Buddy’s Pizza
$$Locations across Metro Detroit
The original Detroit-style square pizza, served in casual dining rooms.
OCT 16 – 22 Detroit · Motor City
Detroit weekend plans for little kids, found and checked for you.
Cider and donuts at Beacon Park make Cider in the City an easy downtown afternoon this weekend. Bowers Farm packs a wagon ride, a hay tower and farm animals into one ticket, Zoo Boo turns on the lights after 6pm, and Sunday’s free Rouge Park Fall Festival brings bonfires and s’mores.
This week: 19 outings at 14 places, each one linked to the page we checked it on. How we check
Top 5 picks
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Saturday, sorted
A Saturday that actually works.
Here’s how we’d do Saturday, Oct 17. Two things from this week’s list, plus one of our regulars from Around town. Tap a stop for the details.
MORNINGBowers Farm Fall Festival10am–4pm · Bowers Farm · $15 Oakland County residents, $19 non-residents online; $2 more at the door- LUNCHAround townSlows Bar BQOpen 11am–10pm · Corktown · $$ (opens their site)
- NAPHome by 1:30 for nap. Car seat, stroller, whatever works.
AFTER NAPCider in the City1–5pm · Beacon Park · Free
Times come from each event’s page or the place’s own site. Plans change, so check before you head out. Print this plan
Every outing this week
Find your thing
Around town19 spots · checked Oct 16
The Detroit places we go back to, again and again.
Not this week’s events, just the reliable stuff. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Eat
Kid-friendly restaurants
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
American Coney Island
$Downtown
The classic Detroit coney dog counter, open late.
Slows Bar BQ
$$Corktown
Barbecue served in big portions, in a lively room.
Sun–Thu 11am–9pm · Fri–Sat 11am–10pmSite ↗ for Slows Bar BQ
Detroit Shipping Company
$$Midtown
A food hall in shipping containers with lots of choices, so everyone gets what they want.
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Detroit that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Play
Indoor play and rainy days
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour.
$23Ages 3 and up
Michigan Science Center
Midtown
Kids Town for ages 5 and under, plus a planetarium and lots of hands-on exhibits.
Tickets
- Under 3 free
Tue–Sun 10am–4pmSite ↗ for Michigan Science Center
Free
Belle Isle Aquarium and Conservatory
Belle Isle
A historic aquarium and a glass conservatory on the island park.
$$
LEGO Discovery Center Michigan
Auburn Hills
Indoor LEGO play areas and small rides for younger kids.
$$
SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium
Auburn Hills
A compact aquarium with an ocean tunnel.
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Detroit that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Splash & ride
Parks and outdoor play
Pools, fountains, zoos and theme parks: the big all-day outings.
Downtown riverfrontFree
Detroit Riverwalk
Miles of flat path, splash features in summer and playgrounds.
Belle Isle$
Belle Isle Park
A 982-acre island park with a beach, a giant slide in season and trails.
DowntownFree
Campus Martius and Beacon Park
Downtown parks with seasonal festivals, an ice rink in winter and open lawns.
Bloomfield Hills$
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Detroit that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Explore
Museums, zoos and big outings
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
Detroit Zoo
$$Royal Oak
A large zoo with a polar bear tunnel.
Detroit Institute of Arts
$$Midtown
A world-class art museum with drop-in family art making.
Tickets
General admission is free for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb county residents
The Henry Ford
$$$Dearborn
Trains, cars and Greenfield Village, enough for a full day out.
Detroit Historical Museum
FreeMidtown
The Streets of Old Detroit and the Glancy toy trains.
Cranbrook Institute of Science
$$Bloomfield Hills
Dinosaurs, a planetarium and kid-sized nature exhibits.
Tickets
- Kids 2–12 $15
- Adults $19
- Under 2 free
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Detroit that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Stay
Staycations and overnight trips
A night away without a long drive. New bed, same bedtime.
Downtown$$$
The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit
A historic downtown hotel with an indoor pool.
Riverfront$$$
Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center
Riverfront rooms and People Mover access. Kids love the view.
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Detroit that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
On the horizon
Coming up
OCT 23 – 29Halloween weekendMore trick-or-treating, a few costume parades and some gentle spooky stuff. The list goes out next Friday.Get it in your inbox →
OCT 31Trick-or-treat night guideNeighborhood hours and the streets that are easy with a stroller. Early ones too, for kids who are asleep by 7.Get notified →
NOVEMBERFirst holiday lightsThe first holiday lights in town, and which ones you can see before bedtime.See it first →
Good questions
Outings for little ones in Detroit: the FAQ
What can I do with a little one in Detroit this weekend?
This week we found 19 outings that work for kids ages 0–6. Our top three: Cider in the City, Bowers Farm Fall Festival, Zoo Boo at the Detroit Zoo. See the full list.
Are there free things to do with little ones in Detroit this week?
Yes, 16 of this week’s 19 picks are free, including library storytimes and Cider in the City. Tap “Free” in Find your thing.
What are good indoor activities for kids in Detroit when it rains?
11 picks this week are indoors, mostly library programs and shows. Tap “Rainy-day OK” in Find your thing.
Where can I find storytimes and toddler activities in Detroit?
This week we list 13 library storytimes and baby or toddler programs. Each one links to the library or venue page with the time and place. See them in the list.
How do you pick what goes on the list?
We look at venue and library calendars and local family pages every week. Each listing links to the page we checked it on, and where the organizer or venue has its own page, we confirm the details there. We lean toward things that fit around naps and don’t need a long walk.
How do I get this list every week?
Sign up for the Friday email at the bottom of the page. It’s one short email, and you can unsubscribe any time.
For local businesses
Running something for little kids in Detroit?
If it’s good for the under-6 crowd, we’d like to hear about it. Free events go on the list for free, always. If you want a guaranteed spot at the top or in the Friday email, there’s a sponsored option too, and it’s clearly labeled. We’re just getting started, so the first 10 local partners in each city get 50% off your first booking.
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