stretch your dollar

Bats, buttons, and horses provide unusual Houston fun

Monday, July 24, 2017

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Take your kids on a summer field trip to beat the mid-break boredom. These ideas are free and fun!

Mother of four and blogger of the site Big Kids Small City, Jill Jarvis says Houston is filled with hidden gems that kids love.

For example, the mysterious red button at the Preston Bridge near downtown Houston. You push the button and guess what happens?

Bubbles in the bayou take over and will delight your little ones.

"It kinds looks like a sea monster, or something, it's fun to find, then push it. Also, if you can time it when a boat goes over it, it's especially funny," said Jarvis.

That mysterious button is located at 510 Preston Street Bridge. The water on the south side of the bridge will bubble.

Do your kids want to see animals but you don't want to pay? Check out the Houston Police Department Mounted Patrol Stables.

You can meet and feed the horses. The facility is located at 5005 Little York Road. Bring plenty of carrots but be sure to call ahead for visiting hours because they do change.

Do you want a little evening adventure? Visit the Waugh Drive Bridge at sunset at the Buffalo Bayou Park. More than 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from crevices found in the Waugh Drive Bridge.

These bats make the bayou their home year-round.

For more ideas check out Jill Jarvis' complete list of unusual things to do around Houston on her blog.