In stark contrast to the longest January of Januaries there ever was, February is FLYING BY. It is more than half over, and these teaser 72-degrees-and-sunny days give me nothing but SPRING FEVER. In two shakes of a lamb’s tail, it’ll be the anticipated, celebrated, yet slightly dreaded, week of the year we call SPRING BREAK. (Yet just another teaser of the impending doom called SUMMER.)
I love the idea of “lazy days,” but if your household is like mine, no structure is the path to unrighteousness, so as Steve Martin says in Sgt. Bilko: “We need a P-L-A-N.”
I absolutely LOVE all the playdate spots and attractions around us, but as we know, with multiple kids, that can get pretty expensive. Here are a few affordable suggestions for some fun (and yes, even educational) Spring break field trips in DFW ideas!
Spring Break Field Trips in DFW
Dallas Firefighter Museum
If you haven’t been to this museum, RUN, don’t walk, this Spring Break! This may be our absolute favorite playdate of all time! Set in a historic fire department near Fair Park, it hosts several old firetrucks that kids can climb on AND a wall full of pint-sized firefighter gear! There’s a great little theater upstairs with safety videos and firefighter memorabilia. Best part? IT’S FREE! However, there is a great little gift shop, so be sure to appreciate our firefighters that way!
Museum of the American Railroad/TrainTopia
This new exhibit in Downtown Frisco is definitely on our list for Spring Break. There are several historic train cars on site that you can climb aboard AND a 2,500-square-foot model train exhibit depicting scenes from Arizona to Texas and even a drive-in theatre with a movie showing. (The pictures of this exhibit are incredible.) Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 3–12. If you want to tour the actual train cars, make sure to get tickets for the guided tour, which are a few dollars more, but if you have a train lover like I do, it’ll be worth every penny! You can finish your train theme day with lunch at nearby Frisco Railway. Grab some food truck grub and let the kids run around.
Dallas Museum of Art
You heard me right, the DMA is kid-friendly in so many ways! This is also on our shortlist for Spring break! From story times to Open Studio to “Pop Up Art Spots”, there are so many amazing activities at the DMA. And even better: a lot of them are FREE! YAAAS! They have a whole lineup of Spring break activities here. Our you can check out rest of their Family Programs here. I will say some activities require that you register in advance, as there are limited number of spots in certain activities! So just make sure you check it out beforehand!
Heritage Farmstead Museum
If “down on the farm” is more your style, then head on over to HFM. Situated in the middle of bustling Plano is the most adorable, peaceful, historic farm. It boasts an old schoolhouse, a historic home, barns, and several farm animals. The staff is so friendly here; it’s the perfect place to let the kids get their wiggles out and see something different! There are guided and theme tours available, but general admission is $3 per person, children under 2 are free. Y’all, this is the best deal in town. You can even pack a lunch and picnic on the farm.
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Frontiers of Flight Museum
This is one of my all-time favorite places to take the kids. This museum has a little bit of everything: history, life-size planes, parts of rocket ships, and a super fun plane-themed play area. My kids absolutely love this place. It is spacious, clean, and again, the staff here is so friendly and will walk around with my kids and answer any random questions they have. Your map doubles as a paper plane, which is always a hit on the ride home. This is the perfect spot for any plane-enthusiast! Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for kids, 3 and under is FREE.
BONUS:
Dallas Arboretum
I can’t help but throw in my absolute favorite place in Dallas! Oh, how I love the Arboretum; I feel like my mind completely escapes reality when we’re there. I know what you’re thinking: “The Arboretum is expensive.” But here’s my tip…go halves on a Family Membership with a friend! (This is $141.) This gets you up to six individuals into the gate, 12 Children’s Garden passes and TWO vehicle passes! You can go all year round and it’ll pay for itself! You can thank me later.
Okay, you are armed and ready. I hope this helps you plan Spring Break week, and I’d love to hear YOUR suggestions!
