Is the weather outside frightful? Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered (no pun intended!) with these 5 ideas for indoor activities in Houma / Thibodaux with kids:
Location: Da Swamp
Cost: $10 -$20, depending on age and length of jump time
Hours: Mon-Thur (4-8pm), Fri (4-10pm), Sat (10am-10pm), Sun (11am-8pm)
Why kids like it: What kid doesn't love to jump around? For my son, it's the wide-open space with lots of things to choose from such as dodge ball, the basketball dunk, a climbing wall, and the big giant pillow bed that he loves high-diving into.
Why I like it: Sometimes I like to go in the jump zones with him. Other times, I prefer to sit in a waiting area and catch up on things like Macaroni Kid or my other jobs. Since there are so many attendants at each of the jump zones, I can actually sit back and not have to watch him like a hawk because I know he's being supervised.
Location: JAG Open Gym Night
Cost: $12, plus money for snacks
Hours: 7-9pm
Why kids like it: It's a chance to spend time with his school friends outside of school. They can run around on a Friday night with all the snacks they eat, be wild and crazy, and try nailing some new tricks on the gym equipment. My son is currently trying to add a double backflip to his repertoire of previously mastered crazy stunts.
Why I like it: My week typically looks something like this: full-time job Monday - Friday, full-time college course work, Macaroni Kid, and working social media for a few companies. So when Friday rolls around, getting a couple of hours of quite to be able to decompress (usually with a nice glass of Cabernet if I'm being honest here) is all I need to totally re-energize so I can give my full self to my son throughout the weekend. You just drop them off at the door at 7, and then pick them up at the door at 9.
Location: Bayou Country Children's Museum
Cost: $8 per person over 12 months
Hours: Tues - Sat (10am - 6pm), Sun (Noon - 6pm), Monday Closed
Why kids like it: My son is 11 and has mostly grown out of this museum. So why is it on my list? Because it is and always will be an amazing facility. If I bring just my 11-year-old, he would get bored quickly. But if I bring him with my seven-year-old godchild, they will have the time of their lives all day long! It's educational without the feeling that they are learning. Their favorite attraction is a tie between the sugarcane tractor and the mardi gras scene where they can throw beads. Simply put,
Why I like it: With the surge in electronic activity, it is so refreshing for there to be a place where kids can play almost completely unplugged. Coming back to the Bayou Country Children's Museum forces them to switch back to using their imagination. Additionally, it's a way for me to slip in extra educational opportunities without it seeming like I'm trying to make my son learn something. They learn through play, and I am all about fun!
Location: The Regional Military Museum
Cost: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, $2 for college / high school students, $1 for elementary school students, FREE for active military
Hours: Mon-Fri (10am - 4pm), Sat (10am - 2pm)
Why my kids like it: My son is a history buff from birth. Museums are right up his alley, but he really gets into our local Regional Military Museum. He is especially fascinated with Gerald Ford's airplane that's there to see and touch. They had a recent expansion and have much more to see and do.
Why I like it: Like my son, I love a good museum to tour. But I feel like every child needs to visit a military museum and tour it while be led by a veteran. The stories they tell, the emotion you feel when they really talk about a particular topic, it's just all good stuff. This is a very affordable activity that I can bring my son to over and over again and it never gets boring. Our sense of interest and excitement every time we go is always the same as the first time we ever visited.
Location: Creole Lanes
Cost: Varies from $2.75 - $4.25 per person per game
Hours: Open everyday
Why my kids like it: Show me a kid that doesn't love to bowl...I'll wait... Seriously, my kid loves to bowl. He especially loves to bowl when it's just us because both our competitive sides come out. I used to let him win, but now I struggle to keep up. LOL!!! It's a great indoor activity to be active and get out of the house. And with summer scorching temps still among us, bowling stays on rotation for us.
Why I like it: Same as above; I am super competitive and love a good game of anything. But bowling.... well that's a whole other level of friendly-ish competition. As soon as those super cheesy and ill-fitting shoes go on, it's on! Seriously though, bowling seems to bring about a lot of conversation when my son and I go. We play a couple of games and it takes us a couple hours because we can talk about anything. Sometimes I wonder if that's just one of his tactics to get me to start playing bad.
Don’t forget to check Macaroni Kid Houma’s events calendar for even more ideas for indoor (and outdoor!) family fun in Houma and Thibodaux. We keep the calendar updated with things to do all around our area with kids so that you can spend less time looking for something to do and more quality time with your kids!
