Next week Houston students will start returning to school. While the quiet in the house might be nice, this is also the last chance to have some summer fun with the kids. Here are seven family-friendly outings you can hit before that first classroom bell rings.

Recess Restaurant and Playground
The old restaurant/playground combination has declined in recent years, and anyone who has seen kids return with red hands from sun-heated outdoor play equipment at Joe's Crab Shack can attest the Houston summer was rarely conducive to fun anyway. Located on the edge of Montrose and River oaks, Recess is a deliberate attempt to bring back that meeting of playtime and lunchtime.

The business offers two different climate-controlled employee-supervised playgrounds, one for kids 1-3 and another for 4-11. Parents can check their children in before enjoying their meal. It's not a free service, with hourly rates starting at $18.50 for the first child on top of the cost of the meals, but it's worth it to have a quiet meal while knowing the kids are happy.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
The end of summer break in Houston happily coincides with the return of the circus! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has been the premiere name in traditional circus entertainment for more than a century, offering jugglers, clowns, acrobats, and musical performances. This year, the circus is teamed with rising viral music star Maddox Batson ("Girl In Green," "No More") to have exclusive remixes at the show accompanying unicycle stunts and other circus acts. The show runs August 6-9 at NRG Stadium, with tickets starting at $36.

Typhoon Texas Summer Hours
This week is the end for summer hours at Houston's Typhoon Texas waterpark. After school starts, watersliding and lazy river floating will be a weekend-only event. Weather remains hot and clear for the foreseeable future, so it's the perfect time to take in the swells at Tidal Wave Bay or race each other down The Duelin' Daltons. Don't forget the sunscreen and pool shoes. Tickets range from $39.99-$59.99.

Houston Toy Museum's Final Days
It was a sad day when the Houston Toy Museum announced last month that it would be closing the doors of its Heights location. The whimsical collection of plastic and porcelain childhood joy has been a beloved addition to the city's list of museums for four years. The final day of operation is August 30, making it a great day activity for families looking for something to do before school starts. See this one-of-a-kind collection before it goes into storage and an uncertain future.

Retro Video Game Expo III
Kids today with their autosaves and aim assists don't know how good they have it when it comes to video games! Show those whippersnappers how things were in the golden olden days of Neo Geo 2D fighters and horror movie pinball table tie-ins. The Retro Video Game Expo III is a free event full of vintage console and games, but the real appeal for kids is the free-to-play arcade of 1980s classics that will be on hand. The show actually runs the weekend after school starts (August 15-16 at CSS Houston on Bissonnet), but it'll be a nice reward for a first week back on the grind.

Cat Video Fest at River Oaks Theatre
Few things can bring humans together like cats being ridiculous on video. River Oaks Theatre is hosting the Cat Video Fest this Friday and Saturday. Founded in memory of a beloved cat who lived on the University of Houston campus, the 70-minute show offers sweet and hilarious videos of our feline friends. A portion of ticket sales go to local cat rescues. Be sure to check out the kids menu because nothing compliments feline foolishness like a nice plate of chicken tenders.

Newman's Castle
Parents who want to take their kids to something they've likely never seen should head about an hour northwest of Houston to Newman's Castle in Bellville, Texas. It's a real medieval-style castle hand-built as a private home by Mike Newman (owner of Newman's Bakery in Bellville) starting in 1997. He was still working on it when he died in 2024. Located on a small, manmade lake, his family now offers tours of the bizarre and delightful home. Climb the towers, see the working drawbridge, and even have a cold lunch in the grand hall (included with the $10-$12 ticket price). Reservations are mandatory, and tours only start at 11 am.