39 Things To Do in Philadelphia With Kids
This interactive Philadelphia family fun list isn't curated by an editor...it's crowdsourced from regular parents adding the best Philadelphia family attractions they've tried with their kids.
Zoom in on the map to see fun kids activities near you around Philadelphia and the suburbs, read parent reviews, and remember to chime in to share your own favorites.
This is only the beginning of the Philadelphia family activities you'll find on Upparent. Set your location at the top of the screen, check out our family event calendar, and browse Upparent for many more things to do in Philadelphia with kids!
Turkey Hill Experience
Sue Krawitz Tandoc: The Turkey Hill Experience is interactive, educational and fun! Kids will explore what it's like to be a Turkey Hill ice cream maker, milk mechanical cows, create their own virtual ice cream flavor, star in their own commercial and sit in their vintage milk truck. Plus, enjoy ice cream and iced tea samples! For an additional fee, The Taste Lab enables kids to create their own ice cream flavor while learning Ice Cream 101.
Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery Tour
$3.75 (age 12+), $2.75 (age 4-12), under 4 free
Sue Krawitz Tandoc: You and your family will experience a touch of history when you tour the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, the first commercial pretzel bakery in America. You can tour the original bakery, learn hands-on pretzel twisting from the experts (dough will be discarded) and discover the history of Julius Sturgis and pretzel baking. Visit their pretzel bakery afterwards to purchase delicious pretzels from their years of baking experience.
Reading Fightin Phils
Tim Ponisciak: If your little Phillies fans don't enjoy major league games as much as you do, take them for a short hour and a half drive to Reading to see the Fightin' Phils! The Fightins are the double A affiliate for the hometown team, so your kids will enjoy getting to see the Phillies of the future. The Fightins play at First Energy Stadium, which is a pretty unique ballpark among minor league stadiums in that it has been around for quite a while, since 1951.
Longwood Gardens
Spanning more than 1,100 acres, Longwood Gardens showcase horticultural splendor, intricate fountain systems, architectural grandeur, and so much more. Fun activities abound for guests all of ages.
Frecon Farms
Michele Barrett: This is an annual favorite tradition for our family. We first picked apples when the kids were 5 and 7. They are now 17 and 19 -- and we plan to keep coming back. Thank you for helping us make these precious memories and giving us time to relax, unwind, and enjoy time together on the farm.
Jimmy John’s Pipin’ Hot Sandwiches
Perfect for families! Known for their electric train display and delicious food! Famous for Frankfurters since 1940!
Philadelphia Union, Major League Soccer
Subaru Park, a state-of-the-art 18,500-seat Major League Soccer stadium, serves as home to Philadelphia Union.
Kids at Play
Kids at Play has plenty of indoor activities for kids in the Philadelphia area. Their indoor playground and 7,000-square-foot multi-sensory facility are designed to maximize opportunities for your child’s development in a safe, clean and fun, supervised environment. With their zip line, interactive virtual playground, toddler area, ball pits and entertaining swings and slides, this is a great place for kids of any age.
The Mann Center
There is nothing better than a summer concert outdoors under the stars at The Mann Center. Bring a picnic for most events, and enjoy family time together.
Shofuso Japanese House and Garden
Shofuso is a 17th-century style Japanese house and nationally-ranked garden in Philadelphia’s West Fairmount Park that reflects the history of Japanese culture in Philadelphia, from the 1876 Centennial Exposition to the installation of its contemporary paintings in 2007.
Please Touch Museum
The Please Touch Museum is filled with interactive hands-on exhibits for children with a focus on pretend play, science, art, music, communication, building, reading and more to engage all five senses. They also have a full calendar of performances, special events, parades, non-permanent exhibits, a huge water play area and carousel.
Dalessandro's Steaks and Hoagies
Kate Wille Murray: Try Dalessandro's for Philly Cheesesteak. We heard about it from Jimmy Fallon show. So worth the weird lines and length of wait.
University Family Fun Center
Known as "Philly's Only Traditional Arcade," families can pop over to University Family Fun Center to play games including skeeball, air-hockey, video games and redemption games.
Philadelphia Zoo
Sue Krawitz Tandoc: One of the oldest zoos in the United States, The Philadelphia Zoo will surpass your expectations. They feature exciting animal exhibits including Big Cats, Penguins, Primate Reserve, Reptiles, Birds and many more. Your kids will love KidZooU filled with hands-on activities to promote learning, conservation and animal life. Be sure to look up as you explore to catch their Zoo360 where animals roam in enclosed mesh trails throughout the zoo. Make your visit even more memorable with attractions including scavenger hunts and carousel rides to animal experiences and more.
Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse
Sue Krawitz Tandoc: The Smith Memorial Playground, located in East Fairmount Park, is one the kids will want to come to again and again. It has unique playground equipment to foster climbing, exploring, pretend play and more. It offers a special tot area for young children as well. But its signature giant wooden slide will be the highlight of your visit.
Primary photo: Chris Murray on Unsplash
Upparent collects community-submitted recommendations and reviews, and any ideas that are shared reflect the opinions of individual contributors.
