OTHER THINGS TO DO
- Bingo: Lodge 88 offers bingo nights every Thursday. You need to arrive early to grab a seat before it is at capacity and they close the doors. The profits from the games go to local charities. http://www.lodge88.org/Bingo.html. Market Square in downtown also offers themed "Blanket Bingo" the third Thursday of every month: http://marketsquarepark.com/calendar/
- Video games and arcade: For $15, the bar (Eighteen Twenty) and the massive arcade showroom (Joystix) open on the first and last Friday night of every month from 9 pm to 2 am. http://www.houstonpress.com/news/joystix-and-eighteen-twenty-we-love-the-80s-6715857
- Skateparks: For skateboarders. http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/ourparks/skateparks.html
- Tennis courts: The Houston Parks and Recreation Department provides three tennis centers with 60 courts (http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/tennis.html) and this link shows the remaining tennis courts across town (http://www.tennismaps.com/index.asp?regionid=10).
- Municipal golf courses: The Houston Parks and Recreation Department provides seven challenging golf courses for citizens' enjoyment. http://www.houstontx.gov/municipalgolf/index.html
- Kid playgrounds: The Houston Parks and Recreation Department provides a variety of safe, colorful play equipment at mane of the city's parks and greenspaces. Here is a listing of _them: http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/playgroundswithoutlimits/playgroundsA-F.html
- Dog parks: The Houston Parks and Recreation Department has dedicates parks for dogs. Remember to always have them on a leash and pick up after them. http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/dogparks.html
- Municipal pools: The Houston Parks and Recreation Department operates and maintains 37 outdoor swimming pools. http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/aquatics/index.html
- Public libraries: Find one close to you at http://www.houstonlibrary.org/hpl-locations. Most libraries have several events for kids and adults (from language classes to book clubs and even job hunting workshops).
- Kemah Boardwalk: “For a seaside experience with a vintage carnival vibe, this half-mile-long amusement park by the sea guarantees fun for the whole family. There’s a wooden roller coaster, 65-foot Ferris wheel, carousel, dancing fountains that shoot water 10-12 feet up into the air, and a reproduction of an 1863 Central Pacific train.” http://www.kemahboardwalk.com/
- 15 best indoor and outdoor water parks in the Houston area: http://kid101.com/15-best-indoor-and-outdoor-water-parks-in-and-around-houston/
- SplashTown Water Park: In addition to the amusement park in Kemah and the water park in Galveston, you can also find SplashTown on the north side of Houston. https://www.wetnwildsplashtown.com/. Recently enhanced: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/magnolia/living/largest-water-park-in-houston-opens-may-offering-slides-attractions/article_d9782e3e-10d5-11e6-8416-eb9dfd8a61f6.html
- Strawberry Water Park: In Pasadena. Opening September 5, 2015. http://www.ci.pasadena.tx.us/default.aspx?name=prk.fac-aquatics and http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/pasadena/news/strawberry-water-park-plans-unveiled/article_a0c2f7e1-cee8-5311-9004-43f166de1c8f.html
- Houston Remote Control (RC) Car and Truck Tracks: Houston is a big city and radio control is alive and well. This link has a lit of some of the places where you can race your cars and trucks. http://www.rccoh.com/rc.tracks/
- Remote Control (RC) Airfields: Looking to fly remote control aircraft or drones? Then, here is a map with area airfields. http://www.checkthesock.com/rc_airfields. Please do not fly them outside of these designated airfields to avoid issues with passenger aircraft until the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) comes out with regulations for drones/Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAVs)/Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). (http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/uas/).
- Scuba Diving: PADI's website allows you to look for PADI dive shops around (http://apps.padi.com/scuba-diving/dive-shop-locator/) and look under "Lakes and State Parks" and "Day Trips from Houston" for information about lakes to practice your diving skills. A popular diving trip from Houston is one to the Flower Gardens: http://www.scubadiving.com/travel/south/10-things-love-about-flower-garden-banks
- Horseback Riding: Houston is still horse country despite being the fourth largest city in America. Houstonians can drive to high-quality riding facilities with stunning nature trails in as little as 15 minutes. Here is a listing of some of those facilities: http://houston.cbslocal.com/top-lists/best-places-for-horseback-riding-in-houston/
- 4x4 Trails:
- Sam Houston National Forest: http://www.riderplanet-usa.com/atv/trails/info/texas_07837/ride_7570.htm
- Down South Offroad Park: https://www.facebook.com/Down-South-Offroad-Park-118912221646418/
- Xtreme Off Road Park and Beach: https://www.facebook.com/Xtreme-Off-Road-Park-Beach-537566376269500/
- General Sam's Off Road Park: http://www.generalsams.com/_
- Archery: Here are some companies who offer archery in Houston. www.westhoustonarchery.com, www.houstonarchery.com, and www.archeryhouston.com
- Rock Climbing: The only type of rock climbing you can do in Houston is, of course, indoor. Here are three gyms where you can climb: http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-8786245
- Paintball: There are so many paintball facilities in Houston that I will not mention any of them to avoid forgetting some. Just google "paintball Houston" and you'll see them all.
- Pedal Party: Rent a "Party Bike" for up to 16 people. http://www.pedal-party.com/
- Bayou City Outdoors: Don't like to do things by yourself and/or want to meet new people in town? Join this adventure and social club. They organize all kinds of activities and travel trips. http://www.bayoucityoutdoors.com/
- Houston Sports and Social Club: Their logo is "Meet People. Stay Active. Have Fun." They offer a variety of co-ed sports leagues and tournaments as well as a wide array of social events and activities. http://www.houstonssc.com/
- Flight School Directory: Learn to fly at one of the area general aviation airports. http://www.aopa.org/learntofly/school/
- Aerial Tours: Ok, you don't want to learn to fly... but, do you want to take an aerial tour of Houston? Here are some companies that offer it, in airplanes or helicopters. http://www.houstonhelicoptercharter.com/houston-helicopter-tours-rides.php, http://www.redwingaerials.com/houston.html, and http://flytowhere.com/.
- Skydiving: If you want to give skydiving a try, there are several companies around town that offer this adrenaline seeking activity. Skydive Spaceland (http://houston.skydivespaceland.com/), Westside Skydivers (http://www.westsideskydivers.com/), Skydiving Houston (http://www.skydivinghoustontx.com/), Skydive Houston (http://www.skydivinginhouston.com/), Houston Skydiving Adventures (http://www.skydiving-houston.com/), Skydiving over Houston (http://www.skydivingoverhouston.com/), and 1800 Skydive (http://1800skydive.com/).
- Houston Spaceport Frontier Lectures: Attend a lecture about the future of space travel in Houston: policy, technology innovation, commercialization, biological impacts, space science, economics, etc. www.spacefrontiers.rice.edu
- Ghost tours: http://www.houstonghosttour.com/
- Things to do off the beaten path along METRO's new green line: http://www.houstoniamag.com/news-and-profiles/city-and-region/articles/what-to-do-off-metro-new-green-rail-line-april-2015
- Still can’t figure out what to do in Houston? You can organize a geocaching event with your friends: http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.aspx?guid=9e41b261-d446-4b92-9947-804275f06db0
- Discounted websites, like Groupon, Living Social, or SweetJack as examples, often times have discounts on things to see and do in Houston
- Play bocce: Tuesdays at Brooklyn Athletic Club in Midtown and Wednesdays at Cottonwood in the Heights. houston.majorleaguebocce.com/locations