Whether you're visiting Midland with kids or a local parent looking for the next weekend adventure, The Midland has compiled the most family-friendly activities, attractions, and tips. Organized by age range and indoor/outdoor — and we mark the free options.
Hands-on nature museum + 5-acre nature preserve. Live animals, interactive exhibits, summer camps. Local favorite.
Midland's flagship park. Playground, pool (summer), picnic areas, tennis courts. Community feel.
Civic center with seasonal festivals (Easter Egg Hunt, July 4th fireworks). Library is on-site.
Neighborhood park with playground and walking paths. Quieter alternative to Evergreen.
19 museums minutes from Midland. Children's Museum, HMNS, Health Museum, Art Cars Museum. Plan multiple visits.
Weekly toddler story-time, preschool programs, summer reading challenges. Quiet escape from Midland-Odessa (Permian Basin) heat.
Look for splash pads, playgrounds, and short-attention-span venues. The local library often has free story-time programs for toddlers — check the schedule.
Children's museums, zoos, and farms work best at this age. Keep visits to 2-3 hours and have a backup activity ready.
Science museums, nature trails, and creative venues hit the sweet spot. This is when kids start absorbing local history and culture.
Outdoor adventure (kayaking, biking, climbing), arts venues, and food tours work well. Let them help plan the day.
Many Midland restaurants welcome kids — look for those with kids menus, outdoor patios (for active toddlers), and play areas. Brunch spots are often more family-friendly than dinner-only places.
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CASPER, Wyoming (KMID/KPEJ) - Odessa College Rodeo member Hayden Welsh wins the bull riding championship at the College National Finals Rodeo in the Ford Wyoming Center The sophomore is originally from Gillette, Wyoming, which is two hours from Casper. Welsh was in the top-3 in three out of the f...
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB/Gray News) - A mother in Florida is accused of beating her 2-year-old daughter to death.On Thursday, Alachua County deputies responded to a medical emergency, believing a 2-year-old girl to be unresponsive. Deputies learned that 29-year-old Jessica Wilson had beaten and st...
McLEAN, Va. (Gray News) - A popular candy company will become more Make America Healthy Again-compliant this summer.The Wall Street Journal confirmed that M&M’s will debut candies made without artificial dyes, starting in August. Blue and brown candies won’t be included, however, as those two col...
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Congress returns to Washington this week amid uncertainty over a key intelligence tool.Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, expired June 12. It allows the collection of electronic communications of non-Americans located outside the United State...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) - The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for a young man who disappeared into the water while paddleboarding along Turnagain Arm in Alaska.The Coast Guard said the man was paddleboarding in the area Friday night when he went missing.The Girdwood Fire Departme...
It’s back: For the first time since 1982, the New World screwworm has been found in U.S. cattle. The flesh-eating parasitic fly, which was eradicated from American cattle herds almost 50 years ago, has been detected in three cows, one dog and a goat, prompting Canada to restrict cattle imports fr...
PHOENIX, Ariz. (AZFam/Gray News) — A 3-year-old boy is fighting for his life after a man spotted him in an apartment complex pool Friday afternoon.What happened at the Phoenix apartment poolMartin, a resident at the complex, said he was walking back to his unit when he noticed what looked like a ...
(Gray News) – Actor Paul Avery and his wife, Sheila Avery, were killed in a house fire in New Jersey earlier this week, New Jersey police told several media outlets. Avery is known for his role in the soap opera “All My Children” and the 1978 version of “Superman.”Police responded to the couple’s...
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB/Gray News) - A 51-year-old man is accused of beating a missing 15-year-old boy to death in Louisiana, authorities said.Maurice Parms, was arrested Saturday on a count of first-degree murder in connection with the death of 15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather.Police said evi...
JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) - Two people are dead following reports of a plane crash that happened shortly after taking off in Kentucky.The crash was reported around 8:45 a.m. Saturday, June 20. The Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office reported it happened off Kentucky Highway 169 on a fa...
ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) - FIRST ALERT 7 Forecast for Sunday, June 21st, 2026: Summer heat continues, with widespread triple-digit temperatures expected for Father’s Day.SUNDAYExtreme Heat is expected to return on Father’s Day thanks to a strong ridge of high pressure moving overhead. Widespread trip...
PERKINSTON, Miss. (WDAM/Gray News) - As Tropical Storm Arthur brought heavy rainfall and flooding to South Mississippi, residents sprang into action to save a kitten’s life.By 2 p.m. Thursday, the floodwaters at Perk Beach RV Park and Campgrounds in Perkinston were chest-deep. Still, the park man...
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV/Gray News) - A mother in St. Louis is accused of starving her 1-year-old daughter on a diet that consisted of yogurt, vegetable pouches and fruit pouches that amounted to just 250 calories per day. Sausha Mia Myers, 29, was charged with two counts of child abuse and neglect w...
KATY, Texas (Gray News) - One person was killed and another hurt when a Tesla crashed into a Texas home.The crash happened on June 19 in Katy. The driver allegedly told deputies that the car was on autopilot, according to Harris County Constable Precinct 5.The driver and a 76-year-old woman insid...
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - A new exhibit at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) museum showcases diaries, letters and journals from the Revolutionary War, offering perspectives beyond the Founding Fathers as the nation approaches its semiquincentennial.“Revolution in their words” displays ...
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MESA, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) — A family in Arizona says they received an unexpected delivery while preparing to lay their grandmother to rest.Ashleigh Wegner said her grandma, Dorothy Kuspis, died May 27 at 98. She says her family expected the loss, but her death still hit hard.“She lived a good ...
LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - The body of a woman discovered earlier this week has been identified as a missing trainer who was last seen leaving Planet Fitness. Lexington authorities say Elena Katherine Moore’s body was located near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive on Wednesday. ...
MARINETTE, Wis. (WBAY/Gray News) - An airman killed in a plane crash more than seven decades ago has finally returned home.Daniel McMann died in an Air Force crash in 1952, and his final resting place is now his hometown in a homecoming nearly 75 years in the making. “We would’ve traveled around ...
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF/Gray News) - The owner of a Thai restaurant in South Carolina says he has returned money that he came across to its rightful owner. Sak Yiengjuntuek, the owner of Lemongrass Thai Restaurant, bought the restaurant in April 2025. According to Yiengjuntuek, he was moving a c...
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PHELPS COUNTY, Mo. (KMOV/Gray News) - Missouri authorities say a carbon monoxide leak Friday morning in a residential duplex has killed five and injured two. According to the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, first responders went to the duplex just before 5:30 a.m. for a carbon monoxide alert....
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) - A 7-year-old boy drowned in a retention pond in southwest Charlotte on Wednesday.The child, who has not been identified, reportedly died after being pulled out of the pond near Lady Bell Drive.Firefighters said they were called to the area around 6:25 p.m. for a...
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - Police say a preschooler was removed from a summer program after a firearm was found inside her backpack.The Levite Jewish Community Center (JCC) said the incident happened Friday in the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School building, where Ilanot preschool classrooms a...
PALMER, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) - One child was killed and three others injured after an intoxicated woman rolled a side-by-side onto its roof Thursday, according to the Alaska State Troopers.Troopers were notified of the crash in the Jim Creek Recreation Area around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, according...
WEST TEXAS (KMID-KPEJ) - Here's your 7-day Forecast +3 in the picture above and your weather update from Chief Forecaster Horace Brown for 6/19/2026 - 6/27/2026. "Saturday, the heat starts to build back in as upper‑level ridging strengthens. highs climb back into the 90’s, and places in the trans...
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) — Authorities said three people have died in heat-related incidents over the past week on Grand Canyon trails.Grand Canyon National Park rangers and first responders said two of the emergency calls came from the Inner Canyon trails, where temperatures in the s...
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - As concerns about the New World Screwworm continue to grow across the southern U.S. and Mexico, a local animal welfare organization is reminding pet owners that the parasite can affect dogs as well as livestock, and that prevention remains key. Lying eggs in animals' s...
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - Ashton Crocker entered Midland Air and Space Port on Friday afternoon with a police escort while riding in a Lamborghini. Crocker is off to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minneapolis from June 20-26. The USA Games include nearly 3,000 athletes from all 50 stat...
Ruby Mendez founded Ruffneck Rescue, an Odessa-based nonprofit, to address the animal overpopulation problem in West Texas, providing care for nearly 50 dogs at a time and working to find them homes outside of the area.
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - Midland High graduate Gilbert Lujan Jr. is preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in his young golf career. After three years of trying, Lujan finally qualified for NBA superstar Steph Curry's Underrated Golf Tour. Beginning June 30, Lujan will travel across t...
Local businesses in Midland, Texas are offering unique experiences for fathers and their children to bond and create memories this Father's Day, such as STEM learning exercises and axe throwing competitions.
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - In this Basin Bites episode, our Jesse Zaragoza takes on Pizza Marie's Meat Love Challenge. Jesse has to finish a large pepperoni, ham, and sausage pizza in 30 minutes or lose. Jesse also visits one of Midland's newest restaraunts Bronoc Blanco.
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - The community of Midland continues to come together in the days after the horrific shooting that made the Permian Basin stand still. The morning of June 12, 2026, a gunman opened fire on Eisenhower and West Wall Street in Midland, killing one person and injuring 10 ot...
A 49-year-old motorcyclist from Lovington died in a crash in Lea County on Wednesday morning, according to the Lea County Sheriff's Office.
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MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - It's been nearly one week since the tragic shooting in Midland that devastated the community on June 12, 2026. In the days after the horrific event, the community has come together to offer a variety of resources for citizen's unique needs to cope from the tragedy and...
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