Activities in Atlanta for Young Kids

This spring we took our kids to Atlanta for the first time for a weekend. While we are typically more of a camping kind of family, we also want to introduce our young kids to different cities in the United States. When planning these trips, we look for a lot of fun and educational activities. Atlanta had so many activities for young kids.

We only had a few days in Atlanta, so we wanted to mix up the kinds of attractions we visited. We wanted to have variety on the trip to get a feel for what Atlanta has to offer.

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Atlanta Zoo

Parking and Arrival

Our first morning we spent at the Atlanta Zoo.  I definitely recommend getting there early. We went on a weekday in the spring and we arrived only fifteen minutes after they opened.  The parking lot was already filling up, and while the size of the zoo absorbed the many visitors pretty well, the crowds definitely grew as the day went on.  There is a large parking lot right in front of the zoo, with street parking nearby if the parking lot is full.  The all-day rate wasn’t much more than the three-hour rate, so we went ahead and purchased the all-day rate so that we didn’t feel rushed.

Panda Exhibit

Since we were primarily there to see the pandas, that was the first exhibit that we headed straight to.  With any zoo trip, I highly recommend making a game plan and prioritizing the exhibits you want to see the most as early in the day as you can.  There was ample room early in the morning to see the pandas and we could really enjoy watching them.  When we circled back around later in the day, this was definitely not the case anymore.  The crowds made it difficult to view the pandas and most animals are generally less active in the afternoon.  The panda exhibit was great. The workers were extremely knowledgeable and were happy willing to share their knowledge of the pandas as well as an overview of how panda diplomacy works with China.

Remainder of the Zoo

After the pandas, we headed to the African Rainforest section, which is a permanent exhibit.  There were numerous gorillas that we got to watch roam around and even playfully chase each other.  The exhibit for the gorillas was much more spacious than other gorilla exhibits we’ve seen.

The next section we visited was the African Savanna section.  The elephants were splashing in water and the giraffes definitely had room to roam about.  However, we thought the African Rainforest section was much more impressive than the savanna section.

By late morning it was getting hot and crowded, so we took a break to eat a soft pretzel. (Soft pretzels are a little zoo family tradition we enjoy!) We also greatly enjoyed the misters at this point that were spraying water on us!

Takeaway from the Zoo

We left the zoo around lunch time and felt like four hours had been ample time to view everything.  Overall, I thought it was a really enjoyable zoo. The pandas were definitely the standout exhibit. However, there’s always the chance that pandas return or that the Atlanta Zoo builds another unique exhibit in lieu of the pandas to draw visitors. 

We walked across the street from the zoo and had a picnic lunch in a very shady park. Our adventure bag set up made it really easy to switch from the zoo to a picnic lunch with minimal preparation. (Be sure to check back soon for a post about what I put in our adventure bag!)

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum

After our morning at the zoo and our picnic lunch, we were all pretty tired and hot.  We decided to spend the afternoon at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.  Not only was it air conditioned (yay for air conditioning in Atlanta!), but it was such a great first presidential library to introduce our oldest daughter to.

We love the idea of introducing history to our daughters as a living, exciting field of study and as something that has immense benefit and enjoyment in studying.  Presidential libraries are a great way to do this because they emphasize the fact that these presidents were real people.  While a library is definitely going to highlight the positives of their administrations, and is certainly not an unbiased interpretation, I also think there is value in introducing the concept of government in a positive, optimistic light.  (They have time enough to become cynical!)

The library was located in a beautifully shaded area.  A few picnic tables were available and it looked like a lovely place for a picnic.  It also offered us a great reprieve from the Atlanta heat and humidity.  My daughter loved walking past the reflecting pools on our way into the center.  Children 16 and under were free, which was another great perk for us.  (And after a morning at the zoo, I also really loved the clean and spacious restrooms that didn’t include a ginormous group of kids getting ready for the splash pad!)

Jimmy Carter Childhood Exhibits

The museum consisted of exhibits that highlighted different phases of Jimmy Carter’s life from birth until post-presidency.  We spent most of our time looking at the exhibits on his childhood as it highlighted his humble roots.  I think it’s so important for children to see our historical figures as people- not statues on a pedestal- and looking at their childhood is a great way to do this.  Children love finding similarities to their own childhoods as well as talking about the differences they see.  The differences in how the Carters’ baby clothes compared to our current baby clothes particularly fascinated my preschooler.

Each exhibit had large, blown up photos that were visually captivating. Many exhibits had videos playing segments from interviews with Jimmy Carter.  Additionally, many of the exhibits had small interactive parts designed specifically for children to interact with.  

Rosalyn Carter and Post-Presidency Exhibits

The museum also had exhibits that focused on Rosalyn Carter’s work as a First Lady.  As a mom of two daughters, I love introducing my girls to impactful women early on.  We talked about how Mrs. Carter worked to help improve other people’s lives and how important it is to serve others. 

Lastly, there was exhibit at the end that highlighted the Carters’ post-presidency service. Maps and images highlighted the different places that the Carters served around the world. My three year old was excited to identify the different continents that she recognized.  I really loved how the library emphasized the Carters’ shared vision of how the presidency was a place for public service as well as how their personal faith really shaped their views on helping others.  We talk a lot in our home about the importance of looking for opportunities to serve others; it was powerful to see how the Carters took that belief all the way up to the White House and tried to use their platform for good.

Enjoying the Museum Grounds

After walking through the exhibits we visited the gift shop (always something that gets our preschooler excited- even if we’re not buying anything!) and they had some ice cream cups local to Savannah, Georgia.  I don’t know about your kids, but there is probably nothing more exciting to my preschooler than the chance to eat ice cream. 

We took our ice cream out into a garden area that had a koi pond, flowers, and wildlife. When we take our girls to sites that are possibly seen as potentially ‘boring’ for kids, we always try to find something that they will also love.  Eating ice cream while looking for frogs officially sold our preschooler on the idea that presidential museums are awesome!

For the rest of the afternoon we were all pretty tired. Knowing that our baby would refuse to nap in the hotel room, we decided to relax in the hotel pool.  (If you’re looking for more tips on how to make traveling in general more comfortable with little kids, be sure to check back soon for that post!)

Georgia Aquarium

The next day we went to the Georgia Aquarium.  While we had initially picked Atlanta to see the pandas, I was definitely most excited about the aquarium. 

Arctic Exhibit

Their arctic exhibit featured beluga whales, otters, and seals.  While I’m fully aware that having beluga whales in captivity is controversial, I also know that the Georgia Aquarium contributes to research to help conserve belugas in the wild.  Additionally, one of my goals with our daughters is to introduce them early to the idea of conservation and stewardship of the planet. Developing an early love for these animals is a great way to do that.

Watching the animals swim around and play with each other was mesmerizing, both for my preschooler and my infant (babies LOVE the movement and lights in aquariums).  The docents were also extremely helpful and informative, telling us about the names of the different animals, behaviors to watch for, and anything my inquisitive three year old wanted to know.  I couldn’t have been more impressed with the staff.

However, the part my three year old enjoyed the most was the dolphin show.   The dolphin and sea lion shows are free, but seating needs to be secured in advance.  There are QR codes posted around the aquarium to conveniently do this.  The dolphin show featured information about the dolphins as well as showcasing their abilities.  Lights and water features really made the experience feel magical.

Dolphin Show

The aquarium also had several parts where kids could crawl through little tunnels and look like they were a part of the exhibits- my daughter LOVED it.  Like the zoo, I recommend getting to the aquarium early.  While it is very large and can absorb large crowds, it was definitely more enjoyable early in the morning when there was more space. 

Logistics

The aquarium advises against strollers (and there are size limits if you do choose to bring a stroller- no wagon strollers are allowed).  We decided to use our baby carrier instead for our youngest daughter and we were so grateful for that.  With all of the crowds, moving sidewalks, and going up and down between the different floors, a stroller would have been difficult to maneuver and would have been inconvenient for other patrons.

There were plenty of places in the aquarium to stop and rest for a while.  We used a smaller snack area on the upper floor as a chance to take a break. It was a good chance to rest and revitalize to avoid any meltdowns caused by being overtired. 

Four hours was enough time to see everything twice and see a dolphin show. There were also sea lion shows, but by this point my daughters were getting pretty tired.  We exited through the gift shop. They had a great selection of toys, books, and educational activities. We got our traditional Christmas tree ornament and a postcard for our daughter’s collection to help her remember the trip).  (Check back soon for a post on how we help our children remember their trips!)

We chose to do another picnic lunch (there’s a grassy area outside of the aquarium). However, there were a couple of different places to eat in the aquarium.  There was a larger restaurant as well as a smaller snack area on the upper floor of the aquarium.  

The Georgia Aquarium was an impressive experience and is one of the best aquariums we’ve visited so far.

Things We Would Like to Return For With Our Kids

Interactive Museums

We only had a few days in Atlanta, so we didn’t have nearly enough time to experience everything we wanted.  If we ever went back, we would definitely want to visit the World of Coca-Cola Museum.  It’s right across a green space from the aquarium. There are discounted City Pass tickets where you can purchase bundle admissions for different attractions.  

I’d really like to attend the Fernbank Science Center.  They have swinging bridges, dinosaur exhibits, and nature exhibits.  We didn’t have time to visit it on this trip, but it’s also included in the City Pass.  When we return to Atlanta this would be at the top of my list.

Historical Museums

We would also really like to attend the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Site.  This was on our original itinerary for this trip.  However, the littlest one in our van fell asleep as we pulled into the parking lot. As much as we wanted to see it, we were also desperate for her to sleep some. (If you’ve ever completely changed your plans because the baby conked out in their car seat- you know what I’m talking about!)  So instead, we sat in the parking lot and quietly talked to our preschooler about how King was a man who wanted to help other people.

In a similar vein, I would like to return for the The National Center for Civil and Human Rights.  It reportedly has very engaging, powerful exhibits.  However, we felt like it would be best to wait until they were old enough to really process it. 

Overall, I thought it was a great city to visit with our young daughters.  My oldest loved looking at the tall buildings and she loved the Georgia Aquarium.  It’s given us great themes to keep learning about at home as well.  If you would like a list of books and activities that I planned specifically for Atlanta, check out that post here!

And if you have been to Atlanta with little kids, comment below on your favorite places to go!

If you’re interested in why we travel with our kids while they’re still little, check out my post here.

If you would like to check out the websites of the places we visited, those are provided here:

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.