Read the complete list here: 100 Kid-Friendly Places to Play

Amusement Parks

Take the whole family out for a fun-filled day of exciting roller coasters, thrills and entertainment.
Alabama Splash Adventure. Bessemer, Ala. Just west of Birmingham, this park has received a number of new rides and attractions to turn this into one worth stopping by. It features ten water rides, two roller coasters, a train and a laser maze. alabamasplash.com.
Beech Bend Park. Bowling Green, Ky. A 368-acre, multipurpose entertainment complex nestled amongst a Beech tree forest and the winding Barren River in southern Kentucky. Five new rides expected to be completed in June. beechbend.com.
Carowinds. Charlotte, N.C. 108 action-packed acres, with more than 60 world-class rides, shows and attractions, including Carolina Harbor Waterpark, Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare: 3Z and Cirque Imagine. carowinds.com.
Dollywood. Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Major theme park with wooden roller coasters, including Lightning Rod, the fastest wood roller coaster and the first launching wood roller coaster in the world, thrilling rides and new family attractions. dollywood.com.
Family Kingdom Amusement Park. Myrtle Beach, S.C. More than 30 fun-filled rides for all ages, and the only seaside amusement park in Myrtle Beach. familykingdomfun.com.
Lake Winnepesaukah. Rossville, Ga. More than 30 family and kiddie rides to please the entire family. 2013 expansion added SoakYa Water Park. lakewinnie.com.
Pavilion Park. Myrtle Beach, S.C. Three areas of attractions to enjoy: East Park (original and new rides), West Park (kiddie rides) and Central Park (thrill rides). pavilion-park.com.
Tweetsie Railroad. Blowing Rock, N.C. This family-oriented theme park is based on the early Tweetsie railroad, whose nickname derives from the shrill “tweet, tweet” of its whistle. tweetsie.com.
Wild Adventures. Valdosta, Ga. A mix of more than 100 rides and attractions, including nine roller coasters, more than 500 wild animals, a variety of daily shows, Splash Island water park and a line-up of more than 50 concerts and special events throughout the year. New for 2016 are a new land filled with life-size dinosaurs and nine play spots for the whole family. wildadventures.com.

Aquariums

You and your children will be fascinated with the variety of aquatic life at these Southern aquariums.
Newport Aquarium. Newport, Ky. Showcases thousands of sea animals, including four rare shark rays, one of which gave birth to nine pups in January. newportaquarium.com.
South Carolina Aquarium. Charleston, S.C. View over 5,000 animals, many that are native to the state, and don’t forget to touch a shark! scaquarium.org.
Tennessee Aquarium. Chattanooga, Tenn. Come eye-to-eye with 10-foot sharks, giant spider crabs, river otters and alligators. www.tnaqua.org.

Children’s Museums

This summer, you and your kids can beat the heat through hands-on projects and fun-filled exhibits at one of these children’s museums.
Children’s Hands-On Museum of Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa, Ala. Storytime, Movin’ and Groovin,’ Kiddie Kitchen and Small Fry Science are among the programs you’ll find at this museum, which also has an art studio, farm area and even a place for space exploration. chomonline.org
Children’s Museum of South Carolina. Myrtle Beach, S.C. Exhibits and activities keep kids engaged and learning in the 8,700-square-foot space. You’ll find an under-construction house that encourages kids to build, a bank for role-playing, a South Carolina fossil hunt and an exhibit on electricity, among others. cmsckids.org
Creative Discovery Museum. Chattanooga, Tenn. Programs include art lessons, science demonstrations and story times, and you’ll find traveling exhibits such as Heart and Seoul – Growing Up in Korea. cdmfun.org
Greensboro Children’s Museum. Greensboro, N.C. Kids are put to work on Main Street, operating a market or pizza parlor or performing in the theater. They can climb aboard a police car, a real tractor-trailer or a DC-9 jet. gcmuseum.com
Kidsenses Children’s Interactive Museum. Rutherfordton, N.C. This 10,000-square-foot museum has wowed visitors since 2004, when it opened with 12 interactive exhibits, workshops and other learning experiences for visitors to this small town (population about 4,000). kidsenses.org
Marbles Kids Museum. Raleigh, N.C. The museum encourages imagination, learning and discovery by providing a stimulating environment for hours of play. marbleskidsmuseum.org.
Mississippi Children’s Museum. Jackson, Miss. Explore galleries focused on how the world works, health, creativity, history and animals, splash around or visit the Library Garden. mschildrensmuseum.org.
Savannah Children’s Museum. Savannah, Ga. This museum, with activities for kids Wednesday through Sunday, is next to the Georgia State Railroad Museum, so you can have two adventures in one stop. chsgeorgia.org.