I’ve spent more than a few hours researching everything to do with kids in the Treasure Valley this summer.

You may applaud me for my efforts, but know it was mostly a survival mechanism, as I face the constant daily question of, “What are we going to do today?” from a 5-year-old and almost 3-year-old.

I’m sharing what I found in hopes it helps you answer that same question with your kids. Happy summering!

Weekly Programs:

• Library Programs. I suggest picking the ones you are interested in and then making a personalized weekly schedule.
  • Meridian Library District events here 
  • Boise Public Library events here
  • Ada Community Library events here
• Kid Activities at the Village. Tuesdays from 10:30-12:00 Village Kid Summer Adventures (themes here).
• Summer Movies
  • Cinemark summer movies (Meridian, 10am Wednesdays)
  • Regal Summer Movies (Boise, Tuesdays/Wednesdays)
• Farmer’s Markets
  • Located in Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Eagle. See details here.
• Free Summer Meals
  • West Ada/Boise School District. Locations here. 
• Outdoor Movie Nights
  • Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Kuna, Star, etc. Details here.
• JUMP Activities 
  • Dates/times vary. See schedule here. 
• Cabela Fish Feeding
  • 3pm every day 
• Kids Bowl Free 
  • Kids can register and qualify for two free daily games of bowling at select locations. Info here. 

Free Places to Go:

• Splash pads 
• Parks (Boise, Meridian)
• Greenbelt 
• Bogus Basin (hiking free, other activities paid. More info here)
• MK Nature Center 
• Kathryn Albertson Park 
• Boise WaterShed
• Hiking (Toddler-friendly hikes here)
• Hyatt Hidden Lake Reserve
• Disc Golfing 
• Freak Alley Gallery
• Quinn’s Pond
• Libraries
• Farmer’s Markets 
• JUMP 
• Boise Whitewater Park (watch surfers!)
• Cabelas (Boise), Scheels (Meridian), Pet stores
• Idaho State Capitol Building Tour
• Meridian Dairy Days (June 19-21), some free, some paid events
• Home Depot Kid’s Workshops (1st Saturday of every month)

Paid Places to Go:

• Treasure Valley Pools 
• Roaring Springs Waterpark/Wahooz Family Fun Zone
• Children’s Museum of Idaho 
  • Free Touch-A-Truck on June 14th
• Trampoline Parks
• Planet Kid
• Jabbers
• Aquarium of Boise 
• Eagle Island State Park
• Lucky Peak State Park
• Boise Hawks Baseball
• Summer Movies
• Discovery Center of Idaho
• Idaho Botanical Garden
• Boise Zoo
• Fruit picking 
• Lakeview Water Park (Nampa)
• Reptile Zoo 
• The Sensory Playce Gym for Kids

Websites and Resources:

• Boise with Kids 
  • Incredible resource…many of the links in this article come from this page. They also do general Treasure Valley articles/resources.
• Macaroni KID
  • Their summer event calendar shows events happening each day around Treasure Valley.
• Parks & Recreation Websites
  • Usually have a summary of events/activities. Meridian here, Boise here.
• Eventbrite Kids 
  • Search “kids” and add your location for a list of events near you.
• At-Home Ideas
  • Plenty of websites/blogs have ideas for summer activities at home. Here are a few of my favorites:
    • 77 Cheap Summer Activities for Kids 

Busy Toddler (also a great social media follow)