Top Free Things to Do in Friendswood, TX 

• Lake Friendswood - This spot has two docks you can fish from, a kayak launch attached and a walking loop with benches, picnic tables, and exercise stations around the lake. The recently installed fish feeder takes a quarter, so bring your change and feed Nemo and his friends. My kids like taking their bikes and I'll let the older ones ride around the loop without me. Supervised unsupervised play, if you will.

MOM TIP: There is exercise equipment right by the parking lot that looks very much like a playground, but park staff will ask children to stay off. I always remind my kids ahead of time!

• Centennial Park - Right in front of Friendswood Junior High, Centennial Park hosts the city's amphiater, covered basketball pavilion, picnic pavillion, playground and sports fields. There is also a short kid-friendly sidewalk through some "woods." This is also the site of the city's official Independence Day festivities, but most days it's pretty quiet.

MOM TIP:  Most of the playground is fenced off from the lake, but not all of it. Keep an eye on the littles! The basketball pavillion is also a great outdoor playspace for sprinkling/light rain days.

BONUS MOM TIP: Both Friendswood and Pearland have Centennial Parks. If you're meetig up with friends, make sure you specify which one you're headed to!

• Old City Park & Dog Park - The hidden gem of Friendswood parks! If you want to get away from the bustle of Stevenson, this is a great option. There is a small playground, walking trails, sports fields and THE CITY DOG PARK. You have no idea how many of my friends dno't know this place exists. We've held my son's birthday here multiple years, and one of theri favorite activities is to bring the scooters and ride the big loop around the dog park.

MOM TIP: The bathrooms here are right next to the playground - SCORE! The only issue is they have twice been locked when we've been there for unknown reasons. So just be alert. If you need to, you can walk up the path behind the pavilion and it brings you to the back of Stevenson Park where the bathrooms are located.

• Parks & Rec Events - Ongoing, various locations - Y'all, the Parks & Rec Dept here ROCKS. Family favorites include the movies at Friendswood City Pool and the Fourth of July festivities. There's events year round and while some are paid, some are free... so we're putting this one on the list. The best way to keep up with them is to follow the Parks & Rec Facebook and Instagram pages.

MOM TIP: If your kid rides their bicycle in the Fourth of July parade, they get to the park ebfore everyone else. Found this one out this year!

• Friendswood Library - Cool AC? Check. Free books. Check. Many family event options every month? Check! Friendswood Library does not mess around, y'all. The kids love picking their own books and checking the books out themselves at the self-scan stations. The staff is helpful when needed and the children's staff has been so great with my son on the autism spectrum. They also have GREAT prizes for the summer reading challenges. There is a board game seciton as well, though I'm not sure if those can be checked out or must remain on site. I appreciate the study rooms that can be booked online - I've been known to book an afternoon and take my son there when he's ebhind on school work. Something about the change of environment really does help! Make sure you check their calendar of events regularly - they have programs going on daily!

MOM TIP: There is a family bathroom in the back of the children's section.

• Friendswood Historical Markers - Did you know our town had early structures built from lumber from the 1900 Galveston hurricane? Or that figs played a HUGE role in the economic development of the area? I didn't until we walked the historical markers! Most of the markers are walkable from the library, so we parked there, walked the markers, and then went inside to get our books! Friendswood Historical Markers Map

MOM TIP: Don't do this in the summer like we did. It's pretty darn hot walking the city pavement in July.

• Frank J. Brown Museum / Perry House - These are located on Skyview Terrace and Spreading Oaks and offer a look into Friendswood's early days. These are time sensitive and open on the first Saturday of every month for guided tours from the Friendswood Historical Society. The best way to keep tabs on dates and times is to follow the Friendswood Historical Society Facebook page.

• Fairy Trail - While Stevenson Park is the crown of the Friendswood Parks system, one jewel in that crown is the Fairy Trail! There are 17 fairies scattered across Stevenson Park hidden behind little fairy-sized doors on trees and other structures. Park in the main Stevenson Park parking lot of Friendswood Drive and find the Fairy Trail map and starting door right by the pollinator garden.

MOM TIP: This would make a great Daddy - Daughter date if there's a dad that needs ideas!

• Stevenson Splash Pad - Tucked in the corner of the park behind the pool is the Stevenson Park Splash Pad. Pretty self explanatory, but I do like that there is covered seating as well as the small rotary pavillion with tables nearby.

MOM TIP: Is it weird to have a favorite restroom? Because there is a bathroom at the corner of the pool/splash pad sidewalk that is one massive room and it's my favorite when potty training littles or with sensory sensitive kids. Plenty of room and no one else making noise!

• Trails - There are plenty of trails around Friendswood for biking, walking and more. The larger/newer subdivisions have their own systems (I like the Forest myself) and there are also paths and/or trails at Stevenson Park, Centennial Park, Old City Park, Challenger 7 Memorial Park and Frankie Carter Randolph Park. Challenger and FCR are your more woodsy feelings trails (and gravel/dirt) and the others are definitely more suburban, so there's really something for everyone.