Breakfast
- Want to be a hero to your kids? Let them eat Chocolate Cake for Breakfast! Yep, that's a menu item at Mama's Boy, a local favorite with plenty of fun sweet and savory breakfast offerings.
Children's Garden, at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia
- Opened in March 2019, the Children's Garden at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a truly immersive experience. Children will explore streams, dig for dinosaur bones, climb above the tree canopy, and see how plants grow. For older children, there are over five miles of trails to explore. Themed gardens include the Heritage Garden with native plants used throughout Georgia's history and the International Garden with flora from other parts of the world.
The garden gift shop at the Garden is a little-known secret, featuring fun and educational garden-themed toys and crafts, plus a wide range of local products
Insider tip: The Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum right by the main conservatory at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia has a fun scavenger hunt through the building that offers a prize when completed!
More Outdoor Fun
- There are plenty of other outdoor adventures to find in Athens. Families love walking along the wildlife trail through the woods at Memorial Park & Bear Hollow Zoo. A nature trail, pond and expansive playground are also on-site, making this a great spot for a family picnic. Best of all? It's free!
- Sandy Creek Park, on the north side of Athens, features a seven-acre lake for fishing, plus canoe, kayak, and paddleboard rentals (in season). Admission is just $2 per person.
- The World of Wonder Park, on the east side of Athens, is gigantic! There are ten slides, augmented reality gameplay, a climbing rock wall and a rope web climber. Free admission.
Indoor Activities
- The fun's not just outdoors: here are some top indoor things to do with kids in Athens:
- Sandy Creek Nature Center, on the north side of Athens, has both indoor and outdoor interactive exhibits plus a planetarium. Admission is free!
- Active Climbing is great fun for climbers of any age and experience level. A quick lesson for parents will have you helping your children attain great heights!
Run by the Historic Athens Welcome Center to learn about the history of Athens and pick up a craft kid for your kiddos! From paper daffodils to a cardstock loom, the activities are always an educational blast!
Lunch
- Keep the fun menus going at Clocked!, a local favorite diner and burger joint known for super-sized inventive flavor combinations and decadent milkshakes.
Cool shops
- Do you have any fashionistas in the house? They'll love popping into all the cool shops along Clayton Street. Even family members who don't typically like shopping will find lots to love when browsing through the funky, fun collections of fandom gifts, vintage clothes and eccentric accessories at Cillies Clothing. Or take the family to explore the vinyl and music memorabilia at Wuxtry Records and the hippest vintage store ever, Dynamite Vintage.
- Feeling crafty? Try Treehouse Kid & Craft for clothes, toys, and art supplies, or The K.A. Artist Shop for art supplies and stationary!
Sweet Treats
- You've worked off all that energy and now the whole family could use a treat! Athens has lots of fun options for satisfying your sweet tooth.
- Check out artisan chocolate at Condor Chocolates, an Ecuadorian bean-to-bar chocolate cafe located downtown and at Five Points.
- Alumni Cookie Dough offers edible cookie dough by the scoop or mixed into shakes and other treats!
- The cookies at Insomnia are always fresh and decadent, or for a thicker, cakier delight of a cookie, try Crumbl Cookies.
- Want a cool treat for a hot (or any other) day? There's Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop or Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream.
Tell Me a Story
- Athens' bookshops are never boring! Athens' own Avid Bookshop is one of the best in the nation. There are story times on the weekend, plus a wonderful selection of children's and young adult books. Avid staff will have just the right recommendation for any interest!
Dinner
- Try Ted's Most Best, downtown, for individual wood-fired pizzas and other fun menu items. There's a huge patio including a bocce ball court.
Family Game Night!
- You've never had a family game night like one at the Rook & Pawn, right next door to Ted's Most Best. Pick from a selection of over 400 tabletop games and prepare to match wits or luck against your family!