The Great Lakes Children’s Museum is perfect for toddlers and little kids.

From floating boats and building dams at the water table, to playing with shapes, patterns & textures, kids 0-5 are right at home here.

Reservations suggested.

Start at the Boardman Nature Center and head to the Fox Den Trail for a short, easy hike featuring boardwalks and a hard-packed surfaces right along the river.

Then, stop into the Nature Playscape and let your toddler make a few mudpies in the outdoor mud kitchen (yes, it even has running water!).

COGNiTiON Science and Discovery Center located in Beulah is worth the trip and is not just for the big kids!

Toddlers explore the world of science with a great variety of hands on learning activities, awesome animals to visit, planetarium shows, and more.

Good to know: Cognition is a Certified Autism Center.

Visit the 60+ alpacas at Cotton Creek Farms anytime during store hours (feed, tours and inside-the-fence visits are extra).

Stop into their store for products, toys, and more.

These parks pack a double-delight: with little-kid play equipment and a nice beach to boot, these are the best bet for toddler beach days in/near Traverse City:

East Bay Park (pictured): Nice and shallow, sandy and grassy, shaded areas. Picnic tables and grills.
32 N Michigan Ave, Beulah, MI 49617

Bryant Park: Long, sandy beach with lifeguards (mid-June to August), and grassy, shaded areas. Picnic tables and grills. Playground.
1101 Peninsula Dr, Traverse City

Suttons Bay Marina Park: This large sandy beach and park. Nice playground, bathrooms, grassy area and walking paths.
416 Front St, Suttons Bay, MI 49682

Haserot Beach: Old Mission Peninsula. Small toddler-friendly playground, big, sandy beach. Little kid life-jacket library.
Old Mission Rd, Traverse City

Crystal Mountain‘s outdoor waterpark features a 4,200 square-foot pool with water toys and zero-depth entry, making it a joy to play in with toddlers. Day passes available.

The biggest sandbox you’ve ever seen? Probably! It’s at the Sleeping Bear Dunes Dune Climb.

No need to climb all the way to enjoy digging.

Pro tip: there’s little shade, so visit on a cloudy day or in the morning or evening.

The GT Butterfly House is a botanical garden full of butterflies and packed with displays and living exhibits.

Explore hundreds of bugs in their bug zoo, too. Open May 1 – Labor Day.

The TART Trail system is extensive. For an easy bike ride with a toddler, rent bikes and a bike trailer from Einstein Cycles and you’re just a short pedal away from putt putt at Pirate’s Cove, ice cream at DQ, and the beach at the State Park.

Head east to Woodland Creek for more ice cream, a playground, and a trail with great views of the bay.

At Old Mission Peninsula Library discover storybook playhouses, a StoryWalk, hopscotch area, musical instruments, hollow hobbit-hole logs to climb in, garden beds with berries to pick in season, butterfly beds and more are tucked behind the library!

They also have a lovely little play area inside, too.

While the playground at Immaculate Conception School doesn’t have a ton of small toys to play on, you will find several things toddler parents love: it’s fenced in, has squishy turf, and there are often balls in the play yard to kick around or toss.

*only available when school is not in session.

Gallagher’s Farm Market and Bakery offers in-season fruit and vegetables. You will also find in-home baked goods, U-pick cherries and barnyard animals.