How I Handle Outings with Several (Little) Kids

I’m a stay-at-home mom, and the kids and I go absolutely stir-crazy if we can’t get out and adventure during the week. While we have our usual outings, sometimes we look for new things to try. I’ll ask friends for suggestions or even read blog posts on various local places to go with kids, but I am a bit skeptical every time. It may be obvious, but I have found that the places friends suggest as fun greatly depend on the age range of their kids. You might think, “Well, DUH!” but every time I read a review from a fellow mom or receive a suggestion from a friend, I take into account how many kids they went with and how old those kids are. I’m still waiting for someone to try Fiesta Texas with a lot of little kids so they can tell me how to do it!

While I used to roll with whatever chaos came, the more kids we add to our family, the less likely I am to enter into chaos and the more likely I am to strategize. This is huge because I am the world’s worst planner—I still forget diapers and wipes on occasion! I try to find places where I can easily see or find all four kids, where they can play and won’t all need me at the same time. Also on my list of criteria? Places where I don’t need another adult, as we do our adventuring during the week when I am alone with the kids. Free or cheap places are a bonus.

One of my personal favorites is pretty simple: any open field. Seriously. Kids are so easy to impress. There are some days when I just need kids to get rid of energy fast, but I don’t have the energy to pack up snacks, drive to a fun place, keep up with the kids in a crowd, or even deal with rules, for that matter. On those days, we drive to the closest park and I release them into the open space to run. We make a game of running back and forth on the soccer or football fields. And by “we,” I mean that I stand on the sidelines and yell orders at them in a fun, I-totally-just-made-up-this-game sort of way that encourages them to keep their little legs moving. Then they’re tired; they think it was SO MUCH FUN to chase each other; and inevitably someone finds a cool bug, a flower, or the occasional mouth guard left over from football practice. Either way, I call that a win. 

Another place we love to frequent—and deeply miss during our three-week-long winter—is Guadalupe River State Park. That place is magical. One of my kids has severe reactions to chlorine, so staying cool while avoiding pools means we opt for natural water sources to play in. None of my kids are strong swimmers just yet, so this is the perfect place for us. The key is to get there early. You avoid the crowds, you get the best spots by the river, and you will have hours of play and still be home for nap time. They (try to) catch minnows, crawl in the water pretending to be alligators, use their goggles to find cool rocks, and snack every five minutes, all in the refreshing waters of the Guadalupe. Low stress and so much fun! 

Yanaguana Garden is another favorite because there’s so much to do. All of my kids love playing there, but because of the set-up, I will absolutely avoid it if it’s crowded. I have one kid who will spend the whole time in the water, another who just wants to climb, another who is obsessed with the jaguar, and the littlest just runs off in any direction. We opt for either waiting to go with friends so there are more eyes to help keep track of kids, or going on days when it won’t be busy. But when the timing is right, it is such a great place to visit.

We tried Fischer Park since it came highly recommended, but my kids kept going in different directions and playing in different areas. It became more and more stressful as it got crowded. However, we have done The Pearl splash pad early in the morning, in the evening, on a weekend, and even on an event day when it has been packed and it felt way less stressful. I think only having one water play area helps to ensure that they all come back to the same place. My favorite time to go has been in the mornings, but that is typically our favorite time to do anything. The Pearl just comes with donuts (and good food options in general), so can you blame me? We bring a big picnic blanket in case tables are taken, and something to do in case not everyone is into playing in the water. This outing always feels effortless. And when you don’t want to spend money on food, it is totally OK to bring your own. 

MoMak’s Backyard Malts & Burgers is one of my favorite places to venture with the kids, because it tackles playtime and mealtime at once. MoMak’s has a great enclosed space to let kids run and play while you sit back and have a drink or some food. The layout makes it easy to quickly scan the place and find everyone so you can get back to those fried pickles or the phone call you never get to have when you’re busy chasing kids. Saturdays there are a bit crazy. I will only go on a Saturday if I have another adult with me, because you know that someone will need to go to the bathroom the moment you release them all onto the playground. Rounding up all of the kids to leave is difficult any time, but especially so when there’s a crowd. If we’re on our own, we get there at 11:00 A.M. when the restaurant opens and typically have the place to ourselves. By the time we leave, the kids are tired, the crowd is bigger, it’s getting hotter, and with more and more big kids playing who aren’t quite aware of littles, my kids are pretty much ready to go. 

People always rave about The DoSeum, and I’m another one. We LOVE it. The membership is affordable and worth every penny. When you’re herding kids around sometimes it isn’t super easy, but once again, get there early and you will see what a difference that makes. My kids are all still young enough to really enjoy Little Town, so we go there first and spend lots of time there. Nothing makes Little Town more chaotic than sharing it with what feels like 500 other kids, though, so if we get there late, we walk on by. What I’ve found makes it stressful on weekends is that you don’t just have one or two parents with their kids, but typically a mom and dad, the visiting grandparents, and an aunt or uncle all following the same kid around Little Town. I can’t tell you how many times I have watched from a distance as one of my kids drives one of those little toy cars into an entourage of four or more adults—so embarrassing when you’re watching it happen from afar in what feels like slow motion, powerless to stop it because you’re tending to one of your other kids. So I have gladly relinquished the weekends to the visiting families or family members so that I’m not constantly worried about accidentally maiming an innocent bystander in a crowd. We now only go weekday mornings, play at Little Town until it gets busy, move on to the other play areas, and finally end at the outdoor play area, where we eat lunch and the kids get drenched. It may go without saying, but do this last. There is nothing worse than realizing you forgot shorts for Kid #3 and having to call it a day much earlier than expected. 

So if you’re like me and looking to minimize the chaos, but don’t want to stay home, check out the above locations for some simple ways to keep the kids entertained this summer. May your outings be easy, and may the kids’ naptimes be long!

Those of you with several little ones, where are your favorite places to kill time in the summer? Leave your suggestions in the comments!

Maria
I was born in Mexico, which means I’m obsessed with the culture and carry it with me, and raised in San Antonio, which means I love longhorns, ranches, and the Spurs. I used to think that I was made up of contradictions—I mean, who majors in art and then switches to accounting? Or who loves to get lost in intricate painting details for hours, and yet has four kids in four-and-a-half years? So, it’s a fun, wild, chaotic journey my husband, four kids, and one dog are on, but we’re learning to soak it in, especially when the “it” is mud in our backyard.