We have lived here in Lafayette for 5 years now. Our families live in Alabama and Mississippi so we typically head that direction, or towards the beach, when it’s time for vacation. However, this past spring break we decided on a whim to take a trip with two other families to Houston. Now, I know that Houston is the home of the current World Champion Astros, but other than that I honestly didn’t know what Houston had to offer. Plus, we were bringing 8 kids all ages 5 and under with us. How was this big city going to accommodate this big family vacation?
Airbnb
To make the trip more fun and a tad bit more insane we decided to stay in an Airbnb in Katy, TX just outside of Houston. That’s right we put three families with 8 kids all in one house. It was AMAZING! The house was big and beautiful. It came fully equipped with a movie room, pool table, playground, and big back yard. Most importantly, it allowed us adults to put the kids to bed and then spend time together ‘after hours’ playing games and laughing. We cut up on that back porch late into the night!!
Houston Zoo
Many people told us we HAD to visit the Houston Zoo. Let me tell you, they weren’t wrong. We spent an entire day walking through the exhibits and seeing all types of animals that we don’t have here in Lafayette. My kids really loved the elephants! We enjoyed a great lunch at the zoo right after we fed the giraffes. You should totally feed the giraffes. Don’t miss the zoo if you head to Houston.
Discovery Green
This was another place that we were told was cool place to check out. So, we did. We ventured back downtown to find Discovery Green tucked right into the middle of the hustle and bustle of corporate life. There are several art installations and beautiful grounds. We ate lunch at an outside park area from a vendor there on the grounds. The kids then played for a while on the playground. We stayed for a couple of hours in total, but then decided to change venues back to the park that surrounds the zoo.
Hermann Park
Hermann Park is probably one of the best parks I have ever been to. We all had a blast, kids and adults alike. We started off with a train ride. Who doesn’t love a train ride? The train circles the entire park with stops throughout. You can hop off and enjoy different areas and then jump back on the train when you are ready to go, which is exactly what we did. Hermann Park is beautiful. With its lake, trees, monuments, reflecting pool, expansive greens and multiple playgrounds, there are hours of fun to be had at this park. We jumped off the train to explore the playgrounds. The kids ran, slid, climbed and flipped their hearts out while we tossed the football around the lawn. When it started to rain suddenly, we ran to the train stop, hopped on and rode it back to the parking lot where our cars waited. Hermann Park is a MUST for your visit to Houston with your kids.
Children’s Museum of Houston
Our last stop on the tour of Houston was the Children’s Museum of Houston. This place will blow your mind! We spent hours upon hours in this place and still didn’t see or do everything the Children’s Museum of Houston had to offer. The kids loved Kidtropolis, Ecostation, CyberChase, and Invention Convention. The engineer dads got their hands wet at FlowWorks! The museum was really busy since we went on a Saturday. Even with a packed house, we were able to do all of the exhibits that we wanted. Such a fun afternoon!
Houston is for Families
To my surprise, Houston has many opportunities for families with small children to enjoy time together and create memories. Beyond the things that we did, Houston also offers the Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Health Museum, Space Center Houston, Downtown Aquarium, and Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
