We’re giving a vacation to our kids for Christmas this year and we can’t decide what to do. Please seed us with ideas. What are your favorite kid-friendly vacation activities? Kids all below 10yo
Children’s science museums are cool, not sure how common they are but I’m aware of at least two cities that have one in the Midwest-region so they can’t be that rare.
I’ve loved hiking since I was a kid. I wouldn’t go for any long hikes lest they get tired and bored, but who doesn’t like spending some time outside?
Aquariums and natural history museums can be a blast. If any of your kids have a specific interest in something (history, art, aviation, etc) then there may be other museums they’d like too
Unfamiliar transportation can be a freebie between activities - a boat, a train, a cable car, even a double-decker bus hit different than a car ride
Obvs, having some extra activities that you won’t mind canceling can help leave time for gratifying any whims that strike the vacationers, without putting pressure on them to find something that strikes them
Landmarks can be cool, but crowded ones usually weren’t worth it to me as a kid. But then, maybe your kids don’t mind crowds
Swimming. Just swimming. If it’s somewhere cool, then cool. If it’s in a motel pool, then that can still be cool
Consider reaching out to public services or companies in the area you’re visiting. Some thoughts include large fire departments, water purification plants, power plants, etc. These places will often allow and welcome folks to come and stop by to visit (or even tour).
The kids loves seeing the huge industrial machinery and the construction vehicles. The workers love having someone worship them for 20-30 minutes. It can be a great time
Indoctrinate your children with a love of trains and publicly-owned utilities :back-to-me-shining:
There’s probably no official way to request a tour, no. So it’s not “legit”.
It’s more about taking initiative and trying to connect with someone who works in that space, has some available time (this is the biggest obstacle but plenty of folks have some time), and appreciates it when other people express a passion or appreciation for their work or craft (which applies to most folks).
An easy example is that fire departments will often let kids come and check out the ladder trucks. They’ll even bring them out to public places like a grocery store and let the kids get super close.
I always rode trains wherever I went as a kid. Of course I have always loved trains, but most kids under 10 like trains anyhow.
