Fun Things to Do With Kids in Tempe, Arizona

Kiwanis Pool is a fantastic indoor wave pool for kids, located minutes away from our Tempe office, so you can visit after your child has his/her pearly whites checked out by our dentist. The place offers wave sessions, as well as water fitness and swim lessons for the young ones. Kiwanis Pool is also making some fantastic improvements by adding a new slide and stairs structure, with the opening of the new pool attraction scheduled for later June.

If you like spending time near bodies of water, there’s a boat rental kiosk at the Tempe Town Lake located in Tempe Beach Park, where you can rent different kinds of boats, ranging from electric pontoons, kayaks, or paddle boats. The lake is a fantastic, tranquil place to explore when the weather is nice, and it almost always is in Tempe. Don’t forget to bring a kid friendly snack or a packed lunch to have a mini picnic on the water.

Tempe Town Lake is located right next to Arizona State University and has plenty to offer besides just boat rides. If you like riding bikes, you and your family members can also rent a tandem bike at the lake. Single surreys are fantastic for smaller families or a couple of friends as they offer seats for three adults and two small children, while a double surreys seats six adults and two small children.

There are many hiking trails in the East Valley that are a blast for all ages, but you can't miss the iconic "A" Mountain in downtown Tempe (right off of Mill Avenue, located partially on Arizona State University).

The trail to the top of “A” Mountain has a consistent incline with a lot of stairs, but there are also handrails leading up to a ginormous letter “A” on the mountainside. The views are absolutely stunning, and there are several opportunities for photos in which you can get a good picture with the letter “A” visible. We recommend going in the late afternoon to avoid the heat and catch the famous Arizona sunset.

Doge House is Tempe’s retail entertainment collective entirely focused on indoor nerf entertainment. Its Doge Area boasts over 4,000 square feet of playable space for kid and adult groups to immerse themselves into foam dart warfare.

Dive into sea life in Arizona’s only 360° Ocean Tunnel and be amazed by the sheer number of fantastic and beautiful ocean creatures the aquarium offers, including sharks, rays, octopuses, and sea turtles. Next to the 360° ocean tunnel, the aquarium offers additional 30 displays, interactive touch tanks, and numerous talks.

Tempe Marketplace features 1.3 million square feet of retail space to explore and over 100 shops, restaurants, and other attractions to visit. The Splash Pad is particularly interesting to kids, as they can jump around and cool off while playing with their peers. There’s a Barnes & Noble nearby, so you can grab a book while the kids play.