what to do with kids in Philadelphia

Visiting Philadelphia and looking for some outdoor activities with kids?  (If you need a list of fun things to do indoors, click here.) While there are tons of things to do, here are my top 20 picks if you want to be outside:

Parks/arboreta/gardens/playgrounds

1. Fairmount Park–Philadelphia’s huge city park system of over 2,000 acres, with buildings like Memorial Hall, horse trails, skateboard park, historic houses and hidden gems
2. Valley Forge National Historic Park–where Washington camped with his troops during the Revolutionary War with miles of trails, open space, historic reenactments and replicas of the fort buildings
3. Morris Arboretum, Jenkins Arboretum and Tyler Arboretum–Philadelphia is lucky to have so many wonderful natural sites. Don’t miss the tree house or model railway at Morris.
4. Bartram’s Gardens–America’s first and oldest botanical garden, located right along the Schuylkill River
5. Longwood Gardens–Internationally famous, with special events year-round (don’t miss the fountains and lights at Christmas), the greenhouses alone would make the trip worthwhile.
6. Chanticleer–lovely garden located in Wayne, a great destination outside of the city limits
7. Smith Memorial Playground–unparalleled playground with a 3-storey building with “inside” play areas and an intersting history

General Fun

1. Philadelphia Zoo–as the country’s first zoo, a visit here is both fun and manageable in size.
2. Linvilla Orchards–a long-time favorite of kids and families, this u-pick orchard has a huge variety of fruit to pick and is a top destination at harvest/Halloween time.
3. Dilworth Park/Spruce Harbor Park–these city run parks offer ice skating in winter and fountains, hammocks and other warm weather fun in summer
4. Franklin Square–a city kid top pick, complete with fountain, mini-golf and carousel
5. Mural Arts Tour–the best place to see murals is in the city famous for them! Go on a walking tour and see some of the most iconic murals
6. Magic Gardens/South St.–this mosaiced grotto (it’s hard to explain; see the link!) and the surrounding funky retail area are not to be missed!
7. Rocky Steps, Boathouse Row–not connected, but within walking distance and right near the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Historically Significant Destinations

1. Elfreths’ Alley
2. Indepedence National Historic Park
3. Sightseeing Tours
4. Phlash Bus

Foodworthy Sites

1. Reading Terminal Market
2. Italian Market

This list is by no means exhaustive! It’s just a starting point, but I think it has some great options.