Things to Do in Monroe

Big Frog Expeditions charts a course for exploration with safe and exciting white-water excursions down the flowing water tresses of the vibrant Ocoee River. Customers can choose to travel the Upper Ocoee River or the Middle Ocoee River on one of the available rafting dates, spending one-and-a-half of their three to four hours tackling the rapids with Big Frog. The Middle Ocoee contains 26 adventure-packed rapids over a five-mile stretch of dam-controlled river. The Upper Ocoee section began displaying its thoroughbred prowess while hosting the 1996 Olympic white-water competition, splashing the world's best athletes with splashes of raw adrenaline.

Beneath vividly colored rafters, a climbable children's playground blooms with pirate ships, a maze of bridges, and inflatable bounce rooms to inspire kinetic play and stoke little ones' imaginative fires. DACKids' safety crew keeps a responsible eye on the kiddie revelry, monitoring the Pirates Cove play park dressed in full, seaworthy costume. Under their responsible gaze, kids shuffle across the sandy floor of the Giant Octopus's lair or maneuver over rope ladders, fire foam-ball cannons, and waggle flags perched atop wooden forts.

The DACK Pirate Cove accommodates birthday celebrations with packages that allow wee ones to explore and burn off steam for 90-minutes before retiring to a private room, where partygoers revel in food and festivities while parents connect to the in-house WiFi to research how pirates doled out justice for sneaking second helpings of cake.

The first Bonkerz Comedy Club was founded in Wisconsin in 1984, when nightclub-owning brothers Joe and John Sanfelippo and best friend George Maltezos decided that it was more fun and less of a hassle to book comedians than musicians. Nearly 30 years later, Bonkerz has grown into a major comedy institution, with branches reaching as far as Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Nevada. Winner of several awards for Best Comedy Club and Venue, Bonkerz Comedy Club has kept the laughter rolling throughout the years with whoopee cushions installed in every seat and sets by greats such as Jerry Seinfeld, Larry the Cable Guy, and Saturday Night Live's Daryl Hammond. As the official audition site for NBC’s America’s Got Talent, the chain continues to feed tomorrow’s brightest comics to the national spotlight.

At PLaY! Music and Art, children try their had at different artistic ventures in an intimate and supportive environment. Students test their tiny fingers on the fretboard of a violin or viola or shred sounds on a flute, clarinet, or saxophone during private music lessons. Children also grip brushes and pencils in one of several art classes exploring basic drawing, painting, basic Photoshop editing, and Monopoly-money counterfeiting. PLaY! Music and Art hosts birthday parties that blend pizza with artistic endeavors and summer camps in music-video creation or Native American art. The studio also equips parents with free WiFi.

Pottery painting and glass fusing are two of the most celebrated crafts at Earth Paint and Fire. Spirited and inclusive, the studio’s BYOB classes and art sessions invite guests to indulge as they customize a plate or fuse colored glass to create ornate dishware and jewelry. During special project sessions, the staff members also assist artists by helping them customize works with painted accents such as the footprint of a newborn baby, the paw of an aging pup, or the tire tread of a beloved robot butler.