This article is new and up-to-date based on the current pandemic, but we do advise that you consider all risks involved and remember to social distance, wear your mask, use your sanitizers, and stay at least 6 feet from anyone not a member of your immediate family.
As a parent, you are always going to be searching for things to do with kids near me. You won’t start out that way, but after a while, you will find yourself wondering, “What to do with kids?”, and “What to do with kids today?”, and “What to do with kids this weekend?”. Thankfully, there will always be things to do with your kids today if you are persistent enough with your searching and asking friends and family for ideas. We guarantee that if you keep your eyes open, you are always going to find stuff to do with kids near me.
50 Things to Do with Kids Near Me
Fall
1. Go Apple Picking
Apple picking is one of the best things to do with kids this weekend during the fall. If you ever find yourself asking the question, “Where can I take my kids?”, and it is September or October, apple picking should be your number one answer. You can all pick apples, taste apple cider, and even purchase some cider donuts to take home.
2. Go on a Hayride
The fall season brings lots of outdoor activities for kids and hayrides are one of the most popular. This is one of the kid friendly things to do where your kids will have an amazing time, despite the fact they are sitting still.
3. Find Your Way Out of a Corn Maze
Unless you have really young children, your kids will love trying to find their way out of a corn maze. Hopefully you have a corn maze near your home, but if you don’t, we are sure you can find one fairly close by!
4. Go to a Pumpkin Patch
Everyone needs pumpkins during the fall and there is no better way to get them than by going and picking them out by yourself at the pumpkin patch. This is the number one thing to do with kids near me now. But don’t think you need to be there when everyone else is. Feel free to go find your pumpkins in early fall or wait until it is almost Halloween to pick out the perfect pumpkin.
5. Go on a Nature Walk to See the Leaves Change
If you live in an area where the leaves change colors in the fall, turn it into an opportunity to get your kids out of the house. Nature walks are one of the kid friendly activities near me. They are also one of the free things to do with kids near me. Simply choose a nature trail near your house or head to the local park to do a little walking and experience the changing of the seasons.
6. Visit an Indoor Water Park
If you miss the warm water at the beach, you might want to consider an indoor water park. This is one of the indoor activities for kids that will make you feel as if summer hasn’t left yet! Swim in the pool, go down the slides, and have an amazing time with your family!
7. Go Stargazing
If you are looking for free things to do with kids, you may want to consider doing a little stargazing one night. The skies are often quite clear during the fall season and the temperatures are still warm enough where you won’t freeze in the process of admiring the stars and the moon.
8. Dine Al Fresco at a Local Café
Local cafés can be the best if you are looking for things to do with children near me. This is one of the fun things to do with small children, especially if they do not eat out a lot. It is new and exciting, so everyone is usually on their best behavior.
9. Take a Scenic Drive
Taking scenic drives are considered one of the kid friendly things to do near me. It doesn’t matter where you live, because there has to be a scenic road somewhere nearby. And this time of the year is perfect for scenic drives, especially in the northeast, because you can see the leaves after they have changed colors.
10. Go to a Museum
Some museums offer free days to kids or families at certain times of the year. Visiting a museum might be an option when you are looking for free indoor activities near me. If you have younger children, you might want to opt for a children’s museum where they can interact with the exhibits. Older kids will benefit from interactive exhibits as well, since it will keep the groaning and eye rolling to a minimum.
11. Make S’mores Over a Campfire
There are going to be times when you are going to be looking for cheap things to do with kids at home. Maybe you don’t feel like going out or your kids are tired, but you still need something to do with them! This is when you will want to make some s’mores over a campfire.
12. Make Placemats for Thanksgiving
Rainy days are the worst, especially when you are looking for something to do with the kids. We say to cherish these days and embrace them by being thankful! You can have your kids create placemats for Thanksgiving. If they do that in record time, you can also have them work on making a thankful tree.
13. Go for a Bike Ride
The fall is the perfect time of the year to go for bike rides, because it is much cooler outside. This is one of the things to do with kids near me that can be scheduled last minute. If your kids are bored and begging for something to do, tell everyone to grab their bikes and helmets and head out on an adventure. You can do this for fifteen minutes or an hour, depending on how much time you have available in your day.
14. Take Family Photos
You know you are going to need pictures for your holiday cards this year, so you might as well use that as an idea when looking for things to do as a family near me. Find a park, creek, or other gorgeous area and get those family photos checked off your list of things to do!
15. Visit a Farm
There are plenty of farms out there that are just waiting for little ones to arrive! If you live in a bigger city, this might not be one of the fun things to do with kids closest to your home. However, you may be able to find a farm closer to you than you think. When you choose a farm, you will want to find one that offers more than one animal. This will ensure your kids are happy for more than just a few minutes.
16. Play a Round of Mini Golf
Mini golf is a lot of fun and it is one of the activities for kids near me. If you are looking for things to do today with kids, you should add this to your list. This isn’t always one of the cheap activities near me, but if it can keep your kids entertained for an hour or two, that’s what matters!
17. Go Watch a Local Football or Soccer Game
There are plenty of football and soccer games being played during the fall and they make cheap things to do with kids. You can take your own food and drinks with you, sit in your own chairs or on a blanket, and cheer on your favorite team.
Winter
18. Go Bowling
As you are looking for the answer to, “Where can I take my kids to have fun?”, you may discover the answer is as easy as taking them bowling. This is one of the amazingly fun things to do near me with kids. Everyone can grab their own bowling ball and a pair of shoes and then see how many strikes and spares they can get.
19. Go Sledding
The winter months bring even more kids things to do in your area. Sledding is a popular thing to do during the winter, as long as you live in an area that has snow. Simply bundle everyone up and head to the nearest sledding hill.
20. Head Over to the Library
If you are looking for free activities for kids, you don’t need to look any further than your local library. You can take out books, attend story time, or even make a craft during your visit.
21. Go Ice Skating
All you need for a little ice skating is an icy area and a pair of ice skates. Many cities and towns offer some type of ice-skating rink. Ice skating is considered one of the cheap family activities near me. You can usually rent ice skates and time on the ice hardly costs anything and in some cases is free.
22. Go Skiing
You will need to have ski slopes nearby to do this wintertime activity with kids, but if you do, it can be a wonderful option to keep you all busy. Hitting the slopes is one of the things for families to do near me and so many people take advantage of it. This definitely isn’t one of the cheap fun things to do with the kids, but it is something you will all cherish since you are doing it together.
23. Learn All About Maple Syrup
If you live in the colder regions of the country, you will be lucky enough to experience how maple syrup is made. Visiting a maple sugarhouse is one of the fun family things near me. You can walk around to see how the trees have been tapped and how the sap flows into buckets or massive containers. The sap is then slowly boiled down into maple syrup. All sugarhouses will offer samples and there is always enough maple syrup to purchase to take back home with you.
24. Go Snow Tubing
Snow tubing is a little different than sledding, yet it is just as fun! This can be one of the fun things for kids near me and you can easily combine it with so many other winter options. You can go tubing down a local hill for free fun for kids or you can pay to go snow tubing down the hill at a local ski slope.
25. Do a Little Indoor Rock Climbing
Kids stuff near me includes indoor rock climbing. This is one of the things for kids to do today, especially if the weather outside is not as agreeable for being outdoors. You can all do a little rock climbing and then maybe everyone will be so tired out when you get home that a few people will take a little nap!
Spring
26. Go Hot Chocolate Hopping
Didn’t you know that hot chocolate hopping is a thing??!! Okay, it probably isn’t, but can you think of anything else that could be more fun than drinking lots of hot chocolate and finally determining which one is your all-time favorite? On a cold day, when you are contemplating what to do near me with kids, bundle them up and hit the road to make stops at a couple places that serve hot cocoa. Do this activity over multiple days until you have run out of hot chocolate and know which place offers your favorite.
27. Go Hiking
Spring is one of the best times to go hiking, because the weather is warming up, the flowers are beginning to bloom, things are getting green once again, and the water is flowing rapidly at the waterfalls. You can easily tackle a hike of any size when you are looking for fun stuff for kids near me. All the hiking trails are free places to go with kids and there are so many to choose from.
28. Go on a Bug and Butterfly Hunt
There are so many free things to do with kids around me at this time of the year. If you are looking at what to do today with kids, you may want to consider going out for a bug and butterfly hunt. Almost all kids love bugs and butterflies, and you will see so many during the spring months. We have heard so many people tell us that this is one of the best things to do with kids for free, because the kids can constantly move around and see something new.
29. Enjoy a Picnic
Many of you will feel as if you were cooped up all winter long, so the spring is one of the best times to venture out to have picnics. This thing for kids to do near me is popular, because it involves food, drinks, and usually some type of dirt or bugs that all kids love. This is another of the kid’s things to do near me that you can decide on at the last minute. After all, it doesn’t take that long to throw some food into a picnic basket and head out the door!
30. Go Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing can be much easier than skiing for some children, so you might want to add it to your list of things to do with kids around me for the winter months. Most local parks will even rent out snowshoes if you do not have any. And if you don’t want to rent snowshoes, you can always just don your winter boots and head out into the snow on the trails anyway.
31. Go Camping
One of the amazing kid friendly activities your entire family will love is going camping. You will want to try to go on days when it is not going to rain if you want the best camping experience. When you decide to go camping, you can do so in a tent, rent an RV or pop up, or even rent a cabin for a few days. Let your comfort level decide which option is best for you!
32. Swing at the Playground
One of the best places to take the kids for free is the local playground. You should have at least one playground near your house, so you can easily participate in fun activities near me like swinging on the swings or going down the slides. On those days when you are looking at what to do with kids near me, simply pack everyone up and venture over to the nearest playground.
33. Visit the Zoo
The springtime is usually the best time to visit a zoo, because there are many baby animals to see. Zoos are considered fun kid activities near me. You can choose to spend a couple hours with the animals, or you can make an entire day out of this adventure.
34. Go Strawberry Picking
The spring, usually late in the spring, is when you can head out to pick some strawberries. Strawberry picking is one of the many family things to do with kids and it is often considered one of the cheap things to do with kids near me too, because you would be buying the strawberries from the store anyway!
35. Fly a Kite
Not too many people remember that flying a kite is an amazing thing to do with kids for free. Yes, you must purchase the kite, but once you do, the flying part is always going to be part of the free kid friendly things to do near me. We recommend heading to a large open area of a local park or the beach for kite flying, because then you won’t spend most of your time rescuing the kite from a tree.
36. Ride a Horse
Riding a horse is always an exciting option when looking for fun things to do with kids near me. Local farms usually offer horseback riding lessons. This won’t be a part of the free kids’ activities near me, but it is part of the kids places to go near me. The best part is you will all love it!
Summer
37. Go to the Beach
Warm weather, soft sand, and sparkling water is all you really need to have fun at the beach during the summer months. This is usually one of the free places to take kids and is always considered the most popular of all the things to do for children near me. Take your shovels and buckets for building sandcastles, a blanket for relaxing, and of course food and drink to keep you going for hours.
38. Watch a Movie at the Drive-Ins
The drive-ins offer a way to watch movies, while being outdoors and enjoying the fresh air. This type of kids’ fun near me is often appreciated by the parents who usually have sleeping kids by the end of the first movie. Get some popcorn, curl up in some blankets from home, and enjoy this precious time together as a family.
39. Go Blueberry Picking
If you are not the type of person who loves a ton of strawberries or apples in your home, but you love blueberries, you will be thrilled to know you can pick those too. Imagine heading out to check this activity off your list of things to do with children near me, as well as many others this next summer season. Think of how happy your kids will be since they won’t be sitting home and bored all the time!
40. Visit a Nearby Town
You can easily visit a nearby town when you are looking for things to do with kids near me. We recommend visiting a town you have never been to before, but you can also visit a favorite one if you are looking to relive some special memories.
41. Go Shopping at a Garage Sale or Flea Market
Kids love to go shopping, but you may not love spending a ton of money when they shop. Compromise by adding shopping at a garage sale or flea market to your list of things to do near me with kids. You can find some good bargains during these shopping adventures and if your kids buy something they won’t use for more than a couple days, you’re not out a lot of money.
42. Attend an Outdoor Performance or Concert
Spending time outside during the summer is a lot of fun, so add attending an outdoor performance or concert to your list of kids’ activities near me. You will find that your kids will sit still much better when you are outside than they would if you were stuck in a theater somewhere.
43. Go to a Fair or Festival
Summer months usually bring fairs and festivals to many cities and towns throughout the country. They are all considered fabulous things to do with kids nearby. You can choose the ones that interest you and your family the most, so you have a huge list of things for kids to do while you are there.
44. Do Your Shopping at a Local Farmer’s Market
The fresh produce at a local farmer’s market is going to change how you do your shopping for the rest of the summer. Shopping at a local farmer’s market is one of the things for kids to do near me. You can all learn more about the local produce and even try a few things that you may have never heard about before.
45. Go Fishing
Kids love going fishing, so you will want to make sure this is on your list of things to do near me with kids during the summer months. You can fish in a nearby river or lake or switch according to where the fish are biting the most.
46. Go Kayaking or Canoeing
If your kids are a little older, you can always add kayaking or canoeing to your list of kids’ activities near me. Grab your kayaks, or canoes, and life jackets and then head out to the nearest body of water for a little fun in the sun. If you don’t have everything you need for this adventure, you should find businesses renting them out down near the water in most areas.
47. Go Get Some Ice Cream
If you happen to have an ice cream stand near where you live, you can easily go get some ice cream during the summer. As one of the best things for kids near me, no one in your family will complain when they get to devour their very own ice cream cone. You can even splurge and let everyone have their own sundae or a milkshake.
48. Go Swimming
If you do not have your very own swimming pool, hopefully you know someone that does! And if you don’t, your community may have a swimming pool you can use for a small fee. This is a perfect option when you are looking at stuff for kids to do near me and none of your kids will complain that they get to spend so much time in the water!
49. Play Tennis
Most local parks or schools have tennis courts you can use at certain times of the day. You can usually play for free, but some tennis courts may have a small fee. No matter what, it should still be considered one of the better things for kids to do near me.
50. Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Determining fun places to go near me for free is as easy as creating a scavenger hunt for your kids. You can create scavenger hunts for each child or at least make them age-appropriate for every child. Then venture out to see who can find everything on their list!
These are the fifty things to do with kids near me and they are just the ones that came to us rather quickly. You will never need to search too hard for things to do with kids near me, especially if you use this list to get started. So, start planning your list of things to do with kids near me for every season now. That way you will be ready when you start to see those looks of boredom in the future!
