# Things to do on the weekend



## DaveinOC (Oct 15, 2017)

Seeking advice from seasoned parents. Before saying go Google it, please understand wife and I spent plenty of time looking up things to do (major theme/national parks, local parks, beach spots, hiking trails, malls, shows, movies, trampoline park, arcade etc..) and have done alot of them. 

After having done them almost every weekend for years (4 yo son, 2 yo daughter) it just feels sort of stale and want to know if other parents have any unique ideas to share on what they currently enjoy or enjoyed while raising kids. 

Wife and I are more homebodies but we are open to any ideas even hardcore outdoor activities. 

Thanks!


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## Yeswecan (Jul 25, 2014)

You have done quite a bit. At their ages you are relegated to just so much. Later in life there are newer things you can do because of their age. Riding bikes yet? Are there any museum geared for kids in your area? Any museums at all? Sometimes a weekend activity can be for adults as well. Kids or no kids. Don't always focus a weekend to "entertaining" the kids. My W and I like to visit small old towns that have some history or historical homes to see. Some shopping. It is not a kid-centric day but the kids spend time with us. Sometimes they learn a thing for two. Hands on history if you will. Kids learn a lot when going to places of interest that do not have a roller coaster.


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## DaveinOC (Oct 15, 2017)

No bike yet, but looking forward to it soon. We have done children's museum but not really adult ones. I don't mind taking them to places geared for adults but I am just afraid kids are gonna cause annoyance for other adults. 

I really like that small towns idea though. Thanks for your suggestion.


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## Yeswecan (Jul 25, 2014)

Oh wanted to add, concerts. As my kids grew older the both wanted to attend concerts. An concerts we have gone!

Kiss
Gun n Roses
Def Leppard
Seeing Kenny Roger next month. Yeah we have quite an array of music tastes. 
All the newer bands(Of Mice and Men, Tokio Hotel, Pierce the Val) 

Bunch of others.


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## Yeswecan (Jul 25, 2014)

DaveinOC said:


> No bike yet, but looking forward to it soon. We have done children's museum but not really adult ones. I don't mind taking them to places geared for adults but I am just afraid kids are gonna cause annoyance for other adults.
> 
> I really like that small towns idea though. Thanks for your suggestion.


Don't avoid the museums that you feel your kids will be an annoyance. It is times like these that let them learn there is a time and place for different activities. For me, when another child is acting up and the parent is actively attempting to resolve the issue I'm never annoyed. It is the parent that lets it go on and not attempt at correcting/quieting the child. I see this far to much at restaurants.


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## C3156 (Jun 13, 2012)

This time of year my kids used to love it when I would rake the leaves into a pile. They would have the best time "hiding" in the leaves and having me try to find them.


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## leon2100 (May 13, 2015)

enjoy the break of having nothing to do, cause in a few years those two kids will be so many activities that you and your wife will meet yourselves coming and going!!


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## Diana7 (Apr 19, 2016)

Your children are very young and to be honest when mine were that age they were happy just to play games, read books, do puzzles, play in the garden, colour in, play with play doh, use the sand pit, paddling pool in the summer, go to the playground etc. Children who are so small don't really want or need to keep going out, especially to adult places, and its very expensive to keep doing that. 

For occasional visits, a small animal petting zoo, a picnic, a farm, an aquarium or the beach if you live near enough.


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## Herschel (Mar 27, 2016)

Remember when our parents didn’t do **** with us? Yeah, lol.

Anyway, best bet is to pick something you like, and you can train them to like as well. Hiking is a great choice where, you slowly get them involved and they start to love it too (couple it with camping if you can). Fishing or biking (get one of those carts that go behind the bike). It’s nice to have something that you can focus on getting better at than choosing so many different things over and over


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## David Darling (Oct 22, 2016)

Don't *do* so much.

My best memories are simply being *with* my Dad.


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## MrsHolland (Jun 18, 2016)

Why do you need to be doing something every weekend? Why not just hang out at home, reading, playing, cooking, a movie, just spending real time together as opposed to "busy" time.


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## Satya (Jun 22, 2012)

I can appreciate wanting to do things as a family. That's one thing. 

Many children these days have no idea how to begin to amuse themselves. I remember being alone for hours, reading, drawing, and not just reading kids books, but technical books my mother had around (she's an engineer). I'd hop on my bike (when old enough) and ride around with neighborhood kids. I'd go see a lady in town who ran a daycare out of her home. There were maybe 5-10 fun choices of things you could do at her home ranging from board games, to books, timed Nintendo games, baking, we'd go swimming in the summer at the local lake. Past a point I didn't want my parents around on weekends. Weekends was me time. 

It just seems like parents feel this overwhelming responsibility to play court jester all the time. Don't forget you have lives too. Maybe you two should have a date weekend.


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## arbitrator (Feb 13, 2012)

*Take them to a scenic hiking trail off in a public park! They’ll literally run your a$$ into the ground getting exercise for themselves as well as for everybody else!

And then you could always take them to a good zoo if they’re so inclined!*


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## turnera (Jan 22, 2010)

Take a day trip to a nearby town and pick a new place to eat lunch. Or look for their visitor's center or Chamber of Commerce and get a map of their parks.

Play the right turn game. Load up in the car, pick a number between 10 and 50, and set out. Take turns deciding when to say right, and the driver has to turn right. Go around the car taking turns, until you reach the number you decided on. Once you get to that number, get out of the car and figure out something to do there.

Get blankets and lay out on the lawn on your backs and cloud watch. Tell each other what you see - giraffe, house, ship, elephant, etc.

Get blankets out and books and lay out on the lawn and read books out loud.

Get blankets out and a picnic in your back yard.

Look up a local flyball association and go and watch the dogs. It's amazingly fun. North American Flyball Association | About Flyball

Sign your dog up for flyball training - kids would really benefit from this.

CAMPING! Boy do I regret not taking DD camping more.

Visit a different state, county, or federal park every year, at least.

Kids' jigsaw puzzles - great for the mind.

Weekly trips to the library, they each get to check out 2 books with their own card. Libraries also have great kids' programs. Many also have regular book sales - give the kids $5 and let them buy a ton of books.

Take them to all the historical markers near you and tell them about what they mean.

Set up a kids' garden so they can learn where food comes from and see something grow.

Take them to volunteer somewhere regularly. I really recommend retirement homes - those people are so lonely and they LOVE being around little kids. And it will teach your kids to enjoy being around old people instead of afraid of them.


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