15 Best Things to Do In Provo With Your Kids in 2024

SEARCHING FOR THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN PROVO WITH KIDS?

You’ve come to the right place! I spent about four years living in Provo. We have family in the area, so it’s a city we visit often. Our kids love it every time we get to visit. It is a family-centered community in Utah county known for its beautiful outdoors, fast-growing economy, and the campus of Brigham Young University.

There are lots of fun things to do in Provo with kids, from eating at the Creamery on 9th, to going to the water park, to feeding the ducks on the community pond near the edge of campus.

Candice’s Top Tips for Visiting Provo

✔ Check out the BYU Events and Sports Calendar before your visit. There is always a fun event happening on campus if you’re not sure how to spend your time.
✔ The Varsity Theater in the Wilkinson Student Center is a great dollar theater if you’re looking for something inexpensive to do in Provo. You can grab dinner at the Food Court before the show or visit the bowling alley in the basement. 
✔ If it is nice outside, there are lots of great outdoor activities like hiking in Provo Canyon or hiking the Y. There are also lots of great parks and bike trails in the area. The bike trail from Vivian Park to the Riverwoods Shops is a popular paved trail, as well as the Provo River Parkway Trail.
✔ My kids’ favorite thing to do when we go to Provo is to feed the ducks at the BYU Botany Pond. There are also cute little turtles there. They do ask that you don’t feed the ducks bread now, so stick with corn, lettuce, rice, or birdseed.

Things to Do in Provo with Kids

1. The Museum of Natural Curiosity

The Museum of Natural Curiosity is a children’s museum with over 400 interactive experiences found in five exhibit areas along with the ropes course in the rafters. Rowen and Raven’s favorite room was the rainforest.

There are rope bridges, an airplane, and trampoline nets for the kids to explore, along with different stations like the Trading Post, a place to color, and different physical fitness stations.

There is also a Water Works room that focuses on the science behind water, wind, sun, and earth. They even provide smocks and boots to keep everyone dry. Next, head over to Kidopolis, a city where the kids are in charge. Rowen and Raven loved the bank and vet clinic. If the weather is nice, check out the outdoor playground and garden.

The museum is at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, which is about 25 minutes north of downtown Provo.

2. BYU Creamery on Ninth

Found inside the campus grocery store, the BYU Creamery on Ninth is a favorite on campus because of the yummy ice cream. The Creamery sells over 35 flavors of ice cream, along with grilled burgers and sandwiches. This was a staple for me when I was living in Provo.

If you’re exploring campus, the ice cream alone is worth a stop. It is made from their own dairy cows. You can buy any size, starting with a single scoop to a 3-gallon bucket.

If baked goods are more up your alley, check out the mint brownies sold in the grocery store section of the Creamery because they are so yummy. The mint brownies have legend status in Provo.

3. Provo Rec Center

The Provo Rec Center has something for the whole family. They have dozens of amenities, like their indoor aquatic center, exercise classes, basketball courts, and more.

We usually spend most of our time in the indoor pool area. They have a great locker room area with family-style changing rooms. Inside the pool area, you will find water slides, rock cliffs, a lazy river, a swimming pool, and a section like a splash pad. The water is very shallow and filled with features like a slide, water guns, and a wheel.

Most importantly, it is a very affordable place to spend your day. Day passes are just $4 for kids and $5 for adults. Rowen and Raven could have played in the pool all day.

4. BYU Botany Pond

The BYU Botany Pond, also known as the Duck Pond, is found on the south end of the BYU campus off 800 North. At the pond, you will find a variety of wildlife, mostly ducks and turtles. There is a beautiful grassy lawn to let the kids play on, lofty trees, and the boardwalk surrounding the pond.

Sometimes, when we visit, feeding the ducks can be overwhelming for toddlers because there are so many there. If this is the case, you can hold your kids or set them up on the bench to avoid getting swarmed.

Recently, the Botany Department has posted signs requesting that you no longer feed bread to the ducks because it isn’t the best for their digestive tract. It is recommended to bring frozen peas, lettuce, corn, rice, or birdseed instead.

During our last visit to the Duck Pond, we brought corn, and it wasn’t as much of a hit with the ducks. The corn kernels sank pretty quickly. Maybe they were just full. 🤷‍♀️

5. Heber Valley Railroad

This historic railroad was the only way to ship to market livestock produced in the area during the late 1800’s. Today, the railroad runs family train excursions between Heber City and Vivian Park.

They offer a variety of different programs ranging from family Monday night trains to seasonal events like the Pumpkin Train and the North Pole Express during the winter.

The Heber Valley Railroad leaves from Heber, Utah, which is about 30 minutes from Provo.

If you’re headed up to the Heber Creeper, you can also schedule a visit to swim in the Homestead Crater, grab lunch in Park City, visit the Sundance Mountain Resort, or check out the many hiking trails in the canyon.

6. Loveland Living Planet Aquarium

The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium is in Draper, which is about 25 minutes north of Provo. It is one of the great Utah attractions and is home to over 4,500 animals from 550 species.

There are five different exhibits, but our favorite by far was the 300,000-gallon shark exhibit. Inside the exhibit, there is a glass tunnel you can walk through to get a closer view of the sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, and fish.

The penguins were also awesome because they were so active in their exhibit and very entertaining to watch. Plus, the gift shop has lots of fun keepsakes if you’re looking for something to take home with you.

7. Take a Day Trip to Salt Lake City

There are so many fun things to do in Utah with your kids. One of our favorite things to do in Salt Lake with kids is visit the children’s museum, Discovery Gateway. There are 60,000 square feet of playhouses, farms, grocery stores, science projects, and more. We have been to lots of children’s museums around the country, and this is one of our favorites.

If your kids are animal lovers, also consider a trip to Hogle Zoo. It is a beautiful zoo with so many great animals for the kids to see.

We also love exploring Salt Lake City during the winter. There are so many festive light displays and fun events going on during the holidays.

8. BYU Sports Game

If you’re looking for a fun family night out, head to one of the BYU athletic games. We have attended numerous games and always have a great time.

Most recently, we went to a men’s volleyball game. Rowen and Raven loved watching the game, eating the snacks, and meeting Cosmo the Cougar. Going to the football games at Lavell Edwards Stadium can be very expensive, but you can have just as much fun at some of the less expensive options like gymnastics, volleyball, and women’s soccer.

9. Bean Life Science Museum

The Bean Life Science Museum is the natural history museum found on BYU’s campus. There is no admission cost to the museum; however, make sure to pick up a parking pass from the front desk when you arrive. The museum is filled with over 2 million specimens of insects, plants, birds, shells, and fish. It also is home to the Liger Shasta, who lived at the Hogle Zoo until her death in July of 1972.

Rowen and Raven loved looking at all the different animals, using the interactive screens, and playing in the small playground area. Our favorite exhibits were Our Living Planet and Why Insects.

10. Sweet Stop in the BYU Store

Certainly, everyone will need a little treat to get them through the day. Make a stop at the new Sweet Stop found in the BYU Store. Although the candy shop has hundreds of candies to choose from, it is most famous for its fudge and chocolate cinnamon bears.

Rowen and Raven got to each pick one treat while we were there, and it was a painstakingly difficult decision for them – just so many options! We have been buying fudge from the BYU bookstore for years and love every flavor.

11. Coconut Cove

Coconut Cove is an indoor playground in Vineyard, Utah, which is about 20 minutes west of Provo. If you’re visiting during the hot summer days or your kids seem to have an extra amount of energy, certainly this is the place to take them.

There is everything from ball fountains, to racing wavy slides, to trampolines. They also have a small toddler section for younger kids. My kids loved racing down the slide and doing different tricks on the way down.

Most importantly, there are endless places for your kids to climb and explore. Plus, all of the other kids playing there make for fun play buddies.

12. Bridal Veil Falls

The Bridal Veil Falls’ surrounding area is the perfect place to take the family for some time in the great outdoors. The Bridal Veil Falls trail is about 1.25 miles long and ends at a beautiful waterfall. Most of the trail is paved, so it is perfect for strollers or kids who want to ride their own bikes.

As you get to the waterfall, you can continue hiking to get closer to the falls, but the trail is steeper, can be wet, and has rocks. If you’re hiking up the trail to the falls, please be very careful, as it can be dangerous.

13. Hike The Y

The mountains around Provo are gorgeous, so you’d be hard-pressed to miss the giant Y on the mountainside. You can visit “The Y” yourself on a fun family hike!

The hike from the trailhead to the mountainside letter is about 1 mile. This is a steep hike, but it’s doable for most children. There are many turns along the way and signs noting your progress up the trail. Kids love to see how far they’ve come and have fun counting the turns until they reach the letter.

The trail breaks off at three different points, offering hikers the choice to visit the bottom, middle, or top of The Y. This is a fun way to spend time together and enjoy the outdoors in Provo.

We just re-hiked the Y with our three kids, who were 7, 7, and 4 at the time of the hike. The four-year-old made it up a few of the switchbacks and then needed to be carried the rest of the way up. Our two seven-year-olds made it up but were very tired by the end. Overall, it is a great hike in Provo, but do take caution of the steep elevation gain.

14. Eat at J. Dawgs

Most of the time, hot dogs and kids are a can’t-miss combination, but this spot is more than just your run-of-the-mill hot dog stand. J. Dawgs takes pride in its all-natural meat and locally sourced, fresh-baked buns!

Customers can choose from a beef hot dog or a Polish dog topped with the eatery’s secret sauce and an array of additional toppings! The secret sauce is the best. We even had some brought up from Utah for our twins’ birthday party, where we served hot dogs.

Make it a meal with some fries and a drink, and you’re all set! It’s a fun and tasty place to enjoy lunch while checking out the city.

15. BYU Museum of Paleontology

Although this museum is pretty small, the Museum of Paleontology is a fun stop, and admission is free. If you’re looking for free things to do in Provo, this is a great option. The fossils displayed in the museum are from Utah, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming.

Above all, it is a great place to introduce your kids to ancient plants and dinosaurs. At the museum, you can touch and view real fossils and watch students as they work on fossils in a laboratory.

Conclusion: Things to Do in Provo With Kids

We hope this has given you some fun ideas for things to do in Provo with your kids in the beautiful Utah Valley. I have fond memories of going to the Provo area to visit my grandparents as a child, and I’m glad I get to visit some of these same places with my kids and their extended family in Utah. Plus, I don’t think I will ever get tired of seeing the beautiful Wasatch mountains.

From sporting events on campus, to fun kid-friendly spots around town, you’ll have no problem filling your time in Provo. If you’re going to be in the area for more than a few days, you can also consider taking a few overnight trips. Driving down to Moab or Zion National Park only takes a few hours.