It’s finally summertime – and now it’s time to enjoy it! But you don’t have to leave town to have fun – you can go on an island adventure, enjoy a relaxing ride on a lazy river or have a banging good time in your own neighborhood. Here are 10 activities to put on your summer bucket-list!
Splash & Play
Put on the swimsuits and sunscreen and get ready to beat the heat. Whether you want a quick trip to a local splash park or an afternoon of swimming and sliding at a water park, nothing says summer more than getting wet and having fun with water.
Have An Island Adventure
You don’t need to get on a plane to find an island getaway. Belle Isle State Park offers fun for the whole family. Load up the bikes and buggies, pack food for a bbq and get ready for a day of fun at these free attractions:
- Walk through an exotic collection of tropical plants at the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
- Find unique fish at the the Belle Isle Aquarium – the oldest aquarium in the United States
- See and (pretend) to sail on a variety of ships at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum
- Get an insider look at conservation at the Belle Isle Nature Center
- Play in the sand, splash in the water and see the city skyline at Belle Isle Beach
Check Out A Festival/Fair & Fireworks
Enjoy food on a stick and see your town from new heights on a ferris wheel. The carnival is coming to a town near you and you don’t want to miss it! You also don’t want to miss the magic of fireworks on a cool summer night. Bundle up, snuggle up and pick your favorite design when fireworks light up the sky.
Go To A Ball Game
Order hot dogs, cheesy nachos or giant pretzels and get ready to enjoy America’s favorite pastime! There’s a few places to watch a baseball game around town and if you’ve had your fill from little league, come root for Le Rouge at Keyworth Stadium.
- Detroit Tigers @ Comerica Park: Friday night fireworks and Sundays kids can ride the carousal + ferris wheel for free and run the bases after the game.
- United Shore Professional Baseball League @ Jimmy John’s Field: Friday night fireworks and Sunday theme nights.
- Toledo Mud Hens @ Fifth Third Field: Regular post-game fireworks and kids run the bases.
- Detroit City Football Club @ Keyworth Stadium: Food trucks and soccer fun.
Visit A Farmer Market
Skip the grocery store and head to a local farmers market for fresh food, live music and a lot of fun.
See A Movie on the Big Screen
Let the kids stay up past their bedtime and squeeze in a date with your favorite person at a drive-in double header. The Incredibles 2, Hotel Transylvania 3 and Christopher Robin come out this summer if you want to see something new. If you’d prefer tried and true favorites, skip the parking lot and try a movie in the park.
- Ford Drive-In – 10400 Ford Road, Dearborn, MI 48126
- USA Hockey Summer Drive-In – 14900 North Beck Road, Plymouth, MI 48170
- New Center Park – 2998 W Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202
- Riverfront Relaxin‘ – 7130 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI 48207 (Gabriel Richard Park)
- Summer Movie Fest – 2100 Northline Rd, Taylor, MI 48180 (WCCD’s Downriver Campus)
- Family Movie Night – 104 Adams Rd, Rochester, MI 48309 (Village of Rochester Hills)
Learn Something New
Don’t let your littles suffer from brain drain during the summer months, plan a trip to the museum and learn something new. Don’t forget that many museums have reciprocity memberships so when you join one you get access to all, it’s a great cost savings! Our favorite example, when you join the Michigan Science Center you get free access to the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Cranbrook Institute of Science!
Sign Up For Summer Reading
This year’s Summer Reading theme is Libraries Rock and all libraries are participating. Visit your local library to sign up for the summer reading challenge and find cool events, fun prizes and plenty of books! Even babies can sign-up – you’re never too young to enjoy reading! If you need ideas for what to read here some favorites:
Get a Scoop of Farm Fresh Ice Cream
Shake up the average ice cream routine, take a road trip for some farm fresh ice cream and see what life is like on a local farm.
- Cook’s Farm Dairy – 2950 E Seymour Lake Road Ortonville, MI 48462
- Calder’s Dairy Farm – 9334 Finzel Rd, Carleton, MI 48117
- Crooked Creek Farm Dairy – 75960 Brown Rd, Romeo, MI 48065
Take a Family Picture
The summer will be over before we’re ready so don’t forget to capture the moment and the memories. Take a picture (make sure you’re in it!) and post it to social media with the #littleguidedetroit. We’ll share pictures throughout the summer and pick a winner in August for a fun prize!
For MORE EVENTS happening this weekend, please check out our full EVENT CALENDAR!