Tiny Weekends

Free petting zoo at Riverfront Wilmington

July 18–19, 2026

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Plus a library game day and a fairy-house build at Ashland Nature Center.
 
 
This Tiny Weekend
Farm animals Saturday, plus games and puzzles
Two of the three picks are free; The Enchanted Forest needs a reservation and $20 a kid.
6+ & mixed families
Sat, July 18 🌧️ 75° Light rain·Sun, July 19 ⛅ 84° Partly cloudy
Tomorrow nightWilmington Community Orchestra Concert — 7 PM · Rockwood Park & Museum · Free
Start Here
✦ Our Pick
Little Farm Petting Zoo at Riverfront Wilmington
Sat 10:00 AM · ages 0+ · Free · Riverfront Wilmington · outdoor
Free and no registration — farm animals come to Riverfront Wilmington on Saturday from 3 to 6. It sits near Riverwalk Mini Golf, so you can stretch it into a longer Riverfront afternoon. Works for the whole range, older kids included.
Why this made the cut
Of the free picks, it's the one that needs zero planning and fits every kid in the family at once — no sign-up, no set skill level, just show up in the afternoon.
Free Outdoor Stroller-friendly Restrooms No registration
Age fit
Shadeless — go before 11 and bring water
☔ A quieter pick
Farm Stroll
Sat 11:00 AM · All ages · Free · Coverdale Farm Preserve · outdoor
Walk-in and low-key — an easy back-pocket if the day goes sideways.
See details →
Your options
The rain plan
Family Game and Puzzle Day
Sat 10:00 AM · Free · Kirkwood Library · indoor 🚗 21 min from Wilmington
Free drop-in board games, card games, and puzzles at Kirkwood Library from 10 to 2 — low-key and screen-free. Come early for a good table and first pick, or bring your family's own game to add to the mix.
See details →
Won't break the bank
The Enchanted Forest
Sat 10:00 AM · All ages · $20.00 · Ashland Nature Center · outdoor 🚗 18 min from Wilmington
Build a fairy house, hear fairytales, and solve a woodland mystery at Ashland Nature Center — this one skews younger. It's $20 a child with adults included; registration required and expected to sell out — book early.
See details →
More this weekend
SAT
18
9:00 AM · Music School of Delaware
SAT
18
11:00 AM · Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
SAT
18
1:00 PM · DuPont Environmental Education Center
 free
SAT
18
2:00 PM · Elsmere Public Library
 free
SUN
19
6:30 PM · Bellevue State Park
 free
★ This Week
Morning ideas for the at-home crew, after-work ideas for everyone else.
MON
20
☀️ Morning
11:00 AM · Woodlawn Library · free
TUE
21
☀️ Morning
10:00 AM · Delaware City Public Library · free
🌙 After work
6:30 PM · Woodlawn Library · free
WED
22
☀️ Morning
10:30 AM · Winterthur Museum · free
🌙 After work
4:30 PM · Delaware City Public Library · free
THU
23
☀️ Morning
10:30 AM · Claymont Library · free
🌙 After work
6:30 PM · Claymont Library · free
FRI
24
☀️ Morning
10:00 AM · Hockessin Library · free
★ Camp Watch — registration open
11 camps have confirmed openings in the next two weeks, and 77 more may still have space — we couldn't confirm, so check the provider.
A couple with registration open right now:
Ages 7-14 · $70/wk · Starts Jul 27
Half-day morning sports clinics at Delcastle Rec Park — each week a different sport. $75/week is the lowest sports-camp pricing in NCC.
Ages 6-13 · $275–$290/wk · Starts Jul 20
Ages 6-12 · $185/wk · Starts Jul 20
This week's guide
Rainy-day spots for kids in New Castle County
Where to take the kids when it's pouring in New Castle County — indoor museums, hands-on exhibits, and an ice rink, with ages and admission for each.
See the full list →
More family guides: rainy-day · free · playgrounds →
Poll preview — one question a week
We're Ben & Shirley — two NCC parents building the thing we wished existed. Help us steer it: one tap, one question a week.
What should we build next?
A Classes & Lessons directory — swim, dance, music, martial arts: who takes what ages, what it costs
A Birthday Party guide — venues that host parties, real prices, honest takes
A Rainy Day playbook — indoor backups, ranked by age
A camp openings tracker — which summer camps still have spots, checked weekly
— Ben & Shirley
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Tiny Weekends
Tiny Weekends · 616 W. 20th St., Wilmington, DE 19802

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