Maximize quality time with your kids at these drive-in movie screenings, children’s theaters, escape rooms, activity complexes and more family-fun date nights in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Children’s Theaters
1. There’s nary a weekend without a show by one of the North Texas Performing Arts’ network of theaters: its headquarters at the Willow Bend Center of the Arts, the adult-run Repertory Theatre, the Starcatchers therapeutic program for children and adults with special needs, and several children’s troupes at campuses in Dallas, Fairview, Frisco and Plano. At the newly built Nack Theater in Frisco, check out the children’s shows for the family and comedy show date nights for you and your S.O. Collin County and Dallas, 972/422-2575
2. Artisan Center Theater’s children’s theater production of the summer is based on the best-selling children’s book The Rainbow Fish, about a beautiful fish who has no friends because he refuses to share. See local kids ages 8–14 on stage June 5–July 3. Tickets are also available too for the Main Stage productions: The Spitfire Grill, opening June 4, and The Sound of Music, opening July 16. Hurst, 817/284-1200
3. Casa Mañana’s children’s shows return in spring 2022, but you can get your kids on stage themselves in a performance of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, following Camp Casa Jr., a one-week camp for 4 to 8-year-olds from June 21–25. Several other upcoming shows make for a great date night for the theater-loving couple. In June 15–26, Hamilton star Darnell Abraham and American Idol winner Nick Fradiani perform in a Neil Diamond tribute in Casa Mañana’s Reid Cabaret Theatre, a more intimate space with table-side service and a full bar. Fort Worth, 817/332-2272
4. If you’re looking for a kiddo-friendly date in the comfort of your home, check out the Dallas Children’s Theater website. In-person performances are still on hold, but there are virtual options. The free Heroes for the Pages series includes Zoom talks by authors, discussions of what makes a hero and the importance of empathy, songs and more. Virtual; 214/740-0051
Drive-ins
5. Pop open your tailgate, raise your hatch or set up your lawn chairs in front of your vehicle at Coyote Drive-In, a retro outdoor movie theater open daily and located just across the river from downtown Fort Worth. Book your tickets through the app, and try to arrive an hour early to avoid lines. Then kill time in the children’s play area or the concession pavilion as the sun goes down. Dogs welcome. Fort Worth, 817/717-7767
6. In addition to its regular indoor screenings, Fun Movie Grill in Irving sets up a screen in the parking lot for weekend drive-in movies. One movie is chosen to play on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Head inside to pick up pizza, traditional movie snacks and Hindi foods from the concession stand. Check the schedule for upcoming shows, including Hollywood films in English and Bollywood movie in regional languages Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Stay tuned for a gaming zone with bowling, go-karts and an arcade set to debut by the end of 2021. Irving, 972/556-9524
7. The town best known for its bluebonnets also boasts the Galaxy Drive-In, North Texas’ biggest drive-in movie theater with seven screens and a retro atmosphere. Head 30 minutes south of downtown Dallas to Ennis for film screenings; tickets are available on-site at the entrance kiosk. Ennis, 972/875-5505
8. The family-owned Brazos Drive-In Theatre, 45 minutes southwest of Fort Worth, has been in continuous operation since 1952. Watch from your vehicle or from the porch chairs at the full-service snack bar. The drive-in is open Fridays and Saturdays for double features on a single screen, and with tickets sold by the carload, it’s one of the cheapest family date nights around. Granbury, 817/573-1311
Escape Rooms
9. Can you solve the puzzles and escape before time runs out? Test your skills under pressure at North Texas Escape Rooms. Book a 45-minute room challenge (recommended for age 10 and up, though younger kids can participate) or a 1-hour challenge (recommended for 14 and up). McKinney and Plano, 469/712-6837
10. All ages can join every Breakout Games’ room challenges, from a runway train or erupting volcano. (Be sure to review your room’s theme to make sure it’s appropriate for your child.) With Breakout Games’ virtual experiences, you can even try out an escape room without leaving your house. Arlington and Plano
11. Escape the Room offers four experiences at its Dallas location and six in Fort Worth. Kids are welcome to all rooms, except the Cartman’s Escape Room, themed after the show South Park and recommended age 14 and up at the Dallas location. When bringing the whole family, try out The Theater room in Fort Worth for its wholesome Toy Story meets Howdy Doody vibe. Dallas and Fort Worth, 972/338-4510
12. The escape room challenges at The Secret Chambers are designed to be fun, not frustrating. There are four rooms (including a pirate adventure and a train heist) in Fort Worth; there’s no minimum age for the rooms at this location, although some are more challenging than others. At the Arlington location, the new Poe Adventure—inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe— is for age 10 and up only. Parents and teens can book the Fort Worth location’s Rage Room for 20 minutes of smash time with hammers and bats. Safety gear is included. Fort Worth and Arlington
13. Choose from Gold Rush, Heist, Prison Break and the award-winning Playground experience at The Escape Game, located in Grapevine Mills mall near the food court. Most challenges are recommended for 13 and older, but all ages are welcome and kids 4 and younger are free. Playground will provide the most kid-friendly experience. Grapevine; 214/692-2180
14. The high adrenaline rooms at Escapology are rated for difficulty and tailored more for teens and adults. Bring up to eight players at a time to locations at Victory Park in Dallas, at Urban Air Adventure Park in McKinney and at Shenaniganz in Rockwall. Go during the weekdays for $15 and half-price specials. Dallas, McKinney and Rockwall
Landmarks
15. Feel your ears pop as you take the glass elevator 470 feet up into the sky to the Reunion Tower GeO-Deck for panoramic views from Big D’s most iconic landmark. You’ll see all of downtown and beyond from indoor and outdoor observation decks, plus up-close views using interactive touch screens. Check the calendar for sunset yoga, skyline painting and more events every month. Dallas, 214/712-7040
Bee Tours
16. Round Rock Honey, which you may have seen for sale at Dallas Farmers Market, offers classes and tours at its original location north of Austin. Register for the one-hour factory tour on select Saturdays this summer (June 19 and July 31) for only $5 for adults and free for kids 12 and younger. Shop for unfiltered wildflower honey, soaps and skincare from the store while you’re there. Basic beekeeping classes with master beekeepers are sold out for the summer, but classes and tours at a Rowlett location will resume in the fall. Round Rock, 512/828-5416
17. Visit the Two Hives Honey ranch, 20 minutes northeast of downtown Austin and open to visitors on Thursdays through Saturdays (no reservations needed). Come visit the honey bar or book a beehive tour, beekeeping class or honey-tasting class on select days, available as adults-only or family-friendly for kids age 6 and older. You’ll suit up in protective gear, light a bee smoker and get up-close-and-personal with more than 100,000 bees. Manor, 737/203-8598
18. On your next family excursion south toward Houston, plan a long pitstop at BeeWeaver Honey Farm. The general store is open daily, with public hives tours on Sundays, virtual tours on Mondays and more experiences available daily from February through November. Plan a road trip on Saturday, June 26 for the inaugural Honey Cook Off. $25 wristbands get you a sample of each dish and a vote for your favorite in each category: main dishes, sides and desserts. Plus, mead is available for sampling for adults 21 and up in the WildFlyer Mead Co. Tasting Room. Navasota, 512/535-2219
19. Become a member of the Dallas-based Trinity Valley Beekeepers Association ($20 per calendar year or $40 for three years) for access to all the club’s educational resources, or apply for the Honey Bee Ambassador Program, a one-year program open to youth ages 16 to 21. Dallas
20. “BeeGirl” Christi Baughman is a North Texas Master Naturalist and active member of the Trinity Valley Beekeepers Association of Dallas. Call or go online for info on offerings, such as all-day introductory classes or three-hour classes for beginners or advanced beekeepers. Garland, 972/822-4262
Family Volunteering
21. Mom of two Michelle Carter established Little Helpers of Dallas-Fort Worth, a local chapter of the national Little Helpers group, in 2017. Join the Facebook group to connect with other families sharing ideas on how to get even their littlest kids involved in and excited about volunteering in the community—such as feeding those experiencing homelessness and writing letters to isolated seniors. Most activities are held in northeast Tarrant County, but everyone is welcome. Colleyville area; search on Facebook
22. One in every five kids in North Texas experiences food insecurity, and the North Texas Food Bank aims to doing something about it. Go online or use the mobile app to sign up for a variety of volunteer opportunities based on age: 16 and older can volunteer for the Disaster Relief Mobile Pantry; 14 and older may sort and pack food at the Perot Family Campus; and all ages are welcome to volunteer or tour NTFB’s sustainable, small-scale learning garden called Jan’s Garden. Plano, 214/330-1396
23. With a title that doesn’t mince words, Feed My Starving Children is a Christian nonprofit that works all over the globe to provide food assistance to communities experiencing chronic hunger. Join the effort by shopping the artisan marketplace online and volunteering at a food packing session at the permanent FMSC site in Richardson. Advance registration required for meal-packing events held every Monday through Saturday. Richardson, 214/453-5480
24. Since 2009, Wee Volunteer has partnered with Dallas charities to provide age-appropriate service projects for preschool and elementary-age children. Projects like Wipe Out Graffiti, Meals on Big Wheels (on the coolest school bus you’ve ever seen) and others focus on hunger, homelessness, under-privileged children, the elderly, animals and the environment. Contact founder Michelle Chase to ask how your family can make a difference. Dallas; 817/800-3537
Entertainment Destinations
25. For the ultimate family night out, go no farther than your local Main Event. All seven locations offer bowling, billiards and arcade games, plus more attractions at select locations. Frisco and Grand Prairie centers run the gamut with laser tag, karaoke and gravity ropes to keep your blood pumping. Multiple locations
26. Looking for an outing that’s not par for the course? Book a climate-controlled hitting bay at one of four area Top Golf locations. Game play is half price on Tuesdays. Help your kids hone their skills during the TopGolf Summer Academy, open to ages 6–12. Allen, Dallas, Fort Worth and The Colony
27. Don’t wait until the weekend to visit Pinstack. Three area locations offer half-off wine bottles on Wednesdays (jot that down for a mid-week date night) and half-price games on Tuesdays, which means more time living it up on the climbing wall, high ropes obstacle course, bumper cars (must be 44 inches tall) and more. Allen, Las Colinas and Plano
28. Go big this summer at Six Flags Over Texas. The theme park welcomes back revelers with new rides like Harley Quinn Spinsanity, located next to The Joker in the Gotham City section of the park, and all your favorite Looney Tunes rides rated for kids of all heights and levels of thrill tolerance. Arlington; 817/640-8900
29. For the hottest days of summer, cool off at the neighboring Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, open for the season through September 12 and featuring the new waterpark ride Banzai Pipeline. Arlington, 817/640-8900
30. When you play together, you learn together at Group Dynamix. Find out how with activities like the high ropes challenge course, archery tag, human foosball and a giant jumping pillow—all designed to encourage collaboration and increase camaraderie. Go online to get a quote for your adult group and student group. Open to kids as young as 12 or entering sixth grade. Carrollton; 972/416-9646
31. Here’s another way to beat the summer heat: Battle it out in the bumper boat pond, now open for the season at Adventure Landing. Each bumper boat is equipped with built-in squirt guns for optimal splashing. For fun on dry land, check out the laser tag, batting cages, putt-putting and go-karting (with double carts for driving with your little ones as young as 4. Dallas, 972/248-4653
32. Travel to faraway lands virtually with Dreamscape, in partnership with AMC Theatres and open at NorthPark Center on level 2 between Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. Choose from one of three virtual reality experiences—Alien Zoo, Curse of the Lost Pearl or The Blu: Deep Rescue—then suit up in your headsets, foot and hand trackers and backpacks. Guests must be at least 10 years old and 48 inches tall. Dallas, 469/324-4960
33. Go bowling or try your hand at bocce ball at Pinstripes, a family entertainment complex at the swanky Shops at Clearfork. Come on Fridays and Saturdays to chill out to live music on the patio and dine on Italian-American cuisine, including pizza made in a wood-burning oven. Fort Worth, 682/352-0808
34. Treat your little monsters out for a night of glow-in-the-dark fun at Monster Mini Golf, an indoor entertainment center with mini golf, mini bowling (bowling shoes not required), laser maze, a virtual reality room, arcade games and spooky elements all around. Frisco, 469/598-0444
35. Strikz partners with the Kids Bowl Free summer program to give kids 20 minutes of free bowling time every day through September 3. Sign up your kids age 15 and younger for the program and add a family pass to stay longer for the laser tag, arcades and pool tables. Frisco, 972/668-5263
36. Reserve your bowling lanes in advance at the retro Alley Cats bowling alley, with special entertainment for the sports fanatics (batting cages and putt-putt) and for the ultra-competitive kids of your family (laser tag and a 26-foot-tall rock climbing wall). Head to the Hurst location for additional attractions: go-karts, the Rattler mini coaster and a drop tower ride (height restrictions apply). Check out the Kids Bowl Free program here, too. Hurst and Arlington
37. The world of virtual reality is your oyster at Fixation VR. Browse the more than 130 first-person virtual reality games and experiences, such as the kid-friendly Rec Room and Fruit Ninja, and play individually or with up to 15 friends simultaneously. VR summer camps, open to kids 48 inches tall and up, run June 15 through August 13. The arcade is open daily by appointment only and is BYOB for adults after 7pm. Hurst, 682/404-6445
38. No matter what you’re celebrating (read: you don’t need a reason for a family night out), Celebration Station is the place to go for the Eurobungy attraction, bumper boats, batting cages with baseball and softball, and more. This location features a 10,000-square-foot paintball arena, open to kids as young as 10, with safety gear and coveralls. Mesquite; 972/279-7888
39. You don’t have to move mountains to entertain your entire family. Mountasia Family Fun Center makes summer fun entirely possible with its bumper boats, kiddie rides and go-karts and a mini golf course that takes you in and around the faux mountaintop, through caverns and under cascading waterfalls. The ultimate pass gives you all-day unlimited access to all of it. North Richland Hills; 817/503-8833
40. Channel the power of racing legend Mario Andretti at this Grandscape complex, which opened last year. You’ll speed around the indoor track in an all-electric go-karts (open to kids as young as 7), and enjoy more Super Mario-level fun via the multiple virtual reality experiences, the ropes course with zip lines, and an upscale bowling lounge (especially great for parents). The Colony; 469/527-3278
This article was originally published in June 2021.
Photo courtesy of Reunion Tower
