🚜 Kids Can Drive REAL Bulldozers in DFW

Universal Kids opened July 1 and now Grapevine has entered the chat with something wildly different. Dig World lets kids (and adults) climb into real excavators, bulldozers and skid steers to do actual construction tasks. Not toy versions. Real machines, guided challenges, the works.

The headline attraction is The Crusher, a 20,000 pound asphalt roller that flattens a toy your kid gets to take home. My 5 year old would lose her mind. My 3 year old would ask to do it seventeen more times.

There's also a Dude Perfect Zone built with the Frisco based trick shot crew, where you use excavators to aim at basketball, football and golf targets. Height requirements apply for who can actually operate the machinery, but there's plenty for the under 30 inch crowd too. Single day passes run $30 to $50 depending on the day and pass level, with season options starting at $75.

Where: 2200 W. Grapevine Mills Circle

I've driven past that stretch off the Tollway more times than I can count wondering when something would actually happen. Something is finally happening.

The first phase, called Civic Park, broke ground in April and is targeting an October 2027 completion. It covers 58 of the park's 1,000+ acres and will include an amphitheater, an orchard and a 3 acre pond called Arrowhead Pond. Frisco assistant city manager Shannon Coates called it the beginning of a "choose your own adventure park" that will eventually include a Sports Park, Nature Center and Botanical Garden as future phases roll out.

The kicker: this thing will be bigger than Central Park. Former Mayor Jeff Cheney summed it up pretty well, saying he got into the project to build it for his kids and now realizes he's building it for his grandkids. As someone who's only been here since 2023, it's wild to think my daughters will probably be riding bikes through a park that's been two decades in the making before it even opened.

New restaurant alert. Halal Buns is opening late July at 8549 Gaylord Parkway, serving fresh never frozen beef burgers, hormone and antibiotic free chicken, and handcrafted milkshakes, all 100% Zabiha Halal.

Menu highlights include crispy chicken sandwiches, loaded fries and crispy wings, with sauces made from scratch in house. Founder Rida Niazi said the goal is a spot where "friends, families, and the community can come together over an unforgettable meal."

Emily and I are always hunting for new family dinner spots that aren't a chain we've already memorized the menu for. This one's going on the list.

Where: 8549 Gaylord Parkway, Ste. 103, Frisco

Rowan ear piercing bar is opening at Stonebriar Centre later this year, taking over the old Aveda spot. It's mom founded and specializes in safe, medical grade piercings for all ages. Filing this away for when my daughters ask, which feels like it's coming faster than I'd like.

Frisco ISD named its 2026-27 board officers, with Keith Maddox stepping in as board president.