We’re Looking for the Best Family & Kid Places in West Michigan
From adventure spots to fantastic family-owned businesses, we’re hunting for the absolute best places that families can’t stop raving about.
Whether you’re that beloved dance studio, that exciting indoor playground, or that special spot where weekend memories are made, here’s your chance.
Ready to grab that “Best in Grand Rapids” spotlight you deserve?
2026 Family Choice Award by GRKIDS
The 2026 GRKIDS Family Choice Awards Contest is your chance to own the stage!
Get ready to join an incredible celebration of what makes Grand Rapids and West Michigan so special for families.
Winners will be a part of 2026’s ultimate family-friendly guide to West Michigan’s Best Places. Rally your fans, spread the word, and let’s make 2026 truly Grandtastic!
Nominations & Finalist Voting happens at: https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting/
How it Works
The contest has two phases:
1️⃣ Nomination Phase
January 29 – February 10, 2026: Businesses rally support to secure a spot on the ballot and be a Family Choice contender. The businesses with the most nominations move on to the Finalists Round.
2️⃣ Top 10 Finalists Round
February 18 – March 4, 2026: Top nominees compete for votes to determine the winners.
It’s a race to the top! People vote again, this time to determine who will take 1st place, 2nd, 3rd etc. Every business that moved on from Nominations is a contender in the Finalists round. Finals Voting starts Feb 18, 2026.
🏅 Winners Announced
May 2026: Final rankings are revealed in May, with winners listed in our Best of GR Family Choice Guide – and celebrated year-round through grkids.com’s social media, newsletters, and commemorative window clings.
*We are excited to offer this contest using the best ballot software available to ensure that it’s fair and user-friendly. If you have any questions or issues with the ballot please email laura@grkids.com.
Getting Votes
It’s absolutely okay to ask for votes! Your customers love what you do, and this is their chance to show it. We’re here to help you turn that love into votes with resources and ideas to make it easy.
- Share the excitement with your audience through email, Facebook, your website, LinkedIn, newsletters, or ads.
- Do it often, and don’t be shy! Put up a poster in high-traffic areas to grab attention.
- Employees can vote. Customers can vote. So, just get out and start promoting the vote!
Need some inspiration? Use these message ideas and image templates to get started!
Share Customer Stories: Use a customer testimonial to encourage nominations—it’s a great way to highlight what makes your business special!
Vote-Getting Ideas
Nominations Toolkit
Show Off Your Team: Celebrate your team’s hard work and achievements! Let your audience know that voting for your business is also a way to support your amazing team.
Nominations: January 29 – February 10, 2026 (13 days)
Pro Tip: Consider telling your audience which group and category you would like nominations in. Screenshot the ballot and highlight your category and listing to make it easy for them to find.
‘Nominate Us’ Message Ideas
- Hey favorite families! 🌟 Think we’re pretty great at {insert category}? We’d love your nomination in this year’s GRKIDS Family Choice Awards Contest! Just hop over to https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting/ between Jan 29 – Feb 10 and find us under {group}!
- The 2026 GRKIDS Family Choice Awards are here, and we’d be honored if you’d nominate us. Your support means the world to us! https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting
- 💝 Nominate us as your favorite family spot at https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting/ before Feb 10. Every nomination helps us reach the finals!
- Can you help us check off “Wins GRKIDS Family Choice Award” on our 2026 bingo card? We need your nomination to make it happen! https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting
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Nomination Images
Download Image (image opens in new tab – right click on image, choose ‘save’)
Voting Toolkit
Top 10 Finalists Voting: February 18 – March 4, 2026 (15 days)
‘Vote for Us’ Message Ideas
- Yay! We’re in the finals! 🎉 Help us bring home a GRKIDS Family Choice Award by voting for us in {category}. Pop over to https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting/ before March 4 to add your vote!
- Been meaning to vote? Do it while your coffee’s still hot! ☕ https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting/
- Not usually a contest voter? We get it! But this one’s different – just a few minutes to support your local fam at https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting/ 👊
- Having best customers make it easy to be a BEST business. We appreciate your votes in this year’s Family Choice Awards contest – https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting/ keep ’em coming!
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Voting Images
Flyer with QR Code: Put up a Vote for Us Flyer in your place of business and encourage people to scan the QR code to vote.
Rules
- Only one person PER household may nominate/vote.
- Votes with invalid email addresses will not count and may disqualify the nominee from winning. It is against policy to place a vote using any email address other than your own.
- GRKIDS will make attempts to confirm AND validate each email to ensure authenticity.
- GRKIDS reserves the right to eliminate votes that are deemed invalid or have interfered with the fair administration of this contest.
- Any legitimate entrant placing (6) or more nominations/votes will be automatically entered to win one of the gift card prizes.
FAQs
FAQS
Where do nominations happen?
Am I allowed to participate in more than one category?
Yes, absolutely! Any business that meets the spirit of the category is allowed to participate in that category. Some businesses might show up on the ballot 2, 3 or 4 times, and that’s okay!
My name is already on the ballot. What does that mean?
Your business may already be listed on the ballot. That’s great! That doesn’t mean you have a head start, though. To advance to the next round, you need to be one of the most nominated contestants in your category.
What if your name isn’t on the ballot yet?
If your name isn’t already on the ballot, just write it in the ‘write-in’ section of your category. Once it passes moderation, your name will be officially added to the ballot for more nominations. Meanwhile, any write-in nominations you receive during this period will count towards your total, so you can start gathering nominations even before your name is formally listed.
Am I allowed to ask people to nominate me?
Yes, absolutely! Encouraging your customers, friends, and community members to nominate your business or service is a common and accepted practice in contests like these. It’s a great way to engage with your supporters and increase your visibility in the competition.
Won’t I annoy my customers by asking them to vote for me twice (first nominations, then finals)? How can I handle this?
This concern can be addressed by tailoring your approach to the situation and setting expectations from the start.
In your initial ask, set the stage for the second ask by formatting your post something like this:
Hey everyone! It’s time to vote for {your business name}! We need your help with two things-
Thing 1: we need you to help get us on the finalist’s ballot. When we get nominated enough times to put us in the top 10, we can move on to the finals. (Nominating us is something you can do right now, please and thank you!)
Then, mark your calendars for [insert date here]! That’s when we’ll (hopefully!) need your vote again, this time in the Finals round, to help us claim the number 1 spot.
We love our customers and the work we do for you. We hope you consider us a valuable part of your life and can truly say that we’re the best in Grand Rapids.
Your support means everything to us – can we count on your nomination now and vote later? Here’s where you can do just that: https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting/
When is the final round? Finals Voting starts February 18 – March 4, 2026
Where does final round voting take place? https://grkids.com/family-favorites-voting/
When are the winners announced? Final rankings are announced in May.