Alpine Slide 1310 Lowell Ave. Park City, UT 84060 (435) 658-5560

map | website | comment

Taking a fast (or not-so-fast; you can control your speed) ride down a mountainside is a hoot; sure to elicit squeals of delight from the grandkids. There are a few places within driving distance of Salt Lake City that offer alpine slides, but the one at Park City is the longest and most death-defying. You begin your journey with a chairlift ride up the mountain, then hop onto special sleds (they do have speed controls, honest) and plunge into an adventure going down 3,000 feet of winding concrete and fiberglass tracks. Two tracks run parallel to each other, so if you want you can go down the same time as your grandkids to keep an eye on them.

Info: Admission: varies, 48 inches can drive their own sled, must be 2 years old to ride with an adult

Hours: vary; Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall

Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen

Antelope Island 4528 West 1700 South Syracuse, UT 84075 (801) 773-2941

map | website | comment

The largest island in the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island has many attractions you and your grandkids will enjoy. Just a few miles north of the city, it is home to the world’s largest privately-owned bison herd, a beautiful swimming beach, nearly 40 miles of hiking and biking trails (or cross country skiing in the winter) and a preserved farm house. The Fielding Garr Ranch House is distinctive in that it is the oldest consecutively-inhabited Anglo home in the state of Utah (1848-1981), and is the oldest Anglo-built house in Utah still on its original foundation. Several events are hosted on the island, such as a bird festival, star parties and the bison roundup in the fall.

Info: Admission: $9 per vehicle

Hours: Restaurant:12PM-4PM; Visitor Center: 9AM-6PM, Ranch: 9AM-8PM; Park: 8AM-9:30PM; Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall

Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen

Banbury Cross 705 S 700 East Salt Lake City, UT 84102 (801) 537-1433

map | comment

One of the joys of being a grandparent is being the only adult in their life who will condone, and even encourage a sugar-laden breakfast. There’s no better place in Salt Lake to indulge them this rare treat than Banbury Cross. Arguably the best donut shop in the city, Banbury Cross offers a wide variety of sizes, shapes and flavors from bear claws to eclairs. It's enough to drive your grandkids into a Homer Simpson-style donut fervor.

Hours: Monday-Saturday 5AM-5PM, Sunday 5AM-2PM; Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen

Bees Baseball 77 West 1300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84115 (801) 325-2273

map | website | comment

Take me out to the ball game! Every grandkid (and grandparent for that matter) loves a good old-fashioned baseball game and The Salt Lake Bees are sure to deliver. Although a minor league team, the athletes serve up a day of major fun. Get into the action of America’s number one sport and watch these powerful throwers and hitters try to knock one over the fence. The grandkids will enjoy the team’s mascot, Bumble, as he frolics around the field and the Honeybees (the dancers) as they strut their pompoms between innings.

Info: Admission: varies by seat

Hours: Season: April-September, games vary; Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall

Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen

Benjamin Farms Tour 8297 South 3200 West Benjamin, UT 84660 (801) 794-2586

map | website | comment

You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy learning about how a farm works, and the people at Benjamin Farms love to teach all that they know. The main draw is their Shetland sheep, the smallest breed of sheep in the world. Due to a large amount of human attention, the ones that live on this farm are very friendly. Other animals on the farm include angora goats (with their long, curly hair), llamas, a miniature cow and several breeds of bird. Most of the critters love to eat out of your hands (even the cow will, but her tongue is kind of icky and will bring squeals of delight from the grandkids). Watch honey being harvested from several beehives (in late August). A pond (only 3 feet deep) on the property is a gathering place for ducks and geese and is also home to carp that you can catch and then feed to turkeys. Probably the most fun visit is during the spring when there will be baby lambs and goats frolicking in the fields. The farm also produces soap, cheese and goat milk seasonally.

Info: Admission: free

Hours: by reservation only; Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen

Biking on the Jordan River Pkwy. Canyon Sports 1844 East Fort Union Blvd. Salt Lake City, UT 84121 (801) 942-3100

map | website | comment

The idea for the Jordan River Parkway is to have a paved trail for hiking, biking and roller skating, following the Jordan River all the way through Salt Lake County between the borders Utah and Davis counties. While there are several miles of trail already available, the complete county-wide trail is still in progress. Take advantage of the various picnic and resting spots along the way. Bring your own water as there is none available. The trail is mostly flat (with some minor ups and downs) so it is good for all skill levels.

Info: Admission to Parkway: free; Mountain Bike Rentals: $35 per day for full suspension; $25 per day for hard tail; Road Bike Rentals: $30 per day

Hours: Monday-Friday 9AM-7PM, Saturday 9AM-6PM, Sunday 10AM-5PM; Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall

Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen

Blaze Football 405 South Main St., Suite 1100 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801) 257-3555

map | website | comment

A day spent with Utah’s Arena Football team, the Blaze, is a different kind of football experience. The game takes place indoors on a padded field, and while the rules are similar, there are differences that can make following the action a challenge. If you and your grandkids don’t know the rules of NFL ball, then you can just sit back and watch the players try to score touchdowns while running into and tackling each other without trying to compare the two leagues. Girls as well as boys enjoy this kind of rough and tumble action.

Info: Admission: $10-$70

Hours: Season: March-June; Seasons: Spring, Summer

Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen

Boondocks 75 East South Fork Drive Draper, UT 84020 (801) 838-9800

map | website | comment

Grandparents and grandkids of all ages will have a blast at Boondocks year-round. It has batting cages, Go-Karts, miniature golf and a climbing wall outside (as well as bumper boats in season). Inside fun includes an arcade (where you can play fun games for points that you can cash in for prizes), Kiddie Cove (where the wee ones can climb and slide on things) and laser tag. After racking up the points to get yourselves a stuffed animal or a big-ticket item like a boom box, head to the snack bar for sustenance. The fast-food restaurant offers kid favorites such as pizza and French fries and adult favorites like turkey croissants.

Info: Admission: varies by attraction

Hours: Sunday–Thursday 10AM-10PM, Friday–Saturday 10AM-12AM; Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen

Bowling — FatCats FatCats 3739 South 900 East Salt Lake City, UT 84106 (801) 262-9890

map | website | comment

Bowling is a classic activity with no age restrictions, one that the grandkids are sure to love. Several alleys in the valley are ready for you to try your luck at, but at FatCats, the experience includes flashing lights, disco music, fog machines, and the magic of black light making everything glow. An arcade (where you can rack up points to cash in for valuable prizes), several eateries and a shop where you can go home with FatCats logo merchandise will round out the experience.

Info: Admission: varies

Hours: Monday-Thursday 10AM-12PM, Friday-Saturday 9AM-1AM, closed Sunday; Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Age: Toddler, Child, Pre-teen, Teen