We take the kids as many places as possible within our work and school schedule and other commitments (sports, activities, etc.). Some are just nearby museums or historical sites and some are major vacations. All of them add to our educational experience, but some stand out more than others as favorites.
I’m sure this list will change because in the next fifteen months we have plans to visit a whole lot of new places, including Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Legoland, and Disneyland.
10. Hershey Chocolate World, Hershey, PA. I’ve been to the amusement park, but I’ve never taken my kids. But Chocolate World has proven to be a nice place to get out of the car and stretch our legs on some longer road trips. It’s attached to the amusement park but not inside the entrance. Chocolate World is FREE! There is a ride that you can board that takes you through the story of how Hershey’s chocolate is made and at the end they hand out chocolate! There is also a cute “Be a chocolate factory worker” exhibit. It’s technically free but you can pay to keep the chocolates, and get your child’s photo made into an “ID Badge”. I’ve always paid for it, every time. I’m a sucker! And I just have to say that there is nothing like buying chocolate straight from Hershey. It tastes different. It’s so FRESH because it hasn’t been shipped anywhere. I always stock up on Hershey kisses when we go!
9. USS Nautilus, Groton, CT. As a kid, I went on a field trip here every single year. It was even cooler to come back as an adult with my kids. First there is a regular museum with neat exhibits about submarines. And then you get to actually board the USS Nautilus and take a tour. Warning: you have to crawl through some small-ish places. My youngest was about a year old when we went and I put him in a baby carrier. Getting through the “door ways” was somewhat of a challenge but we did it. Note: the submarine is NOT stroller or wheel chair friendly.
8. NFL Training Camp. In our case, we went to the Patriots training camp but if you ever get the chance to go to any of them, GO! When we went to Foxboro to see the Patriots, we got to watch some of the players on the practice field. The kids got to play on all kinds of inflatables. My daughter got to meet and pose for pictures with the cheerleaders. If you like football, go to a training camp. Usually the team will announce a little bit ahead of time which practices will be open to the public. Follow your favorite team on Facebook and pay close attention to posts made in August!
7. Storyland, Bartlett, NH. Storyland is like taking the kiddie ride area of a regular amusement park and expanding it to be the entire park. Everything is kid-friendly. The theme is nursery rhymes and fairy tales. You can take a ride in Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage, pose for pictures with Humpty Dumpty, and see the real live three little pigs! There’s also roller coaters, live entertainment, and plenty of characters to meet. It’s kind of like mini-Disney World. It’s a great first step towards the larger theme parks. It’s less overwhelming for kids and being in the mountains of New Hampshire, it’s never really hot. We were there in mid-July and had to buy jackets because we were chilly! Right down the road is Attitash, home of the alpine slides where you can zoom down the mountains!
6. The beaches of Lake Michigan. I grew up on the ocean. And I miss it every single day. We’ve chosen to live in the Midwest for many reasons, but leaving the ocean behind has never gotten easier. Lake Michigan isn’t a bad substitute, though. It looks and FEELS like being at the ocean. The nice thing is that the currents aren’t as strong and the kids can swim fairly safely. The weird thing is that it doesn’t SMELL like the beach–there’s no salt air to help you relax. But otherwise, it’s a great beach experience.
5. Splashin’ Safari and Holiday World, Santa Claus, IN. I had heard people rave that this place was “better than Disney World” and I’m sorry but NOPE. It’s lovely, but it is not anywhere close to Disney World. Holiday World itself is just OK, in my opinion. There are so many hills to walk up and down and I had rented a wagon to lug our stuff (and our then-three year old) around the park. Pulling a wagon up a steep hill is hard. Keeping it from rolling away down a steep hill is harder! But the water park?!? OH MY! It is the best water park I have ever been to–and I’ve been to both of Disney World’s water parks and Atlantis in the Bahamas. Splashin’ Safari is better. First of all, the supply free soft drinks all day long. You just fill up as needed. They also have sun screen stands. In my Disney experiences, drinks and sunscreen cost us a small fortune. Having them available for free is a big deal! We also rented a cabana at the water park, which was awesome. There were two wave pools, a fantastic lazy river, and plenty of water slides. One of the best parts was the kiddie pool. It had toddler-sized water slides that looked just like the adult versions. Absolutely adorable!
Santa Claus, IN is also home to a Santa Claus Museum and Lincoln’s Boyhood Home National Park. Both are well worth the time to see!
4. World of Coca-Cola, Atlanta, GA. This was a fun stop along our drive home from Disney World one year. The museum is full of fun history and interesting interactive exhibits. The highlight is at the end of the tour, you can taste Coke flavors from around the world. There are so many different flavors to try! We also each got to take home a souvenir glass bottle of Coke. The Coca-Cola Polar bear comes out and poses for pictures, too. If you head there, you can also cross the street and visit Centennial Olympic Park. It’s a great place to have lunch and relax for a bit.
3. Boston Public Garden, Boston, MA. Pollyanna is one of my favorite fictional characters. And I loved reading about all the time she spent at Boston Public Garden. And another set of favorite fictional characters love the garden as well–the ducks from Make Way for Ducklings also lived in Boston Public Garden. It was so much fun to be there and walk around. It’s beautiful! There’s free wifi! And the swan boat ride is just about one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. There’s so much history there. A really cool thing about The Boston Public Garden is that you can pick up and start walking The Freedom Trail right there!
2. The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH. Wow, this place was cool! I really didn’t know what to expect. The museum went in chronological order, starting with the Wright Brothers and working all the way through the space program and current planes. We made the mistake of thinking we could read EVERYTHING and see everything and we wore ourselves out by the time we got to the 1960s exhibits. Highlights included an exhibit on Walt Disney’s art work contributions to the Air Force, simulator rides (cost a little extra), and getting to actually board and walk through several retired Air Force One planes. Truly unforgettable
- Disney World! I’m sorry if that’s not a proper number one destination for a classically educating family. I’ve heard some people say that it’s silly and we should be taking the kids to see the “real world.” It’s still our favorite place to go every chance we get. We just love it. I love the all inclusive feel and not having to think about the real world at all. It’s a good break from the craziness of real life. It’s fun to leave it behind and be in a little bubble of princesses and talking cars and magic. And don’t forget the fireworks!