12 minute read
ABC’s of Summer Your Summer Fun Guide
of Summer
Your 2022 Summer Fun Guide
Acton Academy Sioux Falls Children’s Business Fair www.childrensbusinessfair.org/ sioux-falls-acton
The Acton Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. The largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America. Kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for customers at our one-day marketplace. Come check out these incredible young entrepreneurs!
Arcade Adventures
Your kids will love playing skee-ball, laser tag, and press your luck games at the local arcades. Whether you hit up Electric Rainbow, The Fun Zone at Pizza Ranch, Dave & Busters, The Country Fair in Brandon, Thunder Road, or Galaxy Gaming, there are lots of options to play the day away!
Arnolds Park, Okoboji
Spend the day taking in the scenery while enjoying amusement park rides. Games, rides, and food… Arnold’s Park has it all for the whole family.
Bounce Around Inflatables www.sdfun.us
Most inflatables are pay 1 day, get up to 3 days FREE (Fri - Mon)! We have over 200 inflatables with our standard bouncers starting at $99! Cool down with one of our waterslides or have fun with an obstacle course! Call Today: 605-310-9529.
Bowling, Movies, and More!
We all love to enjoy the outdoors in the summer, but sometimes it rains. Thankfully, there are many indoor activity places to visit to keep your family busy, like 605 Ninja, Bowling, Frontier Climbing, Scheels, Sky Zone, West Mall 7, or Wings Gymnastics…just to name a few.
Breakfast at the Farm
Head to Ode Family Farm in Brandon on June 18th for a morning of activities. Tour the dairy farm to see baby calves, enjoy kid’s activities and crafts, and much more.
Car Wash
Kids love to play with water, so let them have fun while cleaning your car. Little hands are great at cleaning tires, too.
Chalk the Sidewalk
When families are out for walks, it’s hard to NOT participate with a course or hopscotch activity! Make a walk fun for your neighbors by drawing one out on your sidewalk.
Step into a different world at the Butterfly House & Aquarium, a nonprofit organization with over 800 free flying butterflies and the only public saltwater aquarium in the Dakotas. Here, you can explore interactive exhibits and exotic animals in this destination for both the young and young at heart.
Harvest food and move it from farm to market. Greet life-size Mama T. Rex and climb among clouds. Cruise on down KidStreet and excavate dinosaur bones. This is a sample of the hands-on activities ready to spark your imagination at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota. Play along!
We are the perfect place for some creative summer fun! Choose from hundreds of fun pieces. Come in and enjoy the “Art of having fun at Color Me Mine!
Chill Off with a Sweet Treat
Ice cream is a great way to end a long day of fun. For a special treat, hit up Stensland’s Ice Cream, Parlour, B&G Milky Way, Sweet Cheeks, or Dakota Snow/Sub Zero Desserts.
Dig in the Sand…Inside
The beach isn’t the only place you’ll find sand these days. Head down to Harrisburg and check out The Sandlot. You can drop in during an open dig or you can book your private dig time as well!
Downtown Stroll
There are so many things to do downtown! Check out the Sculpture Walk. Grab a bite to eat. Go shopping. Visit the River Greenway and Arc of Dreams. It’s a great place to get out and explore.
Eastway Bowl: Kids Bowl Free www.eastwaybowl.com
Check out the Kids Bowl Free program at Eastway Bowl. Once your child is signed up, they can bowl two free games each day during the summer program. Shoe rental not included. Check out the family passes as well.
Experiment Outdoors
Science can get messy! Find a fun experiment your kids want to do and let them explore away outside.
Familyfest Fun Cruise
Looking to get out and support local family businesses in the Sioux Empire? Take part in the Familyfest Fun Cruise on July 23rd from 9 am-2 pm. Join in on the fun! Follow our Facebook page to stay up to date on all the stops @FamilyFestSF.
Feed Your Backyard Friends
Find a DIY birdseed recipe to create fun feeders for the birds that visit your backyard. Build a birdhouse following our “Make Your Own Birdhouse” tutorial on the Hood Magazine website.
Free Trial Swim Lesson www.safesplash.com/find-a-location
Two pool locations: • South @ 85th & MN (605) 207-5694 • GreatLIFE Woodlake (605) 202-2692 Safe! Fun! Effective! Swim Smiles™
Glow in the Dark
Grab a few glow sticks and play hide-and-seek after dusk.
Great Plains Zoo www.GreatZoo.org
Explore and learn at the Great Plains Zoo! With 120+ species to discover, each day is a uniquely wild experience. Visit big cats, snow monkeys, bears, rhinos, giraffes - and more! ROAR Café open daily. GPZ is a KultureCity Sensory Inclusive attraction. Now offering a wider range of membership options.
Hood Calendar
Looking for events for the family? The Hood calendar is full of great things happening around the community. From town celebration days and 4th of July parades and fireworks to concerts and camps, something fun is happening in the Sioux Empire for everyone!
Ice Cream Bar
After an afternoon of outdoor play, set up an ice cream bar with a variety of toppings – syrups, sprinkles, candy – and cool down with your own cool creation.
Jump on in!
The public pools are a great way to beat the summer heat! Some feature fast slides for the big kids, and some sandy areas, shallow wading pools, and zero depth entrances for the little ones. There’s a pool for all age groups.
Kick Back with a Good Book
Grab a good book and settle in under a tree for some outdoor learning. Visit REACH Literacy where kids can choose five free books each visit. Check out the Siouxland Libraries summer reading programs on page 29.
Kellen Ponderosa LLC www.kellenponderosa.com
Come have some fun in the sun and stay cool with your family and friends this summer! Enjoy our pond with two slides and 15-foot high jump surrounded by beaches with two sand volleyball courts. Outside rafts, life jackets, and coolers are allowed. Building available for rent for large gatherings.
LaunchPAD Children’s Museum, Sioux City
Lots of fun is waiting to be had at the LaunchPAD Children’s Museum. Your children will enter a world full of fun and learning which will help them grow.
Levitt at the Falls www.levittsiouxfalls.org
Levitt at the Falls is a fun, family-friendly outdoor concert venue. June - September, enjoy 50 FREE concerts on TH, FRI, and SAT nights, with shows for youth on select FR mornings. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy a variety of live, professional music in Falls Park West...all ages welcome!
Make-Your-Own-Burger Night
Grilling is great in the summer but forget about plain burgers. Grab some unique toppings and allow your family to create their own unique, gourmet burger – or try out brats or hotdogs.
Mud Kitchen
A local kid favorite is an outdoor kitchen setup for them to pretend to prepare and cook using any combination of mud, sand, and water. You can buy cheap utensils and bowls for this play at a dollar store. Just be sure to have a hose nearby for clean-up!
Nature Walk
There are great hiking and camping spots in our area. Pack a picnic and make a day of it. Local parks include Big Sioux Recreational Area, Blue Mounds State Park, Good Earth State Park, LazyH Campground, Palisades State Park, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park.
Obstacle Course
Use all sorts of things around your house to allow kids to climb, crawl, or jump around in the yard. Chairs, hula hoops, pool noodles, laundry baskets…the possibilities are endless. Get creative!
Park Parade
There are over 80 parks in Sioux Falls. Create a bucket list of ones your family wants to visit over the summer.
Peak Your Curiosity at the Washington Pavilion www.washingtonpavilion.org/ education/classes-camps
Our classes and camps are hands-on learning experiences that incorporate all the opportunities that the Washington Pavilion has to offer. Our classes and camps fill up fast so don’t delay in reserving your spot!
Skate for Free!
All Summer Long!
Skate Rental Additional $3
Summer Skate Card
Early Bird Special! April 1st - May 31st $10 Per Card
$20 Per Card Starting June 1st Purchase Online or In Rink www.skatecitysd.com
Valid Skate Sessions
Wednesday: 12-2, 2-4pm | 6-8pm Thursday: 1 2-2, 2-4pm Friday: 12-2, 2-4pm | 6-8pm Saturday: 12-2, 2-4pm | 6-8pm Sunday: 12-2, 2-4pm
Journey to the past.
JUNE 17-18, 2022
Quarters for Strangers
Grab a roll of quarters, tape, and some paper and head downtown. Help your kids decorate little cards of encouragement with quarters attached and then tape them to the meters.
Ready, Set, Get Wet
Pioneer Spray Park is a fun way to cool off with the little ones! This dinosaur-designed spray park also features an open picnic shelter, children’s play area, basketball court, soccer field, and tennis courts.
Roses are Red…
Visit one of the many gardens in the area. Mary Joe Wegner Arboretum, McKennan Park, or the Japanese Gardens at Terrace Park are great places to see nature in full bloom.
Sidewalk Paint
Looking to take your sidewalk chalk to a new level? Head over to the Hood Magazine and search sidewalk chalk for an easy recipe including corn starch, baking soda, water, and washable paint. The kids will have a blast painting the sidewalk or driveway.
SiouxNami, Sioux Center
This waterpark is just over an hour from Sioux Falls and features indoor and outdoor water slides, an outdoor aqua zip line, a lazy river, a 16-foot climbing wall, and more!
Sanford Children’s Parent & Child Classes www.sanfordhealth.org/classes-andevents/fit-make-and-take-it
On the third Saturday of each month, parents and kids ages 3-5 will learn about a variety of parenting topics like feelings and emotions, focusing skills, emotional regulation techniques, healthy coping strategies, and even mindfulness! Each class will feature education for families and a hands-on craft project from Sanford FIT.
Skate City www.skatecitysd.com
Get free admission all summer! Summer Skate Cards are regularly $20.00, but if you purchase yours early in May, you save 50% on your cards. That’s just $10.00 per card. Cards are valid for use from June 1st to August 31st. Purchase yours online or in-rink!
Splash Central Waterpark, Huron
Take a day and cool off this summer at Splash Central Waterpark. Enjoy water slides, a lazy river, and more. Prefer to stay dry? Take a walk in the sensory garden and take in the awesome picnic areas.
Take Out the Recycling
Allow your child’s imagination to run wild by allowing them to play with things from your recycling. Build castles with cardboard boxes or use milk jugs to make a bird house (or a dozen other ways to get creative with them!).
Come make memories with us! Time is limited but not the fun at Thunder Road! With Go-Kart Tracks, Mini-Golf, Euro-Bungy, Laser Maze, Tilt-a-Whirl, Batting Cages, Hyper Bowling, 7D-Theater, Mini-bowling, 2-story Laser Tag, Axe-Throwing, Bumper Cars, awesome food, and 80+ Arcade play stations you choose your fun. Find your smile here!
Wild Water West www.wildwaterwest.com
Wild Water West is the best summer entertainment in South Dakota! We’ve been providing safe, family fun for over 30 years with thousands visiting every year from near and far. With water and land attractions for the young and the young at heart, everyone can get their fill of thrills.
X Marks the Spot
Create a map of fun landmarks around your neighborhood for your kids to find while you’re on walks. It’ll keep them entertained and help burn off some energy!
Under the Stars
Upgrade your movie nights by setting up an outdoor projector and bedsheet and enjoy a movie outside after dusk. Check out the outdoor family movie nights offered by DTSF as well.
Verne Drive-In Theater, Luverne
Go back in time for old-fashioned summer fun from the comfort of your car or tailgate. This drive-in theater shows popular movies all summer long.
Yard Games
Frisbee, Ladder Ball, and Lawn Dart are all fun outdoor games. Get creative and create your own Yard Yahtzee or Farkle set with a few blocks of wood and some dots of paint. Find the tutorial on The Hood Magazine.
Zzzzz’s Outdoors
If you’re not able to enjoy a get-a-way at a campground this summer, you can still make use of your tent by setting it up in the backyard! The bonus is you’ll have the comfort of your own bathroom nearby and no need for shower shoes.
