MATCH ACTIVITY IDEAS

Year-Round Activities:

Go to an exhibit at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum
Attend one of the daily activities hosted at the Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley
Learn some Texas History at the Star of the Republic Museum (Washington, TX)
Hit up Adamson Lagoon Pool for waterslides and more
Catch a movie at the Queen Theatre (all tickets are $5 AND kids 10 & under get a free popcorn)
Visit the Century Tree on the Texas A&M campus
Compare Layne's vs. Cane's chicken tenders to see which is best
Attend one of the regular events hosted by the Bryan's Clara Mounce Library
Take a hike at Lick Creek Park to see some wildlife
Learn how to birdwatch by joining the Audubon Society (once a month on a Saturday)
Admire the art in Downtown Bryan (see if you can find murals, sculptures, and a gallery display)
Learn something new at the Brazos Valley African American Museum
Check out some very old bones at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History
Visit A&M's Game of Thrones memorabilia at Cushing Library
Try your hand at Pecan picking at Royalty Pecan farms
Take a walk or have a picnic around Lake Bryan
Learn how honey is made at Beeweaver Honey Farm (Navasota, TX)
Participate in a park clean up with Keep Brazos Beautiful
Attend a free yoga class at Lululemon (Century Square) OR Lake Walk (near the Stella Hotel) early on a Saturday
Listen to live music and play giant games over at Century Square in the evenings
Volunteer your skills with BCS Habitat for Humanity
Walk around First Friday in Downtown Bryan (1st Friday of every month)
Walk through 7+ acres of Gardens at Texas A&M (free entry and free weekend parking)
Explore the Bush School Rose Gardens
Hone your bowling/laser tag/mini-golf/arcade skills at Grand Station Entertainment
Play old school arcade games at Nerdvana
Cool down at the Lincoln Rec Center splash pad
Try your hand at disc golf at Wolf Pen Creek or Southern Oaks Park
Drop a line at the Stephen C. Beachy Central Park to see if you can catch a trout or catfish
Head to your favorite local Snow Cone spot and try a new-to-you flavor
Check out a musical at the Bryan Theater Company! (matinee tickets are $15 and $7 for kids under 12)
Visit Research park on Texas A&M's campus
Put on some skates at Spirit Ice Arena
Grab a couple of rackets and try your hand at tennis at a local court (Sue Haswell Park)
Learn how to do archery with the Brazos County Archery Club at their monthly "public shoot" meeting
Small groups (5+) can schedule fire department tours in College Station (if only the two of you, call about drop-in visits)

Seasonal Activities:

Learn more about Monarch butterflies at the annual Monarch March (early March)
Check out the bluebonnets and historical buildings at Boonville Heritage Park (April)
Visit the free Kite Fest in College Station (April) and make/bring a kite to fly
Go berry picking at the Kingsbury Blueberry Farm (June-July)
Buy $5 tickets to the Brazos Valley Bombers baseball game (summer months)
Sit by Lake Atlas and enjoy live music at their summer family-friendly Eats & Beats Concert series (June-August)
Watch a movie outdoors at the Bush Library and Museum (summer months)
Listen to live music during the Summer Sunset Concert Series in Downtown Bryan's Palace Theatre (summer months)
Watch the fireworks at the Bush Library & Museum (July 4)
Witness the annual “Wish Upon a Butterfly” monarch release at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History and see how many of the Texas state insects you can count (late July)
Attend the annual “Back to School Rally” at Lincoln Center to pick up some school supplies and play some games (early Aug)
Watch firefighters at their best at the TEEX Public Firefighting Demonstration Night (late July)
Pick out and carve a pumpkin for Halloween (Aggie Habitat for Humanity hosts a pumpkin path through October)
Attend "Night at the Museum for free indoor trick or treating, costume contest, and games at George Bush Library and Museum (late October)
Volunteer for a few hours on Thanksgiving with Epicures Catering to help pack meals for the community
Volunteer for a few hours for Bryan Rotary to deliver Thanksgiving baskets to the community before Thanksgiving
Attend Holiday Magic in Bryan to get into the holiday spirit - complete with real snow, cookies, hot chocolate, and more (Late November)
Make matching Christmas ornaments for both of your trees (if applicable)
Watch the Bryan or College Station Christmas parades (December)
Volunteer with the Salvation Army to help organize their Angels Program by sorting presents/signing them out
Volunteer with the Salvation Army as a bell ringer around the winter holidays
Have breakfast with Santa at Neal Recreation Center (December - ages 12 and under)
Cheer along runners at the BCS Marathon (December)
Attend Santa's Wonderland with BBBS

Anytime, Anywhere Activities:

Have a picnic at one of the parks
Visit Krispy Kreme and try a freshly cooked donut
Try your hand at making (or going to taste) sushi
Bake a cake (or cupcakes) and give them to someone - no reason needed
Buy some bubbles from the Dollar Store and see who can make the biggest
Prepare and bake your own pizza
Rent out a free movie from the Public Library and have a watch party with popcorn
Volunteer at the Animal Shelter
Design a crazy pizza at Blaze or Urban Bricks
Make Valentine’s day cards (or any holiday) for classmates, teachers, family, or friends
Celebrate your Little’s ½ birthday (6 months) with an ice cream treat
Use chalk and draw pictures or write friendly notes near a playground
Visit a few different playgrounds and decide which is most fun
Go to the library and check out a couple books to read
Attend a HS or college basketball/football/volleyball game
Buy a puzzle at the Dollar Store and put it together
Plant flower or vegetable seeds and watch them grow
Set up a birdfeeder and see if any new friends come to visit
Take a dog for a walk in the park
Search for some “at home” science experiments (or make some slime)
Buy a basketball or football at Five Below and then get outside
Celebrate your match anniversary date with something sweet
Find a crossword, word search, or Sodoku and try and solve one together
Show your little how to make your favorite meal (or the basics of cooking/baking)
Go on an adventure and then go to Walgreens and print out a few pictures
Play a new-to-you board game or a card game
Try your hand at: fishing, canoeing, biking, jogging
Visit a coffee shop and play chess, checkers, backgammon, or draw
Go to the park and play frisbee
Get into Geocaching
Stop by a resale store (like Goodwill) and see if you can find any cheap DVDs of your favorite old movies
Sign up for DuoLingo and try your hand at a new language - there are dozens to choose from
Buy some hot dog or hamburger fixin’s and have a tasty grill-out

Activities for Teens (14-18):

Look up how to apply for college scholarships & make a list of those applicable to your Little
Learn together how to fill out the FAFSA/grant applications
Search for local summer jobs and find out what age they can start
Help your little open a bank account and set up a budget
Help them make a “resume” for job and/or college applications
Make a book of “easy recipes” after teaching your Little the basics of cooking
Learn how to change the oil in a car - this can save both of you hundreds of dollars over time
Set up a personal email address that they can use for years to come (with a professional name)
Polish up a piece of writing, art, photography, or a video and help them submit it to Teen Ink magazine
Purchase some scrap wood at Home Depot and try your hand at building something small from scratch (like shelves, a hook for keys, etc)
Introduce them to people or places that relate to their interests for & after college
Do a mock/practice interview for a job interview (make sure to give feedback and pointers)
Write thank you notes to teachers/bosses/interviewers (maintain good relationships for future references)
Practice a good handshake
Talk about how to manage a schedule & not overcommit and how to prioritize getting work done
Get your Little a planner

MATCH ACTIVITY IDEAS

Year-Round Activities:

Go to an exhibit at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum

Attend one of the daily activities hosted at the Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley

Learn some Texas History at the Star of the Republic Museum (Washington, TX)

Hit up Adamson Lagoon Pool for waterslides and more

Catch a movie at the Queen Theatre (all tickets are $5 AND kids 10 & under get a free popcorn)

Visit the Century Tree on the Texas A&M campus

Compare Layne's vs. Cane's chicken tenders to see which is best

Attend one of the regular events hosted by the Bryan's Clara Mounce Library

Take a hike at Lick Creek Park to see some wildlife

Learn how to birdwatch by joining the Audubon Society (once a month on a Saturday)

Admire the art in Downtown Bryan (see if you can find murals, sculptures, and a gallery display)

Learn something new at the Brazos Valley African American Museum

Check out some very old bones at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History

Visit A&M's Game of Thrones memorabilia at Cushing Library

Try your hand at Pecan picking at Royalty Pecan farms

Take a walk or have a picnic around Lake Bryan

Learn how honey is made at Beeweaver Honey Farm (Navasota, TX)

Participate in a park clean up with Keep Brazos Beautiful

Attend a free yoga class at Lululemon (Century Square) OR Lake Walk (near the Stella Hotel) early on a Saturday

Listen to live music and play giant games over at Century Square in the evenings

Volunteer your skills with BCS Habitat for Humanity

Walk around First Friday in Downtown Bryan (1st Friday of every month)

Walk through 7+ acres of Gardens at Texas A&M (free entry and free weekend parking)

Explore the Bush School Rose Gardens

Hone your bowling/laser tag/mini-golf/arcade skills at Grand Station Entertainment

Play old school arcade games at Nerdvana

Cool down at the Lincoln Rec Center splash pad

Try your hand at disc golf at Wolf Pen Creek or Southern Oaks Park

Drop a line at the Stephen C. Beachy Central Park to see if you can catch a trout or catfish

Head to your favorite local Snow Cone spot and try a new-to-you flavor

Check out a musical at the Bryan Theater Company! (matinee tickets are $15 and $7 for kids under 12)

Visit Research park on Texas A&M's campus

Put on some skates at Spirit Ice Arena

Grab a couple of rackets and try your hand at tennis at a local court (Sue Haswell Park)

Learn how to do archery with the Brazos County Archery Club at their monthly "public shoot" meeting

Small groups (5+) can schedule fire department tours in College Station (if only the two of you, call about drop-in visits)

Seasonal Activities:

Learn more about Monarch butterflies at the annual Monarch March (early March)

Check out the bluebonnets and historical buildings at Boonville Heritage Park (April)

Visit the free Kite Fest in College Station (April) and make/bring a kite to fly

Go berry picking at the Kingsbury Blueberry Farm (June-July)

Buy $5 tickets to the Brazos Valley Bombers baseball game (summer months)

Sit by Lake Atlas and enjoy live music at their summer family-friendly Eats & Beats Concert series (June-August)

Watch a movie outdoors at the Bush Library and Museum (summer months)

Listen to live music during the Summer Sunset Concert Series in Downtown Bryan's Palace Theatre (summer months)

Watch the fireworks at the Bush Library & Museum (July 4)

Witness the annual “Wish Upon a Butterfly” monarch release at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History and see how many of the Texas state insects you can count (late July)

Attend the annual “Back to School Rally” at Lincoln Center to pick up some school supplies and play some games (early Aug)

Watch firefighters at their best at the TEEX Public Firefighting Demonstration Night (late July)

Pick out and carve a pumpkin for Halloween (Aggie Habitat for Humanity hosts a pumpkin path through October)

Attend "Night at the Museum for free indoor trick or treating, costume contest, and games at George Bush Library and Museum (late October)

Volunteer for a few hours on Thanksgiving with Epicures Catering to help pack meals for the community

Volunteer for a few hours for Bryan Rotary to deliver Thanksgiving baskets to the community before Thanksgiving

Attend Holiday Magic in Bryan to get into the holiday spirit - complete with real snow, cookies, hot chocolate, and more (Late November)

Make matching Christmas ornaments for both of your trees (if applicable)

Watch the Bryan or College Station Christmas parades (December)​

Volunteer with the Salvation Army to help organize their Angels Program by sorting presents/signing them out

Volunteer with the Salvation Army as a bell ringer around the winter holidays

Have breakfast with Santa at Neal Recreation Center (December - ages 12 and under)

Cheer along runners at the BCS Marathon (December)

Attend Santa's Wonderland with BBBS​

Anytime, Anywhere Activities:

Have a picnic at one of the parks

Visit Krispy Kreme and try a freshly cooked donut

Try your hand at making (or going to taste) sushi

Bake a cake (or cupcakes) and give them to someone - no reason needed

Buy some bubbles from the Dollar Store and see who can make the biggest

Prepare and bake your own pizza

Rent out a free movie from the Public Library and have a watch party with popcorn

Volunteer at the Animal Shelter

Design a crazy pizza at Blaze or Urban Bricks

Make Valentine’s day cards (or any holiday) for classmates, teachers, family, or friends

Celebrate your Little’s ½ birthday (6 months) with an ice cream treat

Use chalk and draw pictures or write friendly notes near a playground

Visit a few different playgrounds and decide which is most fun

Go to the library and check out a couple books to read

Attend a HS or college basketball/football/volleyball game

Buy a puzzle at the Dollar Store and put it together

Watch the Bryan or College Station Christmas parades (December)

Attend Santa's Wonderland with BBBS