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99 Things To Do With Your Little One in Austin Before Kindergarten

January 27, 2009

As you may be noticing, Tuesday is List Day here at Savvy Source.  In keeping with the month's theme of Resolutions and Reflections, here are 99 Things To Do with Your Preschooler before Kindergarten (in no particular order):

  1. Hike to the top of Enchanted Rock
  2. Pick strawberries at Sweet Berry Farm
  3. Go to a UT game (try soccer, basketball, or baseball if you don't want to shell out the dough for a football ticket)
  4. Cool off at Hamilton Pool
  5. Watch the bats
  6. Stuff your faces at Stubb's Gospel Brunch
  7. Take in a free show during SXSW
  8. Canoe on Ladybird Lake
  9. Take bluebonnet photos at the Wildflower Center
  10. Stomping in puddles after (or during) a rare rainstorm
  11. Fantasize about in-state tuition at Explore UT 
  12. Buy local - plants, that is - at the kid-friendly Barton Springs Nursery (check out the birds!)
  13. Pick up breakfast tacos and spend a morning at your favorite park
  14. Ride a pony at Kiddie Acres
  15. Split a snow cone at the stand outside Barton Springs
  16. Get soaked at the Butler Park sprinklers
  17. Skipping rocks in Shoal Creek
  18. Broaden your literary horizons at the Texas Book Festival
  19. Order a birthday cake from Amy's Ice Cream
  20. Have cobbler at the Salt Lick
  21. Create at Maker Faire
  22. Swim at Barton Springs
  23. Go to the Kite Festival
  24. Introduce your kid(s) to a new vegetable at Boggy Creek Farm
  25. Catch a movie at Deep Eddy Pool during the summer
  26. Shake your booty during a Biscuit Brothers concert at Central Market
  27. Join the dance party during Ms. Staci's (every other) Friday storytimes at Family Connections
  28. Experience the "spaghetti" sculpture outside of the Blanton Museum of Art
  29. Sit back and listen at a library storytime
  30. Take a family photo in front of the Steve Ray Vaughan statue on the south side of Lady Bird Lake, close to the Long Center
  31. Buy some boots or a hat from Callahan's
  32. Eat at Mr. Natural
  33. Learn about Texas wildlife - now and centuries ago - at the Texas Memorial Museum
  34. Feel the sand between your toes in the Dino Pit at the Austin Science & Nature Center
  35. Go to a Round Rock Express baseball game
  36. Get lost minutes from downtown on the grounds of the Laguna Gloria Museum
  37. Ice skate at Chaparral Ice in Northcross
  38. Have a picnic with the peacocks at Mayfield Park
  39. Fly the Texas flag on March 2 - Texas Independence Day
  40. Dangle your bare feet in the water after a walk along the Greenbelt
  41. Bring a picnic lunch and listen to local music during Music on the Plaza on the grounds of City Hall
  42. Feed the ducks at Lou Neff Point
  43. Exhale during Free Day of Yoga
  44. Retrieving hail from your lawn after one of those bizarre spring storms
  45. Take in some culture during Austin Museum Day
  46. Climb on the cows at the Arboretum
  47. Visit the petting zoo at the Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary
  48. Pick out native plants together at Barton Springs Nursery or the Natural Gardener
  49. Camp at Inks Lake
  50. Watch the owner of Rootin' Ridge make yet another wooden toy
  51. Sit at the counter and order lunch at Nau's Drugstore
  52. Go exploring at McKinney Falls State Park
  53. Imagine life before Tivo at Pioneer Farms 
  54. Take a cruise without packing a suitcase with Lady Bird Lake Cruises
  55. Make a day of it at the Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo
  56. Take a visitor from out of town on an Austin Duck Tour
  57. Stop to smell the roses at the Zilker Botanical Garden
  58. Teach your child how to Keep Austin Weird by buying one item at BookPeople, Waterloo Records, and Over the Rainbow
  59. Take a walk on the Hike and Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake
  60. Get photos from the photo booth at Phil's Ice House
  61. Take a tour of the Capitol
  62. Exposing your charge to some live music at a daytime Waterloo in-store performance
  63. Take a spin at Playland Skate Center
  64. Bake cookies for your neighbors
  65. Listen to Joe McDermott play free at Pottery Barn Kids in Barton Creek Mall
  66. Go to First Night Austin
  67. Taste at least five flavors before making a decision on what to get at Teo's Gelato
  68. Miniature golf at Peter Pan
  69. Ride the Zilker Zephyr
  70. Take the bus to Symphony Square's Children's Day Art Park during the summer
  71. Spin yourself dizzy under the Zilker Tree during the holidays
  72. Imagine the roar of the dinosaurs at the Hartmann Prehistoric Garden
  73. Make wishes at the fountain at Mandola's in the Triangle
  74. Take in some history at the LBJ Library & Museum
  75. See if your little one can make it all the way up to the top of Mt. Bonnell
  76. Cool off in the summer heat at the Austin Ice Cream Festival
  77. Stay up a bit past bedtime dancing at Blues on the Green
  78. Enjoy an afternoon treat, sunshine, and fresh air at Mozart's Coffee Roasters
  79. Volunteering at the food pantry at the Capital Area Food Bank
  80. Take him/her with you to vote!
  81. Find your own secret spot to watch the 4th of July fireworks
  82. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the Mexican American Cultural Center
  83. Meet some friends for afternoon fun, food and music at the Triangle Farmers Market
  84. On a hot summer day, stop for some frozen custard at Sandy's on Barton Springs
  85. Running, walking, strolling, or people watching during one of Austin's many 5ks
  86. Buy some Kerbey Lane pancake mix and whip up a batch as a family
  87. Get a bird's eye view of Austin from atop the UT Tower
  88. Take in a free summer performance at the Zilker Hillside Theater
  89. Wear shorts in January!
  90. Get on your boots and head to Rodeo Austin 
  91. See how many celebrities you can recognize in the "museum" at the Broken Spoke
  92. Go to First Thursday on South Congress
  93. Volunteer for a park project during It's My Park! Day
  94. Draw on the tables (OK, the paper covering the tables) at Hoover's on Manor Road
  95. Celebrate the Chinese New Year at Chinatown on North Lamar
  96. Recall your favorite scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding at the Texas Greek Festival
  97. Finally visit the Barsana Dham during the Mela Fair (that temple-like building on the way to the Salt Lick)
  98. Head to Rosie's for some yummy tamales during the holidays
  99. Enjoy all the Austin Powwow & American Indian Heritage Festival has to offer

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Comments

rebecca said:

Wow, thanks for the amazing list. We are thinking of relocating to Austin and I found your site while researching what there was to do with our little ones there. Guess the kiddos won't get bored!
Posted on July 10, 2009

nicole said:

Yes, Austin is a great city to raise a family! Good luck with your decision, and if you do decide to make the move, feel free to send us any questions at beingsavvyaustin@savvysource.com.
Posted on July 10, 2009

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