Summer vacation is upon us and the kids have lots of energy. In your life before you had children, summer might have meant relaxing vacations spent lying on tropical beaches. Now summer is focused on active family fun. How can you keep the kids busy and engaged with activities that are fun for adults too?
The best kind of summer fun combines being outside, getting exercise and engaging your mind. Going on active family outings, for the day or longer, gets kids outside and exercising. Being active can help your family bond and create lasting memories. Try these four great activities to keep the family moving.
Go to a national forest or park
Whether you’re a camping enthusiast or you prefer to stay in a comfortable hotel, a few days spent in a national park or forest offers a ton of choices for family fun. Try rock climbing, hiking, river rafting, mountain biking, horseback riding or anything else the park has to offer. Fresh air and physical challenges will keep the kids happy during the day and ready for a good night’s sleep.
Go on a city tour
If you want to give the kids, and yourselves, a great active learning experience, try going on walking or biking tours of your city or another one that interests you. Find historic towns or cities with a lot of interesting sites. Tie in the tour with what the kids learned in school or have them read a book or watch a movie about the place you’re visiting. Many companies offer bicycle tours of major cities, and you can find walking tours in most historic places.
Go fruit picking or visit a farm
Another fun, healthy summer activity is gathering food and then bringing it home to make a recipe together. Visit a pick-your-own fruit farm or vegetable farm, or hike in the woods to forage for berries and edible plants. You can also visit working farms to let the kids experience farm life and learn where their food comes from. Think of recipes to make together from the food you picked. If you pick blueberries or peaches, you can teach the kids to make pie or cobbler.
Get in the water
Go swimming at your local pool or recreation center or visit a nearby lake or beach. Try visiting a water park or water slide. Hot springs and an outdoor jacuzzi can also be lots of fun for the family after a hot day of hiking or biking.