Top Ten Summer Activities for Families in Pasadena and the Houston Metro

Pasadena, Texas is the second largest city in the Houston metro area, but when it comes to summertime fun, Pasadena is the best place for families! Whether your kids want to zip down water slides or take an afternoon hike, there is no shortage of summer activities in Pasadena and many of them are free. If you are a mom, dad or grandparents looking for things to do near Houston this summer, add our top ten activities to your list. 

These are just a few of the many fun summer activities happening in Pasadena, Texas. If you and your family are looking for summer events and activities in the Houston Metro, take a drive to Pasadena. You may find that you have so much fun, you want to become a permanent part of our community!

Top Ten Summer Activities for Families in Pasadena and the Houston Metro

#1 Enjoy a family event at the Armand Bayou Nature Center June 22nd 

Attend the Family Fun Nature Walk, ‘Supporting Your Backyard Bayous’ Saturday, June 22nd. Come celebrate what makes our watershed special with Bayou City Waterkeeper! Hike Armand Bayou Nature Center's forested paths, explore our wetlands, wander in coastal prairies, and be a part of urban conservation as you walk to support your backyard bayous.

#2 Build a sandcastle and play at the beach

El Jardin park is a city-owned beach in Pasadena where you can build sandcastles with the kids, splash in the water and relax in the sand. The park has benches, picnic tables, barbecue pits, electrical outlets and plenty of parking.

#3 Bird watching

Clear Lake offers incredible bird watching, as does Pasadena’s Armand Bayou Nature Center. 

#4 Go for a hike

Pasadena’s Armand Bayou Nature Center has beautiful trails. Established in the early 1970s, this pristine 2,500-acre natural environment in the middle of one of the fastest growing areas of the nation is the second largest urban wildlife preserve in the US and a critical estuary and watershed for this part of the Gulf Coast.

#5 Speed down waterslides 

Strawberry Water Park should be at the top of your to-do list. Here, you can float down the lazy river, fly down a water slide, splash at the spray-park, play basketball, volleyball, or simply lounge poolside in a comfortable cabana.

#6  Go boating, water skiing or have fun on jet skis 

The recreational activities at Pasadena’s Clear Lake are endless: sailing, boating, jet skis, water skiing, fishing, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and more.  Boating enthusiasts can choose from 19 marinas and over 7,000 boat slips in the Clear Lake area, the third largest concentration of pleasure boats in the United States.

#7 Watch fireworks

Pasadena’s Independence Day’s 4th Fest is one of the best 4th of July events in the country. Kids will enjoy the festivities during the day, while parents appreciate being able to catch an incredible fireworks show so close to home!

#8 Spend summer with NASA

Kids who dream of outer space, love watching the stars or crave a new adventure, will love the Space Center Houston a short drive from Pasadena. Here, you can train like an astronaut, explore the cosmos, explore in a science lab, and take flight in their latest exhibit - Above and Beyond.  This is an ideal adventure for the entire family, especially those who are interested in space exploration. Summer day camps are also held at the Space Center. These are an excellent way to expand your child’s mind and introduce them to a universe of possibilities.

#9 Go camping 

This is not your ordinary camping… at the Space Center Houston (a short drive from Pasadena) you can campout as a family while also exploring and building your own rocket. You and your family will navigate your own space exploration journey while engaging in science, technology and engineering related activities. Build model rockets, explore robotics and train for spaceflight in our Family Campouts.Build your own rocket and then see how high you can launch it. Train like an astronaut and learn about spacewalks, the speed of light and crew assembly. Tour Starship Gallery, home to multiple flown spacecraft, astronaut training models, one-of-a-kind artifacts and more. You and your entire family can choose from two unique overnight camping experiences.

#10 Head to the rodeo

The Pasadena rodeo is a big deal. Rather than being a single day of events, there are things happening for a month ahead of time and fun activities like a kickoff dance to really get you in the spirit. Come to the Pasadena Rodeo to get your cowboy on!