Dream Cruise
Biking with kids can be a white-knuckle experience, especially when cars are whizzing by. Wheelhouse Detroit offers a more mellow ride: Its two-hour, guided Detroit Riverwalk/Dequindre Cut tour winds through greenways (i.e., no traffic). Want a DIY ride? The company rents out bikes, plus trailers to hold tiny passengers. 1340 E. Atwater St., Detroit; wheelhousedetroit.com
Robo kids
Children can indulge their sci-fi fantasies at Robot Garage, where a drop-in room houses stations dedicated to different building systems, from preschool-friendly DUPLO trains to older-kid-approved LEGOs and Japanese LaQ blocks. (Reservations aren’t required.) Post-play, head next door to the retail area to test out the hottest new robotic toys. 637 S. Eton St., Birmingham; therobotgarage.com
Dig it
Dirty hands are a sign of fun at the Cranbrook Institute of Science’s Explore Lab, where kids of all ages can use paleontological tools — or, more likely, their fingers —to sift through fossil beds in search of real dinosaur casts from the Triassic and Cretaceous periods, when Tyrannosaurus rex roamed the Earth. 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; science.cranbrook.edu
TV Land
Toddlers can go inside the hit cartoon “Peppa Pig” at this 14,000-square-foot playspace, which became the world’s third when it opened in April. With 14 interactive sites, kids can
wander around Peppa’s house and partake in her favorite pastime, jumping in (fake!) muddy puddles. 4362 Baldwin Rd., Auburn Hills; greatlakescrossingoutlets.com
Imagination Station
Playing pretend is required at Detroit Kid City, a mini-replica of the D that houses an auto factory (kids can build a “car” with magnetic parts), a Motown recording studio complete with instruments, and more. DKC’s third location, which opened last year, also has a perk for parents: an on-site coffee shop. 22950 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; detroitkidcity.com
Fun in the Sun
Move over, Belle Isle — there’s a new stretch of sand in town. Slated to debut in September, the $6 million Atwater Beach turns an industrial site along Detroit’s east riverfront into 3+ acres of family-friendly features, including a sandy beach, interactive musical garden, climbable playscape, and a floating barge with food and drink options. One caveat: There’s no swimming due to the area’s strong river currents. 2670 Atwater St., Detroit
|
|
|
