Daytrip Waterparks and Amusement Parks for Toddlers Near Houston

1. Typhoon Texas Waterpark– Katy

Why it's great for toddlers: The Buckaroo Bayou is a great splash pad with mini slides and sprayers for tots from ages 2-4. 

Along with all the usual waterpark amenities like a wave pool, thrilling slides, and scream-inducing chutes, this Houston-area park is the perfect place to cool down with your toddlers. Kiddos from ages 3-10 can enjoy The Gully Washer, which features a four-story play structure complete with seven slides, 100+ spray areas, and more. The activity pool and Lazy T River are great fun for everyone in the family.

Pleasure Pier is an amusement park near Houston. Photo courtesy of the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier

2. Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier – Galveston

Why it's great for toddlers: Pint-sized carnival rides, like a carousel and spinning tea cup attractions, get the giggles going for your smallest adventurers.

One of the closest amusement parks to Houston, the iconic Pleasure Pier makes for a perfect daytrip with the kiddos this summer. High-flying fun for your big kids includes rides that swing thrill-seekers out over the Gulf of Mexico. Games, shopping, and restaurants are abundant, making it a one-stop-shop for a perfect summer day the whole family can enjoy.

3. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown – Spring

Why it's great for toddlers: The Coconut Bay children's area features its own gentle body slides and twisty chutes as well as a play area.

Prepare to get soaked at Hurricane Harbor Splashtown, where little ones can play like the big kids. At the three-story Tree House, kiddos of all ages can climb net ladders and swoosh down slides as they brace for a big downpour from a 1,000-gallon bucket. The rest of the park has action-packed rides so that parents and older siblings can still get their fill of fast-paced fun in the sun.

 
Ride the Hypno-Spin at the at the Kemah Boardwalk, photo courtesy of the park

4. Kemah Boardwalk – Kemah

Why it's great for toddlers: Carnival rides tailored to toddlers and younger children include a mini Ferris wheel and a replica train. 

Board the Boardwalk Beast thrill boat with your preschoolers (minimum height 36”) for a heart-pounding ride in Galveston Bay that is guaranteed to make a splash; or get up close and personal with stingrays at the Stingray Reef and Rainforest Exhibit, where kids can get their hands on these incredible creatures for an experience that they’ll never forget.

 
Schlitterbahn is a great summer amusement park adventure. Photo courtesy of the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Galveston

5. Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston – Galveston 

Why it's great for toddlers: There are multiple play areas for tiny tikes, including the shaded Wasserfest Kids Area, which features a pirate ship play structure and wading pool.

Pack up your coolers (yep, coolers from home are always welcome! Just leave the glass and alcohol behind.) and plan a fun-filled day at the waterpark at Schlitterbahn in Galveston. To get some sunshine in, the Tiki Tikes, Torrent Beach, and Treasure Island play areas and pools are the perfect spots to splash and slide with toddlers in tow. Another perk of this waterpark is that parking is always free!

6. Big Rivers Waterpark and Adventure – New Caney

Why it's great for toddlers: The Polliwog Puddle splash and play area features slides, a climbing structure, water spouts, and more for toddlers to enjoy.

A hybrid between a waterpark and amusement park, this fun-filled family destination just outside of Houston is a perfect spot for parents to play with toddlers and preschoolers. The waterpark section boasts slides and a lazy river that are great for the whole family. The exciting and unconventional Wild Isle waterpark section features giant inflatables on a lake for guests 42” and taller to bounce, climb, and slide on. Attractions on dry land include a petting zoo, fairgrounds with carnival-style rides that will leave your toddler squealing with delight, a maze, a catch-and-release cane fishing pond, and gator and tortoise interactions.

Great Texas Amusement Parks for Toddlers for a Fun-Filled Family Getaway

7. Six Flags Fiesta Texas – San Antonio

Why it's great for toddlers: Toddler-friendly rides are sprinkled in among the full-size coasters, and families with small children can enjoy some respite from heart-pounding fun at a shady pirate ship play zone.

Fiesta Texas is best known for its twisting, plunging roller coasters, but it also has a lot to offer for families toting small children. Send little ones safely soaring through the sky on a school bus ride with Daffy Duck or 20 feet in the air on the kid-friendly Buckaroo ride. Take them for a spin along the Rambling Road or chug along on the mini choo choo train for some tame transportation. Classics like a merry-go-round and Ferris wheel add to the fun.

8. Great Wolf Lodge – Grapevine

Why it's great for toddlers: The Whooping Hollow Playground features soft slides, and the Cub Paw Pool is the perfect spot for tiny tykes to chill in the water.

Leave the sunscreen at home and beat the Texas heat when you bring the family to this cabin-in-the-woods-themed lodge for a weekend getaway in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Clamber to the top of Fort Mackenzie, a four-story water-fort tree house, with your little ones and prepare for fun as they engage kid-activated splash features before sliding down the Totem Tower body slides. 

 
Grovers Round-Up at Sea World San Antonio, photo courtesy of Vicky Li Yip

9. SeaWorld – San Antonio

Why it's great for toddlers: The three-acre Sesame Street Bay of Play offers meet-and-greets with beloved characters like Big Bird and Elmo along with a splash pad, rides, and shows.

SeaWorld is a wow-worthy amusement park that touts interactive animal exhibits along with high-flying fun and kid-friendly attractions. After learning about sea lions, beluga whales, penguins, sharks, and more at shows or exhibits, enjoy kid-friendly rides, delicious eats, and water adventures. Children under 5 are eligible for free admission all year long!

 
Morgan’s Wonderland is known for being ultra-accessible for people of all abilities. Photo courtesy of the park

10. Morgan’s Wonderland and Morgan’s Inspiration Island – San Antonio

Why it's great for toddlers: From the Sensory Village attraction to a wheelchair-accessible playground and toddler-friendly rides, this amusement park is bursting with things for youngsters to enjoy.

Morgan’s Wonderland is an amazing, inclusive theme park that’s known for being ultra-accessible for people of all abilities. From waterproof wheelchairs to an accessible zipline, this park has something for everyone – no matter what. Swing into the sky in a wheelchair-friendly swing ride or cool off on the splash pad after a rousing riverboat voyage. An all-abilities playground lends to imaginative play before a ride on the carousel that’s perfect for toddlers (and everyone, really).

11. Six Flags Over Texas – Arlington

Why it's great for toddlers: In the Bugs Bunny Boomtown section of the park, you'll find 10 attractions built for little ones along with a playground, costumed Looney Tunes characters, shady spots, and thrilling rides.

This 212-acre amusement park is an excellent spot for adventure-seekers to hurtle through the air at high speeds on top-notch coasters and heart-pumping rides. But that doesn’t mean it’s not also the perfect place for a toddler or preschooler. The whole family can enjoy the Boomtown Depot authentic steam engine tour, a ride on the 1928 carousel, and a swirling-good time on a giant sombrero ride.

 
Riding an inflatable alligator down the lazy river at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Galveston. Photo by Carrie Taylor 

12. Schlitterbahn New Braunfels Waterpark and Resort – New Braunfels

Why it's great for toddlers: Tiny tots can enjoy the magic of standing under a spraying mushroom, slide down the tentacles of a friendly octopus attraction, and enjoy a sweet treat with the costumed dachshund mascot, Schatze, in the pup’s eponymous park.

With the world’s largest collection of water rides, Schlitterbahn New Braunfels boasts 51 rivers, rides, slides, and chutes, lending truth to this park’s well-known slogan of it being the “hottest, coolest time in Texas.” Spend a weekend exploring this park with your whole family, making sure to stop in at the many water playgrounds perfect for toddlers that are scattered throughout the destination. Many of the Comal River-fed water rides and chutes are fun for everyone in the family, from tots to teens.

 
Kids will love the vintage boat ride at this San Antonio institution. Photo courtesy of Kiddie Park

13. Kiddie Park – San Antonio

Why it's great for toddlers: This entire park caters to children from ages 1-12, so every ride here is toddler-friendly!

Claiming to be America’s oldest amusement park, this San Antonio institution has been open since 1925 and is the perfect playspace for kids between the ages of 1 and 12 (and their parents, of course)! Now run by the San Antonio Zoo, the well-maintained rides are all original to the 1920s, lending to a vintage vibe the kiddos will love. Take a spin on the hand-carved Herschell Spillman carousel, a flying saucer, and an old-fashioned Ferris wheel before refueling at the snack bar.