Nashville is a vibrant city in northern Tennessee, and it’s perfect for the entire family. Like most other large cities, Nashville offers a plethora of entertainment options for adults — nightclubs, taverns, fine dining restaurants, world-class museums, and high-end shopping. However, unlike other cities its size, you can also find an abundance of kid-friendly activities in Nashville.

We know it can be can be difficult to keep little ones engaged and entertained, and in an effort to avoid public embarrassment, we often stay home and repeat the same old monotonous routine. But that’s why we’ve come up with this hand-selected list of kid-friendly activities in Nashville. Whether you’re in the mood for a park or a museum, a fun dining experience or a huge indoor playground, kid-friendly activities in Nashville abound, and your only trouble will be trying to keep them awake in their car seat on the ride back home.

Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
There are tons of kid-friendly activities in Nashville, and one of the best is the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. The zoo encompasses approximately 200 acres and is home to over 330 different species. Numerous kid-friendly attractions allow little ones to interact with the animals that call Nashville Zoo home. Exhibits like the Kangaroo Kickabout and Critter Encounter give children and adults alike the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the animals. The zoo also features a Wilderness Express Train, Wild Animal Carousel, and a 66,000-square foot playground.

Photos: @nashvillezoo

Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art
Looking for things to do in Nashville with kids? Well, sometimes, when you have little kids in tow, it’s best to take them outside, let them absorb some good ole Vitamin D, and run off some of that excess energy. They can do just that at Cheekwood Botanical Garden. The 55-acre botanical garden and world-class art exhibits bring approximately 225,000 visitors to the attraction each year. And if you visit during the winter, you can’t miss this Nashville attraction as the park is transformed into a winter wonderland with over one million holiday lights.

Photos: @cheekwood

Adventure Science Center
Another kid-friendly activity in Nashville is the Adventure Science Center. Perfect for young explorers, the museum features over 175 interactive exhibits covering topics such as visual perception, earth science, and biology. Home to several permanent exhibits — such as the Adventure Tower, Imagination Playground, and Surge of a Tsunami — visitors can also enjoy the ever-changing travelings exhibits. Looking for indoor kid-friendly activities in Nashville? Look no further than the Adventure Science Center.

Photos: @adventuresci

Radnor Lake State Park
When weather permits, there are several fun things to do in Nashville outdoors. Get outside and enjoy Radnor Lake State Park. The nature preserve encompasses approximately 1,332 acres and features over five miles of unpaved hiking trails. Grab a pair of binoculars and do a little bird watching with your little ones or just let them be kids and play in the dirt. Regardless of how you choose to spend your day, you’re bound to have a good time at Radnor Lake State Park.

Photos: @radnorlake

Nashville Children’s Theatre
The idea of taking a young child to a theatre of any sort can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be when you visit Nashville Children’s Theatre. Offering exceptional theatrical experiences for the entire family, the theatre has been operating since the early 1930s. Each year, the theatre selects a handful of kid-friendly theatre adaptations for you and your family to enjoy. And if you sense that you have a young thespian on your hands, sign them up for classes at the theatre’s drama school.

Photos: @nashvillechildrenstheatre

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
There’s more to the country music capital than boot stomps and banjo licks, but country music’s impact on the city is undeniable. And we think there is no better place to get your little ones acquainted with the sounds of Nashville than at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Adults are captivated by memorabilia that once belonged to legends like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Hank Williams, while children are entertained and amused by interactive and flashy exhibits.

Photos: @officialcmhof

Nashville Shores Waterpark and Treetop Adventure Park
When the summer heat rolls around, there’s no better place to cool down than Nashville Shores Waterpark and Treetop Adventure Park. Covering 385 acres, you can enjoy the best of both worlds here: water and air. For those looking to get wet, the lakefront theme park has several intense water slides, a lazy river, wave pool, a water treehouse, a playground, and more. If zipping through the air is more your thing, then Treetop Adventure Park is just what the doctor ordered. Suspended bridges, giant zip lines, high-ropes courses, cargo nets, and a little of everything in between, your next family adventure awaits at Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort.

Photos: @nashshores

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Darlene Mase lives in Newnan, Georgia with her husband and daughter. She is a stay-at-home mom and works as a freelance writer for Zumper.com and other popular sites. During her free time, Darlene enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, cycling, gardening, caving, kayaking, or anything else outdoors.

Interested in writing a blog post for us? Email abby@thenashvilleguide.com