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Finding things to do with the whole family are not always an easy feat. There are many reasons for this, one of which is that a lot of times family outings end up with the children in tears and you wishing you were in bed.. with the covers pulled up... and a pillow over your head! Have no fear! I have put together a list of great activities to do with the kids that you will enjoy! And if you have any additions to the list, please add them to the comments at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
Family Fun:
1. Baby Loves Disco - www.babylovesdisco.com This is like going to a club, with the kids and you get to strut your stuff on the dance floor at the same time! You can have birthday parties here or just go for an afternoon of dancing with the kids. They play fun disco tunes and you can have snacks and drinks if you want too. Check your local area to see if any clubs are holding Baby Loves Disco and if there aren't, you can submit a location or area to the company and they will try to open one up!
2. Local Art, Children’s or History Museums - Children like to go to museums. You can
3. The Zoo - Always a hit, especially with the young ones. Make sure to bring snacks, water and a camera!
4. Parks, Neighborhood Parks and Theme Parks - Always great for releasing energy and stimulating activity.
5. Farmer’s Markets - Wonderful opportunities to talk about health and to see new and interesting things. You can show kids how to find good fruits and veggies and talk to farmers about how they grow their crops.
6. Aquariums and Fish Stores - Fun for kids to see and explore fish. For some reason kids are always in awe of fish tanks and their inhabitants. My kids love aquariums, but if we cannot make it that far, they love fish stores too.
7. Movie Theater or IMAX. If your child is over 3 years old, the movie theater is a great treat. IMAX theaters are in many cities across the US now and have great educational films for kids. Just make sure that the movies you are going to see are appropriate for your child's age and mental maturity level. If your child is not enjoying the movie, go get your money back and try something else! 8. Local Theater – There are many theater companies that have productions specifically produced for children. Check your local playhouse to see if anything is upcoming in your neighborhood. 9. Local Libraries - Usually have weekly story time which can be a lot of fun for the kids. Our library has a great story time, complete with songs and sometimes even art projects.
10. City Hall – This can be a great place to talk to kids about the government and show them the courts and politicians of the city. Many kids have no idea about the government, so if your kids are over 6 years old, this could be a great place to schedule a field trip or meeting with your local politicians and future voters!
11. Miniature Golf – A good, all around fun activity for the whole family. Lots of colors and usually other activities such as video games will make everyone happy.
12. Ice Skating – Now that the holidays are approaching...this is great for both boys and girls. Encourages motor skills and physical activity as well as family bonding (kids can hold each other up and fall down together)!
13. Bowling – Can be fun and silly and who doesn’t love to wear those stinky shoes?! Don’t forget to bring socks for everyone though!
14. The Art Supply Store - Make art! You can make a family painting or each person in the family can make a painting of their own.
15. Go on a Photo Scavenger Hunt - Everyone gets a disposable camera, and you make a list of photos that everyone has to take (an old car, a rusty nail, a red balloon, a bridge, anything else that could be interesting) and then you take the cameras to a one hour photo and pick the best photos (one form each participant) for a collage that you then assemble.
No matter what you do, remember that sometimes we all need help learning to enjoy ourselves on outings. Don't forget to laugh if things don't go as planned (they rarely do). The more positive expereiences we have together as a family or at least the more humor we can find in these outings- the better out future outings and memories will be.
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Communication 
