I love spending intentional time with each of my kids. There is something about slowing down, pausing the day to day routines, and really cultivating our relationship that makes me feel so fulfilled as a mother. With 4 little ones, it can be hard to fit in these pockets of time, but I know it is so worth it. My hope is that these Mommy Daughter Dates will help my kids grow up feeling secure, loved, adored, and treasured. I truly cherish time with them and love making them feel special! These ideas are all sparked by things I have done with my girls! My son isn’t quite old enough to appreciate Mommy Dates yet, but my three girls LOVE going on dates!
I have compiled some of our favorites below:
- Brazos Park East (with cookies!)
I have lived in Waco for almost 14 years now and recently stumbled upon this jewel! We love to take a picnic blanket and sit by the water, or walk through the nature trail. A bonus fun idea is to grab chocolate chip cookies from Lula Jane’s (which is nearby) and bring them with you for a fun picnic treat!
- Magnolia Market
Magnolia is a great “girly” place to spend time together. We especially love riding on the swings. My oldest daughter also loves the crepe food truck or the bakery. Playing in the teepee and admiring the fairy gardens are favorites of my younger girls. We all enjoy the flowers, unique displays, and games on the big lawn.
- Sweet Treats
Waco has some great options for treats! Here are some of our favorites:
- BJ’s has $3 pizookies on Tuesdays, which is a fun and inexpensive Mommy Daughter Date.
- We are also big fans of Steel City Pops and love discovering new popcicle flavors there!
- What About Cupcakes is a favorite for my 4 year old, who is obsessed with the Oreo cupcakes with mini Oreos on top (which she saves for her baby doll!)
- Heritage Creamery is beloved as well! We love the aesthetic of Heritage Creamery and the assortment of flavors and cookie options.
- Used Bookstore and Coffee Shop
One of our favorite recent Mommy Daughter Dates was poking through Brazos Books (a used bookstore on Valley Mills). We picked out a few favorites and then took them to a coffee shop to peruse. We read, colored (one of the books my daughter picked was an art book), and drank hot chocolate. It was simple but created a sweet memory for us to share!
- Horseback Ride at Brazos Bluffs Ranch
This may be a bit of a splurge, but we have had SUCH an amazing experience with Brazos Bluffs Ranch! If your kids are young enough, they can ride in your lap. Trail rides go through beautiful wooded areas and overlook the Brazos River. I highly highly recommend this, at least once! We still talk about “Cassie the Hungry Horse” that we rode, who nibbled leaves all along the trail ride and loved taking breaks. This was an outstanding Mommy Daughter Date and we have gone riding as a family as well. Fun for everyone!
- Make a Butterfly Garden at Bonnie’s Greenhouse
Bonnie’s Greenhouse is one of our favorite stops for garden plants! The owners are so friendly and have loads of gardening wisdom. They also keep their guineas on the premises, and following them around provides lots of entertainment for little ones! Recently, we admired lots of the flowers at Bonnies and bought some of our own to create a butterfly garden. The owners had great advice about which flowers would work the best for our area. We added some fun features, like a tiny house, stepstones, and bridge, which we found in the gardening section of Hobby Lobby. My daughter had such a great time creating her own little world for butterflies and I had so much fun learning right alongside her! This proved to be a fun and educational Mommy Daughter Date.
- Homestead Heritage
There is always something to observe and learn at Homestead! Our favorite places are the café (for ice cream, desserts, and their stellar Raspberry Lemonade) and the Potter’s House. On certain days they will even provide a ball of clay for kids to make their own pot. Similarly, the Weaving House allows kids to weave a small coaster (for a fee) and they will tie it off and mail it to you at a later date. We always come away from Homestead with inspiration for craft projects and a picture of the simple life in our heads.
- Trampoline Park
Urban Air Trampoline Park (next to Richland Mall) is a great way to do something special and expend some extra energy! My 4 year old even brought her beloved baby doll along to jump with us on this Mommy Daughter Date. There is a special jumping section for younger kids, and a playground area with climbing structures and a huge slide! This was a big hit!
- Painting the Sunset in Cameron Park
Catching the sunset together is a memorable experience in itself, but try capturing the sunset with some paint and canvases for a really unique experience! My oldest daughter, Emery, is very interested in art. A few years ago, we watched the sunset at Lover’s Leap in Cameron Park and brought along some canvases and paint to record our experience. She still remembers this and we still have our artwork to remind us of this special evening!
- Any Baylor Event
As Wacoans, my husband and I often joke that Baylor is our main entertainment. There is so much to do, from Homecoming events, to Christmas on Fifth Street, to sporting events. We love our Baylor Bears basketball and football, but we are also taking in some of the lesser known Baylor sports! Baylor Equestrian meets are fun, FREE, and so enjoyable for kids! Watching horses on this Mommy Daughter Date was an out-of-the-ordinary treat!
- Kid’s Movie at the Hippodrome
The Hippodrome is a unique experience, and such a fun spot for a Mommy Daughter Date! With dining options while you watch, there is no place like it in Waco! Enjoy some food and take in a kid friendly movie together!
- Carleen Bright Arboretum
One of my first Mommy Daughter Dates with my oldest involved packing a picnic and eating in the pavilion at the Carleen Bright Arboretum. This special place is gorgeous and involves very little pre-planning! Even just wandering the grounds together is a breathtaking experience. Also, we have heard great things about their Mother Daughter Tea coming up for Mother’s Day! We are planning to make it a multi-generational event, with my mom attending as well. According to my daughter Ruby, who is a proud “Mommy” to her baby dolls, this makes 3 generations of “Mommies,” which might just be the ultimate Mommy Daughter Date!
Do you know which days there are the activities you mentioned at Homestead Heritage? You gave me some more ideas for my grandsons!
They have an amazing Thanksgiving Fair and Sorghum Festival, and there are always crafts on these days. I would recommend calling ahead if there is a certain activity you are looking for. Sometime on the weekends we have been fortunate to stumble upon some of the activities already set up, but I’m not sure if there is a schedule for them or not! I hope you and your grandsons enjoy visiting Homestead Heritage together!
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