Our big guide of kid-friendly things to do and eat in Tucson

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Some questions we see online a lot: what restaurants will my picky 6-year-old like? Are there any kid-friendly hikes around town? What can I do with my teen on weekends?

We hear you loud and clear. From indoor playgrounds to restaurants that specialize in chicken tendies and over-the-top milkshakes, we compiled a big ol' guide to kid-friendly things to do and eat in Tucson.

Things to do with the littles

These attractions maybe aren't fit for your teen, but are definitely worth it for your 7-year-old.

• Wild Katz — This indoor playground is a kid's dream. Designed for kiddos ages 6 months to 13 years old, Wild Katz, 4629 E. Speedway, has slides, net courses, tree forts and climbing walls. 
• Playformance — Known for parkour, this indoor playground, 119 E. Toole Ave., has a slew of classes, teams, camps and open play options for infants, kids and even adults. There are Nerf battles, climbing walls and more.
• Children's Museum Tucson — This museum, designed for kids up to age 10, has interactive exhibits that teach subjects like electricity, the body and public safety. The main location is at 200 S. Sixth Ave., but a smaller location sits inside Tohono Chul, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte.
• Tucson Jewish Community Center — The JCC has an indoor play area for the center's members and their guests, ages 2-11. Find the J at 3800 E. River Road.
• Timeless Play — From crafts to puzzles to toys, this experience is geared toward infants to pre-teens. This is a drop-off center, allowing parents to have a couple hours to themselves. Timeless Play has two locations: 4425 N. Campbell Ave. and 1880 E. Tangerine Road.

Things to do outdoors with the whole family

Enjoy the Tucson sunshine with the whole family. Explore wildlife, history and even fairies.

• Reid Park Zoo — From elephants to squirrel monkeys, learn all about animals at Tucson's zoo, which recently opened a shaded playground called World of Play. The zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court, hosts seasonal events for the holidays, plus frequent workshops for kids who want to be a zookeeper when they grow up.
• Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum — Here's where you take the family for a true slice of Tucson, including the flora and fauna that call the Sonoran Desert home. The museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road, also has an indoor playground called Packrat Playhouse and a stingray touch pool.
• Colossal Cave — Take a half-mile guided tour through this east-side cave, 16721 E. Old Spanish Trail, where you'll learn about the cave's history and geology. 
• Valley of the Moon — This local fantasy park at 2544 E. Allen Road has been around for 100 years. It's where you can find fairies, a wizard's tower and other fairytale-like attractions. 
• Mini golf — Check out Golf N' Stuff and Funtasticks for mini golf, bumper boats and go-karts. Funtasticks also has an outdoor water park!
• Mount Lemmon — Take a drive up the mountain for scenic views, colorful leaves in fall and maybe even snow in winter. There's a ski lift that runs even when it's not snowing, homemade fudge at the general store and lots of hiking trails.

Things to do indoors with the whole family

Sometimes you want to stay out of the sun and bask in the A/C.

• Trampoline parks — These are fun for kids and adults alike. Check out Defy Tucson, Get Air and Elevate.
• Skate Country — I spent days upon days at Skate Country, 7980 E. 22nd St., as a kid. It's Tucson's only roller rink! If you don't want to skate with the adults, there are sessions specifically for toddlers and families. 
• El Jefe Cat Cafe — Fans of cats, this one's for you. Spend time at this lounge, 3025 N. Campbell Ave., surrounded by dozens of kitties.
• This n' That Creative Studio — Bring the kiddos to This n' That, 1066 S. Pantano Road, for all kinds of crafts, including slime-making, a splatter room and a make-your-own-plushie workshop. 
• Unscrewed Theater — This improv studio, 4500 E. Speedway, has weekly family-friendly shows, plus classes for adults and teens! 
• Museums — Tucson is home to a lot of museums. Presidio Museum, International Wildlife Museum, Ignite Sign Art, Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, Southern Arizona Transportation Museum and the Pima Air & Space Museum might be right up your alley. See our big list of museums here.
• Arcades and bowling — This is a packed category. From Peter Piper Pizza to Lucky Strike to Round 1, there are lots of options for arcades and bowling. (The Peter Piper at 3717 S. 12th Ave. even has a trampoline zone!)
• Indoor rock climbing — Spend an afternoon going indoor rock climbing at gyms like Rocks & Ropes and Rock Solid. Both have youth teams!

Free things to do

You don't have to break the budget every time you go on a family outing. Here are free activities fit for the family.

• Children's Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave., offers free admission every Thursday night and every second Saturday. The museum is also known to host lots of other events throughout the year that often include free admission. 
• Every Second Sunday of the month, the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave., hosts a pay-what-you-wish day that often features activities like crafts, performances and family yoga. 
• Get a taste of the Old West by taking a walk through Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road. While attractions cost money, the mini town sometimes hosts special events throughout the year, such as the free Festive Fridays this month that feature snow and visits with Santa.
• The Pima County Public Library frequently hosts free events from performances to classes to story times.
• Every first Saturday of the month, Valley of the Moon, 2544 E. Allen Road, opens its doors for free, usually with some kind of theme or planned activity. 
• Each summer (and sometimes in other seasons), the parks and recreation departments with Marana and Oro Valley host free outdoor family-friendly movies. Cox Communications usually does the same in Reid Park. Also check The Loft Cinema's showtimes, as they host Loft Kids Fest in the summer and random free screenings throughout the rest of the year.
• Make a visit to the University of Arizona Poetry Center, 1508 E. Helen St., where there's a zine area for kids and a writing residency program for K-12 students.
• When all else fails, a trip to your nearest park or splash pad might do the trick. 

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Kid-friendly hikes and bike rides

If you're itching to get the family out of the house to spend an afternoon submerged in our glorious nature, here are a few hikes and bike rides fit for the kiddos.

• Sabino Canyon is home to 14 trails, plus an electric shuttle that will give you a narrated tour of the area. The main road is paved and walkable for kids. A popular site is Sabino Dam, especially when the water is running, and it's about 2½ miles roundtrip from the visitor center. This map shows difficulty levels of other trails in Sabino Canyon.
• If you drive as far east on Broadway as possible, you'll hit the Broadway Trailhead in Saguaro National Park. The Mica View Trail is mostly flat and walkable for kiddos.
• Sweetwater Preserve has 15 trails inside 880 acres of desert beauty. Pima County ranks the trails easy to intermediate. 
• Dubbed an outdoor classroom, Sweetwater Wetlands has self-guided tours through it's 2½ miles of pathways. Almost 1,000 feet of the pathways are concrete.
• The Canyon Loop Trail in Catalina State Park is a 2.3-mile mostly flat loop with some stairs about halfway through. 
• Hike through our tall saguaro friends along the Painted Hills Trail, most of which is flat and smooth, though the pathway turns rockier the farther in you hike.
• If you want to take an easy walk or bike ride, The Loop is a 137-mile paved loop through Tucson with plenty of stops to get on or off. It's closed to cars!
• For mountain biking, Fantasy Island has several trails good for beginners and kids.

Restaurants for even the pickiest of eaters

As a kid, I was the pickiest of picky eaters. Many of the restaurants below not only have kid-friendly menu items, but also play areas and other perks.

• Little Anthony's Diner — What's more kid-friendly than milkshakes, pizza, a mini arcade, quarter-machine amusement rides and a table cloth that's actually a giant piece of paper stocked with crayons? Find this retro diner at 7010 E. Broadway.
• American Eat Co. — This locally-owned food court at 1439 S. Fourth Ave. is home to several eateries serving pizza, tacos and the best chicken tenders in town (at the Coop!). There's a small arcade, too.
• Dominick's Real Italian — Spaghetti, pizza and chicken tenders are featured on the kids' menu here, plus the restaurant can shape a pizza into Mickey Mouse for kids' birthday parties. You can also order a big slice and they'll give the kids a pizza cutter so they can slice it themselves. Find Dominick's at 8330 N. Thornydale Road.
• The Barnyard — Find American fare at this far-east-side restaurant, 11011 E. Tanque Verde Road, complete with outdoor yard games like giant Connect 4. 
• Mt. Lemmon Cookie Cabin — Giant cookies and pizza by the slice amid views of our favorite mountain. Find Mt. Lemmon Cookie Cabin at 12781 N. Sabino Canyon Park in Summerhaven.
• Silver Saddle — This historic steakhouse at 310 E. Benson Highway has a kids' menu that includes 6-ounce prime rib or sirloin, ribs, barbecue chicken and shrimp. 
• Pinnacle Peak — If you wear a necktie to this steakhouse tucked inside Western attraction Trail Dust Down, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road, staff will cut it off. Beware!
• Saguaro Corners — Get a seat near one of the giant windows and hope a critter runs by. The kids' menu, appropriately dubbed "Little Saguaros," features cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, quesadillas, buttered noodles and a grilled cheese for $7. Find Saguaro Corners at 3750 S. Old Spanish Trail.
• La Parrilla Suiza — I think I developed my love for refried beans because of frequent family trips to La Parrilla as a kid. The kids' menu has flautas, tacos, quesadillas and even chicken nuggets. La Parrilla has three locations in Tucson.
• Bamboo View — This east-side Chinese restaurant at 7018 E. Golf Links Road has a kids' menu with five chicken options and one beef.
• Poco & Mom's — Find both breakfast and lunch/dinner options on this kids' menu that includes burritos, tacos, quesadillas and a grilled cheese. Find Poco & Mom's at 7000 E. Tanque Verde Road.
• Noodies — While Noodies, 1730 E. Speedway, doesn't have a designated kids' menu, the pasta is customizable and there's a small area for kiddos to play and read.
• The Pasta Shop — This casual build-your-own pasta shop at 3951 W. Ina Road has a kids' area with blocks, books and toys.

Shops for babies, kids and teens

From toys to clothing, here are a few stores for your kiddos.

• Mildred & Dildred — Find all kinds of toys and books at this midtown shop, 1725 N. Swan Road.
• Little Bird Nesting Company — This shop carries new and gently-used clothing for kids. Find the shop at 4508 E. Broadway. 
• The Nest — Find clothing, toys, pacifiers, toys and more for babies at this boutique located at 6370 N. Campbell Ave.
• Cactus Wren Kids — This online shop is home to desert-themed clothing, accessories and toys for babies and kids.
• Littlest Bookshop — Find all kinds of kids' books at this children's bookstore located at 5011 E. Fifth St.
• Heroes and Villains — This comic shop at 4533 E. Broadway has been around for two decades. Beyond the comic books, you can also find games and vinyl. Find more comic book stores here!
• Bricks & Minifigs — If your kiddo is a fan of LEGO, this is where to go. Find all things LEGO here, both new and used. Find the shop at 6145 E. Broadway.
• Kira Kira Collectibles — Here's where to go for K-pop and anime items, from plushies to figurines. Find Kira Kira at 2903 E. Speedway.
• KpopNJoy — This K-pop shop brings Korean music, snacks and beauty items to Tucson. Find it at 4813 E. Speedway.

Random tidbits

• Tucson Parks and Recreation has a huge roster of classes for all ages, from dance to pottery. Beyond parks and rec, tons of studios around town offer classes and extracurriculars ranging from music and dance to sports teams and martial arts. 
• We include kid-friendly events on our weekly lists — sign up for our Weekend Planner newsletter to get the list sent directly to your inbox every Wednesday! Here are some big annual events that are good for kids: Zoppé Family Circus, Tucson Festival of Books, Tucson Rodeo Parade, Tucson KidsFest, Cyclovia, Pima County Fair, Tucson Comic-Con and the Marana Pumpkin Patch.

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