Our family goes to Phoenix every spring to attend Major League Baseball (MLB) Cactus League’s spring training, to visit family, and to find warmer weather.
After a few visits I realized that there is a lot more to do in Phoenix than just baseball! Although I had to convince my partner to squeeze in activities before and after the game, we soon found that there was plenty to do in Phoenix with little kids.
Now, our family looks forward to returning to Arizona to explore all of the cacti, hiking, museums, and yummy restaurants each year. Here are some tips to make your trip with your family easier:
City of Phoenix is located within the homeland of the O’Odham and Piipaash peoples and their ancestors, who have inhabited this landscape from time immemorial to present day.
Before you go
- If you plan on going to a Spring Training game (see our guide here), buy tickets in advance—the stadiums are small and seats sell out quickly. Plan your trip and additional activities around the baseball games so you can maximize your time in the area.
- Rent a car. The greater Phoenix area includes many nearby cities, like Scottsdale, Mesa, and Tempe. Be prepared to drive 15 minutes or more to each destination.
- Bring snacks and activities to keep your kiddos entertained while you travel.
What we packed
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Sunscreen and hats
- Baby carrier
- Items on our Spring Training packing list
COSTS TO CONSIDER
- Airfare ($100-$250/person round-trip from Oakland)
- Car Rental + gas
- Accommodations
- Food
ADD-ONS
- Activities
- Spring Training games
Getting There
Things to do with kids in the Phoenix Area
Take your Kids to a Spring Training Baseball Game
Check out our full guide to Spring Training, linked above!
~$18-$45/person/game
4-8 hours
Before Major League Baseball (MLB) season begins each year, the players gather for Spring Training—one league in Arizona (AZ) for the “Cactus League” and the other in Florida for the “Grapefruit League.”
The Cactus League consists of 15 teams who play across 10 stadiums throughout the Phoenix area. Being both from the San Francisco Bay Area and huge Oakland Athletics (A’s) fans, we decided to take our kiddos to root on the A’s at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, AZ for a few days during the preseason.
Hohokam Stadium is named after the Hohokam tribal community that lived in this area from AD 1 to 1400. They built an irrigation system of 125 miles for farming and to support the community, some of which is still used today! I loved this little stadium—here is what you need to know when planning your visit:
- Arrive at the stadium early to get parking, see the players warm up, and get autographs!
- Consider buying lawn seats to watch the game from the outfield while your kids roll down the hill.
- Be prepared for lots of direct sun and heat. Find places for refuge from the sun.
- Get in line for food early.
- Walk around the stadium for special events and games.
- Play at Stomper’s Kids Zone.
- Go shopping for commemorative Spring Training gear.
Check out our blog post for more tips on visiting Spring Training with your kids at Hohokam Stadium. Go A’s!
Desert Botanical Garden
$29.95 for adults, $14.95 for kids 3-18, free for ages 2 and under
2-4 hours
The Desert Botanical Garden (DGB) is the perfect place to spend a morning in Phoenix. Arrive early while the weather is cool and wander the cacti-filled walkways with your little ones.
The DBG often hosts art exhibits in the gardens where you can find art intermingling with the cacti. When we visited, there was an exhibit featuring an artist who made huge, multicolored animals that were placed throughout the gardens. My daughter loved spying random animals amongst giant cacti while we loved learning more about desert flora.
Bring a stroller, hats, sunscreen, and snacks. If you want to make a day of it, there is a yummy restaurant with outdoor seating located in the gardens! Stop by the desert shop to check out some of their beautiful cactus-themed pieces to bring home or pick up a cute kids’ book like our favorite cactus-themed story Hug Me.
Click here to buy your tickets in advance.
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park
$3 per person per ride. Kids ages 0-2 are free with a paying adult.
2-4 hours
You could easily spend half a day at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. The small train takes you on a ride through the park, past the western-themed playground structures and a giant grassy area perfect for running around. Our child’s favorite thing to do was to ride the carousel over and over.
Buy tickets for the train and the carousel at the ticket office. Tickets are $3 per ride for either attraction.
Try to arrive early to avoid the crowds. If you happen to come on a Saturday, make sure to ride the Arboretum Railroad which takes you on a 10-minute ride through the park. We were unable to catch that train but hope to next time.
The Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Superstition Mountain Range, about a 45 drive from Phoenix. You can’t miss the tall, towering mountains hovering over the Sonoran Desert and saguaros.
We brought our two kids here early one spring morning based on a recommendation from friends to take a stroll through the Native Plant Trail (0.2 mile) which has the “Watch Me Grow” saguaro, allowing you to see how (slowly) a saguaro cactus grows with a growth chart.
The small visitor center has a lot of great information, like who the lost Dutchman was, and great activities for kids.
There is little shade anywhere in the park, so we recommend bringing hats, sunscreen, and water. Also, plan a picnic in a shaded picnic area if you have time.
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is a great indoor space to bring your kid on a hot or rainy day in Phoenix. Right after you enter the space your child will immediately be in awe of the giant climbing structure big enough for a grown up to accompany them.
The second floor had a tot room for kids under three, an art room, and even a pretend play room with a grocery and restaurant station.
I recommend you pack snacks to refuel your kiddo after some playtime, and arriving early to avoid the crowds.
Where to Eat
Ollie Vaughns was the first cafe that popped up on my “kid-friendly restaurants in Phoenix” google search and I am so glad I listened.
Not only was the food amazing, but the service was quick and friendly, and majority of other cafe-goers were families with young kids as well.
We visited their brew-pub in Gilbert (about 20 minutes outside of Phoenix). The kids’ favorites were the red pepper hummus plate ($6.99), poutine ($10.49), and the beet and apple salad ($10.49). We thoroughly enjoyed the Desert Yeast Project saisons.
O.H.S.O. stands for Outrageous Homebrewer’s Social Outpost. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, with lots of space to roam around. We were definitely not the only families there eating dinner at 5:30pm with a toddler!
Check out their beer-braised short ribs ($22) and the delicious hummus ($12) or pretzels & dips ($11) as an appetizer. The kid’s menu is very reasonable too ($7). My partner’s favorite beer here was the Campy (hazy IPA) while mine was the Popcycle Blonde (fruity beer).
I loved everything about Luci’s at the Orchard.
Order your food and drinks at the counter inside and find a seat in their spacious outdoor patio, complete with heat lamps and fancy chandeliers for lighting.
We enjoyed pizza, sangria and beer while our kids colored and danced in the ample space between tables. Check out the menu.
Although there were signs with a list of rules asking parents to watch their kids and not to run, the overall vibe of the place was very kid-friendly. Almost everyone ordering dinner the warm spring night we visited had a kid in tow, and many were families of color.
I hope to go back during the daytime to experience the free splash pad.
Looking for something sweet?
My sweet tooth has passed down to my daughters. We can't travel without a stop for a sweet treat.
We mistakenly went to Berry Devine for breakfast, to my toddler’s delight, but would recommend this spot as a “healthy” dessert destination.
All of their bowls taste like soft served ice cream and come with yummy toppings (honey, granola, coconut, just to name a few) and range from $8 for a small to $13 for a large.
Located on the Luci’s at the Orchard patio, Splurge Ice Cream & Candy Shop is the perfect sweet treat after a delicious dinner.
We tried their homemade gelato in a cone ($5). Even though a single scoop of gelato in a cone is the same price as a scoop in a cup, they would not give me cone on top of my cup of ice cream. Why can’t I have both a cup and a cone? I like to split the ice cream between the two, give my kid a smaller scoop, and keep a little on the side for me or as back up if the cone ends up on the floor.
Despite the serving style debate, we enjoyed the scoop of mint chip and blood orange gelato.
Novel Ice Cream has a strong local following, and for good reason—the shop serves up delicious small-batch ice cream with unique and limited flavors, sandwiched between a fluffy donut.
Although their flavors (such as butter basted Pop-Tart frosted strawberry) were a little unconventional and creative for my preschooler, she was happy to find at least one flavor she could eat and even happier that kids got free sprinkles on their cones.
Novel Ice Cream is located in a small group of shops in tiny buildings and containers on the corner of a busy street. We enjoyed our sprinkle ice cream cone and donut ice cream sandwich on a patio table shared by the neighboring businesses.
With temperatures hitting 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summers, I always imagined Phoenix as a city that was just too hot to visit with little kids.
Lucky for me, our annual Spring Training trip to Arizona occurs in that glorious shoulder season of temperatures ranging in the blissfully Bay Area-like mid 60s-70s. My children loved the cooler mornings and warmer afternoons, and I am happy to report that I really enjoyed visiting Phoenix!
As you can tell in this blog, I found many kid-friendly activities to do, with family-friendly restaurants designed for kids to be kids, and adults to be adults—often with a beer in hand. We also found many other families at the establishments we visited, often other families of color, and felt right at home.
Have you been to Phoenix with your family? What was your experience? Share in the comments below!
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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