Ultimate 2024 Family Bucket List - MetroFamily Magazine
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Ultimate 2024 Family Bucket List

by Lindsay Cuomo

Reading Time: 4 minutes 

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.

  1. Make plans to hang out with MetroFamily! We host family-focused events throughout the year including Kids Fest in April and Geekapalooza in November. We hope to see you there!!
  2. Break out of your routine to play tourists in your town. Spend an afternoon or a whole day visiting new attractions like Expedition Africa at the OKC Zoo or iconic destinations like the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 Western Arkansas.
  5. Get the wiggles out at a new-to-you indoor playspace! We’ve rounded up the best places to take kids of all ages.
  6. Score tickets to an upcoming, can’t-miss performance of exciting productions like Mary Poppins and Cinderella at Lyric Theatre or OKC Broadway’sWicked
  7. Explore the Code of the West, The Cowboy’s newest interactive exhibition. Explore the values and tenets that resonate with your family and see how they shaped the West. Bonus – The Cowboy has another state-of-the-art exhibition coming this spring! Learn more in our Jan/Feb issue.
  8. Explore a new park and check out these 5 playgrounds perfect for a day out with the grandparents.
  9. 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.
  10. Find inspiration at one of the metro’s destinations for art in OKC! See a collection of art by renowned artist Georgia O’Keeffe and other major figures in 20th-century American art opening in March at OKCMOA. Shelter, opening at Oklahoma Contemporary in April, explores the experiences of displaced peoples seeking shelter in refugee communities across different parts of the world.
  11. Plan a family campout with these pro tips for camping with kids to help make sure your outdoor endeavors reap the plentiful benefits.
  12. This spring, find something new at a local farmer’s market or visit a local farm and make something fresh and homemade.
  13. Plan a weekend getaway to explore Beavers Bend. The area will be in the path of totality during the April 8 solar eclipse.
  14. Attend MetroFamily’s newest event, OKC Thrive Fest, at the Mitch Park YMCA on June 1. We all want metro kids and families to thrive—inside and out—and this event will provide what you need to boost your family’s wellness factor!
  15. Look off the beaten path for some surprising hidden gems like the Oklahoma Hall of Fame99s Museum of Women Pilots, the American Banjo Museum or other little-known venues for family fun!
  16. Explore an Oklahoma family festival like the annual Festival of the Arts in April and Chuck Wagon Festival in May!
  17. Volunteer together! Our city is full of worthy organizations that would love to welcome your family.
  18. 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.
  19. These quirky, out-of-the-box accommodations are sure to take center stage on your family’s next getaway.
  20. Challenge your family to try something new. Our searchable calendar is jammed pack with family fun every day all year long!
  21. Make plans to visit your local library! Metropolitan’s Downtown Library has a special exhibit about Caldecott winners and Pioneer’s Maker Lab is a must-visit too.
  22.  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?!
  23. 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.
  24. Explore nature at one of Oklahoma’s beautiful state parks.
  25. 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: 

  • Red Earth Festival – March 22-24 at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
  • Medieval Fair of Norman – April 5-7 at Reaves Park
  • MetroFamily’s Kids Fest – April 20 at Rose State College Student Union
  • Norman Music Festival – April 25-27 in Downtown Norman
  • Festival of the Arts – April 25-28 at Bicentennial Park
  • El Reno Burger Day – May 4 in Downtown El Reno
  • Festival of the Child – May 4 at Yukon’s City Park
  • Chuck Wagon Festival – May 25-26 at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
  • Paseo Arts Festival – May 25-27 in Paseo Arts District
  • OKC Thrive Fest, hosted by MetroFamily – June 1 at Mitch Park YMCA
  • deadCenter Film Festival – June 6-9
  • OKC Pride Festival – June 28-30 at Scissortail Park
  • Oklahoma State Fair – Sept. 12-22 at State Fair Park
  • Down Syndrome Festival – Sept. 2024 at Myriad Gardens
  • Chisholm Trail Festival – Oct. 12 at Mollie Spencer Farm
  • Geekapalooza – Nov. 9 at Rose State College Student Union

 

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.

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