The average American child spends far too much of his free time vegetating in front of a television set or moping around the house complaining that there’s nothing to do. This is such a shame since the child is missing out on many opportunities to exercise, make friends, learn new things and have good old fashioned fun. There are plenty of great and relatively inexpensive places you can take your children. Here are five fun and local day trips for your kids that you should look into.

Park

Do a little research to find out the location of the nearest park. Cities usually have several parks scattered throughout their neighborhoods. Even if you have a backyard, it’s nice to take kids to the park so they can play in a new environment and meet other children. Some small parks just have open spaces with trees and playgrounds, while other larger parks may offer activities like boating, biking and hiking.

 Zoo 

Kids love seeing animals other than standard house pets once in a while. Zoos are a great way to stimulate your child’s imagination by showing him animals that he’s not used to seeing, and to teach them all about the wonders of the natural world. Zoos often have shows or demonstrations that you can attend as well.

 Museum

 Most cities have a science or natural history museum. Many museums are designed to appeal to both children and adults, so while your child oohs and awes over dinosaur bones you can learn about evolution and extinction. Some museums, known as children’s museums, are especially designed for children. In contrast to regular museums where all the exhibits are kept behind glass or are restricted, children’s museums are designed to provide hands-on experiences for children so they can touch everything.

 Swimming

If you don’t have a swimming pool, taking your child to the local community center or public swimming pool is a great day trip. Indoor swimming pools are especially nice since it doesn’t matter what the temperature is outside. Some swimming pools offer swim classes if your child needs to brush up on their swimming skills, while others have fun equipment like slides and hoses or really nice Jacuzzis.

 Skating

 Depending on the season, your child may prefer roller skating to ice skating. If you live in a place that gets cold enough in the winter, it’s a great treat to take your child ice skating on a frozen lake. If outdoor ice skating isn’t their cup of tea, indoor ice skating rinks are open year round along with the much warmer roller skating rinks. Skating is a great way to get your child to exercise and work off that excess youthful energy.

This was written by Ryan Embly from Car Rental Express (CRX). CRX provides comparison services for car rentals and van rentals in North America and Europe.

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Karla Urwitz

As a full-time career oriented mother of one, I love all things travel. I was in the hospitality business for 15 years and loved it. So why not become a travel agent. I have been a travel agent since 2019 and enjoy helping others make memories. Now I am finding a balance between work, travel, and life.

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