Ah! Summertime! For teachers, the last day of school felt like it would never arrive. Now that it’s here, we can relax, drink our coffee/tea while it’s still hot, read, catch up on our household To Do list, and binge Bridgerton Season 3 (it’s excellent!).
For parents of school-aged children, summertime means that our bored children are begging to get on their devices and raiding the pantry for snacks. While some families are lucky enough to travel during the summer, many households have at least one working parent. Entertaining the children can prove quite difficult, especially when you want to take a day off of work just to sleep.
Depending on your situation, whether your kids are home all day or off to a summer camp, I want to share five of my favorite family field trips we do every summer. Whatever your summer plans, I hope you get a chance to have some fun as a family.
1. The Planetarium
Living in Colorado means that I’m lucky to have more than 300 days of sunshine. However, when we need to beat the heat, or it’s too rainy to go outside, we visit the planetarium. The Gates Planetarium downtown is a part of our excellent Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I’ve chaperoned many fifth-grade field trips to the museum, but for some reason, they never include the planetarium. My kids have always loved learning about space and the solar system, and Gates has excellent shows. The Fiske Planetarium in Boulder has incredible laser shows concerts!
Wherever you are located there is sure to be a planetarium or observatory nearby.
2. Tours
I drink a lot of tea. When my kids were younger, my daughter asked me one day how the tea gets into the tea bag. It didn’t take me long researching on the Internet to learn that Celestial Seasonings originated and is currently located in Boulder, CO. We’ve made this field trip a once-a-year tradition. The tour is short, but my teenagers still love seeing all of the factory machines sifting and sorting the ingredients, and then packing into boxes and onto crates. They offer free sample of every tea they sell!
There are hundreds of factory tours in the United States, from cheese and candy manufacturers to glass blowers and vineyards. I’ve been on a lot of tours as a teacher, and I always learn something new about how goods are made behind the scenes.
3. The Zoo
My wife and I have been taking our kids to the zoo since they were babies. We purchased a family pass that allowed us to go as often as we could during the week. This meant that instead of trying to see all the animals in one long trip, we could visit the lions one day and the orangutans the next week. Short, frequent trips are the best!
Now that my kids are older, I was hesitant about taking them to the zoo. Would they still love seeing the giraffes and penguins? Yep! Going to the zoo is a great way to slow down your pace, chat with your family, and learn cool facts about animals.
Most zoos offer some sort of tiered membership, and if you can afford it, I highly recommend one that allows you to visit multiple times throughout the year. Many zoos offer great winter activities, too! There are over 500 zoos in the United States. Check out which zoo is nearest you.
4. The Museum
When our oldest was in Kindergarten, he LOVED dinosaurs. He was obsessed. He had dinosaur sheets, pajamas, a Diplodocus lunchbox, and Stegosaurus tee shirts. Every read aloud was about the Jurassic or Cretaceous periods. When I could no longer answer his questions to his satisfaction, we would take him to the museum and let the docents satisfy is insatiable curiosity. People who work in zoos, museums, and other educational parks are saints! They are patient and passionate about sharing information with young people. Even though my kids aged out of some of the younger exhibits, they never seem to tire from the museum experience.
Unlike the zoo, a good museum is an incredibly active learning experience. Many museums have hands-on, interactive exhibits and knowledgeable docents to answer your child’s incessant questions. Don’t forget art museums! Check to see if your local art museum offers free admission for kids under the age of 18.
5. The Amusement Park
I’ve never been a huge fan of amusement parks. They are expensive, overcrowded, and overstimulating. Still, as a school teacher in the United States, it is impossible to avoid chaperoning field trips to water and amusement parks. I usually hang out in the shade. I hate roller coasters and I’m not a great amusement park companion. Instead, I opt for smaller venues like bowling alleys and arcades. Since, I love a good funnel cake and corn dog, we usually visit our local county fair during the summer. It is still crowded, but it feels more like a community event. I love chatting with the local farmers and other vendors. My kids love the Ferris wheel and I’m happy to ride smaller carnival rides and lose my money to rigged carnival games. Now that my kids are older, we stay for the evening fireworks show and leave wholly satisfied.
Are you traveling this summer? Staying in town? Where are some of your family’s favorite spots to visit? I’m always looking for new field trip suggestions. Let me know!
Have a great week!
— Adrian
Resources
25 Best Factory Tours in America for Families Who Love to Go Behind the Scenes
There is something special about going behind the scenes. Hopefully, you can find a cool factory tour near you.
When looking for a zoo to visit, try to find one that is American Humane Certified™. I’d rather support a animal conservation park that treats their animals humanely, focusing on animal care and educational outreach.
27 of the Best Museums in the U.S
This list of zoos makes me want to travel more with my family. If you’re ever in Denver, check out the Denver Botanic Gardens. I always leave with great ideas for my own garden!
The 19 Best Amusement Parks in the U.S. for 2024
I’ve never been to any of these parks, but if you like roller coasters, I’m sure you’ll find a park nearby.
The Best State Fair in All 50 States
Every state fair I’ve visited always has a great connection to agriculture and a wonderful community of advocates.
30 Free Summer Activities to Try in 2024
Trying to entertain the family throughout the summer can be costly. This list offers a lot of free alternatives. Some of my favorites are summer concerts, board game nights, free bowling, and hiking trails.
Fourteen years on and I can still vividly remember a tour of the Herr’s Potato Chip factory in Pennsylvania, and how sensors and puffs of air were used to clear away “bad” chips from the processing line. My sons 12 and 9 at the time were captivated by it all.
Hiking trails are everywhere. We just enjoyed 4 days of hiking on dog- friendly trails near Divide, CO. Free and easily accessible.