Last of summer hurrah for kids

I recommend a bounce house or water slide from Backyard Bounce.
It's fun for all ages, and local Apache owner.

I recommend a "Kids in Charge" week. Kids have no rules regarding screen time, bed time, or anything else, BUT they are in charge of all the housework for the week including laundry, cooking dinners, taking care of the dog, etc. I've given them a budget for food/shopping and a budget for entertainment that they can spend however they want: movies, bowling, etc. I have to give them rides when they ask, but they have to give me notice.

We did Typhoon Texas with some friends that was a huge hit for my 10 year old.

Meg Solley I love that so much!!!

Purple martin roost
travisaudubon.org/?event=pu...
This link is for the Travis Audubon event on this Saturday, but the birds will be there every night. It's a public space, so we could go any time, and it's free.

Things to do in Austin

Nature

Bracken Bat Cave - sunset- about 1hr+ drive south of Austin, with an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats!! Sign up at www.batcon.org. Gate: 29.687649°, -98.330215°; Cave: 29.687068°, -98.352554°

Congress Ave bridge bats - sunset every night from mid-March through mid-October or so. austintexas.org/things-to-d...

Purple Martins - sunset - north Austin

Barton Springs pool (close to home; good to do any time; on a hot day it will cool you off for the rest of the day)

Mt. Bonnell 30.32110, -97.77372

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Museums and galleries and stuff

Bullock Texas State History Museum - La Belle exhibit -Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

Blanton Museum blantonmuseum.org

Texas Memorial Museum - our natural history museum; Austin's first - tmm.utexas.edu; Tuesday through Saturday, 9am - 5pm.

Elizabet Ney Museum - 304 E 44th St., austintexas.gov/Elisabetney

Davis Gallery - 837 W. 12th St. - opening on Saturday 7-15, 7-9 pm

LBJ Library

Texas Museum of Science & Technology; 1220 Toro Grande Dr., Cedar Park; txmost.org.

Austin Aquarium; 13530 N. Hwy 183, Austin, TX 78750; 512-222-5586; [email protected]

Other cool places

Austin Tinkering School, 1122 Airport Blvd Ste. A, Austin, 78702; austintinkeringschool.com/#

Cathedral of Junk. roadsideamerica.com/story/7816 Also has a Facebook page. 4422 Lareina Dr., Austin, TX. Directions: Go south on Congress Ave., turn right on St. Elmo Rd, then take the second left onto Lareina. Private home, owner is Vince Hannemann. By appt only. (Call to verify) 512-299-7413

Free public places

Larry Monroe Forever Bridge (Eastside Drive, about 3 blocks from our house)

The Stick your Head Here sculpture at 2204 S. Congress Ave., Austin, TX; in the median between W. Live Oak St. and Bartlett St. where they intersect the west side of S. Congress Ave.

State Capitol

Roy Guerrero Colorado River Park

Ai Weiwei bike sculpture (where Trinity St dead ends at the river). wallercreek.org/event/ai-we...

Other stuff

Esther's Follies

Austin Learnshop

Paramount Theatre

Blue Starlite Drive-in

Earth Native Wilderness School.

Inner Space Cavern

Natural Bridge Cavern

Hamilton Pool

Thank you Brenda Ladd !