Queen Creek is one of the fastest-growing communities in the Phoenix East Valley.
With such a large influx of families moving to this corner of the valley, the city, local businesses, and residents have done a great job creating a family-friendly environment.
Here are a few of our favorite things to do in Queen Creek with Kids!
*Updated February 2024
Fun Things to Do in Queen Creek with Kids
Table of Contents
- Schnepf Farms
- Mansel Carter Oasis Park
- Pecan Lakes Entertainment
- San Tan Mountain Regional Park
- San Tan Flat
- Founders Park Splash Pad
- Community Events
- Creek Side Taco Shack
- Queen Creek Wash Bike Trail
- Winters Quarters Water-N-Ice
- Elevate Trampoline Park
- The Olive Mill
- Fat Cats Fun
Schnepf Farms
Queen Creek once started as a small farming community and we love that Schnepf Farms embraces that same community.
With events scheduled throughout the year, there is always something to do at the farm!
Enjoy their Fall Pumpkin and Chili party with small amusement park rides, activities, hayrides, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, corn maze, chili dinner, and fire pits.
During Christmas time, they have a fun holiday festival with activities, crafts, games, rides, a Christmas tree lot, and you can even visit Santa at the little village.
You’ll also find a cute rustic outdoor skating rink where you can skate under the string lights with Christmas music playing. One of our favorite traditions is ice skating on Christmas Eve day.
During the holiday event, you can even take a hayride out to the cornfields to pick corn to hand-feed to the reindeer.
Throughout the year you can also visit their U-Pick organic gardens. Keep an eye out for the annual Peach Festival where you can pick fresh peaches!
For a fun experience, book a night of clamping at The Cozy Peach.
The Cozy Peach is a collection of 9 refurbished vintage Airstream trailers set in the middle of the peach farm.
Mansel Carter Oasis Park
Mansel Carter was an early prospector and was an “Arizona Legend”, according to Phoenix Magazine.
However, many locals have never heard of him. That is until a state-of-the-art park was erected in his name.
This innovative park has it all. With an expansive playground,
pirate-themed splash pad,
skate park, sports fields, ball courts, and a scenic fishing pond with pavilions, picnic tables, and grills overlooking the water.
On any given day of the year, you’ll see this facility packed with families.
I love the way it really brings the community together and provides a fun space to get outdoors and be active with your kids.
Pecan Lakes Entertainment
Pecan Lakes is an entertainment hub that opened in Queen Creek in January 2024.
It is a fun-filled destination for the whole family! It features an epic ropes course, botanic gardens, miniature golf, tax throwing, VR games, a karaoke room, an outdoor movie screen, and lawn games.
They also have more activities planned for the future like electric go-karts and a surf rider park.
If you’re hungry, Caldwell County BBQ is one of our favorite restaurants in the East Valley and they opened up a new location here at Pecan Lakes.
Soda Rush also has a shop here where you can order customized soda drinks as well as cookies and baked treats.
San Tan Mountain Regional Park
San Tan Mountain is our favorite place for family hikes. It is conveniently located just outside the city and the quintessential desert trails lead to a great view over the surrounding area.
The Goldmine Trail and Dynamite Trail are the two most popular trails. Both can be accessed off of Wagon Wheel Road.
The Goldmine Trail is shorter but is quite steep with loose rocks towards the end.
The Dynamite Trail branches off of the Goldmine Trail and is a more gradual include. However, use caution as this is a popular mountain biking trail as well.
The trails can be as long or as short as you would like, as they connect to the other side of the park.
If you turn around at the top of the peak on the Goldmine Trail, it will be about 2 miles round trip.
For the Dynamite Trail, we usually turn around after 2 miles and head back making it 4 miles in total.
There is a visitor center located at 6533 W Philips Rd that offers fun educational events throughout the year, such as mountain biking, scorpion hunts, nature walks, and animal encounters.
MD Ranch also offers horseback riding tours through the desert trails of San Tan Mountain.
You can also take a short hike at the end of Ellsworth Rd to the entrance of what used to be a 200-foot gold mining tunnel. It is now sealed off, but at one point a prospector supposedly found a gold vein 6-8 feet long.
Note there is a $7 parking fee to enter the park, cash only.
San Tan Flat
If you’re looking for a fun place to take the family to dinner, look no further than San Tan Flat.
Enjoy a delicious plate of BBQ Ribs, or the Duke Burger with Steak Fries.
There are also fire rings scattered throughout the outdoor seating area that can be used to roast smores while listening to the live band play.
Roasting sticks are available for use. You can bring your own s’mores ingredients or purchase a kit on-site.
Come early to save a table, this family-favorite spot fills up fast!
Founders Park Splash Pad
This city park boasts a 4,000 sq ft splash pad. It is one of our favorite spots to cool off in the summer.
There is a variety of interactive play equipment and fountains.
The entire splash pad is also fenced in so you don’t have to worry about little ones wandering off. You’ll also find shaded picnic tables and grassy areas.
The park also has a skate park, ball fields, basketball courts, playground, and covered picnic ramadas.
The Pocket Park for Pups is also located across the street with two separate grassy play areas for dogs.
Community Events
Several fun events for the community are hosted throughout the year. Check the calendar to see what events are coming up. Here are a few of our favorites:
Messy Fest
*Update: Messy Fest has been put on hold indefinitely, check the Facebook page for any updates.
Messy Fest is held every September and is our family’s favorite event to attend.
It’s a chance to get down and dirty with a mud obstacle course, mud pit tug of war, food fight, slime dunk tank and slime drops, colored chalk, ice cream slide, mud fight, and a human car wash to clean it all up!
The event lasts two days with an adults-only night for mom and dad to have some fun too! I also love that the proceeds benefit the Childhelp Foundation, so you can do good while having fun!
Be sure to get your tickets early at a discounted rate. My boys loved it and can’t wait to return next year!
Founders Day
Founders Day is also held annually in September and commemorates the founding of Queen Creek.
Entrance is free, but wristbands are available for purchase to participate in different activities such as the relays and bounce houses.
Other highlights include pig races, lawn games, and an eating contest. Local vendor booths will also be set up selling delicious food and goods.
Rodeo
The Horseshoe Park and Equestrian Center is a 38-acre facility that hosts a variety of events throughout the year.
The Roots N Boots is a family favorite Rodeo event held every year in the spring.
Bring the whole family out for a fun night of bull riding, carnival rides, and vendor booths.
Creek Side Taco Shack
This family-friendly joint is a hidden desert oasis. You won’t find any advertisements for this casual Mexican restaurant, it is strictly word of mouth and a favorite among locals.
You’ll most likely see horses and bikes in the parking lot since it is conveniently located right off the Queen Creek Wash Trail and bike path.
As you walk through the entrance of Creek Side Taco Shack, you’ll be immediately greeted with a laid-back eclectic island vibe.
With a large sandpit with sand toys, a beach volleyball net, colorful picnic tables, misters in the summer, firepits in the winter, and outdoor movies playing on the weekends.
Not only is the atmosphere fun and inviting, but the food is delicious. The homemade dishes are made with fresh locally sourced ingredients when possible.
The Shack Style Burrito is my favorite, my husband likes the Creek Side Chicken Tacos, and of course the kids like the chicken tenders and fries!
Queen Creek Wash Bike Trail
The Queen Creek Wash trail is almost 5 miles long and is perfect for family bike rides.
The trail is especially safe for little ones as it has built-in underpasses so that you do not need to cross any streets.
We also like to stop at the neighborhood parks along the way and take a detour to the Queen Creek Marketplace for a treat. Or come hungry and stop for lunch at the Creek Side Taco Shack!
This is also a great spot to take family photos.
There is parking located at Desert Mountain Park, or the beginning of the trail is behind the Safeway on Queen Creek and Power. Just park behind the store and cross through the wash.
Winters Quarters Water-N-Ice
All the locals know that the best ice cream can be found at the Water-N-Ice store.
There are several locations throughout the valley, but the Winters Quarters location is our favorite.
Not only does it have 20 flavors of Thrifty ice cream, but you can also bring some change and test your skill at the shooting gallery.
There are also board games on hand to play while you’re eating. In addition to ice cream, they also serve hot food like hot dogs and pretzels.
The cones are only a few dollars, my favorite is the Black Cherry and my boys love the Cotton Candy.
Elevate Trampoline Park
Elevate Trampoline Park is a popular indoor trampoline park that will keep your kids entertained for hours!
This is more than just a trampoline park. They have foam pits, ninja courses, giant swings, and so much more to keep your kids entertained for hours!
Come for Family Night every Monday (except holidays) and enjoy a special discounted family rate.
Toddler Time is also held every Monday-Friday from 8:30 am – 2 pm for kids 6 years and under. Check the website for upcoming specials and discounts!
The Olive Mill
This cafe is located on a working 100-acre family-owned farm and is the only producer of 100% extra virgin olive oil in Arizona.
The Olive Mill provides a farm-to-table experience as they serve up delicious fresh pasta, sandwiches, salads, and pizza.
The food is served out of the old farm shed that has since been transformed into a beautiful and eclectic restaurant.
The outdoor space has a wonderful ambiance with picnic tables set up in the middle of the olive grove hung with string lights.
They also have a few fire pits and a bocce ball court.
After your meal, stop by the farm store where you can take home some fresh-pressed olive oil.
We also love buying a loaf of Italian bread at the store and then taste-testing the variety of oils and spreads that they have available to sample. Our favorite is a combination of strawberry and dark chocolate olive oil!
You have to try their gelato too, it’s the closest thing we’ve found to the real deal in Italy!
They also offer farm tours where you can learn more about how the farm works and the process of making olive oil.
See our guide 16 Best Restaurants in the East Valley for more recommendations.
Fat Cats Fun
Fat Cats is a one-stop entertainment venue where you’ll find fun indoor activities for the whole family!
They offer bowling, mini-golf, laser tag, arcade games, and a movie theater.
What we love about Fat Cats is that they offer different specials during the week. On Mondays they have a family bowling special that includes bowling, pizza, drinks, and an arcade card.
Every Tuesday they have $5 movies where you can watch any new release movie for only $5 all day long. It’s such a great deal, especially since the movie theater is equipped with reclining loungers. You can also order from their grill menu and your food will be delivered right to your seat.
On Wednesdays they have half-price arcade games so you can play twice as many games for the same price!
This is a great place to take the family any time of the year, but especially during the summer when you’re looking for indoor activities to keep the kids busy!
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A few more things to do in Queen Creek with kids:
- USA Youth Fitness Open Gym: You don’t need to be a member to take advantage of their open gym sessions. Each session is 1 1/2 hours and the cost is $7/members, $10/non-members. The session starts with a quick group stretch led by a coach then the kids are free to play. Check the calendar for dates and times. Limited availability, first come first serve.
- Harkins Tuesday Night Classics: The Harkins Summer Movies are a popular way to get the theater experience without paying a lot. But many people aren’t aware that every Tuesday they show classics like The Wizard of Oz, Goonies, Back to the Future, and holiday favorites. Movies are only $5.
- AZ Grip N Rip: Come improve your skill and have fun at these indoor batting cages. Prices start at $15 for 15 minutes.
- Queen Creek Performing Arts Center: There is always something on at the QPAC! Not only can you watch a performance, but they also hold auditions for community performances. They have plenty of smaller roles if your child is inexperienced. My daughter was a flower in the Wizard of Oz one year and loved it!
- Home Depot Kids Workshops: Once a month Home Depot hosts a workshop just for kids! There is a different project each month, and the materials and tools are provided. There is no cost, but you must register in advance as the spots fill up quickly.
- San Tan Historical Museum: The Rittenhouse Elementary School was established in 1925 and closed its doors in 1982. It has since been converted to a museum. The museum is free to the public and open Saturdays from 9 am-1 pm. Tours are available upon request. Stop in and learn about Queen Creek’s humble beginnings. Find out who Sossaman and Ellsworth streets were named after, learn about the German POWs held here, find out where the stagecoach stop was, and so much more!
Whether you are visiting, recently moved here, or just looking for fun new things to do in Queen Creek with your kids, we hope this guide has been helpful!
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