Things to do in Anchorage with a 3 year old

Hello!

We are traveling to Alaska late May - Early June. Renting an RV and traveling to Seward,Homer, and most likely Denali. We got a terrible flight out of Anchorage that leaves at 2:00 am!! So, we have to rent a car our last day and find things to do with a 3 year old in tow. So far, I have discovered the Imaginarium Museum (it looks wonderful). Any other suggestions? We are up for viewing wildlife too, any areas somewhat near Anchorage that are worth the drive?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Things to do in Anchorage with a 3 year old

The Imaginarium is an excellent idea. Plus you%26#39;re right next to the Brewhouse or Orso%26#39;s - two of Anchorage%26#39;s best restaurants.

I%26#39;ve been pondering the same - we have our 4 YO grandson with us next time thru Anchorage.

The Alaska Zoo is great for 3 hours or so with kids.

There is a 12 plex theater in mid-town that usually has at least one kid%26#39;s movie playing.

If the weather is good - a stroll along the coastal trail is always a good way to tire them out :)

Things to do in Anchorage with a 3 year old

There was a thread here a month or so ago about this very topic - I will search and bump. One other place if you like to swim/play in water is the H2O oasis - water slide park in Anchorage - it%26#39;s indoors and they have a great toddler pool and slides - that%26#39;s one thought. There is also the Anchorage Zoo. Good luck! :)

whoops - just realized someone replied to your original double post . . . now you have lots of info, eh? :)

Hi, I found this page whilst searching Google for H2O Oasis.

Another idea for 3 year olds the the Anchorage Musuem of History Museum http://www.alaskamuseum.org/

There is also a great little website which has lots of ideas for Toddlers in Anchorage and Alaska

http://www.iglooalaska.com/

When you get into Anchorage look for the Friday copy of the Daily News or especially the Anchorage Press which is free and comes out on Thursdays. They both have the week%26#39;s social schedule in them, so you can look for kid specific activities for the days you need.

Eagle River Nature Center for hands on, kid friendly displays of animals and lots of the local nature. Check times and programs before you go.

Potter Marsh has a double board walk you can go out on and observe the migrating and local birds. Later in the summer it is worth checking out the stream under the boardwalk for spawning salmon.

Any of the great green belts we have along side the creeks running through town. West Chester Lagoon is a great place to take a walk and see what is happening as well as look out over Cook Inlet. There is an antique train engine parked along the 9th Avenue park strip that may spark some enthusiasm.

On the way to the airport, take a break and pull in to the area signed for ';Cell Phone Parking Lot'; or waiting lot. That is right before the Upside-down Pyramid. Park behind the building next to the canal connecting Lake Spenard and Lake Hood and be treated (with luck) to float planes taking off and landing. Wave to the pilots; if they see you they often wave back. It is also a great place to let the child run and burn off energy before the flight.

If weather is bad and it is wet outside, head down Spenard Road to the McDonalds and take advantage of their Play Place.

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Hi, why not go to the zoo? It has many Alaskan animals that were orphaned and have been raised in the zoo along with other animals such as Siberian tigers. There%26#39;s a cafe where you can get lunch if you like and you can eat outdoors - the squirrels sometimes join you at your table! My grandson loved it when he was about the same age as yours. It%26#39;s easy to spend several hours there.

There%26#39;s nowhere that you can be sure of seeing wildlife (other than the zoo). If your child likes airplanes it can be fun to go to Lake Hood and watch the floatplanes taking off and landing - in June it%26#39;s busy enough that you%26#39;ll see planes every few minutes until about 7 PM.

There%26#39;s a train engine on the park strip that kids can crawl around on - there%26#39;s also a playground not too far from there.

My grandson like to take a walk along the coastal trail - you can access it at several different points.

I%26#39;d be glad to give you more specific information on any of these if they sound like something you want to do.

I have a 3 year old, and we live in Anchorage, we like H2Oasis and the Imaginarium as referenced above. Red Robin is a great family friendly place for lunch or dinner. Be sure to take advantage of the park strip and/or the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Also check out Potter Marsh, it%26#39;s a long boardwalk so it%26#39;s nice and safe for a toddler www.wc.adfg.state.ak.us/index.cfm…

I would also recommend the Alaska Native Heritage Center, and if your stay falls on a weekend check out the Saturday/Sunday Market

http://www.anchoragemarkets.com/main.html

If you%26#39;re not burned out from driving, I%26#39;d head south to Portage. The Begich-Boggs Visitor Center has great hands on exhibits for kids that also appeal to adults. There is a fun 30 minute movie they show that explains Alaska%26#39;s glaciers. Your 3 yr old may be a little young to absorb all the information, but it would be a fun day for the kids and adults. It%26#39;s a very pretty area I always take my visiting guests. Top it off with an excellent bowl of soup at The Bake Shop at the base of Alyeska in Girdwood on your way back to Anchorage.

alaskageographic.org/static/846/begich-boggs…

http://www.thebakeshop.com/

I love in anchorage an have a 2year old we love the anchorage zoo

The Anchorage Museum of Natural History has expanded with Imaginarium getting ready to move in with the museum. They are also building a new KidSpace, hands-on for children under 5 years of age. Let%26#39;s just hope it%26#39;s all completed by the time you get here.

Check it out at:

www.anchoragemuseum.org/