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 2023.  Choose one or two activities each month and you are sure to have a great year.

1. Relive the famous Oregan Trail game at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum! The You have died of Dysentery exhibition, on display until May 7, focuses on playing Western through games, books and videos from 1970 and beyond. Video games like Oregon Trail and Red Dead Redemption will be explored alongside Western themed boardgames, role-playing games, young adult novels, comic books and cartoons. Be sure to also stop into Playing Cowboy featuring a collection of Western toys!
2. Break out of your routine to play tourists in your own town. Spend an afternoon or a whole day visiting new destinations like Scissortail Park South and the newly renovated Inasmuch Foundation Crystal Bridge Conservatory or iconic attractions 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 a number of free museums to enjoy.
4. Attend MetroFamily’s brand-new event, OKC Thrive Fest, at RIVERSPORT on March 25. 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!
5. Go on an animal adventure at the Oklahoma City Zoo or at a petting farm near the Oklahoma City metro.
6. Plan a getaway! Whether your desired destination is near or far, we’ve got plenty of inspiring ideas including a long weekend trip to Tulsa!
7. Score tickets to an upcoming, can’t-miss performance of exciting productions like Huckleberry Finn’s Big River and Disney’s Frozen .
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! Factory Obscura’s Synethesia exhibition at Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is an immersive exploration of color and texture. Oklahoma Contemporary opens The Art of Food in early February. As always, Oklahoma City Museum of Art has several exciting exhibitions planned for 2023 including sculptor Auguste Rodin and painter William H. Johnson and his Fighters for Freedom series. (Money-saving tip – Fred Jones and Oklahoma Contemporary is always free and kids get in free to OKCMOA.)
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. 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!
14. Explore an Oklahoma family festival like the annual Chuck Wagon Festival in May or Firelake Fireflight Balloon Fest in August!
15. Volunteer together! Our city is full of worthy organizations that would love to welcome your family.
16. 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.
17. These quirky, out-of-the-box accommodations are sure to take center stage on your family’s next getaway.
18. Challenge your family to try something new. Our searchable calendar is jammed pack with family fun every day all year long!
19. Make plans to visit your local library! Metropolitan’s Downtown Library will have a special exhibit about Americans and the Holocaust and Pioneer’s Maker Lab is a must-visit too.
20.  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?!
21. 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.
22. Explore nature at one of Oklahoma’s beautiful state parks.
23. 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: 

• OKC Thrive Fest, hosted by MetroFamily – March 25 at RIVERSPORT Adventures
• Medieval Fair of Norman – March 31-April 2 at Reaves Park
• Festival of the Arts – April 25-30 at Bicentennial Park
• Norman Music Festival – April 27-29 in Downtown Norman
• oNE OKC Street Festival – May 5-7 at Washington Park and other locations
• El Reno Burger Day – May 6 in Downtown El Reno
• Festival of the Child – May 6 at Yukon’s City Park
• Chuck Wagon Festival – May 27-28 at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
• Paseo Arts Festival – May 27-29 in Paseo Arts District
• Red Earth Festival – June 1-3 at National Cowboy Museum and Western Heritage Center
• MetroFamily’s Kids Fest – June 3 at Rose State College
• OKC Pride Festival – June 2-4 at Scissortail Park
• Children’s Garden Festival – June 2023 at Myriad Gardens
• deadCenter Film Festival –  June 8-11
• Firelake Fireflight Balloon Fest – Aug. 11-12 in Shawnee
• Oklahoma State Fair – Sept. 14-24 at State Fair Park
• Down Syndrome Festival – Sept. 2023 at Myriad Gardens
• Chisholm Trail Festival – Oct. 14 at Mollie Spencer Farm
• Geekapalooza – Nov. 4 at Camp Trivera

Best wishes to you and yours for the new year,

Assistant/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.