School may be out for summer, but there’s no need to cry boredom just yet. After all, Flint is home to several venues and organizations that offer a variety of creative and engaging activities for youth of all ages.
Here are a few ideas for those of you on the lookout for some family friendly fun:
- Check out the Flint Handmade Summer Art & Craft Fair. Held every Saturday from June 17 through Aug. 12 at the Flint Farmers’ Market, this weekly fair offers fun for the whole family: local artisans, live music, face painting and make-and-takes!
- Get wrapped up in a story. In addition to music and book signings on the weekends, Totem Books offers story time for children every Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon. The Flint Public Library also provides a variety of youth-focused fun, ranging from “Lunch on the Lawn” story time to writer’s workshops for tweens and teens.
- Grow their love for learning through hands-on play. With a focus on visitors ages 2-10, the Flint Children’s Museum (pictured above) is home to more than 50 exhibits that get kids thinking. The revolving Discovery Zone exhibit currently features a “Busy Builders” theme, with extra-large building materials, including arm’s-length Lincoln Logs!
- Go star-gazing at the largest planetarium in Michigan. Flint’s Longway Planetarium offers a variety of engaging shows that give audience members of all ages a unique perspective on the world (and galaxy) around them.
- Visit Genesee County’s most famous treehouse, located in the For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum. The new facility was featured on Animal Planet’s Treehouse Masters show and is home to Nature’s Superheroes: The Preservers.
Bonus: All of the aforementioned sites are featured on the itinerary for this year’s Be a Tourist in Your Home Town event on Saturday, July 15. This one-day event, sponsored by the Flint & Genesee Convention & Visitors Bureau and MTA, offers both residents and non-residents the opportunity to come out and experience what our community has to offer. For just $1 per person, participants can purchase a passport that includes:
- Free admission to participating attractions
- Complimentary transportation between attractions
- Discounts to several restaurants in downtown Flint
To learn more about Be a Tourist in Your Hometown, click here.