6 Great Plans for a Long Weekend with Your Children
Holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day, Easter and Thanksgiving provide the ideal opportunity for a mini vacation with you and your family. These and other national holidays are the perfect excuse to make plans to get away for a long weekend and do something different with your family.
In general, long weekends occur when holidays fall on Thursday, Friday or Monday. Every once in a while, it’s nice to have three or 4 days to relax and have fun with your loved ones. However, if you have children, you’ll need to keep them in mind when making plans.
Where to go for a long weekend
Currently, there is a wide variety of places you can take your children for a short getaway. Where you go will depend on the ages and preferences of your children, as well as the time of year and, of course, your budget. If you keep those factors in mind, it will be easier to find the right plan that you can all enjoy.
Don’t make things complicated by going somewhere far away or expensive. Even in your own city or nearby, you’ll have plenty of options to consider:
- The beach or other aquatic activities.
- Outings to the country.
- Zoos and petting zoos.
- Circus shows.
- Museums.
- The movie theater.
- Theme parks.
- Children’s plays or musicals at the theater.
- Sporting activities.
- Go to see basketball, baseball, hockey game, etc.
6 great plans for a long weekend with your family
Choosing what you want to do with your children over a long weekend requires the participation of your entire family. It also takes some time, so start planning a few weeks or days ahead of time.
First of all, you want to think about climate. Are you expecting warm weather or cold weather? Rain or sun?
You should also analyze whether or not there are viable recreation options close to home. If not, you’ll want to look at the possibility of spending the weekend in another city or town. Below, we’ll offer some resources for your long weekend.
Aquatic activities
Beaches and parks with pools or water slides are always a hit with children. If you live close to the ocean or a big lake, it’s a very advantageous and economical alternative.
You can also consider staying at a hotel near the beach for a few days rather than heading home at night. This gives you and your kids more time to enjoy the sand and water, and perhaps even make a bonfire.
Head to the country
You can take your children to a rural area and help them to discover and learn about agricultural activities. There are plenty of places dedicated to tourism in the countryside.
For example, you can look for petting zoos where your kids can get close to and touch farm animals. You can also find places where they can go fruit picking, horseback riding, take a hay ride, or make their own handmade crafts and sweets.
Zoos are also a very entertaining destination. There, your children can observe animals from faraway places that they’ve only seen on television. There, you may also have the option of bike tours, train rides, boat rides, etc.
The circus is in town!
Children love going to the circus, and this is a great outing if you have a limited budget. Circus attractions include classics like acrobatics, clown acts, magic, music and more.
Don’t forget to head to the concession stand and get some popcorn and cotton candy to make the experience complete. Look at the calendar to find out when the circus will be in town. That way, you’ll be able to include a visit in your long weekend plans this year
“Where you go will depend on the ages and preferences of your children, as well as the time of year and, of course, your budget.”
Visit museums
At first sight, this may not sound like a great long weekend plan for your little ones, but you may be surprised! Museums are just for paintings and sculptures. You can also find museums dedicated to natural science, outer space, sports, music, etc.
Find out if you have a local children’s museum, which tend to be very hands-on. There, your kids will be able to learn and participate in activities about the human body and basic science applied to daily life. They’ll have the opportunity to create, build, discover and investigate, laugh and play.
Check out the museum’s calendar to find out more about special events and exhibits to decide on the best time to go.
Sports activities
You can put together a team with other children and family members and plan a sports championship. Depending on your family’s interests, you can play soccer, football, baseball, hockey… whatever sport you choose!
This is a very inexpensive option if you have a limited budget. You can also buy tickets to a sporting event, car race or motorcycle race. Your family will be sure to love it.
Theme parks
Theme parks come in all sizes and offer a variety of activities, rides, etc. In general, they’re located near cities. If you don’t have one close to home, don’t miss the opportunity to visit one over a long weekend.
Some are very large, like Disney Land, Disney World and Busch Gardens. However, there are countless theme parks that are smaller and more accessible in regards to size and budget.
Our final suggestion if you’re looking for a way to enjoy a long weekend with your family is to head to the movies or local theater.
No matter what you choose, any of the above options are sure to be a hit. Just remember to keep your children’s ages and preferences in mind. And don’t forget that what matters most is spending quality time together as a family.