Exploring Austin with Kids
Independent Book Publishers Association Silver Award Winner for Best Indie Travel Book!
Austin offers endless opportunities for fun for all ages. The trick can be knowing where to find it. With descriptions of over 100 family-focused outings and 25 annual events, this guide is a valuable resource for those looking for a variety of fun and entertaining ways to experience Austin – with kids.
What People Are Saying
“Exploring Austin with Kids is the kind of book I wish I’d thought to write (and had the chance to research!). It’s fun, far-reaching and exceedingly helpful!”
— Liz Garton Scanlon, award-winning author of All the World Caldecott Honor book and other children’s books
“Annette’s writing is a joy to read. It’s not dry guidebook fare. She writes as a mom who is excited about checking out new places with her kids and her enthusiasm is contagious.”
— Heidi Gollub, Free Fun in Austin Founder
“Exploring Austin with Kids is just plain fun! Finally, we have a resource for families that explores every nook and cranny of Austin’s nature scene and highlights its best-kept secrets. This comprehensive guide will help parents find their way in a city full of possibilities.”
— Ryan Spencer, Executive Director, Comal Conservation
“Exploring Austin with Kids is a go-to resource for parents who want to have family fun in Austin. Annette Lucksinger has clearly done her research.”
— Jill Coody Smits, author of Expedition Austin: A Kid’s Guide to the Weirdest Town in Texas
Additional Selected Writings
Local
“5 Area Kid-Friendly Festivals.” Austin Family Magazine. April 2026.
“Raising an Explorer.” Austin Family Magazine, October 2025.
“Austin’s Best Hidden Hiking Spots.” Austin Family Magazine, July 2025.
“What’s SUP: Paddling on Lady Bird Lake.” Austin Family Magazine, May 2022.
“Best Train Rides.” Austin Family Magazine, March 2022.
“Best Farmers Markets for Kids.” Austin Family Magazine, April 2021.
Explorer’s Guide to the Hill Country Oasis. Save Barton Creek Association, 2020.
“Hike, Bike and Trike Austin.” Austin Family Magazine, October 2020.
“Getting a Summer Education.” Alt Ed Austin, June 2, 2015.
“Inks Lake State Park: Get out of Town!” Free Fun in Austin, October 16, 2014.
“Hike St. Edward’s Trail.” Austin.com, July 1, 2014.
National
“Confronting Literary Theory: Ice Princesses and Don Quixote.” Literary Mama, May 2021.
“How Do You Make Big Change? Start Local, Start Little.” Austin Family Magazine, November 2020.
Bronze winner of Parenting Media Association.
“Ecopedagogy: Cultivating Environmental Consciousness Through Sense of Place in Literature.”
Pedagogy, Duke University Press, 2014.
“‘Robes and Furr’d Gowns Hide All’: Edgar’s Role(s) in King Lear.” Quidditas: Journal of the Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association, 2012.