Professor Brainius in McKinney, TX

McKinney Libraries (there are 2 of them) have summer events to keep the kids learning. My girls enjoyed the events last year, and I know this year will not disappoint. You do need to arrive early to get a spot, though, and there are a lot of kids participating.

 Professor Brainius is putting on a science show this week. It is for children 1st through 5th grade. On Tuesday July 10th at 2:00pm, the event will be at the Hall Library in downtown McKinney. On Wednesday July 11th at 10:30am, the event will be at the library on the west side of McKinney called John and Judy Gay Library.

Cost:

FREE!

Finch Park in McKinney, TX

Finch Park is an older park with a playground and splash pad.  I especially like all of the older, large shade trees that keep the park cooler than most parks during the summer.  Slides and climbing equipment don't burn the kid's skin. 

The splash pad is small, but still refreshing.  Water shoes are a good idea because the trees leave limbs, nuts, etc on the pavement of the splash pad.  Again, like the play equipment, the splash pad is shaded.

Cost:

FREE!

The Village Fountain Fairview, TX

Whether you are looking for something to do in the day time or the night time, the Village Fountain is the place to gather. 

During the day, the fountain becomes a splash pad for kids young and old.  Adults can join in or sit on the sidelines on a bench or at an umbrella table.  Restaurants such as Gloria's, The Purple Cow, Twisted Root Burger and others are close by.

The Beach is right across the parking lot.  You can go to the beach and play in the sand, and then cross the parking lot to cool off in the fountain.  Towels are available for use as well.

In the evening, the fountain lights up and choreographed music plays on the hour: 7:00pm, 8:00pm, and 9:00pm

Cost:

FREE!

The Beach in Fairview, TX

If you can't make it to a real beach this summer, The Beach in Fairview is a good replacement.  Conveniently located right across the street from the city of Allen, Fairview boasts a close to 0% crime rate. 

The Beach is a gigantic sand box.  We always bring our sand toys like shovels, buckets, castle molds, boats, cars, and rakes.  There are plenty of "friends" to play with that bring toys to share.  If you are worried about getting all of your toys back just make sure to label everything you bring.  It turns into a sandbox swap a lot of times. 

The sand is soft and just like beach sand.  After a big rain you even get an ocean look.  The sand is perfect for building sand castles because it sticks together.   

For a break from digging and building, there is a play structure with a slide and a few other things. 

Cost:

FREE!

Rockin with Rhett in McKinney, TX

McKinney Libraries (there are 2 of them) have summer events to keep the kids learning.  My girls enjoyed the events last year, and I know this year will not disappoint.  You do need to arrive early to get a spot, though, and there are a lot of kids participating. 

 Rockin with Rhett is happening this week.  It is for children 1st through 5th grade.  On Tuesday June 19th at 2:00pm, the event will be at the Hall Library in downtown McKinney.  On Wednesday June 20th at 10:30am, the event will be at the library on the west side of McKinney called John and Judy Gay Library.

Cost:

FREE!

Cinemark Movies 14 in McKinney, TX

What's so special about Movies 14 in McKinney?   The price!  You will not find ticket prices cheaper than this anywhere in the metroplex.  They are not a discount theater that only shows movies that are old.  These are new releases!  Madagascar 3 is in the theater now. 

Just as with the other Cinemark theaters that I mentioned, make sure to sign up for their e-mails.  This will ensure you get weekly specials on concession items.  Usually the coupons they send are something like "Free large drink with the purchase of any size popcorn". 

Cost:

Adult Matinee= $3.50

Child All Day= $3.25

Adult Evening= $5.25

Heard Museum in McKinney, TX

The Heard Museum in Mckinney is a mixture of zoo, preserve and museum in one.  One of the most exciting features about the Heard is their Animals of the World exhibit.  This exhibit features animals such as the Capybara, the Macaw, the Cockatoo, the mongoose, the opossum, the raccoon, the lemur, the deer and more!  During the year, they have child friendly events where you can even meet the animals up close. 

Starting June 1 until September 30, a beautiful butterfly garden comes to life!  This exhibit is worth the visit all by itself.  The butterflies are plentiful and fun to watch flutter around.  Some are inside a mesh enclosure and others are outside of the mesh with the rest of the garden.  The flowers are gorgeous when in bloom, and you can usually get some pretty good photos in this area. 

The kids like the dinosaur dig that is found inside the museum.  It is like a gigantic sand box.  In the Summer there are plenty of "friends" to play with.

Starting October 2 and running until February 3, Dinosaur Live comes back to the Heard.  This is a great exhibit for dinosaur lovers.  There are enormous animated dinosaurs all over the trails on the outside of the museum.  The T-Rex is 46 feet tall!  I don't want to spoil the fun for you, but one of the dinosaurs will be ready to surprise you, so watch out!! 

Many families come to the Heard just for the nature trails.  There are a total of 8 nature trails around the museum.  Along the way there are birds, squirrels, ducks, and other wildlife to spot.  You can really burn calories here as many of the trails are many miles long. 

Cost:

Adults= $9

Children ages 3-12= $6

Towne Lake in McKinney, TX

Playground above and in the photo below, you can see the paddle boats in the far background

This 22 acre lake in McKinney is the perfect place to go if you want to relax.  The scenery is breath-taking, and the air is peaceful.  Visitors to the park can be seen relaxing on a blanket in the shade of an old tree, or having a picnic on one of the picnic tables there.  There are even pavillions, if you need a place for a group. 

There is a paved trail that travels the length of the lake that is great for walking the dog, riding bikes, inline skating, or just going for a scenic stroll.

We like it here because there are ducks, geese, and seagulls to feed.  A word of caution, though, do not get too close to the geese because they are aggressive. 

On the back side of the lake, there is a playground with slides, swings, and bars.  There are restrooms on that side as well. 

If you like to fish, fishing is available as well.  I have seen several people fishing while we were there, though I have never seen them catch anything. 

You can rent a paddleboat swan and paddle around the lake on the weekends.  We have never done this, but if taking a paddleboat for a spin is what you would like to do, give them a call at 972-542-4865. 

All in all, we have a relaxing time every time we visit the lake, so we enjoy going regularly.  The physical address to the lake is 1405 Wilson Creek Parkway, McKinney, TX.