Magic Valley Events for Kids & Families

Twin Falls' first and only handicap-accessible splash pad at the Sunway Soccer Complex. 3,000 sq ft of water features alongside an all-inclusive playground with swings, bars, slides, and sensory features for kids of all abilities. Free, open daily dawn-to-dusk. Operates Memorial Day weekend through September. The accessibility focus makes this a key drop-in venue for families with kids who use mobility aids or have sensory needs.

Weekly hands-on STEM session for kids at Twin Falls Public Library. Each week features a different build or experiment: recent sessions have covered LEGO engineering, origami finger puppets, and Magna-Tiles. Free drop-in on Monday afternoons.

Weekly toddler storytime at Twin Falls Public Library with songs, rhymes, and short books. The fall session begins Monday, August 31, following the summer outdoor storytime series. Free drop-in.

Weekly after-school STEM activity at Jerome Public Library for grades 1-5. Hands-on building and making with materials provided by the library. Free; no library card required.

Weekly bilingual (English/Spanish) storytime at Jerome Public Library: Canciones, Libros y Juegos / Songs, Books & Play. Free; no library card required. Runs Monday and Wednesday during the school year.

Weekly preschool story time at The Community Library in Ketchum, held in the Children's Library Treehouse and followed by a special craft. Each week carries its own theme (recent weeks: Airplanes, Cows, Acorns, Boxes). The library asks that children not be left unattended.

Weekly after-school STEAM session at Filer Public Library: hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities for school-age kids. Free drop-in on Tuesday afternoons.

Weekly Tuesday-morning open studio for toddlers and preschoolers at Hands On in downtown Twin Falls, with pottery painting and messy-play projects sized for little hands. Parent or caregiver attends with the child.

Weekly drop-in storytime at Jerome Public Library for toddlers, featuring lap-sit activities, fingerplays, shorter stories, and plenty of music. Free; no library card required. Runs Tuesday and Thursday throughout the school year.

Weekly drop-in storytime at Jerome Public Library for preschoolers, with a greater focus on kindergarten readiness: letter of the day, rhyming practice, counting activities, and more. Free; no library card required. Runs Tuesday and Thursday throughout the school year.

Weekly storytime at Gooding Public Library focused on the skills children need to be ready for kindergarten. Geared for ages 3 and up. Free drop-in on Tuesday mornings.

A weekly gathering for homeschooling families at Gooding Public Library, with fun educational activities. Free, Tuesday afternoons.

Weekly storytime at Burley Public Library on Tuesdays during the school year, mid-September through April. Free, no registration required. The library's own pages give two different start times (10:00 and 10:30 AM), so check its calendar before you go.

Weekly music and movement program for ages 3-6 at Burley Public Library. Combines songs, rhythm, and active movement to support early literacy and motor skills.

Weekly outdoor farmers market in Ketchum, Wednesdays 12 PM-4 PM mid-June through mid-October. Live music, ready-to-eat foods, fresh produce, local crafts, family-friendly. Organized by Wood River Farmers Market (also operates Saturday Hailey market - see #705).

Weekly drop-in story time at Kimberly Public Library geared to preschoolers, with books, songs, and a craft. Free; no library card required. Runs Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:00 AM through the school year.

Weekly drop-in storytime for young children at Buhl Public Library, with books, songs, and a simple activity. Free; no registration required.

Weekly after-school STEM activity session at Buhl Public Library for school-age kids. Free drop-in on Wednesday afternoons.

A storytime for preschool-age children that combines stories, music, and lots of activity. Free drop-in on Wednesday mornings at Gooding Public Library.

A weekly storytime featuring a different guest reader each week, geared to ages 3 to 8. Free drop-in on Wednesday afternoons at Gooding Public Library.

A weekly drop-in reading hour at Gooding Public Library - read or listen to a book, have a treat, and earn a token for a free book or prize. Free, Wednesday afternoons.

Weekly drop-in session where kids read aloud to certified therapy dogs Pansy and Wynslow in the Children's Library. The library notes that reading to a therapy dog can decrease anxiety in kids and increase their reading confidence.

Weekly Wednesday-morning story time for babies and toddlers at Hailey Public Library in the Wood River Valley.

Free family-friendly art events for children ages 3-12 at The Center in Ketchum. Activity-packed afternoons with hands-on art projects.

Age-appropriate planetarium shows in Idaho's largest dome (50-foot) with Digistar 7 fulldome video and Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Rotating schedule of shows. USA Today Top-Ten Planetarium.

Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition gameplay at the Twin Falls Public Library Program Room. All skill levels welcome. Doors open at 5:00 PM, gameplay 5:30-8:30 PM. Ages 13+. Bi-weekly sessions. Contact CJ at crasmusson@tfpl.org.

Weekly toddler program at Kimberly Public Library geared to ages 1-3, with lap-sit songs, movement, and short stories. Free drop-in; no registration.

Weekly early-literacy storytime at Filer Public Library for preschool-age children, with books, songs, and movement. Free drop-in on Thursday mornings.

Weekly drop-in storytime at DeMary Memorial Library Rupert for children ages 0-5. Features stories, crafts, games, songs, and activities covering literacy, math, and science skills. Runs concurrently with the school year (returns September 2026).

A storytime built around interactive, playful learning - hand puppets, movement, and hands-on activities. Free drop-in on Thursday mornings at Gooding Public Library.

Weekly storytime at Camas County Public Library in Fairfield, held Thursdays at 10:30 from September through May. Aimed at preschoolers but any age is welcome - stories, songs, crafts, and fun. Free.

A hands-on cooking session for kids at Gooding Public Library. After instruction, kids make a healthy snack - recent sessions covered chocolate hummus and peanut butter banana quesadillas. Free, on alternating Thursday afternoons.

Weekly Thursday-afternoon art group for teens at Hailey Public Library.

The Haunted Mansions of Albion open for their 2026 season every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in October, on the historic Albion State Normal School campus. Visitors walk through five college buildings each over 100 years old, including the School of Chaos, House of Clowns, Zombie Academy and historic Comish Hall. October 31 is Blackout Night. An outside-only entrance is available for families who don't want to go through the haunts.

Family pumpkin patch on a farm northeast of Jerome, open every day in October. Families pick pumpkins straight from the field, and the property also hosts a petting zoo and jump houses. Local vendors sell produce and products on October weekends. No dogs, for the safety of the farm's animals.

Monthly celebration of art, music, and community in downtown Twin Falls. Local galleries open their doors, live music fills the streets, businesses offer specials, and the creative spirit of the Magic Valley comes alive. A growing tradition that brings together artists, musicians, and families on the first Friday of every month.

Weekly open LEGO build session at Kimberly Public Library. All ages welcome; the library provides the LEGO bricks, blocks, and building materials. Free drop-in.

Weekly family movie screening at Filer Public Library on Friday afternoons. Free admission; open to all ages.

Weekly all-ages drop-in storytime at DeMary Memorial Library Rupert. Stories, crafts, games, songs, and activities open to children of any age. Returns September 2026 with the school year.

A storytime designed to let children explore new things through play. Free drop-in on Friday mornings at Gooding Public Library.

Weekly robotics session at Gooding Public Library - build robots and code them to move. Free, every Friday at 11:00 AM.

Weekly digital art session at Gooding Public Library: follow tutorials and create art on an iPad. Participants must be 9 or older. Free, every Friday afternoon.

Weekly Friday-morning children's story time at Hailey Public Library.

One of Idaho's largest outdoor haunted attractions - a 1-mile-long walk through water, bridges, trees, and elaborately designed scenes and props. A thrilling Halloween experience for brave kids and adults throughout October.

Monthly drop-in art program at Sun Valley Museum of Art. Families explore a new art project each month inspired by current exhibitions. All materials provided.

Annual two-day Oktoberfest celebration in Downtown Twin Falls featuring live music, kids fun centers, petting zoo, local Idaho food vendors, and a beer garden. Free admission for all ages. Main Street is closed to traffic for the event. Saturday hours are longer (11 AM–9 PM) with more family programming during the day.

Annual 3-day AKC-sanctioned all-breed dog show featuring breed judging, obedience trials, rally trials, and Fast CAT competition. All AKC-recognized breeds and All American Dogs compete. Families can watch judging, meet breeds, and browse vendor booths. Held at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds in Filer.

Special Friday and Saturday evening events with themed lighting, music, and glow effects.

Free family movie every Saturday at 3:00 PM at the Twin Falls Public Library. Different movie each week, typically rated G or PG. A great free indoor activity for families.

Weekly Saturday farmers market at CSI with 25-55 local vendors offering produce, baked goods, meats, handmade crafts, and more. All products grown or made within 150 miles. Free parking, handicapped and senior parking, shady seating areas.

Saturday morning farmers market at Moss Greenhouses in Jerome featuring local produce, baked goods, handmade crafts, and artisan goods. Held in the Mountain View Barn parking lot every Saturday from June through mid-October. Support local farmers, small business owners, and artisans.

Weekly outdoor farmers market in Hailey, Saturdays 10 AM-2 PM mid-June through mid-October. Live music, ready-to-eat foods, fresh produce, local crafts, family-friendly. Organized by Wood River Farmers Market (also operates Wednesday Ketchum market - see #706).

Weekly tabletop Dungeons & Dragons session at Filer Public Library for tweens and teens. Free; the library supplies dice and materials. Saturday afternoons.

Weekly Saturday-afternoon film screening at Twin Falls Public Library. Free and open to all ages; no registration required.

Weekly Saturday-afternoon children's story time at Hailey Public Library.

Weekly Saturday-morning Dungeons & Dragons club at Hailey Public Library for ages 10-17. Registration required.

Free, volunteer-run timed 5K every Saturday morning on the paved Canyon Rim Trail, starting beneath the Perrine Bridge by the Twin Falls Visitor Center and running out and back. Walkers, joggers and strollers are welcome and there is no pace requirement. Register once, free, on the parkrun website and bring your printed or phone barcode to get a time.

Hands-on monthly reptile encounter at the Herrett Center for Arts and Science on the College of Southern Idaho campus. Kids and families can learn about and handle live reptiles with Herrett Center educators. First and third Tuesday of every month at 6 PM. Free with general museum admission (museum galleries are always free). Note: this is the year-round ongoing program, not a single-date event.

Bi-weekly STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) program at Burley Public Library for ages 8+. Hands-on projects exploring science concepts and creative engineering.

The 30th annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival honors 150+ years of sheep trailing tradition. Features the Big Sheep Parade (1,200 sheep on Main Street), championship sheepdog trials, Sheep Folklife Fair with Basque, Scottish, and Peruvian culture, culinary events, and children's activities. Named a Top Ten Fall Festival in the World.

Community chili cook-off at the Jerome Recreation District. Entering a chili is free and open to the community, with a limited number of competitor slots. A family evening built around tasting and judging the entries.

Make your own stress balls at the Twin Falls Public Library. Free, open to grades 6-12.

Parent-and-kid build night at Bricks & Minifigs Twin Falls: each pair builds the LEGO Halloween wreath set (40825) together with conversation-starter cards and refreshments, then takes it home. No age limit. Space is limited and registration is required.

Monthly hands-on art class for kids at the Magic Valley Arts Council in downtown Twin Falls, held on the second Saturday of each month. A different medium or project each session.

Fall edition of the popular vintage-inspired shopping event with 140+ curators and artists. Unique vintage goods, antiques, repurposed finds, furniture, jewelry, clothing boutiques, live music, and food trucks at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds.

The closing day of the Jerome Farmers Market season, run as a Harvest Festival on the theme 'Looking Through the Mirror of Erised'. A Harry Potter trivia question is published each week beforehand and the first visitor to arrive with every answer correct wins a gift basket. Expect pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, squash, apples and the full vendor market alongside the festival.

A Dungeons and Dragons session pitched at younger players at Twin Falls Public Library, separate from the library's Thursday-evening teen and adult table.

Family superhero-themed event at the Gooding Public Library. Free, all ages.

An evening games session for neurodivergent teenagers, hosted at Primary Therapy Source in Twin Falls.

Annual Harry Potter-inspired family event at the Historic Wilson Theatre in Rupert. Patrons can enjoy train rides, wand shopping, potions classes, and come dressed as their favorite witch or wizard. Multiple sessions across the weekend.

Monthly free star party at the Centennial Observatory. View deep-sky objects, planets, and constellations through telescopes. Times vary seasonally (earlier in winter, later in summer). Weather permitting. Check herrett.csi.edu for exact times each month.

Parent-and-kid build night at Bricks & Minifigs Twin Falls: each pair builds the LEGO Halloween pumpkin set (40697) with a light brick, in a screen-free setting with conversation-starter cards and refreshments, then takes it home. No age restrictions. Space is limited and registration is required.

A daytime, non-scary afternoon at The Haunted Swamp built for younger children - trick-or-treating, games and a bounce pad, with the scares switched off. A separate, cheaper ticket from the night-time haunt.

Monthly meeting for teens aged 12-18 who want to help plan teen activities at Gooding Public Library. Free.

View completed collage and watercolor pieces from the library's art program, with light refreshments. Free, all ages.

Design a small dish or wall hanging from colored glass on a clear glass base with instructor Wendy Wooding; pieces are kiln-fired at her studio. Ages 14+, beginners welcome. Free; registration strongly encouraged, walk-ins if room.

Work on puzzles and trade old ones from the library's new circulating jigsaw-puzzle collection. Free, all ages.

Teens learn to make poke bowls at the Twin Falls Public Library. Free, open to grades 6-12.

Evening food truck gathering at the Jerome Recreation District - a casual family evening with a rotating line-up of local trucks. Vendor slots are free and limited.

Fall edition of the popular Mini-Cassia Craft Fair featuring 150+ craftsmen and artisan vendors from Idaho and surrounding states. Thousands of unique handmade items including home decor, jewelry, natural products, clothing, and more. Draws 5,000-7,000 visitors.

Not-so-spooky StoryWalk through Twin Falls City Park where community organizations hand out candy and treats along the path. Includes a Fall Photo Station at the original Library Entrance. Free, family-friendly alternative Halloween event.

Community trunk-or-treat hosted at Smiles 4 Kids in Burley on the Thursday before Halloween, starting at 4:30 PM.

A Halloween trunk or treat hosted by the Bellevue Public Library. Kids trick-or-treat from car to car in costume on the afternoon before Halloween.

Twin Falls Theatre Collective presents The Hello Girls. Oct 30 - Nov 16 with evening (7pm) and matinee (2pm) shows. Free Veterans Day show Nov 11.

Artist Brie Schettle shows teens how to organize work into a portfolio, photograph 2D and 3D art, and write an artist statement, with peer feedback. Ages 14+, some drawing experience recommended. Free; registration strongly encouraged.

Annual Halloween trick-or-treating event along Main Avenue in downtown Twin Falls. Local businesses hand out candy as costumed kids and parents enjoy two hours of safe, fun trick-or-treating. One of the Magic Valley's most popular family Halloween events.

The Twin Falls Police Department and Twin Falls Fire Department's third annual Trunk or Treat. Officers, firefighters and their vehicles fill the lot for two hours of trick-or-treating in a closed, off-street setting. Costumes encouraged. Free, no registration, all ages. Runs the same Saturday as Trick or Treat Main Street and overlaps it from 3 to 4 p.m.

Hundreds of kids and families in costume parade along Main Street collecting treats from participating businesses marked with orange and black balloons. Includes Key Club Costume Contest from 4:00-5:30 PM. Free, family-friendly annual tradition.

Trick-or-treaters visit participating businesses up and down Main Street in downtown Ketchum. Starting point at Whiskey's on Main with a list of participating businesses. Free, family-friendly.

Local businesses and organizations hand out candy along Main Street in downtown Buhl, from Broadway Ave to The Oasis/Library (two blocks each side of the stoplight). Also includes an End-of-the-Line Trunk or Treat at Sunset Bowl and trick-or-treating at the Buhl Chamber building. Free, all ages.

Oakley Valley Arts Council presents CLUE, the comedy murder-mystery based on the board game, at the historic Howells Opera House in Oakley. Evening performances at 7:00 PM across a three-week run. OVAC is Oakley's community theatre, producing three productions a year plus a free Christmas concert.

One of Southern Idaho's largest holiday arts and crafts shows with 190+ vendors. Items include holiday decorations, handmade wood/metal/glass objects, jewelry, candles, and home decor. Raffle drawings throughout the day. Student-run by CSI Hospitality/DECA program.

Evening telescope viewing nights at the Centennial Observatory on the College of Southern Idaho campus. Staff set up the telescopes and walk families through whatever is up that night. Runs on alternating Tuesdays through the winter season.

Design and color Shrinky Dink art that shrinks into keepsakes such as magnets, earrings or keychains, with artist Lauren Kistner. Ages 14+, beginners welcome. Free; registration strongly encouraged, walk-ins if room.

Family-friendly Thanksgiving Day 5K fun run and walk at the CSI campus. Costumes welcome! Three frozen turkeys are hidden along the race route: find one and carry it to the finish to keep it. Proceeds support CSI Student Recreation Department spring activities. A fun holiday tradition for the whole family.

Family-friendly 5K run/walk on Thanksgiving morning, welcoming all ages including a 'Turkey Tot' category for kids. Flat, fast course through neighborhood loops at West Minico Middle School. Set a 2025 record of 1,272 participants. Includes t-shirt with registration.

Every Thanksgiving weekend, the Rupert Civic Auditorium transforms into a winter wonderland with beautifully decorated Christmas trees. A beloved Mini-Cassia holiday tradition celebrating the start of the Christmas season.

Twin Falls' beloved holiday tradition featuring over 90 illuminated floats parading down Main Avenue, culminating in the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree. Santa arrives with live reindeer. Free hot chocolate and cookies, food vendors, and community celebration. Draws thousands to downtown.

Drop-in holiday craft evening at the Herrett Center for Arts & Science in Twin Falls: make a holiday ornament to take home.

Annual Christmas light parade through downtown Buhl featuring over 30 illuminated floats. A festive community tradition bringing holiday cheer to all ages.

Drop-in holiday cooking activity at the Herrett Center for Arts & Science in Twin Falls: whip up a no-bake sweet treat for Santa.

Free daytime solar viewing at the Centennial Observatory, run with Twin Falls Parks & Recreation as part of Cabin Fever Day. Safely filtered telescopes let kids look at the sun, sunspots and solar prominences - a midday, mid-winter astronomy session that does not require a late bedtime.

Idaho's beloved triathlon organized by the Burley Lions Club for 35+ years. Features a river-assisted downstream swim in the Snake River, flat bike course, and easy run course. Olympic and Sprint distances available. Family-friendly spectator event. Proceeds support Lions Club community projects.