Dog? Our kids probably enjoyed the frozen lemonade most, after a marathon session of rides and the temperatures heating up. With young kids, we were only able to explore a fraction of the State Fair. A full morning was enough for us and exhausted the kids. They were all ready for afternoon naps!
Insider Tip: When you’ve exhausted these fun Dallas activities head to on of the fun lakes in Dallas!
