Boise with kids

First, where you would be: our house is in Boise's North End, the historic residential neighborhood just north of downtown, three doors down from Hyde Park — the neighborhood's small strip of shops and restaurants on 13th Street. Every time below is measured from our front door.

Within walking distance

Camel's Back Park

Three minutes on foot. A large playground, tennis courts, restrooms, a big open lawn, and the sandy hill that gives the park its name — kids run up it, roll down it, and sled it in winter. It is also the trailhead into the foothills, which means you can turn a playground morning into a short hike without moving the car.

Goody's Soda Fountain

On the Hyde Park strip. Ice cream, an old-fashioned soda counter, and a candy case. This is the bribe that gets small legs through a walk to dinner.

G. Willikers

A proper independent toy store a one-minute walk away, and a reliable rainy-hour rescue.

About ten minutes by car, in and around downtown

Zoo Boise

In Julia Davis Park. Compact enough to do in half a morning without a meltdown, which is exactly the right size for under-eights. A portion of every admission funds wildlife conservation. Boo at the Zoo runs through the second half of October; the Easter EGGstravaganza lands in spring.

Discovery Center of Idaho

Hands-on science museum, also near Julia Davis Park. The default rainy-day and heat-wave answer, and it holds a wide age range — toddlers through middle schoolers.

Julia Davis Park itself

Beyond the zoo: paddle boats on the pond, the Idaho State Museum, the Boise Art Museum, a rose garden, and direct access to the Greenbelt path along the river. You can spend an entire day inside one park.

Boise Public Library

Downtown, with a substantial children's area and free programming. An underrated hour when the afternoon needs a reset.

Outdoors, by season

Summer

• Floating the Boise River — the six-mile drift from Barber Park (about 15 minutes east by car) down to Ann Morrison Park near downtown, with a shuttle back to the start. Generally good for confident swimmers around eight and up; check current flows and the park's own guidance, and life jackets are required for children.
• Splash pads and pools — several city parks run free splash pads through the summer, and Boise Parks and Recreation operates public pools across town.
• Ann Morrison and Kathryn Albertson Parks — huge lawns, fountains, ponds and shade, both on the Greenbelt.
• Biking the Greenbelt — the paved riverside path that runs the length of the city. Flat and car-free — the rare place a family can ride together without anyone's stomach in knots.

Fall and spring

• Short foothills hikes — the Camel's Back trails, and the lower Hulls Gulch loop just beyond them, are doable for most school-age kids. Start early, bring more water than seems necessary, and turn around before anyone insists.
• Idaho Botanical Garden — a children's garden, plenty of room to run, and the Old Idaho Penitentiary next door for older kids who find that interesting rather than alarming.
• Farmers markets — the Capital City Public Market runs Saturdays downtown from April, with music and food stalls.

Winter

• Sledding at Camel's Back — three minutes from the door, and free.
• Bogus Basin — a tubing hill and a ski school alongside the main mountain, a 35-minute drive up the road at the north edge of the city. See the ski trip guide.
• Winter Garden aGlow — hundreds of thousands of lights at the Botanical Garden through December.
• Idaho Potato Drop — a free, family-friendly New Year's Eve downtown, with the countdown early enough for small kids.

Practical notes from hosting families

• Boise summers are hot and dry. Mid-90s afternoons are routine in July and August. Plan outdoor time before eleven and after six; the middle of the day is for the Discovery Center or the pool.
• The house sleeps six. A California King, a Queen, and a double sleeper sofa in the den — which usually means parents in one room, kids split between the other two.
• All the sleeping is upstairs. Once small children are down, the kitchen and living room are on a different floor. Parents notice this one.
• The hot tub is not gated. Worth saying plainly: it sits in the walled courtyard without a locked cover enclosure, so families with toddlers should plan supervision accordingly.
• Laundry in the unit. With kids, this is not a luxury feature.
• No pets. Some families ask — the answer is no, at any size.