Note: These ideas were compiled for Summer 2008, so there is emphasis on summer activities, but many of these ideas can be used year-round. Check back for updates!
Help all of us moms- Leave us your fun ideas in the Comments below!!
Playgrounds & Pools
Indoor Play Park - Christ Church Nashville – Free for children under 12 years
15354 Old Hickory Blvd
Nashville, TN
(615) 834-6171 ext. 260 Scott Hord (Rec. Center Director)
KIDPARK playground is awesome, featuring a two-story slide and other climb-on, crawl-through and clamber-over stuff. It’s also open every day of the week. They also have a rec center with basketball and fitness center, camp for kids, sports for kids at very reasonable prices.
Bicentennial Mall Fountains – free
600 James Robertson Pkwy
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 741-5280
We particularly love the fountains representing the TN rivers. It is very educational, lots of reading to do. An added benefit is the farmer’s market next door where families can eat and shop. We eat at a meat and three on 3rd and Charlotte.
Nashville Area Parks
http://www.nashville.gov/parks/nature/index.htm
This site contains information related to all parks, rec centers, nature areas and much more within Davidson County. There are numerous opportunities to bike or walk greenways, participate in a nature talk or take an art class. Your kids will enjoy being able to see different parks, all for free.
Cheatham County Parks
http://cheathamcountytn.gov/discover/recreation/parks.html
This site contains information about parks in Cheatham County. The L.L. Burns Park has fountains for the kids to play, fishing, lake access, hiking/biking trails as well as playgrounds. Pack a lunch and spend the day.
Williamson County Parks & Recreation - list all parks and recreational activities around Williamson County including summer camps and classes
Recreational Trail across from Brentwood, TN library. Take your bikes, swimsuit and crocs for a fun time. Kids can ride their bikes and stop at several places along the trail to play in the creek. Take a picnic lunch to eat at several of the picnic areas around this area.
Don Fox Park and Splash Area – Lebanon, TN
Recreation Department
416 Baird Park Circle
Lebanon, TN 37090
Phone: (615) 449-0303
Large round mushroom area where kids can splash around.. all for free. The park also offers picnic areas and walking tracks.
Jimmy Floyd Center – Lebanon, TN
511 North Castle Heights Ave.
Lebanon, TN 37087
Phone: (615) 453-4545
Fax: (615) 453-4543
http://www.lebanontn.org/departments/jffc/default.aspx
The Jimmy Floyd center in Lebanon is run by the parks and recreation department. There is a small fee to get in. This center operates similar to Williamson Rec Center, if you are familiar. They have diving boards and zero entry pool.
Patterson Park Community Center – Murfreesboro, TN
521 Mercury Blvd.
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
615-893-7439
http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/government/parks_rec/patterson.htm
This facility is another rec center in Murfreesboro with a small cover charge around $3. They have an indoor pool that features a zero entry, water slides, lap lanes, water swings and pool playground. It is covered in glass, but great for days when it is very hot outside. There is also something to do for kids of all ages. You need to call to find out open swim times, but have usually been from around 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and another session late in the afternoon. There is a pavilion and playground located next to the parking lot, so perfect for morning play and then a picnic before heading home.
Nashville Shores – this outdoor water park has a beach, water slides and a marina.
4001 Bell Rd
Hermitage, TN 37076
(615) 889-7050
Check out the web site for discounts and in previous years admission was half price after 3:00 p.m. There is still plenty of time to play and the slides aren’t as crowded. Take a picnic lunch and sit under one of their pavilions. Last summer, Lifeway sold group tickets for $13. This is definitely cheaper if you want to get a group of friends together for the day.
Movies & Music
Drive-in Movie Theatres – take the whole family to a drive in movie.
Star Dust Drive-in Theatre
310 Purple Tiger Dr
Watertown, TN 37184
(615) 237-0077
Franklin Drive-in
6250 Nashville Rd
Franklin, KY 42134
(270) 586-1905
Regal Cinemas Family Film Festival – features free G and PG movies at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at Regal’s Bellevue and Opry Mills theaters in Nashville and Regal Indian Lake in Hendersonville beginning June 5. www.regmovies.com. In previous years, Green Hills also showed free movies. You will probably need to speak with someone to get an official movie schedule for the summer and try and get there early. The theatre fills up fast.
MOVIES IN THE PARK – Pinkerton Park
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on June 14 – Pinkerton Park, 8-10 p.m.
Open Season on June 21 – Pinkerton Park, 8-10 p.m.
The Wizard of Oz on July 5 – Pinkerton Park, 8-10 p.m.
Happy Feet on July 19 – Pinkerton Park, 8-10 p.m.
Field of Dreams on Aug. 3 – Pinkerton Park, 8-10 p.m.
ET on Aug. 9 – Pinkerton Park, 8-10 p.m.
BRENTWOOD CONCERTS at Crockett
615.371.0060.
Concerts are held at the Eddy Arnold Ampitheatre Concert Pavilion in Crockett Park Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m.
Nashville Symphony Orchestra – May 13th
Paul Ross Jazz Orchestra – Big Band June 3rd
Blues Rocker Dean Hall (son of Tom T. Hall) June 10th
Riders in the Sky – June 17th
The Mills Brothers – June 24th
Kadillacs – July 4th followed by fireworks show
Tams – July 8th
CONCERT SERIES
June 9 – Aspen Grove Park, Rickelton Crow, 6:30-8 p.m.
June 17 – Pinkerton Park, Nashville Jazz Orchestra, featuring Annie Sellick, 5-8 p.m.
July 14 – Aspen Grove Park, Williamson County Community Bank, 6:30-8 p.m.
Aug. 25 – Aspen Grove Park, Amp’d, 6:30-8 p.m.
Sports
Nashville Sounds – you can’t beat the entertainment factor for taking the entire family to a Sounds game. Many of their games also feature faith nights and ticket prices are very reasonable. There are always promotions for discounted tickets.
Indoor Fun
Laser Chase
215 Gothic Court
Franklin, TN 37067
(615) 764-0800
This is a good indoor treat for the hot summer days. Kids divide into teams and fire laser guns at each other’s vest. It is designed for older kids, at least 4-5 and up. It usually costs around $6-8 to play for 30-45 minutes.
Glow Galaxy – 18 holes of glow in the dark putt putt golf
433 Opry Mills Drive
Ste. 514
Nashville, TN
Train Up A Child
4825 Trousdale Drive
Suite #217
Nashville, TN
Pay $3 to let your child play on all the fully stocked train tables. Call in advance to find out open play times.
Farms & Food Tours
Purity Dairies
360 Murfreesboro Rd.
Nashville, TN 37210
(615) 760-2271 ext. 489
Purity shows how ice cream is processed and packaged. Includes a free ice cream novelty. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy this, but they want you to call first.
Farmers’ Market
900 Eighth Ave N
Nashville, TN
www.nashvillefarmersmarket.org
It’s great fun to walk the stalls outside and enjoy the restaurants inside. And it’s also a good chance to see flowers and purchase fresh produce.
Morning Glory Orchard – pick your own produce including blueberries
7690 Nolensville Rd
Nolensville, TN
615-395-4088
You can pick your own produce. Their web site indicated they would open in July.
Golden Bell Blueberry Farm - (formerly Cedar Brae Berry Farm) pick your own blueberries
4084 Clovercroft Road
Franklin, TN 37067
615-794-3758
Call ahead to see what their schedule is starting in late June or early July.
www.pickyourown.org – web site that list all u-pick farms in Tennessee
Museums and Science Centers
Discovery Center
502 SE Broad St
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
(615) 890-2300
Inside a former Coca-Cola bottling plant, renovated to house a giant water table, an airplane ride, a tree house and cabin stuffed with toys, an art lab and kitchen, a two-story slide, and tanks full of fish and turtles. Outside, a water garden teems with tadpoles, koi, frogs and other aquatic curiosities, while fountains shoot 20-foot arches of water into a nearby reservoir; a boardwalk winds through the adjacent wetlands, where beavers, river otters and herons can be seen in swampy splendor. The outside’s free.
Adventure Science Center
800 Fort Negley Blvd.
Nashville TN 37203
(615) 862-5160
Opening the Sudekum Planetarium June 28th. Adults $9, kids 3-12 $7, but the best deal is to purchase a season pass.
Cheekwood Botanical Garden – outdoor botanical garden with summer long special events
1200 Forest Park Drive
Nashville, TN 37205
615-356-8000
Arts & Crafts
Home Depot Kids Workshop
Usually the first Saturday of every month 9-12 but call your local store for specific times.
Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics
Check out their web site for specific times and locations near you.
Michaels Kids Club
Check out their web site for specific times and locations near you.
Day Trips & Just for Fun
The Minister’s Tree House – 8,000 square foot tree house built by a minister as calling from God.
Beehive Lane
Crossville, TN
NW of town, N of I-40, exit for 298, first right on Cook Rd., left on Beehive Lane. It is closed to public because of vandalism, but if you call in advance you can get in. Sometimes it is open during the day. There is no cost for admission. I have heard it is a little difficult to find, but well worth the trip. See the following link to read all about it.
http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=6844123
Mammoth Cave – located in Kentucky
Music City Star – Nashville’s only commuter train service.
Rail service runs through Lebanon, Martha, Mt. Juliet, Hermitage, Donelson and downtown . Trains run Monday through Friday. You should check the web site for train fares and schedules. Tickets average around $5 and it is a commuter rail service, so most times are early morning or late afternoon. This is a fun outing coupled with a tour of downtown Nashville. One person suggested eating at the Spaghetti Factory for a cheap lunch.
Betsy Dakin said,
September 27, 2008 at 8:45 am
Precious Prints Studio
Mary Loftus owner
400 Sugartree Lane
Suite #310
Franklin, TN 37064
615-794-4802
Wonderful clay crafts and teaching on artist and art concepts. Starts with the very young child and up. You can drop your child off for the class. Hour and half long. My boys LOVE her and they make great things!
Lucky Ladd Farms said,
August 20, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Come on down to Lucky Ladd Farms for Fall Family Fun Days weekends in October. Home to Tennessee’s largest petting farm featuring over 100 friendly farm animals to interact with and learn about. We also offer a wide variety of other fun activities for the whole family including our corn maze made of sorghum, pumpkin patch, wagon rides featuring Tennessee Wildlife, large playgrounds, tire mountains, hay jumps, monster slide and barrel train rides. Tons of kid-powered fun, fresh air, and memories to last a lifetime!