Entertaining Children in Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Michigan

Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Michigan is located on Lake Michigan in the southwestern corner of Michigan. There are numerous activities to keep the little ones busy throughout the year.

Silver Beach

Silver Beach is the beach line in St. Joseph. Unsupervised swimming and beach play, as well as a play area on the beach are ideal for children. Less than a block from the beach is a rental area for beach equipment, kayaks and other items to help keep your day at the beach adventurous. There is a pizza restaurant and a functional carousel on the Silver Beach complex. Parking is available for a fee.

Krasl Art Center

While an art center may not seem like a place that would be appropriate for children, the Krasl Art Center has hands-on activities, special activities and workshops to help kids stay busy and get creative all at the same time. The exhibits and activities at the Krasl Art Center change often, and advanced booking is required for some activities.

Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library

The Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library offers a plethora of children's activities from Story Time to Kids' Movie Time. No membership to the library is needed for these activities. Parents are required to stay with the children during the activities. For parents who have a babysitter for the kids, an adult movie night is held once per month.

Curious Kids' Museum

The Curious Kids' Museum is a venue that offers hands-on activities, camps, workshops and special activities for children of all ages. Activities and exhibits change often. For example, a hand-on veterinary exhibit opened in 2010. In this exhibit, children practice reading x-rays. Child-safe operating tools allow the children to operate on models of animals. The Toddle Farm is a permanent exhibit that is safe for toddlers and helps them to learn to explore the world around them. This area also has a private nursing area for breastfeeding mothers.

Parks

In the Benton Harbor/St. Joseph area, there are numerous parks. Most of these parks are very clean and offer equipment for 2 to 5 year olds and 5 to 12 year olds. One really nice park is the Kiwanis Park in St. Joseph. This park features a large play area, two dog parks, six tennis courts, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, a skateboard park, a picnic area and restrooms.

The Bottom Line

If you are in the Benton Harbor/St. Joseph area, there are indoor and outdoor activities that can help you to keep your kids entertained regardless of the weather. Most of these activities are free or inexpensive, so they are ideal for most budgets.