This story is part of our ongoing series, Ask INDY, in which INDY staffers put their expertise (and impeccable taste) to use answering your questions about navigating life in the Triangle.
This week’s Ask INDY topic is parenting during summer in the Triangle. One reader asks: What free things can I do indoors with toddlers? We do library story time and the museums, but we’re running out of ideas.
Exploring the museums (especially the NC Museum of Natural Sciences) and attending story time at the public libraries are indeed great, free options, but I totally agree—there’s only so many times you can wander the butterfly room or drop in on the dueling dinosaurs.
Not to mention it’s 100 degrees outside, literally, and while the local parks and playgrounds are fantastic, I’m personally not going back to one without a pumpkin spice latte in hand.
Cue the indoor activities!
Many of Raleigh’s community centers offer specialized programming for preschoolers, ranging from scavenger hunts and tot time (think gym mats, parachutes, riding toys, jump ropes, and crawl-through tunnels) to play-and-learn sessions with arts and crafts, music, and more. The kids get to socialize and get their energy out, and you get to chill, mostly, in the air conditioning. Check community centers near you for dates and times.
Lots of indoor spaces across Wake County offer free, self-guided tours, and toddlers have as many rights to be there as the rest of us. When my kids were toddlers, I took them to the State Capitol Building downtown, the Historic Mill Building at Yates Mill Historic Park, and the buildings at Historic Oak View. You could also try Haywood Hall and, when it reopens, the Pope House.
Other free indoor things to do around the Triangle: watch a free movie screening at the Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex on a Wednesday morning; take a self-guided tour of Videri Chocolate Factory; or visit the Stone Houses at Dix Park. Here are some more ideas.
If you’re all out of options, head to the mall. Crabtree Valley was my go-to, where summer mornings were quiet and my toddlers could wander, cool, safe, and contained. But I’ve heard from other parents that the kids’ play area at Triangle Town Center off on the lower level near Dillard’s, is the way to go. Designed for babies and preschoolers, there are soft play pieces, play panels on the walls, and benches around the perimeter for parents. For Durham folks, the Streets at Southpoint has something similar.
Overall, I think there’s a shortage of free indoor activities for toddlers across the Triangle, something that’s glaringly apparent in these scorching summer months. Some of this may be related to programming cuts post-pandemic, some may just be underinvestment—but if you want to see more free indoor activities, let your local elected officials know; with our libraries and community centers, we have the space, and for all the families who live here, it’s definitely something to keep in mind when the next budget season rolls around.
A new Ask INDY topic is posted weekly. Send us your questions at indyweek.com/ask-indy or [email protected].
Send an email to Raleigh editor Jane Porter: [email protected]. Comment on this story at [email protected].