If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. These are"The best 50 things to do in Scottsdale", Arizona. Good! That’s when we get most of our rain for the whole year. Old Town is actually where Scottsdale began. Kids love to build forts and cities in Building Big and then navigate their way through a Noodle Forest. Whether you’re painting ceramic figurines at an art studio, observing endangered animals at the zoo or discussing a science exhibit at a museum, traveling with the family is time well spent together, and the Valley of the Sun offers unlimited ways to learn, create and explore. Scottsdale is definitely worthy of your travel bucket list, Elizabeth! A medieval tournament in the Wild West? This “skydiving” experience makes you float in the air inside a tunnel constructed by professional engineers, instead of falling all the way down. For families who want to see live theater on vacation, you can find that in Scottsdale. For example, San Diego Zoo entrance tickets are currently $58 for adults and $48 for children whereas the Phoenix Zoo prices are $25 and $17 respectively (and even cheaper when you buy online in advance). Some Scottsdale resorts, like the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, offer water features like waterslides and lazy rivers for their guests as well. Carousel at the Phoenix Zoo (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin). Glow-in-the-dark miniature golf at Glow Putt is always in season in Scottsdale, no matter the temperature outside. We saw wild horses crossing the river and our guide pointed out a ton of birds. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Here are fun things to do in Scottsdale with kids if you’re planning to visit. A family of giraffes at the Phoenix Zoo (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin). Colleen gives tips on television, radio, and as a public speaker. I rarely take my kids somewhere if I know I won’t like it. Examples include the Desert Botanical Museum (these go fast! Children will especially love Kids’ Cove, an area for marine-related activities. Recommended for Things to Do with Kids because: History comes alive at Scottsdale's Museum of the West, where families can explore the lore, history and artifacts of the American West. The Richardson Family first offered $2 horseback rides and hayrides in 1956. While at Old Town, don’t forget to drop by the historic Civic Center Mall and enjoy its current scenery. Additionally, many attractions offer a Free First Friday of the month, like Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Arizona Science Center, and Phoenix Art Museum. SWB is family-friendly. Things to do in Scottsdale with kids. However, judging a city merely by stereotypes assigned to it also means you’ll miss the family-friendly activities and unique attractions you can only find there. Recommended Hotel Nearby: Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale, 18333 N Thompson Peak Pkwy,Scottsdale, AZ 85260(480) 998-7971. With several locations throughout the Valley of the Sun, including two in Scottsdale, Peter Piper Pizza is part restaurant, part arcade. Some meals and admission were comped; while others were out of pocket. Featuring more than 65 exhibits, 370 species, and the world’s only revolving aquarium experience, OdySea allows visitors to pet stingrays, sturgeons, and other sea creatures. I loved interacting with exhibit pieces. My favorite of the exhibitions was “Mutual Reality: Art on the Edge of Technology,” which ends Oct. 6, 2019. The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts are also located here. My kids loved it there, especially the large climber and the Noodle Forest. Main Street Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 312-7177. Bring towels, as you’ll want to play and cool off in the water. Once inside, you may see mountain lions, Mexican gray wolves, bobcats, coyotes, coatimundi, mule deer, black bears, foxes, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, and other wild animals, largely depending on the rescues the center took in. Explore Scottsdale’s famous and rustic Old Town by foot, Segway, bike, trolly, or carriage. Learn how your comment data is processed. We moved to Scottsdale, Arizona about five years ago due to my husbands job transfer. Would you like to visit Scottsdale with kids? US Army chaplain Winfield Scott purchased 640 acres of land here, and he and his wife became the first residents of the area. Scottsdale has such amazing things to offer in variety. Awesome Things To Do With Kids in Scottsdale, AZ : Discover the best parks, bounce houses and museums in Scottsdale with deals of 50-90% off every day. Vehicles range from a 1725 English hand pumper to more modern engine-powered models. weather, plan to hike early in the morning before temperatures soar. Make a reservation at their onsite sit-down restaurant, Gertrude’s (children’s menus available) or grab a quick bite at the Patio Café. Whether you want a full-blown amusement park experience or you’re looking for a couple of hours of distraction, your kids are in for a treat. Octane has a 1/3 mile indoor/outdoor track, and both adult and junior races are available. "It contains the Performing Arts Center, Contemporary Arts Museum, the amazing Civic Center Library, "Throughout the area are also jewelry, specialty, and personal services shops to include an, "Unique shops, friendly atmosphere are great reasons to visit, "Whether it's a restaurant, shopping or groceries, this is my, "Flowers change with seasons, restaurant patios to enjoy the canal and, "Whether you're a reptile lover or not, you are sure to enjoy and most likely see/learn something new with a tour of the Phoenix Herpetological, "My grandson, Caleb, age 13, attended a week of day camp at the, "Breathtaking views great hiking and swimming, "Located in Old Town Scottsdale’s Civic Center, a brief and free tour of this Historical Society building (The Little Red, "We could also took part in various dino-related activites like a dinosaur dig, dino rides, inflatable play place, craft area and we even had motorized dino, "Can't say enough you need more than one trip to really enjoy gardens, identified several, "It is a great place to allow children to have, Extended Stay America Hotels in Scottsdale, InterContinental (IHG) Hotels in Scottsdale, Hotels near McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, Hotels near Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West, Hotels near (PHX) Sky Harbor Intl Airport, Hotels near (AZA) Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Historical & Heritage Tours in Scottsdale, Health/Fitness Clubs & Gyms in Scottsdale, Game & Entertainment Centres in Scottsdale, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Scottsdale, Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West, Things to do near (PHX) Sky Harbor Intl Airport, Things to do near (AZA) Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Things to do near Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, Things to do near The Westin Kierland Villas, Things to do near Sheraton Desert Oasis Villas, Scottsdale, Things to do near Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows, Things to do near Scottsdale Plaza Resort. Great tips and definitely lots to do there. It’s got a cool vibe, but keep in mind that after 6 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays, the gaming area is open only for the 21 and older crowd. There are also kid-friendly events that involve a petting zoo, a hay bale maze, a pedal car and track, a pony ride, and various lawn games. By local contributor JoAnne Zeterberg. Most impressive, though, is Dinosaur Mountain, a display of life-sized animated dinosaurs on a cliff with booming “flash floods” that send water gushing down the display every 23 minutes. See Tripadvisor's 42,183 traveller reviews and photos of kid friendly Scottsdale attractions Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Lightning storms are common in summer and are beautiful to behold. Or you can join in fun excavation activities where you dig for dinosaur bones and fossils. You get to design your own masterpiece, color your own creature in the Sketching the Seas activity, or have fun with the interactive water table activity. Scottsdale’s landscape will amaze first-timers to Arizona. See family vacation photos and get tips from other families to plan your Scottsdale, AZ trip. Scottsdale sunset with kids (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin). Subscribe to the FREE e-newsletter sharing family travel ideas, giveaways and more! That’s because there are only 73 seats, which surround the stage on three sides. Maximize fun and learning with our Children’s Museum of Phoenix tips. I’ve stayed in two different hotels (and toured another) and each would appeal to a different type of family. 1 (480) 515-5700 Contact Us With its golf courses, outdoor activities and enchanting desert landscape, Scottsdale, Arizona, makes for … See Tripadvisor's 108,441 traveller reviews and photos of kid friendly Scottsdale attractions No hotel restaurant? Breakfast – Be one of the first for breakfast at your hotel or Hash Kitchen, which opens at 7 a.m. And, my favorite program of the hotel (that will also fascinate kids) is the naural way the hotel rids the hotel of pesky birds: They have a live hawk or falcon on the resort to deter the pest birds from hanging around. From boutique shopping and spas to restaurants and museums, it may take a day just to fully experience Old Town. Tip: Get an early start to your kayak trip to avoid loud crowds of tubers on the river, especially on the weekend. The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch makes it hard for kids to want to leave. There are free bicycles to ride, including kids bikes, as well as gondola rides for an additional fee. Grown-up races go up to 45 miles per hour. In “Sewing Machine Orchestra,” you listen to the orchestrated rhythm produced by 12 computer-synced sewing machines. From water parks to a children’s museum and a butterfly sanctuary, this desert city offers family things to do galore. Kids at Butterfly Wonderland (Photo credit: Butterfly Wonderland). Scottsdale Stadium has been the spring training home of the San Francisco Giants since 1984. If traveling with a group of eight or more, book a desert cookout along with a hayride, stage coach tour or horseback adventure for a truly memorable experience. It doesn’t rain much in Scottsdale, but when it does, gushing buckets of water pour from the sky. Live Theater Performances for Families, Book Your Scottsdale Family Vacation with Expedia, Save This List of Things to Do in Scottsdale, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, what to expect at the Arizona Science Center, Scottsdale Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, family-friendly highlights tour from Expedia, Jerome, Arizona — America’s biggest ghost town, Flying with a Baby or Toddler ~ 15 Tried and True Tips, Scottsdale with Kids - 23 Fun Things to Do in the West's Most Western Town, 18 Kid Friendly Things to Do in New Orleans, 30 Things to Do at Mall of America Besides Shop.