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Six Fun Outings for Kids

Educational and affordable activities for the family

Are you looking for a new answer to the eternal complaint, “Mom, I’m bored?” Try any of these six excursions. They’re interactive, educational and a great way to spend an afternoon — for very little money.

Old-Fashioned Steam Railroads

There are more than 40 restored 19th-century railroads in the U.S. and Canada that allow you to take a short tide in a refurbished car powered by an original engine. Kids love this antique form of transportation, and the cost is usually modest. A call to your state tourism board can give you the location of the nearest line.

Pick-Your-Own Produce Farms

Grab some baskets and reap the bargains: berries, apples, tomatoes and other seasonal produce at a fraction of what you’d pay at your local supermarket. Kids will have fun picking and as a bonus they’ll learn how the food they eat is produced.

Hands-On Science Museums

Many communities have facilities where kids can learn about everything from oceanography to the human body — and not by staring at objects in dusty glass cases. Whether it’s making their own cactus sculpture or throwing their voice across the room in an echo chamber, the activities always keep kids engaged. To find museums that cater to young minds, go to www.tryscience.org, then click on the Find a Science Center tab.

Corn Mazes

Why didn’t someone think of this before: cutting designs into fields of corn to turn them into 3-D puzzles you can walk through. It’s a seasonal phenomenon, originally popular in the East and the Midwest, that now appears nationwide in the late summer and fall. To find the maze closest to you, contact the local tourism boards or chambers of commerce, or scan the weekend section of the newspaper. Or check online at www.cornfieldmaze.com.

Factory Tours

If your kids are curious about how things get made — anything from ice cream to 18-wheelers to teddy bears — there’s probably a nearby company offering a free or low-cost tour. Manufacturers of products you eat or drink often throw in some samples too. Your local tourism bureau or chamber of commerce may have a list of such facilities.

Bird-watching

There’s no easier or more cost-conscious way to give your children an appreciation for the natural world than to go on a local birding expedition. Spark your kids’ interest by putting a feeder outside a convenient window at home. Then organize a weekend trip to a local park or wilderness area. (Don’t forget — it’s best to go early.) Check the Audubon Society’s Website, at www.audubon.org, to get a list of birds that can be seen in your area and to find out about guided walks.

Half the pleasure of any outing is the anticipation. Several days before you leave, tell the children you’re going on an excursion, but don’t say where. Drop clues like “We’re going to see how something in our house is made.” Or tell them how many miles away it is and let them make guesses using a map. Keep the destination a mystery until you’re pulling into the parking lot.