Summer Kids Activities

Kids Activities in Hershey

Ahhh, sweet summertime! The coasters are roaring, the water slides are flowing, and everyone’s smiling from ear to ear at Hersheypark®! Spend a sweet day or two with the family enjoying 70+ rides and attractions, including 15 coasters and an 11-acre water park! New this summer is Candymonium^SM, the tallest, fastest, longest, sweetest coaster in the Park. This new coaster is just one of the sweet additions inside Hershey’s Chocolatetown^SM, an all-new region, starting with a new front gate and year-round shopping and dining. Navigate Hersheypark like a pro with the Hersheypark app. Get walking directions, find places to eat, see ride wait times, and more!

But wait! There’s more! Beyond the coaster hills of Hersheypark, you’ll find dozens of family activities and attractions. At Hershey’s Chocolate World Attraction, indulge with Hershey’s cupcakes, milkshakes, and s’mores, shop seasonal and hard-to-find Hershey’s products, and unwrap hours of family entertainment and activities. Step back in time to learn about the fascinating life and legacy of Milton S. Hershey at The Hershey Story, Museum on Chocolate Avenue. Walk among acres of blooms at Hershey Gardens, including a Children’s Garden and Hoop House, where kids can learn about gardening. Let the kids put their allowance on the line as you race go-karts, ride bumper boats, and play mini golf at Adventure Sports in Hershey.

Kids Activities in Harrisburg

Harrisburg’s City Island doesn’t have palm trees and sandy beaches, but it is an oasis for classic family fun. Take in the river breezes on the top deck of The Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat. Challenge the family to a round at Water Golf, a beautiful yet challenging course. End your day with a pink and orange sunset at a Harrisburg Senators Baseball game followed by post-game fireworks.

Family fun for free? Harrisburg has several free family activities, including guided tours of the Pennsylvania State Capitol. The building is the most ornate in the nation, and tour stops include the magnificent Main Rotunda, House and Senate Chambers, and Supreme Court chamber. Taking in the sights and sounds of nature is always refreshing and free of charge. Wildwood Park’s paved paths and boardwalks are lined with lush, mature trees, providing much-needed shade on the warmest of days! Challenge the kids to spot wildlife in and around the lake, including birds, frogs, and little critters.

Water Attractions & Places to Cool Off

As summer heats up, you’ll be looking for a place to cool down! Take a family-friendly kayaking excursion on a peaceful creek course in Hershey. Cocoa Kayak Rentals provides guided and unguided floats along the Swatara Creek, a gentle, scenic, and tree-lined waterway. 

The air isn’t the only thing that’s cool inside our marvelous museums. The State Museum of Pennsylvania has three floors of exhibits, including anthropology, ecology, archaeology, and an out-of-this-world planetarium. It’s easy to spend an entire afternoon at The Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts, learning about the body, weather, science, and physics, trying new things in the new STEM labs, or enjoying an immersive 3D movie on the area’s largest digital screen. Head underground to explore Echo Dell – Indian Echo Caverns, a natural attraction and geological wonder in Hummelstown that maintains a 52°F temperature year round!

Zoos & Wildlife Parks

Make a new, furry friend at one of our region’s zoo attractions. Take an open-air safari bus out into the field at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park to touch and feed the elk, bison, and more than 500 animals who roam the park freely. You can even feed and interact with their three marvelous giraffes – Spike, Bakari, and Tucker! The Park also has a petting zoo with pygmy goats and alpacas, a reptile house, and dozens of outdoor exhibits, including bears, zebras, and ostriches. ZooAmerica® North American Wildlife Park is an 11-acre walk-through zoo located adjacent to Hersheypark, included with Park admission. From the Southern Swamps to Big Sky Country, more than 200 creatures large and small call this park home throughout its five themed areas. If you’ve got a family of animal lovers, go behind the scenes with a tour of the Zoo’s non-public spaces to learn more about the animals and even give them a treat.