Detroit Parents: Discover 10 Best Kid-Friendly Activities This July

School’s out, the heat is on, and Detroit families are scrambling for things to do that don’t involve staring at a screen. Good news: there’s plenty happening, from free outdoor movies to a new butterfly exhibit that opens next week.

July is peak season for family outings in the city. With temperatures expected to hit the high 80s through the weekend, parents are looking for air-conditioned escapes and shaded outdoor spaces. After a rough June that saw a spike in heat-related ER visits among children, Detroit Medical Center reported a 22% jump in pediatric heat exhaustion cases compared to last summer, the demand for cool, safe, and affordable activities is real.

Cool Off Without Breaking the Bank

The city’s splash pads are running full blast. Start at the Belle Isle Beach on the Detroit River, where lifeguards are on duty daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day. Entry to the island is free with a Michigan Recreation Passport ($11 for residents), and the newly renovated bathhouse has family changing rooms and lockers.

For an indoor option, head to the Michigan Science Center on John R Street in Midtown. Through July 31, the center is offering a “Summer Science Pass” that gets a family of four unlimited visits for $60, a 40% discount off single-day tickets. The traveling exhibit “Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body” returns July 15 and is already booking up for weekend slots.

If you’d rather stay outside, the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak extended its hours this month: gates now open at 8:30 a.m. and stay open until 6 p.m. on weekdays, with late-night “Zoo After Dark” programs every Friday in July until 9 p.m. The new Arctic Ring of Life expansion, which opened in May, has already drawn 140,000 visitors as of July 1, according to zoo officials. General admission is $19 for adults, $15 for kids ages 2-14.

Parks, Paddling, and Free Screenings

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy’s Summer on the Riverfront series is in full swing. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening through August 28, families can rent kayaks at the Milliken State Park launch for $10 per boat per half-hour, kids under 12 ride free with a paying adult. Reservations are recommended; last Thursday’s session sold out by 3 p.m.

On Friday nights in July, the Campus Martius Park screen turns into a drive-in-style movie theater. This week’s feature is Moana at dusk (around 8:45 p.m.). Entry is free, but parking in the Z Parking Garage on Broadway Street costs $5 after 6 p.m. with validation from any on-site food vendor. The park expects about 2,000 people per screening, according to the Downtown Detroit Partnership.

For a quieter afternoon, the Bowers School Farm in Bloomfield Hills offers pony rides and a petting zoo every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through October. Admission is $8 per person, and the farm’s ice cream stand serves fresh-made cones from its own dairy cows, a hit with the under-10 set.

A quick heads-up: the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on Warren Avenue has free admission for kids every Sunday in July, sponsored by Wayne County. The current exhibit on the Great Migration includes interactive audio stations that let children record their own family stories. Museum staff say the Sundays have drawn about 1,200 visitors per day since the promotion started July 1.

Before you head out, check the city’s Parks & Recreation website for any heat-related closures. Splash pads are turned off if air temperatures exceed 95 degrees, which happened three times last week. And if you’re planning a trip to Belle Isle, pack bug spray, the city’s mosquito abatement program reported an uptick in West Nile virus activity along the riverfront last month.