3 Fun Things to Do with Kids in Salt Lake City, Utah: A Full Day's Activities for Your Enjoyment

Salt Lake City, Utah's capitol and largest city, has plenty of activities for nature enthusiasts to enjoy, but fortunately there are also some fun things to do with kids. As a parent, I know it can be hard to find child-appropriate activities in a major city. In SLC, though, there are plenty of venues that cater to children. Here are my top three:

Salt Lake City Kids' Activity #1: The Living Planet Aquarium. You wouldn't expect a desert state to have an aquarium, but SLC does. Located in Sandy (a suburb immediately south of the city), the Living Planet Aquarium is small but excellent. You can see it all in an hour or two, and it is clearly targeted toward children. There is a large touching pool, where kids can touch stingrays, as well as a learning center where children touch hermit crabs, starfish, and the like. The displays are of the same quality I have seen in aquariums in other major cities.

Salt Lake City Kids' Activity #2: The Mayan Restaurant. After a morning at the aquarium, you might want to catch lunch, and the Mayan Restaurant is a great place to do it. The food is average (and a little expensive -- lunch for myself, my wife, and our two kids comes to about $50), but the food is not the draw. The restaurant's décor is excellent, imitating the interior of a Mayan Pyramid. All of the tables are situated with a view of the restaurant's main attraction: A series of waterfalls pouring down into a pool of water. Every fifteen minutes or so, "natives" (i.e., actors), play out a little scene and then take turns diving into the pool. The dives are spectacular, and the children love them. If you sit close, you can get splashed, so be warned.

Salt Lake City Kids' Activity #3: Hogle Zoo. The classic children's attraction in SLC is Hogle Zoo. It might not be the greatest zoo in the country, but it does make for an entertaining afternoon. Kids love it. Parents will love it, too, because it is not as spread-out and exhausting as many zoos you have been to. As of this writing there are a number of baby animals to see there, and that seems to be the case generally.

With the above three activities, you and your kids can have a nice day in Salt Lake City. Each of these venues charges admission and is open specific hours, so call ahead for the details. Then enjoy a day of fun and kid-friendly activities in Salt Lake City, Utah.