Kid-friendly DFW attractions, DFWChild

Attractions: Activity Guide for Newcomers / Explore the city with these top picks WORDS Lisa Ferguson UPDATED March 10, 2015 “Hey stranger, are you new in town?” One of the oldest pick-up lines in the book may prove a welcome query when posed to any of the thousands of newcomers who relocate to Dallas-Fort Worth each year, namely families with young children. (Count this writer among them: My small brood recently transplanted here from out of state.) With so many options available on the must-see-and-do list, the choices can be overwhelming for newbies navigating their way around Dallas-Fort Worth, especially those hoping to avoid the usual tourist traps and guidebook staples. Below are a few off-the-beaten-path suggestions to give parents a real feel for all that their new hometown has to offer. 1. Where to let the kids go wild What kid (or adventure-loving grownup, for that matter) doesn’t want to take on the mammoth roller coasters that fill Six Flags Over Texas? The Arlington theme park positively screams “Fun!” to passersby on Interstate 30. Instead of more congested theme parks, take a trip back in time by visiting Sandy Lake Amusement Park in Carrollton, where the old-fashioned carnival rides such as bumper cars, paddle boats and a timeless Tilt-A-Whirl, induce more smiles than stomach-turning thrills. This quaint park has been around for decades and reminds longtime locals of the days when Dallas-Fort Worth wasn’t quite so big and bustling. Keep all the fun, but ditch the price tag of other parks by taking a dip in Sandy Lake’s large swimming pool for a fraction of the admission fees charged by its bigger competitors. Save your quarters (yes, quarters) for playing in the arcade, which brims with video games, as well as old-school pinball and skee ball machines. And don’t forget to pack a lunch. Unlike the big theme park in town, Sandy Lake encourages guests to bring their own vittles (and even their barbecue grills) and dine at its covered picnic pavilion. Carrollton, 972/242-7449 sandylake.com 2. Where to experience Western history The important role played by cowboys and cowgirls in Texas’ history and culture is indisputable. While Hollywood would have us believe most of these folks resembled broncos like John Wayne and Roy Rogers, that simply wasn’t the case. At the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, the focus is on the diverse and important contributions of men and women of Native-, African-, Hispanic- and Asian-American descent — hardworking heroes who helped build the American West. The museum’s kid-friendly displays include historic photos, old saddles, military weapons and uniforms, among other artifacts. The place also hosts weekly children’s storytelling sessions, living-history demonstrations and workshops that portray the stories of “forgotten cowboys” and modern-day trailblazers, such as Texas resident Lawrence Homer Coffee, a professional rodeo roper who during the segregated 1960s worked to break down the sport’s color barriers. Fort Worth, 817/922-9999 cowboysofcolor.org 3. Where to explore farmland It’s difficult to imagine now, but there was a time when Dallas-Fort Worth featured more farmland than freeways, and more wooden windmills than skyscrapers. Learn what life was like during the 1890s in North Texas’ Blackland Prairie region on a visit to the Heritage Farmstead Museum in Plano. There’s no shortage of old-fashioned fun waiting to be had at this 4.5-acre, living-history facility that was once home to a wheat farm owned by the Farrell family, whose house was restored and can be toured along with a replica one-room schoolhouse, a blacksmith’s shed and several other outbuildings. Regularly scheduled special educational events for preschoolers through sixth-graders feature four-legged friends including sheep, donkeys, goats and pigs. Be sure to let city-slicker kids feed the chickens and “milk” the faux cow. Plano, 972/881-0140 heritagefarmstead.org 4. Where to see native animals Dallas and Fort Worth are each home to award-winning zoos that feature creatures great and small from all corners of the globe. To get up close and personal with some native North Texas dwellers, however, head to the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. Standing in the middle of this place, it’s hard to believe you’re only a few miles from the city’s busy downtown district. The 3,600-plus-acre facility is home to deer, raccoons, armadillos, beavers, reptiles and, for more than 40 years, a herd of bison. Don’t miss Prairie Dog Town, where the adorable burrowing rodents are especially active on warm, sunny days. The center also features more than 20 miles of hiking trails; a couple of them — such as Limestone Ledge and the Marsh Boardwalk — are stroller-friendly. If fishing or canoeing are on the agenda, remember to keep an eye out for (and a safe distance from) lurking alligators. Fort Worth, 817/392-7410 fwnaturecenter.org 5. Where to touch a meteorite It takes only one look toward the heavens to confirm that the stars at night actually are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. Sometimes things fall from those skies, namely meteorites, which are rocks from the asteroid belt that came crashing to Earth. A good many of them have landed (so to speak) in Fort Worth at Texas Christian University’s Monnig Meteorite Gallery, named in honor of late North Texas businessman Oscar E. Monnig, whose massive meteorite collection was donated to the school. On display is about 10 percent of the collection’s 1,700 meteorites, which were recovered from faraway places such as Australia, Uganda, Poland, Egypt and Russia. Others had a shorter trip to the gallery, as they were discovered in and around Dallas-Fort Worth. Be sure to ask staffers about the space rock called McKinney, which was found in 1870 in Collin County. Go ahead and touch some of the meteorites while taking the gallery’s free, self-guided tour, during which visitors can also learn how to identify the various specimens and create a terrestrial impact crater. Fort Worth, 817/257-6277 moonigmuseum.ect.edu