30+ Fun Adventures For Families To Do Together
Looking for the perfect way to spend a day with your kids? How about one of these fun and family-friendly adventures that makes a great experiential gift for a child or just a fun outing as a family any day of the year?
Each year we head to Minnesota to see my family for the holidays. All four of my sisters and I trek back to our former stomping grounds with our spouses and children for the annual Christmas affair. We are often in search of fun things to do with the kids, especially when it’s frigid outside. Last year, the temperatures were so cold we could barely leave the house. Consequently, a casual jaunt to the local park doesn’t cut it.
Because we are on vacation, it’s also fun to do activities with the kids that are out of the ordinary. We make the trip extra special with a few staycation adventures like visiting an amusement park or water park, hitting the local ski slopes, or bouncing out all our energy at a trampoline park.
Offering these outings as experiential gifts for our kids is also perfect because we have nothing extra to carry home on the plane.
As I plan for our trip in a few weeks, I want a hefty list of fun activities we can all do with the adults and kids. I made it for myself so why not share it with you?
I included more than 30 fun activities to do as a family. The list isn’t specific to a particular location, so search the web for places in your local area that offer any of the activities on the list that strike your fancy.
30+ Fun Adventures For Families To Do Together
Art Class | Find a local studio that offers classes. Studios like Color Me Mine have locations around the country, but you may find something more local to your community as well.
Kids Cooking Class | It’s pretty impressive what kids can cook and bake when given the right tools and instructions. Let them explore the kitchen in a safe and enjoyable way.
Hiking | Find a local hiking path near you and take a walk through the woods or a public park. It can be as fancy or as simple as you’d like. Here are some tips to find hiking trails wherever you are. You probably don’t need any special gear. But if you are getting ready to do some more adventurous hiking, here are great places to find secondhand hiking gear.
Rock Climbing | Be prepared for a great workout and conquer any fear of heights you might have. This is so much fun to try.
U-Pick at a Local Farm | Head out to pick your own fruit or veggies at a local u-pick spot. From strawberry farms to apple orchards and pumpkin patches, there are tons of u-pick options throughout the growing season. Here are nine reasons why u-pick is a great sustainable living activity that is fun for your family and good for the planet.
Trampoline Park | Let the kids blow off some steam and jump around… jump around.
Public Playground | City playgrounds are getting better and better every day. Find a local playground or head into a new neighborhood to check out a playground you’ve never visited before. We’ve visited some pretty amazing playgrounds like Waterfront Park in San Diego and Maggie Daley Park in Chicago. There are likely playgrounds like this in lots of cities!
Little Free Library Crawl | See how many little free libraries you can visit in your area. You can pick out some new books and drop off some books to help replenish other libraries.
Bowling | So classic and so good. Still popular for a reason.
Ice Skating | Lace up the ice skates and hit the rink. Even if it’s too warm to skate outside, you probably have an indoor rink somewhere in town.
Roller Skating | You may not have been in years, but what’s stopping you now? Find a local roller rink in your area and show off your moves from elementary school field trips.
Amusement Park and Theme Parks | Most cities have at least a few amusement and theme parks within an hour or two. See what’s in your area and make a day of it.
Play Spaces | Indoor play spaces like bounce houses and other inflatable activity centers keep kids busy for hours.
Snapology | Indoor centers filled with many types of blocks like Legos, Magna-Tiles, large building blocks and more.
Zoo & Aquariums | Check out the animals at your local zoo and aquarium attractions.
Children’s Museums | Find out which museums in your area cater to children. These often have so many fun things for kids to try and explore.
Nail Salon | Find a salon in your area that welcomes kids. Some salons have special chairs and services just for little ones.
Crayola Experience | There are a few of these Crayola Experience places around the country. See if there is one in our area.
Water Parks | This may be an indoor or outdoor activity, depending on the time of year and where you live. We visited Kalahari Resorts in the middle of a cold winter.
Professional Sports Games | You might be quick to think about the local teams at the highest level, but don’t discount the minor league and local college teams. Sometimes those are more fun than the major league professional games because the stadiums are smaller and there are more fun activities. You’ll also likely save a bunch on less expensive tickets.
Ninja Warrior Gyms | For the active kiddos, try out one of these adventure gyms.
Arcade | Give them a set amount of money for tokens to play games. When they run out of tokens, it’s time to head home.
Go-Kart Racing | Who doesn’t love taking a car for a drive before they are old enough to get their license?!
Laser Tag | It might be fun to do this with a group of friends and family. Coordinate this with your child’s friends or maybe a group of cousins around the holidays.
Local Performances | Snag tickets to a local theater, puppet show, dance performance or recital.
Movie Theater | It might not be revolutionary, but most kids love a good G or PG-rated movie. Grab some tickets, a snack, and enjoy the show.
Concert | Not all concerts will be great for kids, of course, but there are plenty that are kid-friendly. Search ticket sites like StubHub or Ticketmaster for shows in your area.
Hot Air Balloon Ride | If the weather is just right, you might be able to hop in a balloon for a gorgeous ride over your city.
Train Ride | It might not be something you often think about, but many places have an old train somewhere in the city that offers rides. Jump on the train for a taste of older times.
Night at a Hotel Together | Kids love staying in hotels and swimming in the pool. Spend the night together at a hotel, even if it’s just downtown in the area you live.
Yoga Class | Breathe in and relax with your kids. Try an introductory class with older children or a mommy and me class with younger children.
Fitness Class | Whether it’s new to you or something you want to share with your kids, try taking a fitness class together. Consider a barre class, spinning or any local studio that offers fun fitness activities.
Skiing | If you live in colder weather, try hitting the slopes at a smaller ski lodge in your area. You can rent all the equipment and have plenty of fun even without the epic views from more traditional mountains.
Canoeing or Tubing | If you live near a river, you can probably find a place to rent canoes or tubes. Try canoeing if you’re up for a little workout. Opt for the tubes if you prefer a lazy ride down the river.
Ropes Course | Gather up some courage and try a ropes course together. See if there is one in your area.
Local Factory Tour | Look for tours in your area of factories that kids might enjoy. Just as examples, you might consider places like the Pez Factory, Herr’s Potato Chip Factory, a chocolate factory, or the Crayola Factory.
Miniature Golfing | Anytime of year, find a local putt-putt golf spot in your area. If you live in cold weather, they might be indoors in the winter.
Top Golf | This fun group event gives everyone a fair shot at winning no matter how good their golf game is. New locations are popping up all over the country.
Medieval Times | Grab dinner while you watch an epic and unique show of Knights and medieval entertainment.
If you have any other ideas, be sure to share them in the comments. We are always on the lookout for more things to try when the siblings and cousins are all in town.
