25 Mother-Son Dates In Austin

In follow-up to my fellow contributor’s blog on Mommy Daughter Dates in Austin, here are 25 ideas for mother son dates in Austin. I jumped at the chance to write this blog post because I’ve made a decision to spend dedicated, one-on-one time with my son, Niko, for at least an hour every Saturday. While he’s a 14-year old, these ideas are perfect (or can be adjusted) for any age. I believe volunteering connects us in countless ways, so you’ll notice there’s a lot of service dates!

Here’s to memory making with your son!

1. Walking or hiking. Lady Bird Lake has a perfect 3-mile loop. There’s also great trails around Austin. My favorite is Turkey Creek. I also highly recommend Laguna Gloria for an art-inspired adventure.
2. Lunch or dinner at Kura Revolving Sushi Bar. This place is SO fun (even if you’re not a sushi eater – there’s a lot to choose from).
3. Caritas of Austin Kitchen/Pantry Helpers (through Generation SERVE, good for all ages, cost $30)
4. Cook a meal together for someone.
5. Biking at the Veloway – a safe place to bike or roller blade together.
6. Urban Roots farm. Volunteers help to empower youth and nourish our community.
7. Austin Bouldering Project (no age minimum, $32 for 2 people).
8. Fishing at Mueller’s Lake Park – the pond is stocked with fish, and I’ve read some great catches from fellow fishermen (we’ll find out if they were telling tall tales!). No fishing license is required, but it’s catch and release only. Academy is a great place to get fishing gear.
9. Pick out a book and relax on the Reading Porch at the Austin Central Library.
10. Go to a coffee shop and play your favorite game of cards (Rummy is our favorite, but 21 is also fun. We’ve also started playing Three Thirteen).
11. Go to Emerald Tavern and learn a new board game.
12. Volunteer at Inside Books Project – Send free books and educational materials to prisoners in Texas. This is for older kids, but coloring a picture together or sending a note to a prisoner would be a beautiful activity.
13. Do a puzzle together. It’s a great way to detox from the Xbox. We bought some great ones at Half Price Books.
14. South Congress adventure – eat at Home Slice Pizza (and fit in a game of ping pong), and tame your sweet tooth at Big Top Candy Shop.
15. Live music – we are in the live music capital of the world after all! Check out this great list of kid-friendly spots to hear live music. In particular, every Wednesday from 6-8pm, Sun Radio presents the latest and greatest Texas singers, songwriters and musicians at Guero’s Oak Garden.
16. South First Street adventure – go to the original Torchy’s Taco Trailer for some queso, foos ball, and shuffle board. Then go to Gourdough’s Big Fat Donuts trailer for a crazy twist on fried dough.
17. Virtual reality is hot…and so is Austin, but I digress. You can try it out at Mindspark Escape Games. You can also experience virtual reality at Punch Bowl Social (there’s also a huge jenga, classic video games…and even karaoke).
18. Family classes at Painting with a Twist (specially designed for all ages and skill levels, $25/person).
19. Visit the Blanton Museum of Art.
20. Gentle yoga class (I love Studio Mantra).
21. Austin Ninjas (ages 5+, $16/person), with over 40 obstacles.
22. Go camping. Don’t let this intimidate you! It can be in the backyard, or at a campground. For my son’s tenth birthday, we went on an overnight backpacking adventure in Pedernales Falls. REI is an amazing resource, and even has classes on camping.
23. Stand-up paddling on Lady Bird Lake (share a board, or not).
24. Pick out a seedling and plant it together.
25. Play tennis together and challenge your son to several games of PIG (or throw a Frisbee/football, etc.).

Note: I thought a cooking class would be fun. But they are PRICEY ($65/person), so I didn’t include it on the above list. At Central Market, the youngest age I saw was 13, however, there are other places to check out, including Faraday’s Kitchen Store and Make it Sweet. Here are additional ideas that are free, and geared for younger boys.

What are your favorite mother-son dates in Austin?