Families enjoy having fun together, but the expense involved can sometimes be overwhelming. Fortunately there are lots of fun adventures to be found in your own neighborhood and local area. With a little imagination and a lot of enthusiasm, you and your family can create some wonderful family days and memories.

Enjoy a Family History Day

Every city and town has a history, and children love learning about where they live. Check the phone book for the phone number, address, and hours of the local Historical Society. They often have a room or two of museum type collections. Help your children discover the kinds of clothing, toys, games, and activities that were popular with children over a hundred years ago. Be sure to take a camera with you. Most historical societies will allow you to take some photos of the items in their collections. Allow your children to take photos of the things they find most interesting. If there are vintage photos of old buildings that still exist, it’s fun to go look at them, observe the changes, and imagine what the original occupants would think if they could see the building today. When children learn about the city or town where they live, they feel connected to their community.

Enjoy a follow-up to your history day by making a scrapbook of stories of what you saw and any buildings you visited. Include photos that you took, and have the children write comments about them. Make learning fun, and your children will love family discovery excursions.

Picnic and Outdoor Games

Get everyone involved in planning the picnic lunch. Will it be sandwiches, chips, fruit and lemonade? If your local park or lake has built in grills, it can be a cookout with hotdogs and burgers. Once the picnic meal is planned, it’s time to plan the games and activities. Frisbee tossing, kite flying, badminton, and other outdoor games are great fun and provide healthy exercise. Smaller children enjoy a playground with swings and slides. If there is a lake or community pool nearby, have a refreshing swim before returning home.

Reverse Scavenger Hunt

Do you remember the original scavenger hunt? You had to find all the articles on a specific list. The reverse scavenger hunt requires you to write a list of all the articles you find. This is a perfect activity if you have a hiking area near your home. One notebook, a pen or pencil, a sunny day, and some energetic children are all that you need to play. Once you reach your hiking destination, instruct the children to use their eyes like little cameras, and notice all the things they don’t see at home. One person, an older child or parent, writes the list as children identify different items. Items might include a pinecone, a wildflower, a chipmunk, a birch tree, a funny bug, or an unusual shaped rock. When children get involved in this activity, times goes by quickly.

All of these suggested activities involve learning and physical activity. At the end of the day, your children will have learned a lot, and be ready for a relaxing evening at home. There is little or no cost involved, but the quality time spent with family is priceless.

Post contributed by Christine Harding on behalf of Wish.co.uk days

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