#394: Window Shopping

When you go window shopping, you aren't really looking to buy windows. Window shopping is when you look in the front windows of stores, but don't go in, and don't buy anything. Instead, you admire and enjoy the beautiful window displays and a nice walk around outside or in a mall.



Make this a family activity: Take your family (don't leave home without them!) and talk about the wonderful things you see.

This activity promotes self restraint and visual admiration.

#373: Story Time at a Library or Bookstore

Does your local library or bookstore have story time for children? Call and ask! Sometimes you need to register, sometimes you don't.


Make this a family activity: Take the whole family to the library or bookstore to enjoy the books!

This activity promotes literacy.

#326: See a Play or Other Dramatic Performance

'Tis the season for lots of plays and other dramatic performances (like the ballet) to be putting on wonderful shows. Check your local theater or newspaper to see what's playing.

Make this a family activity: Take everyone to see the play, ballet, or show.

This activity promotes an appreciation for the arts.

#298: Indoor Climbing Wall

It's time to get out of the house and get active. Do you like to climb things? How about an indoor climbing wall? They are a good place to learn to climb safely and often have lessons available as well as equipment to rent. Plus, it doesn't matter if it is cold, windy, snowy, or rainy outside, because you'll be inside!


Make this a family activity: The more people climbing, the merrier.

This activity promotes responsibility (when belaying for others) as well as strength and courage.

#270: Library

Get out of the house and go to the public library.


Take a look around. Libraries often have events for children that are free or cheap. As well, they have magazines, computers, music, stories on tape, movies, and of course, lots of books! If you can’t find what you want or need ask a librarian to help you out.


Make this a family activity: Take the whole family and have each person sign out a book, read it, and then share what it was about with the rest of the family.

This activity promotes community, sharing, and literary skills.

#233: Crash Up Derby

Go watch a crash up derby. Crash up derbies are when people take special cars out in a special arena and run into each other. On purpose! It's a strange contest and interesting to watch.




Make this a family activity: Try and guess who is going to win.

This activity promotes accident awareness.

#229: Go-carting

Let's go go-carting. You don't have to be a big kid to go go-carting--find a place with pedal carts instead.




Make this a family activity: Take the whole family go-carting.

This activity promotes coordination and spatial awareness.

#225: Go to a Corn Maze or Other Outdoor Maze

Go 'get lost' in a nature maze made of corn or hedges.


Make this a family activity: Break into teams and see who can find their way out of the maze first.

This activity promotes navigation and orientation skills .

#203: Go hiking

Put on a pair of good shoes and go for a hike! (A hike is a long walk, usually along a trail, up a mountain or somewhere scenic.)




Make this a family activity: Take the whole family, of course!

This activity promotes physical activity and awareness of one's environment.

#182: See a Tractor Pull

Have you ever seen two tractors try and pull each other across a line--kind of like in a tug-o-war?



Watching a tractor pull can be fun. See which tractors can pull or lift the most.



Make this a family activity: Take the whole family to watch the tractors.

This activity promotes prediction skills. Which one will win? Is the biggest the strongest?

#175: Theme Park/Amusement Park

Visit a theme park or an amusement park.



Make this a family activity: Everyone goes!

This activity promotes having fun as a family.

#156: Go for Ice Cream (Or other Treat)

Happy Father's Day!

Take your dad out for ice cream or some other treat--like pie!



Enjoy!



This activity promotes showing one's appreciation.

#145: Farmers' Market

What is a Farmers' Market?




A Farmer's Market is a market that takes place each week on a certain day. Local farmers and other craftspeople come, set up tables and sell what they have grown or made. You can find everything from fresh vegetables, to baking, to plants, to handmade wooden chests, to meats, to knitted items, to...everything! Sometimes, local bands and musicians will play music and entertain market goers. It's wonderful--and free!

Search online for you local market location and dates.


Make this a family activity: Take the whole family to the market.

This activity promotes supporting local producers and can teach children where food comes from.

#129: Mini Golf

Grab some friends and family and go play mini golf. There are all sorts of courses both inside and outside.

Have fun!


Make it a family activity: Take the whole family.

This activity promotes physical activity and eye-hand coordination as well as correct angle calculations (math skills).

#100: Watch Construction

Safety First: Stay out of construction areas. Obey all signs and workers. Make sure you keep yourself safe. If there is a fence, do not climb it or sneak past it. Construction sites can be dangerous.




Usually when buildings or roads are being built, there is a safe place where people can watch the machines do their jobs.

Play safe.


This activity promotes curiosity and knowledge about building and the world in which we live.

#91: Visit an Art Gallery

Art credit: Ellen Dick

Grab the family and check out your local art gallery. Which piece is your favourite? What do you think the artist is trying to say with their art?

Did you know art show openings are open to the public and artists love it when people come to see them and their art? Check your paper to see if there is a show opening this weekend.


This activity promotes art appreciation.

#71: Go to a Trade Show

A trade show can be about cars, local businesses, computers, weddings, comic books, skis, RVs, books, and more! A trade show usually has many booths with contests, phamplets and people, people, people.

Check to see what's happening around your town/city this weekend. Maybe you can go to a trade show.


This activity promotes exploring interests.

#57: Visit the Zoo

Let's get out of the house and see some animals!

You can visit a big zoo, or a petting zoo or even a privately owned zoo.

This activity promotes learning about and an awareness of the Earth's variety of creatures.

#44: Visit a Museum

There are art museums, dinosaur museums, airplane museums, gopher museums, children's museums (lots of fun--everything is made for kids to touch!), music museums, war museums, ocean museums....



What are you interested in seeing and learning about? What is close by? Type your province/state and 'museums' into a search engine and see what is close. Maybe there is a small, interesting, museum you didn't know about waiting to be discovered.


This activity promotes knowledge development.

#4: People Watching

This one is good if you are waiting for your parents.

Hang on, what is people watching? Well, people watching is...when you watch people!

You can people watch anywhere you find people (it might be out your front window, at school, just down the street or at the mall).

Look at the people walking around. What strange things are people wearing? How many women wear skirts and how many wear pants? How many men wear hats? What do the people you see do for a living? Are they nice, serious, goofy?

A sure way to make yourself giggle (or your friends) is to make up stories of how couples met. It is okay to be very silly. Hey! Look at that couple that met at the circus who live at the North Pole, eat only broccoli and used to work as elves for Santa!


This activity promotes the ability to self-entertain, math skills when counting as well as visual and creativity skills.