It’s a beautiful day!!! Now what? You want to get outside with the kids, but you’re not sure where to go. And before you know it, it feels too late to do anything other than play in the yard. (Which can be fun, but there are SO many things to do in Bucks County!) If you find yourself getting “stuck” on what to do on those nice days or tired of your same old spots, you’ll want to save this post. Here’s a list of things to do in Bucks County, PA and nearby.
1. Go to a Playground
If you follow this blog at all, you KNOW this is our favorite thing to do on a nice day. Sometimes we go to one nearby for just an hour or so, and sometimes we plan our entire day around it. My Playground Guide is a huge list of playgrounds in Bucks County, Montgomery County, and more with pics, addresses, special features, etc. It’s by far my most popular blog post, and I refer to it often myself!
2. Dine Al Fresco
We love to go out to eat. And we especially love to eat outside. That’s why I put together this list of over 20 kid-friendly restaurants in Bucks County with outdoor seating. I also include notes like if it’s near a playground or another favorite kid attraction.
3. Go On a Nature Walk or Hike
My kids lose interest on walks pretty quickly if there’s not some type of activity, but we do try it every once in a while! We’ve visited Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve a few times, and the kids enjoyed finding the different bridges and waterfalls. Neshaminy State, Tyler Park and Core Creek Park are also good ones for this.
We’re not a big hiking family unless it’s at a nature center. (At least not yet.) But I know many families love it. So for this one, I’m going to refer you to a “pro.” My friend at Where the Wild Kids Wander has a list of “10 Awesome Family-Friendly Hikes Near Philadelphia.”
4. Visit a Nature Center
This one is similar to the last idea, but nature centers tend to have a little more to do for the younger kids. Silver Lake Nature Center in Bristol and Churchville Nature Center both have walking trails, playgrounds, and often host activities for kids. (Note: Silver Lake is particularly little kid friendly because of the “boardwalk” that runs through most of it, making it an easier walk and also convenient with strollers.
5. Walk Around Peddler’s Village
Peddler’s Village hosts events practically year-round, but especially in the spring and summer. My kids love when they have music or other activities, but we also just like to walk around or grab a bite to eat at Buttonwood Grill, get ice cream at Nina’s Waffles, popcorn from Clusters or a cookie from Mama Hawk’s.
Peddler’s Village hosts several festivals during the spring and summer:
Food Trucks Thursdays on May 23, June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19 and October 3
Strawberry Festival on May 4 and May 5
Red, White and Blueberries BBQ Bash July 4-July 7
Peach Festival on August 3 and August 4
6. Visit the Dinosaurs at Best of France Antiques
The grounds at Best of France Antiques off 202 are full of awesome sculptures – including dinosaurs! You’re not going to spend the day there, but if you’re in the area (it’s near Peddler’s Village), it’s worth the stop. It’s free and really cool to look around.
7. Go to the Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo is great if you want the full-day zoo experience. In addition to the animals, our favorites are the outdoor playground and petting zoo as well as the indoor play area next to the carousel.
If you want something smaller, try Elmwood Park Zoo. Feeding the giraffes (an additional cost) is always a highlight for us.
8. Explore Art and Nature at Grounds for Sculpture
We’ve been Members at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ since my husband and I were dating over 10 years ago, and the kids love it. Read THIS post to find out more and print out a free scavenger hunt I made.
9. See the Train Display and Make a Fairy Garden at Morris Arboretum
Morris Arboretum is located in Chestnut Hill and is open daily except for major holidays. While the grounds are beautiful, my kids’ favorite things to are seeing the Garden Railway and playing in the Fairy Garden Area. The Garden Railway is on display Memorial Day through mid October (and then again at Christmas.) And the Fairy Garden is a wooded area with baskets of natural materials that you can use to create little fairy gardens. There’s also Storytime on select days. Storytime is free, but you do need to register online.
Keep an eye out for “Bloomin’ Bubbles” in the Azalea Meadow this summer! Last year, it was Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon when there will be tons of bubbles for kids to run around and play in.
10. Go On a Train Ride
My husband and son LOVE trains, so many of our outings over the years have revolved around train rides! New Hope Railroad, Strasburg Railroad, and Black River & Western Railroad are three of our favorites. For more on some of our favorite train spots, read THIS post.
11. Visit an Amusement Park
We live less than 10 minutes from Sesame Place and have been Members since my son was 1, so it’s our go-to place. But if you don’t mind a drive, we’ve also had a lot of fun at Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township. And you can even get FREE Pre-K passes at Dorney Park for kids ages 3 through 5.
13. Visit Animals at a Farm
Sandy Hill Farm (Plymouth Meeting): Make a reservation for a 1-hour private farm visit, which includes pony rides and a petting farm. Or, follow them on Facebook to see when they’re offering events that are open to the public.
Tanner Brothers Dairy (Ivyland): Stop and see the cows and then shop in the market. The ice cream counter is now open again, too!
Head Over Hooves (Coopersburg): Schedule your own 1-hour visit that includes interacting with and feeding the animals, grooming a pony and taking a pony ride. Contact them via Facebook.
Merrymead Farm (Lansdale): Visit the animals outside and then get some homemade ice cream in the market.
Terhune Orchards (Princeton): Whether you’re attending an event or just stopping by the market, you can visit the goats, donkeys, pony and more in the fenced in pasture.
Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary (Dresher): Attend a public event or book a private session where you can snuggle and feed baby goats, cows and/or bunnies.
Snipes Farm (Morrisville): Sign your child up for Little Sprouts, their educational program, or visit on a Saturday and your children can visit with the animals and enjoy the playground during their Farm Market from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Shady Brook Farm (Yardley): If you attend one of the events on Festival Field, you can see the goats, sheep, turkeys and more.
Hellerick’s Family Farm (Doylestown): You can see goats and other animals through the fences during a regular visit (with paid admission), or you can pay $15 during select times for 30 minutes of interaction inside the goat enclosure. They also offer goat yoga!
Howell Living History Farm (Lambertville): Visit any day Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to walk around and visit the animals. Free admission. Just stop in at the Visitor Center to sign in and receive information. If you’d like to attend one of the many kid-friendly events, check the website or Facebook (or send an email) for details and payment (if needed.)
14. Pick Your Own Fruits & Veggies
Strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and more! From late May until October, there are so many opportunities in Bucks County (and nearby) to go out and pick your own fruit and veggies. Is it cheaper than getting them from the store? No, not usually. BUT, it’s a fun activity to do with the kids, makes for cute pictures, and it’s a nice way to show them WHERE the food actually comes from.
A few places to consider visiting: Shady Brook Farm (Yardley), Solebury Orchards (New Hope), Styer Orchard (Langhorne), Linvilla Orchards (Media), Tabora Farms (Chalfont), Solly Farm (Ivyland), Hellerick’s Family Farm (Doylestown), Terhune Orchards (Princeton)
Over the past few years, we’ve gone to a few Read & Pick events at Terhune Orchards, and really enjoyed them. These events are held bi-weekly on Tuesdays at either 9:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. They cost $12 per child and include a storytime and brief lesson and then an activity with a take-home component. When we went, they learned about strawberries, listened to two strawberry-themed stories, and then went out to the field where they each got to fill a carton with strawberries they picked themselves. Afterwards, there are animals to visit, cute play areas, and a market with delicious cookies, donuts, and more.
15. Play Mini Golf
Our family is really into watching Holey Moley on Netflix, so mini golf is more exciting than ever for us!
Here are a few: Golf Adventure (Fairless Hills), Mad Golfer (Southampton), Bridge Street Golf (Morrisville), Freddy Hill Farms (Lansdale)
Coming soon: Barn Yard Mini Golf at Hellerick’s Farm in Doylestown!
16. Listen to Music at Shady Brook Farm
Shady Brook Farm in Yardley offers live music every Friday and Saturday night (weather permitting) from May through September. If you want something more low-key (and cheaper) head to the patio by the Market. They have a great space there with picnic tables, yard games, food from Stone’s Throw Pub or the Market, homemade Uncle Dave’s Ice Cream, and the playground. There’s no admission, so it’s really just whatever you want to buy to eat/drink while you’re there.
If you want the bigger band/festival experience, the Summer unWINed Series takes place on Festival Field throughout the summer. These events are on Friday nights (except for Saturday July 6 and August 31 with fireworks!) and include access to the large playground, go-karts, bounce pillows, duck races, farm animals, and more. There are food vendors (my kids LOVE the chicken fingers and fries), alcoholic drinks at the silo, Uncle Dave’s ice cream, and Best Darn Kettle Corn.
17. Get a History Lesson … Outside
Of course there are tons of ways to learn about history in Philadelphia. But if you don’t want to venture into the city, there are some great spots in Bucks County, too. Pennsbury Manor, Washington Crossing Park and Pearl S. Buck House are just a few suggestions.
18. Go to a Library Event
Before my kids were in school, we’d be at one of the local libraries usually at least once a week for either storytime events, returning/picking out books, or the play spaces like Penn’s Little Village and Career Corner. We don’t get there AS often these days but still go pretty often. While you might not think of the library as being an outdoor destination, many of the events are held outside. Plus, several of the libraries have playgrounds nearby making it a nice combo outing! (Read more about all of that in THIS post.)
Be sure to check out the Bucks County Library website for upcoming events!
And if you just want to stop by on your own time, there are ongoing outdoor activities such as Grundy Library’s (Bristol) StoryWalk on the grounds along the river. The story “Little Owl’s Day” runs from April 16 to June 3.
19. Play at Hellerick’s Family Farm
Hellerick’s Farm in Doylestown is open on weekends through Memorial Day, and then open daily starting June 1 until the fall. We’ve been here in spring, summer and fall and have a lot of fun every time. This is a spot that’s great for various ages. There’s the corn barn, playgrounds, trikes, corn chute slides and more for the little ones and obstacle courses and even an aerial obstacle course for older kids and adults. If you visit later in the summer, the sunflowers are incredible!
And I JUST saw that Hellerick’s is opening a new Barn Yard Mini Golf this summer!
20. Get in the Water
Splash pads, kayaking, river tubing, local pools … on a hot day, sometimes you just need to go where the water is. I have some suggestions in THIS post about ways to beat the heat.
21. Go to a Festival
From May through October, it seems like there’s a festival just about every weekend in Bucks County! Food trucks, Touch-a-Truck, music, vendors, and more! This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are just a few to have on your radar:
May 4: Food Truck Festival, Bolton Mansion in Levittown
May 4 and May 5: Kite Day, Terhune Orchards in Princeton
May 10, June 14, July 12, August 9, September 8: Friday Food Truck Rally, Playwicki Farm in Langhorne
June 1, June 2, June 8 and June 9: Strawberry Festival, Shady Brook Farm in Yardley
June 1: Touch-a-Truck, Charlann Farms in Yardley
June 2: Arts & Barks Expo for Dog Lovers, Artisans and Foodies, Warminster Community Park
June 9: Newtown Welcome Day, Sycamore Street in Newtown
June 21, July 19, August 16: Food Truck Friday, Bolton Mansion in Levittown
June 23: Firefly Festival, Terhune Orchards in Princeton
July 13 and July 14: Blueberry Bash, Terhune Orchards in Princeton
August 1: National Night Out, events throughout Bucks County typically at the township’s community centers!
August 3 and August 4: Just Peachy Festival, Terhune Orchards in Princeton
August 14 – August 18: Middletown Grange Fair, Wrightstown
August 24: Langhorne Rotary’s Pet Fair & Family Fun Day, Mayors Playground
Sweet Mini Moments 