The Woodlands is the perfect retreat for families with children. If you are here when the weather is rainy, cold, or a bit too warm outside, try these indoor activities in The Woodlands. Each of these entertainment options is geared towards children and will help them to keep moving, learning, or occupied during their time here.
THE CAROUSEL AT THE WOODLANDS MALL
The Carousel is located near the Food Court area of The Woodlands Mall. Tokens to ride are available for purchase at a nearby machine and the more tokens you purchase the better the discount. One-token is $2, three-tokens are $5, and eight-tokens are $10. You only need to pay one-token per ride.
Insider Tip: In order to receive the token discount, the exact bill must be inserted into the machine. To ride alone on the carousel, guests must be at least 42-inches tall. Younger children who are shorter than 42-inches will need to be accompanied by an adult.
THE WOODLANDS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
The Woodlands Children's Museum offers imaginative playtime and interactive exhibits all under one roof! Ideal ages for guests are children ages seven and under. The museum is open to members and non-members. If you are local to the area or plan to visit often, consider purchasing a Family Membership for $79! The Family Membership allows a family of four (two adults and two children) access to the museum for an entire year. After three visits, your membership will have paid for itself. Daily admission for the museum is $7 each for adults and children ages 1 and up.
IGI PLAYGROUND
IGI Playground in The Woodlands is an indoor playground that is ideal for children ages 1 to 12 and offers a separate play area for younger children to play in! Admission for guests at IGI Playground is $10.99 for ages 1 to 12 and $4.99 for adults. Access to IGI includes playtime on various slides, tunnels, and a ball pit. There is also a snack bar that offers a variety of foods, frozen yogurt, and a candy store. Take some of the fun home with you, by purchasing an item from the gift store!
SHANKZ BLACKLIGHT MINIATURE GOLF
Hit the golf course at Shankz, an indoor blacklight miniature golf course. Admission to play the course is $6 for children 3 and under and $12 for adults and children over 3, the cost to replay the course is $6 per person. In addition to the 18-holes of black light fun, Shankz also has a VR (virtual reality) experience for $15 and a number of arcade games that can be played by loading a game card. Shankz is open daily for indoor fun in the dark!
PLAY STREET MUSEUM
Play Street Museum offers plenty of ways for children to imagine and play. Geared towards ages 1-8, admission is $12.50 per child, adults, and kids older than eight or younger than one are free (with a sibling's paid entry). This "play city" experience has a bank, school bus and it's own Woodlands Waterway Trolley, there are also building blocks, a train set, and a learning/craft area. Play Street offers pottery painting as a fun art option at an additional fee, prices depend on the size of the pottery. After the pottery is painted it is sent off to the kiln. Guests can pick up their creations on their next visit to Play Street, the museum will contact you when your item is ready.
Insider Tip: For each paid entry, a child will receive a token, which can be exchanged for a drink or snack. Even better, all of the snacks are organic / non-GMO! Learn more about Play Street.
With all of the fun things to do indoors, the kids are sure to work up their hunger. Check out these kid-friendly restaurants to dine at in The Woodlands. For outdoor children's activities, try renting a swan boat from the Riva Row Boat House or The Woodlands Mall. Don't forget to take a look at the public art in the area! Another activity that children love, is riding on The Woodlands Waterway Trolley, this free transportation service will drive you around Town Center to area retail, entertainment, hotels, and restaurant options.
