Get the Whole Family Outside This Spring
Five Things to Do With the Family this Spring in and around Austin, Texas
1. Dinosaur Park
What kid doesn’t love dinosaurs? (I haven’t met one yet!)
The Dinosaur Park in Bastrop provides a wonderful outing for kids of all ages. The paved nature walk is easy to navigate with a stroller or wagon and features life-sized dinosaurs as they may have existed millions of years ago.
For older children, there is an engaging scavenger hunt that asks kids to find hidden bugs, birds, and eggs along the trail. The grounds also feature a fossil dig and a playground.
2. Easy Tiger
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Easy Tiger has been a long time Austin staple. Within the past year, while they have closed their iconic 6th Street location, they have opened two family-friendly locations with gorgeous patios.
The East 7th Street location features a large lawn filled with picnic tables with lots of space for kids to run around.
However, the real kid-friendly gem is the new location on South Lamar. The extensive patio features a gated children’s area with kid-sized chalkboards, lawn games, and a tunnel to climb on and around. Patio seating is available through the host stand, or guests can order canned beverages from the walk up outside bar.
3. Family Business Brewery
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Family Business Brewery is a family-owned and family-friendly brewery run by Jensen Ackles of The CW’s Supernatural. The brewery, located in Dripping Springs, boasts 15 acres of land, eight beers on tap, a highly-rated pizza truck, and a playground for the kids.
Reservations are currently recommended, but walk-ins are welcome.
4. Emma Long Park
Emma Long, a city-owned park, is a wonderful place to spend a day with the family.
The park, which is located on Lake Austin, has almost unlimited lake access with fairly shallow water for kids to walk in and out. There is even a man-made beach for the little ones to dig in and make sand castles to their hearts’ desires.
Picnic tables and grills make it easy to host lunch or dinner at the park, as well. The park is currently undergoing a remodel, and while all outdoor features were open, it is worth noting that as of March 2021, the bathroom facilities were not available.
5. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
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What is better during spring in Texas than wildflowers?
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center features many trails of native flowers, trees, and grasses. The center also hosts a 4.5-acre Family Garden with interactive features meant to get kiddos actively engaged with the nature around them.
Be sure to check out their event page for Parent & Toddler Yoga and a Story Time Program for children ages three to five.
About the writer: Haley Behr has been a member of The Junior League of Austin since 2018. She teaches middle school at a local private school and remains busy chasing after her one-year-old daughter. She was born and raised in Austin, Texas.