12 Fun Things to Do in Traverse City with Kids — Family-Friendly Activities!
You might think of Traverse City as a vast playground for those who enjoy the great outdoors.
Thanks to its gorgeous parks, glistening lakes, and proximity to the mountains, it is a fantastic base camp for outdoor activities like hiking and swimming.
But it can provide more than just that.
Some kid- and teen-friendly attractions include indoor swimming pools, fascinating scientific museums, and creative art studios.
This vibrant Michigan city offers a wealth of activities.
Here are a few enjoyable activities for kids in Traverse City to get you started.
- Centre Ice Arena
The Ice Arena is a public skating rink where the Traverse City North Stars ice hockey team plays its home games.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
Consider cooling down and skating around the rinks in this arena when considering family-friendly activities in Traverse City.
It’s a great way to kill time in the city to go ice skating.
You can watch an ice hockey game if the North Stars are playing.
Recommended Ages
Although everyone is welcome at the rink, ice skating is best left to children who can already walk steadily and independently.
You would adore doing this with your kids, ages six and up.
- COGNiTiON Science & Discovery Center — Beulah
Through its interactive exhibits, the COGniTiON Science and Discovery Center is a science museum that emphasizes experiential learning.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
If you’re looking for family-friendly activities in your area, this scientific center’s exciting exhibits can satisfy a young mind’s thirst for knowledge.
Meet different animals and conduct enjoyable experiments with your budding scientists.
Recommended Ages
Ages 5 to 12, school-aged children enjoy the museum’s activities.
- Crystal Mountain — Thompsonville
A family-run resort called Crystal Mountain is located in northwest lower Michigan, about 44 minutes from Traverse City.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
When it comes to fun day trips, this resort features attractions, including various downhill routes, a golf course, swimming pools, and the distinctive Alpine Slide that kids and teens are sure to love.
Recommended Ages
The resort’s entertaining amenities will make it a favorite among the whole family.
Bring your young children, ages three and up, all the way up to your adult children.
- Grand Traverse Conservation District/Boardman River Nature Center
A 505-acre nature preserve known as the Boardman River Nature Center was established in 2008 and is run by the Grand Traverse Conservation District.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
This weekend, take the family to the riverbanks and explore them while wearing your hiking gear.
You could examine several natural plants and animals in the state of Michigan.
Recommended Ages
The reserve’s pathways are sure to be enjoyable for young explorers as young as three and as old as your older teens.
- Grand Traverse Resort and Spa — Acme
In Northern Michigan, a well-known hotel called The Grand Traverse Resort Spa is famous for its recognizable glass structure and various amenities.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
When you visit this resort, make time to unwind with the entire family.
In The Den, you can play golf, swim, play in the arcade, or even throw axes for amusement.
Teenagers, tweens, and toddlers will have a great time participating in the resort’s numerous engaging and exciting activities.
Recommended Ages
Check-in with your entire family.
Children from 3 to 17 are welcome at this family-friendly resort, a great place to bring them.
- Great Wolf Lodge
A large indoor water park with pools and slides is called The Great Wolf Lodge.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
The best activities to do in Traverse City with kids while visiting this park include splashing about in the pools and sliding down the twisting water slides.
You could even decide to only stay for a half-day and go exploring elsewhere for the other half.
Recommended Ages
Bring the whole family for a fun-filled day at the park since most attractions have no age restrictions.
Some slides, however, have a 42-inch minimum height requirement.
- Handz On Art
In the Warehouse MRKT in Traverse City’s downtown, there is a painting studio called Handz On Art.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
Today, you may get inventive about kids’ activities in Traverse City, Michigan.
Simply choose your favorite pottery from the shelf, paint it any way you desire, and it will become your work of art.
Recommended Ages
Because you can use your imagination to the fullest, this exercise is appropriate for all ages.
However, young painters who are five years old and older will like this painting exercise more.
- Front Street
Within the bustling downtown is the three-block-long Front Street neighborhood.
The West End, Warehouse, and Old Town Districts are nearby.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
There is a lot to see, including street art and specialty businesses, so strolling about this downtown neighborhood is an excellent choice for free family activities.
Visit an art gallery, purchase a sundae cone, or look at the local crafts.
Recommended Ages
When traveling with toddlers or teens, it is preferable to visit this area.
Toddlers you can carry won’t mind the lengthy shopping and strolling excursions; the same goes for 13 and older, shopping-obsessed youngsters.
- Mission Point Lighthouse
Old Mission Point’s Mission Point Lighthouse, which overlooks Grand Traverse Bay, was built in 1870.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
If your family enjoys history, this old lighthouse is one of the best sites to take kids to Traverse City.
When you arrive, you can climb to the tower’s top. The drive is full of beautiful views of the waterways.
Recommended Ages
Walking around the property and climbing the lighthouse will be fun for the whole family.
Children between the ages of 2 and 18 are welcome here.
- Clinch Park
A 1500-foot-long public beach called Clinch Park is close to the city’s center.
It is regarded as the region’s busiest beach.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
The ideal addition to your Traverse City toddler activities is to unwind in the park.
Simply taking a stroll, having a picnic, or relaxing in the splash pods’ cold water are all options.
The dock at the park offers stunning views of the bay as well.
Recommended Ages
This park is excellent for family gatherings whether you have young children or not.
So make sure to bring everyone—from toddlers to teenagers—with you.
- Turtle Creek Stadium
The Traverse City Pit Spitters baseball team plays its home games at Turtle Creek Stadium, a 4,600-seat multi-use facility.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
One of the top family activities in Traverse City for your young sports fanatics is attending a local baseball game.
You can decide whether to get a table for your entire family or watch from the usual seats.
Recommended Ages
Since baseball games might take many hours, it’s better to do this with children ages eight and older.
- Tall Ship Manitou
A local tour company runs the sailing boat Tall Ship Manitou, which cruises the Great Lakes.
Why We Recommend This Kid-Friendly Activity
Sailing on the lake in a schooner replica from the 1800s is undoubtedly at the top of the list of family-friendly activities in Traverse City.
Little adventurers will undoubtedly feel as though they are embarking on a fantastic journey amidst the stunning sails of this yacht.
Recommended Ages
Bring your little children along on the 2-hour day cruises as there is no age restriction.
Your children must be 12 years old if you plan to take one of the longer cruises.
