Bloomington is a great place for kicking back, relaxing and enjoying a good time with family, loved ones and some fresh air.
Bloomington is located just miles from the MSP International Airport and includes the famous Mall of America (MOA), and sits along the Minnesota River so includes lots of great parks and outdoor spaces where the kiddos can get out and really burn off some energy.
Family Weekend in Bloomington
Depending on when your weekend adventure begins you can spend Friday evening by taking advantage of Bloomington’s Moonlight Movies – a free movie night in the park most Friday evenings of the summer.
Mall of America
https://www.instagram.com/p/8ndfiPKYOm/?taken-by=gretcholi
Saturday, if the weather is less than ideal for outside adventure, you can start your morning by exploring the wonders under the sea at MOA. Walk through Sea Life’s “Ocean Tunnel” to experience life under the sea with sea turtles and sharks. Did you know that they have a “Snorkel with the Fish” program that gets you inside the 80,000 gallon tank – up close and personal with over 75 kinds of tropical fish?! Wander The Map did a great post about it. Or go and play with the LEGOs at LEGO World.
Depending on the the of your kids you can also take advantage of all the fun rides at Nickelodeon Universe. My favorite is the log chute, but of course my kiddo is still too young to enjoy that ride…
Non-MOA Indoor Fun
Spend your afternoon away from the crowds of the Mall of America for a few hours and explore the rest of Bloomington. If you have a young engineer in the making take a visit to The Works Museum for an afternoon of making, breaking and fixing fun.
Or head down I-494 to Galleria Edina to take advantage of the fun interactive pop-up wall installation.
Brunch
On Sunday a great spot for a late brunch with the kids is Mandarin Kitchen. The beauty of dim sum is that you get to see what you’re ordering and the kids can pick and choose exactly what they want. They are incredibly busy for weekend brunch dim sum so even the loudest kid won’t make a dent in the loud hum of noise in the dining room- it’s perfect!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQAywoWFM9F/?taken-by=gretcholi
On Sunday a great spot for a late brunch with the kids is Mandarin Kitchen. The beauty of dim sum is that you get to see what you’re ordering and the kids can pick and choose exactly what they want. They are incredibly busy for weekend brunch dim sum so even the loudest kid won’t make a dent in the loud hum of noise in the dining room- it’s perfect!
Explore Outside
Get outside for the rest of the weekend! I love the idea of doing photo shoots when traveling- hire a local photographer like Aqua Fox Photography to do a photo shoot at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge for a natural prairie backdrop along the Minnesota River.
Or go explore Fort Snelling State Park and/or Historic Fort Snelling. The state park has a great hiking trail that is three miles long on an island along the river. A beautiful place for relaxing and exploring! Just don’t go in the middle of mosquito season without serious layers of bug spray!
Follow me on Instagram for more Minnesota family-friendly adventure ideas. What is your favorite thing to do in Bloomington area as a family?
I feel like we keep just missing each other on our journeys. Every time I go somewhere, within a week you do a post on it. Thanks for the tip on Fort Snelling during mosquito season. Just from visiting it in the fall, it looks like it could be a breading ground.