Our favorite resolution will always be family fun! And we want to make sure that is an easy one for your family. Here is our Ultimate Family Bucket List for 2024. Choose one or two activities each month and you are sure to have a great year.
- Make plans to hang out with MetroFamily! We host family-focused events throughout the year including Kids Fest in March and Geekapalooza in November. We hope to see you there!!
- Break out of your routine to play tourists in your town. Spend an afternoon or a whole day visiting new attractions like OKANA opening Feb. 21 or iconic destinations like the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
- Visit a museum that is new to you! Oklahoma is peppered with fun, educational museums and the Oklahoma City metro also has several free museums to enjoy.
- Plan a getaway! Whether your desired destination is near or far, we’ve got plenty of inspiring ideas including a day trip to the Twister Movie Museum and a long weekend trip to Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Wichita, Kansas or Fort Worth.
- Get the wiggles out at a new-to-you indoor playspace! We’ve rounded up the best places to take kids of all ages.
- Explore Black History with these year-round learning opportunities for families in OKC.
- Score tickets to an upcoming, can’t-miss performance of exciting productions like Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Lyric Theatre or OKC Broadway’s Peter Pan.
- Explore a new park and check out these 5 playgrounds perfect for a day out with the grandparents.
- Spend a day exploring the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum! From its engaging indoor exhibits, like Main Street and Explorer’s Hall, to its exciting outdoor features, including a zip line and a life-size maze, the museum offers endless opportunities for kids to explore, learn and grow through imaginative play.
- Plan a visit to the First Americans Museum to learn about the 39 tribal nations in Oklahoma through first-person narratives, multi-media experiences and Native cuisine.
- Find inspiration at one of the metro’s destinations for art in OKC! See the landmark exhibition, Honor Song, by internationally recognized artist Edgar Heap of Birds (Cheyenne and Arapaho Nation) opening at Oklahoma Contemporary on Jan. 30. Pencil in a visit to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in June for the Discovering Ansel Adams exhibition featuring over 100 photographs of Adam’s most celebrated works.
- Plan a family campout with these pro tips for camping with kids to help make sure your outdoor endeavors reap plentiful benefits.
- This spring, find something new at a local farmer’s market or visit a local farm and make something fresh and homemade.
- Plan a weekend getaway to explore Beavers Bend.
- Look off the beaten path for some surprising hidden gems like the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, 99s Museum of Women Pilots, the American Banjo Museum or other little-known venues for family fun!
- Explore an Oklahoma family festival like the annual Festival of the Arts in April and Chuck Wagon Festival in May!
- Volunteer together! Our city is full of worthy organizations that would love to welcome your family.
- Although Route 66 has now been replaced by an intricate highway system, Oklahoma’s stretch of Mother Road still features many unique sights. Plan your family’s tour with this article about our state’s top roadside oddities.
- These quirky, out-of-the-box accommodations are sure to take center stage on your family’s next getaway.
- Challenge your family to try something new. Our searchable calendar is jam-packed with family fun every day all year long!
- Make plans to visit your local library! Check out this round-up of family-friendly events updated each month so you never miss out on the fun.
- Discover OKC on a family scavenger hunt! Experience our city in a new way this year by using this scavenger hunt to take a deeper look at our favorite attractions, parks and communities. Who knows what exciting and unexpected things you might find?!
- Add some nostalgia to your summer at a drive-in movie. While the number of drive-ins has dwindled over the years, there are still a few in operation in the metro ready for your family to enjoy a blockbuster flick alfresco.
- Explore nature at one of Oklahoma’s beautiful state parks.
- This fall, head to a county fair for some old-school family fun. Play some classic games, ride some wild rides and enjoy some tasty fair treats together.
Bonus – Save the date for these annual family favorites:
- Arcadia Lake Eagle Watch, Jan 3-5
- OKC MLK Jr. Day Parade, Jan. 20 in downtown OKC
- Red Earth Festival, March 21-23 at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
- Oklahoma Farm-to-Table Festival, March 22 at Oklahoma History Center
- MetroFamily’s Kids Fest, March 29 at Rose State College
- Tulip Festival, March 29-30 at Myriad Gardens
- Medieval Fair of Norman, April 4-6 at Reaves Park
- Redbud Classis, April 5-6 at Nichols Hills Plaza
- Norman Music Festival, April 24-26 in Downtown Norman
- Festival of the Arts, April 24-27 at Bicentennial Park
- Memorial Marathon, April 25-27 in downtown OKC
- Edmond Arts Festival, April 25-27 in downtown Edmond
- El Reno Burger Day, May 3 in Downtown El Reno
- Festival of the Child, May 3 at Yukon’s City Park
- Chuck Wagon Festival, May 24-25 at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
- Paseo Arts Festival, May 24-26 in Paseo Arts District
- deadCenter Film Festival, June 11-15
- Juneteenth on the East, June 21 on NE 23rd Street
- Blackberry Festival, June 20-21 at McLoud Veterans Memorial Park
- OKC Pride Festival, June 27-29 at Scissortail Park
- Rock the Block, Aug. 28 in downtown Yukon
- Oklahoma State Fair, Sept. 11-21 at State Fair Park
- Grillstock, Sept. 13 at Buck Thomas Park
- Fiestas de las Americas, late September at the new Plaza Calle Dos Cinco
- Mid-America Street Fest, late September at W.P “Bill” Atkinson Park
- Chisholm Trail Festival, mid-October at Mollie Spencer Farm
- Geekapalooza, Nov. 8 at Rose State College Student Union
- OKC Tree Lighting Festival, mid November in Bricktown
- OKC Community Chanukah Festival, late December at Scissortail Park
Best wishes to you and yours for the new year,
Digital Editor
About the author: Born and raised in the Oklahoma City metro and a graduate of the Gaylord College of Journalism at the University of Oklahoma, Lindsay Cuomo has worked for MetroFamily since 2014 covering local stories, people and events. Lindsay is a mom to three school-aged boys and calls Moore, Oklahoma home.
