10 Of Our Favorite Theme-Parks for Kids

Theme Parks can be a great outing for the whole family. Many amusement parks offer thrill seeking rides for the older kiddos, play areas for the younger tots, and interactive shows for the whole family. There are hundreds of theme parks across America, but here we will go over the top 10 theme parks for kids of all ages.

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Busch Gardens -Williamsburg, VA

Busch Gardens Williamsburg has been voted one of the world’s most beautiful amusement parks for over thirty years. Families love walking through the different European countries throughout the park. Visitors can enjoy viewing traditional dancing at Oktoberfest, French wine in France, a stop at the pub in England, or an Italian dinner in Little Italy.

Older kids can enjoy one of the eight rollercoasters, including the new Pantheon, which is the world’s fastest multi-launch rollercoaster. Younger kids can enjoy Land of the Dragons with kid-friendly rides and Sesame Street Forest where they may even meet their favorite character. The whole family can enjoy a Rhine River cruise or get a bird’s eye view of the park by catching a ride on the Skyride.

Idlewild and SoakZone- Ligonier, PA

Idlewild and SoakZone has been named the “Best Park for Families” and “Best Children’s Park”. Little ones can adventure through Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Story Book Forest or take out energy at the net climb or the Safari Hut playground both at Jumpin’ Jungle. Kids of all ages can captain their own boat on Pollywog Regatta or enjoy a ride around the park on the Loyalhanna Limited Railroad train. Older kids can catch a splash on Paul Bunyan’s Loggin’ Toboggan or enjoy a thrilling ride on the Rollo Coaster.

Don’t forget your bathing suit for the SoakZone! Relax on Float Away Bay or just cool off in the big pool under the Tipping Bucket. The bigger thrill seekers can plunge down the Pipeline or race friends down the Hydro Racers.

Check out one of the special events like Hallowboo, Celebrate America, Kid Fest, or Neighbor Days.

Image Credit: Photo by Aiva Apsite on Unsplash

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom- Orlando, FL

Everyone of all ages loves the most magical place on earth! Not only can kids see their favorite Disney princesses and characters, but they can also ride some of the most iconic rides like Space Mountain or a boat ride through It’s a Small World. The whole family can catch a fun musical number with the Country Bear Jamboree. Be sure to stay after dark to see Cinderella’s castle all lit up and maybe even catch a firework show!

Disneyland- Anaheim, CA

Disneyland in California has many of Disney World’s most popular attractions but on a smaller scale. There are classic rides for the little ones like hopping on top of Dumbo or adventuring through Chip ‘n Dale’s Treehouse. The older kids can have fun on Splash Mountain or Indiana Jones Adventure.

Sesame Place- Langhorne, PA

Little ones will love seeing their favorite characters at Sesame Place! This amusement park is great for the little ones since most of the rides are meant to be for most of the family. Younger and older kids can ride Big Bird’s Tour Bus, Captain Cookie’s High C’s Adventure, and Elmo’s Cloud Chaser. There are even a few roller coasters for the older adventure seekers! Oscar’s Wacky Taxi Roller Coaster and Vapor Trail are sure to appease the ones wanting a bit more thrill.

LEGOLAND Florida- Winter Haven, FL

LEGOLAND in Florida has both a theme park and water park to enjoy! Each member of the family is sure to find their favorite ride with over fifty-five to choose from. LEGOLAND even offers 4-D movies and meet-and-greet opportunities with the families favorite LEGO movie characters. The youngest members in the family will love catching a ride on the DUPLO train or climbing and sliding around Technic Tot Spot. There are a few rollercoasters like the Coastersaurus and Flying School.

Image Credit: Photo by Aiva Apsite on Unsplash

Knotts Berry Farm- Buena Park, CA

Knotts Berry Farm is not exactly what it sounds like. This farm is an amusement park with plenty of thrill-seeking rollercoasters and kiddie rides. Little ones will enjoy the Calico Railroad, while the larger kids will love Bigfoot Rapids or the new 4-D interactive ride.

Hersheypark- Hershey, PA

Hersheypark is an amusement park and waterpark in one. There are fifteen coasters, including two wooden rollercoasters and one water coaster. Hersheypark also has over twenty kiddie rides and activities, which include a train and many water activities.  Tickets also include entry to ZooAmerica, the 11-acre zoo that houses more than two-hundred animals. Be sure to check out Hershey’s Chocolate World, which is located next to the park. Chocolate World allows guests to build their own candy bar and has the world’s largest Hershey store.

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Universal’s Islands of Adventure- Orlando, FL

Universal’s Island of Adventure is one of the many parks that are apart of Universal Orlando Resort. The whole family can adventure through The Wizardly World of Harry Potter, Seuss Landing, Marvel Super Hero Island, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and so much more! The little ones will love the story on the One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish ride, while the big kids can enjoy the more adventurous rides like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Dragon Challenge. When families just want a break, they can catch a show inspired by Harry Potter or Dr. Seuss. 

Cedar Point- Sandusky, OH

Cedar Point has been entertaining families for over 150 years. This unique amusement park has over seventy rides, seventeen which are rollercoasters. The younger kids can enjoy many rides at Kiddy Kingdom and Planet Snoopy, while the older kiddos will like the Scrambler and Raptor in Main Midway. The whole family can also enjoy live entertainment daily or even the dinosaurs at the Dinosaurs Alive experience.