Family Fun in April 2015 in Southeast Michigan {Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint and Lansing Areas}

April showers bring May flowers…So who’s hoping for some rain, and no more snow?!

My 2-year-old said it best the other day when she saw snowflakes falling from the sky: “Go ‘way snow!” Amen, girlfriend. Aaaaamen.

Lucky for us, there are so many fabulous events coming up that scream SPRING, so at least if the weather doesn’t cooperate, our brains will 😉 Enjoy planning some fun today with this big list!

Family Fun in April 2015 in Southeast Michigan:

Through April 30 — Butterflies in the Garden at MSU {East Lansing} — Visit the MSU Children’s Gardens to learn all about butterflies. FREE unless it’s a special event. Parking is free on the weekend, but there is a $1.80/hour charge during the week.

April 2 — Marshmallow Drop & Moon Glow {Howell} — Visit Genoa Park for this popular event for children, ages 0-8. The event begins with a fly-over helicopter dropping thousands of marshmallows and will move into a night-time egg hunt, so bring a flashlight! Register in advance to attend. $10/child. 

April 3 — FREE Admission to Cranbrook Institute of Science After 5 p.m. {Bloomfield Hills} — Thanks to the MASCO Corporation Foundation.

April 4 — Home Depot Kids Workshop {Nationwide} — Visit Home Depot to build a chalkboard planter stand! Workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills, tool safety and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment. Kids get to keep their craft, receive a certificate of achievement, a workshop apron, and a pin. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. FREE. Register here.

April 4 – Easter Egg Hunt at Carousel Acres {South Lyon} – Visit for an Easter egg hunt on the farm! Participate in an egg hunt, mingle with the Easter bunny,  visit with all the spring babies {calf, lamb, goat, bunnies, chicks and more}! 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. {egg hunt will start at 10:30}. $5 per child. This event requires pre-registration.

April 4 — Bald Mountain Rec Area Easter Egg Hunt {Lake Orion} — Visit the Cherry Ridge Shelter Area at 11 a.m. for an egg hunt! There will be two different hunting areas for specific age groups. There will be 3,000 eggs to be found with a special prize for who finds the golden egg in each hunt! This event is open to the public but parking is limited. FREE, but must pay park entry {free if you have the recreation passport}.

April 4 — Eggstravaganza at Maybury State Park {Northville} — Join in the fun of an Egg Scramble! Eggs filled with great prizes including candy, toys, patches and gift certificates. Meet Maybury celebrities Smokey Bear and the Easter Bunny, play games, get your face painted, make a craft and plant a seed. Event held rain or shine. FREE, but must pay park entry {free if you have the recreation passport}.

April 4 — Dog Loves Books at the Meadow Brook Theatre {Rochester} — Louise Yates’ New York Times Best Seller comes to life in ArtsPower’s newest musical about the irresistible Dog who loves books SO much that he decides to open up his bookstore. This delightful musical celebrates the power of the imagination and the satisfaction that comes when you share books with others. Ideal for grades K-5. Shows at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tickets are $15.

April 5 — HAPPY EASTER!

April 6 — DETROIT TIGER’S OPENING DAY!

April 10 — Lansing Lugnuts Home Opener {Lansing} –Grab some inexpensive tickets and bring the family to watch the Lugnuts, Lansing’s own minor league team. Tickets are just $5.50 thanks to 1996 pricing when the Lugnuts began!

April 10-12 — Shell Eco-marathon Americas {Detroit} —  This multi-sensory experience features a variety of activities for families and more than 1,000 high school and university students from around the Americas pushing the limits of efficiency to see which team can drive the farthest distance using the least energy. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily at Cobo Center. FREE.

April 11 — Soda Science at the Michigan Historical Museum {Lansing} — Families can discover how Detroit pharmacist James Vernor concocted the ginger ale that still bears his name. This program is included with museum admission and is part of the Second Saturdays for Families program, which features hands-on activities related to the exhibits.  Children 5 and under are FREE, youth {ages 2-17} are $2, seniors {65+} are $4 and adults are $6.

April 11 — Raptor Feeding at Leslie Science & Nature Center {Ann Arbor} — Join LSNC raptor staff for dinner time from 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. During this hour, you can see staff prepare raptor food {aka dead mice and rats!} for owls, hawks and eagles. Kids can touch feathers, see a hawk or owl pellet, discover more about bird anatomy and ask staff questions regarding the birds. FREE.

April 11 — Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic {Nationwide} — Bring your kids to Lowe’s to build a See-It-Grow box kit! Workshop takes place at 10 a.m. and advance registration encouraged {link above}. FREE.

April 12 — Chuggington LIVE at The Fox Theatre {Detroit} — Get the scoop on this post from my archives!

April 12 and 26 — Critter House at Leslie Science & Nature Center {Ann Arbor} — Visit and observe frogs, turtles, snakes, rabbits, and more as they hop, crawl, or slither in their homes. During open hours, staff will answer questions, hold interactive activities, and help you get up close and personal with some interesting and unusual animals! FREE.

April 13 — All-You-Can-Eat Slice for Life at Buddy’s Pizza {all locations} — The family-owned Detroit original will be celebrating its 39th annual ‘Slice for Life’ benefit meal in partnership with the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. From 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. all 11 Buddy’s Pizza locations will host an all-you-can-eat two-topping pizza and salad meal for patrons who purchase event tickets. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children, and may be purchased in advance online at www.cskcapuchin.org or by calling (313) 579-2100, ext. 153/170.

April 13 — Macy’s 2nd Mondays at The Henry Ford Museum {Dearborn} — Introduce your preschool children to the wonders of The Henry Ford — all before nap time {10 a.m. – noon}. Storytelling, live entertainment and dozens of hands-on activities related to some of the museum’s most memorable artifacts. April’s theme is “ABC’s of the Museum.” FREE for kids, adults can get 25 percent off their tickets with this coupon!

April 14 — $2 Tuesday at the Flint Children’s Museum {Flint} — General admission to the museum is just $2!

April 15 — FREE Admission to The Henry Ford for Target Family Fun Days {Dearborn} – It’s time for another Target FREE day! Free parking, live music, make-and-take activities and more. From 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

April 15-19 — MSU Science Festival {East Lansing} — A multi-day celebration of Science, with more than 150 presentations, demos, tours, open houses, discussion panels and hands on activities for ALL ages. This year’s special guests include Dr. Scott Sampson, of Dinosaur Train, and mathemagician, Dr. Arthur Benjamin. On the campus of Michigan State University, and beyond! FREE.

April 17 – Princess Sing-A-Long at Oakland Mall {Troy} – Metro Detroit Mommy has the scoop on this adorable event here.

April 17 – Dog Loves Books with the Flint Youth Theatre {Flint} — Dog loves books so much that he opens his own bookstore. At first he has no customers, so he spends his time reading the books he’s trying to sell. When the customers finally arrive, Dog is ready to greet each of them with just the right book. He pairs each unique customer with their own special book. louise Yates’ New York Times Best Seller comes to life in this musical celebration of imagination, literacy and sharing great stories. Best suited for ages 3 and up. Show is at 7 p.m. Tickets: $10.

April 18 – Earth Day Festival at Fenner Nature Center {Lansing} — Honor the legacy of Earth Day by giving back to nature. Explore the local flora and fauna alongside biologists, hobbyists, and students during our annual “Bioblitz.” The Earth Day Extravaganza is also our biggest stewardship workday of the year, with a variety of volunteer projects available to restore habitat and maintain the park. 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. FREE.

April 19 — Kids Opening Day with the Detroit Tigers {Detroit} — Visit Comerica Park for this family-friendly day, which includes a Tigers Team baseball card set for all kids under 14. Tickets range from $9-$81.

April 19 — Harold and the Purple Crayon at The Wharton Center {East Lansing} —Harold and the Purple Crayon follows the zany adventures of an inventive young boy. Resourceful and brave, Harold creates the world he wants to explore, using nothing more than a big purple crayon and his “sky’s-the-limit” imagination. Recommended for ages 4 and up. Tickets: $12.

April 19 – Ann Arbor Area 44th Annual Earth Day Festival {Ann Arbor} — The Ann Arbor Area Earth Day Festival is an annual celebration held at Leslie Science & Nature Center. This family-friendly event features displays from local environmental, nonprofit, and governmental organizations; live animal demonstrations; hands-on activities; product & toy testing; live entertainment and more. 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. FREE.

April 24 – May 10 – The Diary of Anne Frank presented by the Flint Youth Theatre {Flint} – “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”  Seventy years after these words were written by a young girl with every reason to give up, her example of willfulness continues to serve as a reminder of the incredible power of hope. See this historic autobiography brought to life on stage. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Tickets: $12-$18.

April 24-26 – MI Earth Day Fest {Rochester} – Visit one of the planet’s largest Earth Day celebrations on the banks of downtown Rochester’s Municipal City Park and the Paint Creek Trail. More than 100 exhibits, speakers, food vendors, kids’ activities, entertainment, and more highlighting the benefits and the how-to’s of “going green.” FREE.

April 25-26, May 2-3, May 9-10 – Day Out With Thomas at Greenfield Village {Dearborn} – For the first time ever at Day Out With Thomas, Thomas the Tank Engine will be able to talk to his fans! This fun-filled event offers little engineers and their families the opportunity to take a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hatt, and enjoy a day of activities including arts & crafts, storytelling and more. Advance tickets recommended. Greenfield Village admission is required for nonmembers to ride Thomas. Ticket prices: Seniors {62+}: $34.25, adults {age 13-61}: $36.75, youth {age 5-12}: $30.50, child {age 1-4}: $11.75. Parking is $6 per vehicle. {I wrote about our experience last year here!}

April 25 – Spring Fun On The Farm at Carousel Acres {South Lyon} — Spring fun on the farm is fun for the whole family! Visit with the animals, see the spring babies, enjoy a pony ride and make a craft. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. $5 per person.

April 25 – Tummy to Tween Expo {Detroit} – Get the scoop and enter a giveaway over at Mom Among Chaos!

April 25-26 and May 1-3 — Peter Pan by the Pinckney Players {Pinckney} — Based on the book by J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan is one of the most beloved favorites of all time. Peter and his mischievous sidekick, Tinkerbell, visit the nursery of the Darling children late one night and with a sprinkle of pixie dust begin a magical journey across the stars that none of them will ever forget. Tickets: $13/students and seniors, $15/adults.

April 25-26, May 1-2 — Disney’s The Little Mermaid presented by the Pioneer High School Theatre Guild {Ann Arbor} — In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. Based on one of Hans Christian Anderson’s most beloved stories, complete with songs such as “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl” and “Part of Your World.” Tickets: $10/students and seniors, $15/adults.

April 26 — Party for the Planet at Potter Park Zoo {Lansing} – Celebrate the 44th Earth Day at the zoo! Enrichment items will be given to our animals from 12-4 p.m., and some of them are made by our BIG Zoo Lesson kids.  You’ll be able to get up close with a selection of our education animals and learn about them from their handlers. Cost is general admission, which is free for 3 and under, $2 for children up to 16 years old, and $4-$10 for adults and seniors.

April 26 – May 3 — Bookstock Used Book and Media Sale {Livonia} – This is a fabulous reason to not only get excited about reading/literacy, but also to support a variety of non-profit organizations in Detroit and the metro area. There will be tens of thousands of pre-sorted books {ALL kinds, including children’s book}, CDs, DVDs and more.  FREE.

April 29 – May 3 – Beanstalk – The Musical at the Wild Swan Theater {Ann Arbor} — A rollicking musical version of “Jack and the Beanstalk” that will knock your socks off! With witty songs and music, this production gives an old favorite a new sheen that will tickle the fancy of adults and children alike. A very silly {and unscary} giant is just no match for Jack’s wits as he scrambles up and down the beanstalk, rescuing his father from the Giant’s clutches, and earning back his pet cow, Milky White. Tickets: $10/youth and seniors, $15/adults.

What events did I miss? Please share in the comments!