The Summer is Here! (So Now What?)
Wow! School has been out for only two days and already I’m hearing “I’m bored” from the kids in my household. That certainly didn’t take long. The summer has “officially” returned, and this one will be one of the longest away from school in many years (thanks to the decision to send the kids back to school after Labor Day this year).
So what’s a parent to do? How can the kids fill the hours (and not drive you insane in the process)? Well, one idea is to do what my grandmother used to do in the summer when I was a wee lad. To combat my brother and I from the “I’m bored” syndrome, she would have us place a bunch of local attractions into a hat, and then once a week we would draw out a slip of paper to come up with a travel destination for the following week. These travel ideas didn’t have to be long distance or extravagant. On the contrary – many were free, local, and inexpensive – but the anticipation of drawing from that hat every week kept us relatively quiet (and satisfied) all summer long.
Listed below are some ideas that you could use for your own “travel hat” game. Click the links for more information.
Amusement Parks
Adventure Park, U.S.A., Del Grosso’s Amusement Park, Dutch Wonderland, Hershey Park, King’s Dominion, Land of Little Horses Farm Park
County, State and National Parks
Antietam National Battlefield, C&O Canal National Historical Park, Cacapon Resort State Park, Cowan’s Gap State Park, Cunningham Falls State Park, Devil’s Backbone Park, Fort Frederick State Park, Gettysburg National Military Park, Greenbriar State Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Rocky Gap State Park
Indoor Activities
Hagerstown Ice and Sports Complex, Leitersburg Cinemas, Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park, Starland Roller Rink, Turner Bowling Centers
Outdoor Activities
Antietam Creek Tubing, Antietam Recreation, Family Recreation Park, Harpers Ferry Adventure Park, Western Maryland Rail Trail
There are many, many other destinations to choose from. Use the internet and investigate spots for your own summer adventures! Drop me a line to let me know how it works in your household!