An Exhaustive List of Outings and Adventures for Children

When I first got my driver's lisence, I immediately began developing habits that I still hold to this day.

I would pop in Taylor Swift's latest album into my CD player and go for long drives in the rolling hills of Canada or stop by my local Provincial park with my bicycle in tow, cycling through the park before stopping by the beach to take a dip in the waves. I'd cross-country ski or hike and walk in the nature preserves or stop by cute little cafes and second-hand stores. During my free period, I would drive to the library which had an art gallery on the fifth floor, wandering the galleries and book stacks and exhibits.

I think I've always loved adventure and treating your local area as if you were a tourist. My mom was an excellent example of this and perhaps the reason why I developed such a love for small adventures.

Living near Toronto, she showed us the ropes of how to plan a perfect outing: we'd spend all day shopping before going to a nice restaurant and a show. The pantomime, ballet, and theatre was a huge part of our life, both local and on a large scale. But our fun wasn't limited to high end shopping or restaurants: sometimes we would venture out to random or quirky exhibitions just for the culture like a tractor pull, 4H show, or even funky things like cat shows or the local red-neck sprinter races. Of course, my favorite days were boutique and thrift shopping with local Thai cuisine for lunch or catching a movie by the mall, but we'd also go out into nature, biking or cross-country skiing in the forest or finding trails and nature preserves to hike and walk.

When I flew the nest, I took this philosophy with me: I practically lived at local coffee shops and cafes while prioritizing trips to the museum on my bike or by foot. Trips to the shore and small historical towns always captured my interest. And even now, whenever we go on a trip, I find myself getting away on my own, either by foot, bicycle, or car, making my way to the local markets and libraries and shops, always curious to explore and enjoy.

I had a couple years of being rather housebound, what with my high-risk pregnancies and two children spaced 11 months apart. I became a homebody and only really left the house with the boys in order to go on long meandering stroller walks through town. But everything changed in 2023 when Bodie was 2.5 and Troy was eighteen months old: Grant had his accident and wasn't able to work for six months.

Days at home with all of us cooped up in the ranch house felt suddenly felt suffocating and I had just done my final sponsorship as a YouTuber: Admotor E-Bikes. Armed with my new method of casual transportation and a deep need to get the kids out and about, I began reverting to my old exploratory ways. Soon we were taking bike rides just to look at the school bus parking lot before grabbing ice cream cones and the sunset on the local lake. I've only bloomed since then, growing in confidence in my outings with my boys, whether its a hike to the top of the Kileau Trail in Kauai or the thrift store in the nearby city, we are always onto the next adventure.

I have found that many sahms get stuck in a rut: staying at home for naps with the occasional visit to church or Target. Perhaps some moms even feel guilty leaving the house: I know I've heard that sentiment before. But you're not a caged bird! You are an explorer of the world and your kids are your passengers. Life doesn't have to be a boring circular routine: especially when your children are not yet school age. The world is your oyster! Cleaning the house, visiting your mom, and occasionally going around the neighborhood are all nice things, but sometimes I think it's good to spice it up and challenge yourself with some varied activities that everyone can enjoy.

I've created an exhaustive list of every single thing we've enjoyed in order to inspire and hopefully kickstart your own imagination toward things you can do with your kids too. Please note that this list will be distinctly "coastal-small-town-midwestern." We live along the coast of Michigan in a seasonal climate with a mix of small towns, mid-sized cities, and tourist destinations, so the flavor of our life heavily reflects that. Suburban America is less familiar to me, as are deeply diverse historical cities, though I have visited many over the course of my life. I dream of bringing my boys to the heart of Brooklyn, but until then, we are just going to continue kicking it around here.

Life is one big adventure and I love bringing my boys along for the ride! Enjoy!

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Activities to do with Children

• The Library

  • Library story-time

  • Library play-date

  • Music circle

  • Craft afternoon

  • Snack and play time

  • Craft corner

  • Visit libraries in OTHER towns

    • An underrated tip, but mix it up! You don't need a library card to visit random libraries and use the children's activity area or attend their events.

    • Libraries in other towns often sport their own history, unique architecture, exhibits, and events. I keep my ear to the ground for five nearby libraries that we visit monthly.

• The Museum

  • General museums

    • Kids will be more interested in regular museums than you might imagine. Children's museums are obviously preferrable, but a regular museum can be just as good of an outing! I check which exhibits are running and if it's something either I or the children will be interested in, I'll bring them along.

  • Local children's museums

    • Science focused museums are my favorite for children. Our local museum is a bit dated, but they have excellent programs and exhibits.

    • STEM exhibits at the museum

    • Our local museum regularly holds story-times and events with archaeologists, professors, and scientists to attract more kids to the museum.

  • Air and Nautical Museums

  • Art museums

  • History or Science Museums

  • Small local "museums"

    • historical heritage homes offer walk-throughs and tours

    • Coastal lighthouses

    • Small art galleries in town often host kid-focused events as well

• The Theatre

  • Music events for kids or community members

    • Orchestra

    • Symphony

    • Jazz

    • Cover-bands in local community centers or parks and bandshells

    • Bands and small music gigs at coffee shops and pubs

  • Movie matinee

    • Historical theatres often show legacy kids movies in the afternoons.

  • Plays and musicals

    • I grew up going to the pantomime every Christmas and can't wait until I can take my kids to their first play.

    • Even our tiny town has a theatre that regularly puts on plays and musicals. Keep an eye out for the yearly calendar!

  • The Ballet

    • The nutcracker is a must for kids!

    • Smaller studios will have cheaper youth level ballets as well.

• Local High-School Events

  • High-School theatre productions

    • Local high-schools often have inexpensive or free showings of their Spring musicals or plays. Check them out! Our town just did The Little Mermaid.

  • High-School band events

  • High-School sports games

    • Football games

    • Soccer games

    • Baseball games

    • These are a great way for kids to watch a sport in a more interactive way while also showing them community spirit!

• Town/Citywide Events

  • Local parades

    • You can also visit nearby towns and cities for their parades. Check your county website to see what events the chamber of commerce is planning for the year.

  • Festivals

    • Art festivals

    • Music festivals

    • Car meetups

      • Safe car meetups that are welcoming for kids usually have a lot of retro and old cars and kind elderly people happy to show off their vehicles to the kids!

      • Touch-a-Truck

        • Events that allow children to touch a firetruck or dumptruck or garbage truck up close!

    • National holidays

      • Most towns have lots of events around national holidays. Our fire department sets up a slip and slide once a year in the park for Fourth of July! Just have to pay attention to the town calendar.

    • Ethnic festivals like Polish festival, Latin culture festival, etc.

      • Lots of food, culture, and music! Our town usually hosts a Polish festival, an Irish fest, and a few Swedish dinners or cultural events.

    • Seasonal festivals

      • Pumpkin Roll, Autumn Fest, Apple Fest, etc.

      • Christmas markets, Santa Parades, Holiday Walks

  • Walk and Shop

    • "Shop Local" events with sales and special food or drink offerings

      • These are family friendly events that encourage families to visit boutiques and small stores

    • Local boutiques

    • Local antique stores

    • Local thrift shops

  • Sports and Recreation

    • hockey games

    • baseball games

    • figure skating competitions

    • horse shows

    • small racing or BMX events

    • 4H

  • Visit the local PD or fire department for a tour

• Clubs and Classes for Kids

  • Music class

    • Libraries often have listings of music classes for children as young as 6 months old!

  • Sports

    • T-ball

    • Soccer

    • Gymnastics

    • Tumbling

    • Dance

    • Flag football

    • Skating lessons

    • Swim lessons

  • Cooking classes

  • Exercise with baby

  • Walking groups

  • Stroller running clubs

  • Homeschool co-ops

  • Church groups

  • Scout groups

  • Library run classes and events

• Church

  • Mom-focused Bible studies where children are welcome

    • Mine meets once a month in an older lady's home and we all bring our kids and eat breakfast!

  • Workout classes

    • Most churches will have some sort of mom or women-focused workout group that either meets up at the church or somewhere else. And if your church doesn't have one, you can always begin one!

  • Mom's groups

    • I'm on the steering team for our mom's group that hosts about 60 women twice a month. We meet to have discussions, breakfast, speakers, workouts, crafts, or just silly games and competitions! Childcare is provided and it's a great way to meet other people. Look for MOPs meetups or churches that have mom's groups.

  • Lifegroup Bible studies

    • Couples' focused Bible studies often have groups that meet with children welcome. We have been involved in a few of these.

  • AWANA

  • Vacation Bible School

  • Service projects

  • Volunteer in different church programs or conferences with your kids

  • Sunday service

  • Sunday school

  • Friendship groups

• Nature

  • Playgrounds playgrounds playgrounds!!!

    • Go to your local playgrounds, neighboring town's playgrounds, and school playgrounds when school is not in session. Endless adventure and physical activity!

    • I keep a little marked list of every single playground and keep my eyes peeled whenever I'm driving to spot new ones.

  • The beach!

    • Location dependent but even a small lake beach can be a nice outing for kids.

  • State Parks

    • Hiking

    • Playgrounds

    • Play-dates with friends

    • Nature scavenger hunt

    • Walk a pet at the park with your kids.

      • Walk a neighbor's pet

    • Picnic

    • Stroller walk

    • Marsh boardwalk

    • Bring balance bikes or scooters and adventure around.

  • National park

    • Family trip

    • Day trip

    • Picnic

    • Stroller walk

    • Drive through the park to catch the sights!

  • Small local trails and nature preserves

    • Hike or walks with kids

      • Watch my Hawaii vlogs if you'd like to get a bit of insight into how this goes down LOL!

    • Picnic

    • You'd be surprised how many towns have tiny little trails on small public land. Look at your maps for parks to find them all!

  • Fishing

    • My husband's domain, but the children love to fish in a small boat or off a dock.

  • Skiing

    • We've taken a few day and multi-day ski trips with the boys ever since they were three years old and it has been a blast!

  • Sledding with friends

  • Boating

  • Splash pads

  • Swimming

    • Backyard pools

    • Community pools

    • Beach swimming

  • Biking with a bike trailer

    • Bike around town

    • Bike to coffee shop

    • Bike to look at the industrial park/commercial district garbage trucks and buses

    • Bike to the playground

    • Bike to the beach etc.

  • Backyard activities

    • Bonfires with friends

    • Build a fort

      • We have one in our little forest and it provides endless fun!

    • Walks

      • If your backyard is big enough, you can walk around the property with kids and spot different bugs and vegetation.

    • Play date with friends

    • Picnic

    • Tree climbing

    • Garden together

    • Scooter and balance bikes on the driveway

    • Sandbox

    • Tree swing

• Shopping and Errands

  • Groceries

    • Normal shopping to get things done

    • High-end grocery store for a treat

    • Ethnic/specialty grocery store to buy unique ingredients and produce

  • Window shopping at large department stores

  • Toy store

  • Thrifting

  • Pet stores to look at the fish and other small animals

  • Book stores

    • They often have children's sections and storytime. Check your local Barnes & Noble. They may even have a Starbucks for a cakepop while you shop!

  • Tractor and farm supply stores

    • Check out the large equipment and sit on the display models

    • Let the kids see the ducks and baby chicks and rabbits

  • Antiquing

    • Little booths and shops are a fun way to show your kids things from the past.

  • Dollar store

    • The Dollar Tree is very cheap. I like to go and let them pick out some toys and candy. Less than $10 spent and a fun activity.

• Restaurants

  • Cafes and coffee shops

    • grab lunch

    • grab a coffee and a cookie for the children

    • grab a coffee and walk

    • grab a coffee and sit and enjoy the ambience

  • Ice-cream shop

  • Bakeries

  • Chain restaurant experiences

  • Small niche restaurants that specialize in a specific cuisine

• Driving

  • Christmas light hunting

    • This is my go-to in the Winter when we are sick. Everyone get in the car, the Christmas playlist is on, and we are going to tour the town to see all the best displays.

  • Long drives along the sea and lakeside

  • Taking the "scenic route" at all times

    • Unless we have an appointment or set time we need to be somewhere, I usually take the "long way." While we drive, I point out large equipment, mail trucks, horses, cows, or anything unusual. It teaches them to realize that the world is interesting!

  • Coffee or drive thru for a snack before driving somehwere new

    • Whenever we get a snack at the coffee shop, Bodie will say "let's go for a drive." We eat and look out the window. I love exploring and learning more streets and seeing different architecture, so this is a favorite of our family.

  • Drive to a farther location of somewhere you regularly go

    • Instead of going to our local Walmart or library, we purposefully go to a town farther away just to fill the day.

• Social Visits

  • Arrange a play date with friends at one of the above locations

  • Arrange a play date at a friend's house

  • Host a play date

  • Walk with friends

  • Host a breakfast club

  • Bring cookies to a neighbor

  • Meet another family for coffee or ice cream

  • Meet friends with the kids for lunch

  • Prepare and have dinner with other families or moms

  • Host a backyard hang out or bonfire

  • Garden with friends

  • Help friends organize the house or clean

  • Book swap

  • Clothing swap for kids clothes

  • Visit friend's houses

    • I like to arrange visits with friends who have a small farm or horses or different toys or experiences. We of course, reciprocate these visits, but it's always fun for kids to try new things with friends.

• Pricier Outings

  • Bowling alley

  • Arcade for kids

  • Trampoline park

  • Arrange a short train ride

  • Kid's shows

    • Monster truck rally

    • Character concerts

    • Kids music concerts

    • Kids films

  • Cruises

    • Royal Caribbean

      • We booked an upper deck suite with an adjoining room and it was SO fun! The boys got to visit Cozumel and Grand Caymen.

  • Resorts

    • We've stayed at a few resorts with the boys and we always look for a "zero entry" pool as those are easy for them to wade into and enjoy.

  • Amusement parks

    • We have a few amusement parks near us and we have memberships at at least one of them.

  • Waterpark

  • Zoo

    • We usually hit up the zoo whenever we travel somewhere and I can say that my favorite one was the Honolulu zoo followed by the Detroit zoo. I'm itching to get back to the Chicago zoo too!

  • Ski mountain in the summer

    • We took a gondola up Ober Mountain and saw bears and went bobsledding with the boys and it was so fun!

  • Natural Caves

    • The caves in Kentucky were surprisingly fun for the boys! We had to wear them on our chests so it was a lot of effort, but it was a memorable experience!

  • Large friend/family vacations

• Miscellaneous

  • Community rec center

    • Our recreation center has a track to walk, a basketball court, and an indoor soccer field for the children to enjoy.

  • YMCA Programs

  • Day camps

    • Our zoo, schools, churches, and YMCA all offer various day camps in the summer.

  • Drive to the local airport to watch planes take off

  • Visit an older family member or neighbor with your kids

  • Visit an independent or assisted living

  • Visit the animal shelter

  • City bus ride or public transit

  • Soft play at the mall

  • Take your children furniture shopping or homeware shopping

    • Shopping for the house or big furniture can be very exciting for children. Even purchasing artwork or seasonal decor gets kids excited to participate in the homemaking.

  • Home Depot craft saturdays

    • Once a month or so, Home Depot will host events for children.

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I hope you find some fun ideas in this list! Everything gets easier when the younger children are out of diapers, but we did many of these things with diapers in tow. I think the key is to not limit yourself or your children in your mind. Just remember that life is an adventure and we only get to live it one time!

xoxo,

Cait