Guest Post
To keep the kids happy, the occasional family day out is a refreshing change to staying at home and fighting over play dough. Entertain and educate them at the same time with a trip that is both enjoyable and informative. When the kids are bored, it always leads to mischief, so keep them distracted at the weekends with these engaging days out:
Farms
Have you got a budding agriculturist on your hands? Go to a public farm for a hands-on, fun experience. Usually, interesting events are run, from craft shops to treasure hunts. Your kids can also learn how to look after animals and how to harvest their own fresh food – baby steps towards self-sufficiency.
Some farms offer horse riding services, so you can gallop across fields with your little ones. Feed and pet rare breeds of livestock, or just enjoy a walk through the surrounding countryside. Feeling peckish? Stop by at the on-site café for a traditional slice of cake and a cup of tea.
Castles
If your kids are into their horrible histories, there’s no better way for them to learn about the past than visiting a castle. Castles usually cater for children with quizzes and activities. Take a picnic and enjoy the grounds to finish off the day.
Museums
Most museums have free admission, so if you’re looking for a cheap day out, they’re a great option. Depending on the museum you visit, there’s a lot to learn and see. Many museums are now interactive and offer options, such as dressing up and hands-on exhibits.
Open Bus Tours
If you want to condense a whole day of traipsing around a city into an hour or two, an open bus tour is a convenient way to see the sights and learn more about the area. Although there may be a few inevitable ‘wheels on the bus’ renditions, this trip is surprisingly popular with kids.
The Zoo
Zoos are fun for both children and adults. You can see exotic animals from all corners of the world and every enclosure is complete with information boards that teach you all about the creatures you love best. Zoos are usually big on conservation, so this is a great opportunity to educate your children about the problems many species are facing due to deforestation and hunting.
Knowsley Safari Park has a large range of animals, from Siberian Tigers to the exceptionally rare Pere David’s Deer.
Observatory
What’s more relaxing than star-gazing? Visiting your nearest observatory or planetarium can afford a wonderful day out, learning about the cosmos and marvelling at the universe. Ever wondered what the death of a star looks like or where the planets got their names from? Who knows, maybe your little girl or boy will be the next Neil Armstrong.
Mines
Throughout Wales, you can find many slate mines open to the public. Explore exciting caves and find out more about the miners’ lives under the ground.
This post has been composed and contributed for http://www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk, a great family day out between Liverpool and Manchester in the North West.
Lots of great ideas! TY!
We are so lucky to live around lots of farms, I love being able to show my son how animals are raised and what we can harvest from them even though we dont have enough space to do those things at our home. There is a place down the road that even has rescued zebras!
These all sound like fun places to visit.
Oh, it would be fun to check out a couple of mines.
Great tips
I always enjoyed the museum when the kids were young.
We had a “family day” yesterday to visit a local chicken coop — it was so much fun!
Family Fun and education is a good pairing. We love the zoo.
Great tips!
What a great post! I love the suggestions. I think about the zoos and museums, but often forget about some of the great other options. I love the idea of star gazing! I might even do that this next weekend! =)
what a great list. Thanks for the ideas
We have a great kids museum and zoo here in Denver. Gold panning up in the hills is fun.
Great set of suggestions.
sounds so exciting
What a wonderful list of possible places to spend the day living and learning with your children.
What a great list.
Great list!
This is a great list. There is this guy that owns this house that looks like a castle not to far from me. I have always wanted to see what the inside looks like.
We really need a family day out!
I’ve been meaning to take my son to the ranch that’s out here lately- we don’t really have any actual farms that I know of {we’re in the desert} but the ranch would be nice!
such great tips and a great list!
I never thought about mines, but I LOVE open bus tours!
I want to take the kids to a farm…I think that would be fun and interesting.
One of the most fun things we’ve done in the past few years was a visit to a local dairy farm. It was so educational and the owners were so pleasant and spent so much time showing us around their operation.
I went on a field trip to a farm and it was a great learning experience. Once my girls are old enough, I’ll definitely take them there. It was so much fun!
There are a lot of great ideas in here – I’ll definitely be checking these out!
Lots of great ideas. We’re fresh out of castles here in Alabama though. 🙂
I love secretly incorporating learning into family fun days. These suggestions are all great!
We experienced an underground cavern with my then 12 and 4 year olds and had a great time. We learned alot of history as well as nature. Fun time for all!
those are all such good ideas. I am a sucker for museums.