The kids are home all summer. It’s hot. Money is tight. Patience is wearing thin. What is a parent to do?
Check out our list of summertime fun activities. We bet you will find something on the list that gets you out of the house and spending a fun day – or evening – with the kiddos.
These activities are organized by price to make it easy to see which types of adventures are in your budget.
Free activities for kids ($):
• Community libraries for reading and activities
• Lake Kyle for fishing
• Five Mile Dam for fishing or swimming
• Play disc golf in Steeplechase in east Kyle
• Bird watching – inexpensive or homemade feeders attract all kinds of native Texas birds
• Rio Vista Park in San Marcos
• Landa Park in New Braunfels
Free or cheap movies ($):
• Alamo Draft House movie camps
• $1 movies at theaters in Austin (Westgate and Tinseltown)
• EVO in Kyle – Tuesdays
$5/person
Free or cheap Hays County History ($):
• Central Texas Wing of the Commemorative Air Force Library and Museum (at the San Marcos airport)
• Claiborne-Kyle Log House
• Hays County Courthouse
Area Farmers Markets ($)
Head out early to beat the heat and find the best local produce, foods and artisan offerings. Most markets also feature live music.
Boerne – Every Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at 33 Herff Rd. (Now-October); Market Days 2nd weekend every month 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the main plaza
Buda – Every Saturday 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Main Street, Buda (Open year round); Every Tuesday 4-7 p.m. at the SE corner of Sequoyah and Main Street (Now-January)
Kyle – Second Saturday of each month 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Sustainacycle 409 West Center Street (Now-July
San Marcos – Every Tuesday 3-6, 312 E. Hopkins St. (Year round); and every Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., San Antonio St. (Year round)
Wimberley Market Days – First Saturday of each month 7 a.m.-4 p.m., 601 FM 2325
Wimberley – Every Wednesday 3-6 p.m., RR 12 and River Road in front of the Community Thrift Shop
Dripping Springs – Every Wednesday 3-7 p.m., At the intersection of Hwy 290 and RR12 (Now-December)
New Braunfels – Every Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 186 Castell Ave.
Fredericksburg – Every Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-2 p.m. at Hurkamp Park downtown (Now-October); Every Thursday, 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the corner of Tyler and Dixon Streets along Rt. 2 (Now-October)
Fredericksburg Trade Days Weekend of the third Saturday of each month 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, 355 Sunday Farms Lane (Now-December)
Swimming holes ($):
• Jacob’s Well in Wimberley
• Blue Hole in Wimberley
• Hamilton Pool in Dripping Springs
• Krause Springs in Spicewood
• Five Mile Dam in Kyle
Museums ($$):
• New Braunfels Museum of Art
• Childrens’ Museum New Braunfels
• Hill Country Science Mill in Dripping Springs
• Austin Aquarium
• Wittliff Collections, Alkek Library, Texas State, San Marcos
• LBJ Museum in San Marcos
• Calaboose African American Museum in San Marcos
Theatres and movies ($$):
• The Emily Ann Theatre in Wimberley
• The Wimberley Playhouse
• The Corral Theater (outdoors on select weekends)
• EVO in Kyle
Jumping, moving, shaking and fast cars ($$):
• The Jumpy Place in Kyle
• Jumpoline in Austin
• Austin Skate in Manchaca
• Bowling (Sunset Lanes in San Marcos or Westgate Lanes in Austin)
• Peter Pan putt-putt in Austin (coolers allowed)
• Horseback riding at Bear Creek Stables in Manchaca or Milestone Riding Academy in Driftwood
• Central Texas Speedway
Caves, caverns and natural formations ($$):
• Wonder World in San Marcos
• Inner Space Caverns in Georgetown
• Natural Bridge Caverns and Safari in New Braunfels
Tubing and other aquatic adventures ($$):
• Swim at the Kyle pool
• Several tube rental companies operate in San Marcos, New Braunfels and Gruene
• The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, formerly Aquarena Springs
• Join the Y Hays branch and swim all day
Theme & water park adventures ($$$):
• Schlitterbahn Waterpark in New Braunfels
• Splashtown in San Antonio
• ZDTs Adventure Park in Seguin
• Sea World San Antonio
• Fiesta Texas San Antonio
• Wimberley Zipline
