Fun Family Vacations With Young Children

Outdoor activities are great for family vacations. A number of outdoor activities and events cater to adults and children alike, providing adventure for adults and fun activities for kids. When choosing your next family vacation, choose a location that activities to keep the whole family engaged.

SummerFest

Load your family in the station wagon, and head to a festival. Summerfest, the World's Largest Music Festival, is a great festival for kids and adults. Located along Milwaukee's beautiful Lake Michigan shore in Milwaukee, Wis., the 11-day festival offers a diverse musical lineup, rides and attractions and a nightly fireworks display. Kids enter the festival for $3, while adults enter during the week for $8; weekends and nights cost $15. The festival is open from noon to midnight and takes place at Henry Maier Festival Park.

Henry Maier Festival Park
200 N. Harbour Drive
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53213
(414) 273-3378
www.summerfest.com

Hackettstown Street Fair & Craft Show

Grab a bottle of sunscreen, change your dollars for quarters, and head to an arts and crafts show for a day of family fun. With artists, craft vendors, live music, rides and games, you are sure to enjoy a family vacation to Hackettstown, N.J., where the Hackettstown Street Fair & Craft Show takes place in on the streets of downtown Hackettstown. Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Hackettstown Street Fair & Craft Show is appropriate for all ages and is packed with entertainment. The 24-town 2009 schedule is available on the street fair's website.

Office of Street Fairs
231 North Avenue West, #101
Westfield, New Jersey 07090
(908)-654-1400
www.StreetFairs.org

NatureFest

Skip a summer of daily trips to the mall, and load the family in the car for an outdoor adventure. Herndon's NatureFest is a free event that features games, nature crafts, face-painting and music. Appropriate for visitors of all ages, the 58-acre nature park allows visitors to learn about the secret lives of bees, explore animal artifacts and get a firsthand look at animals farmed in the area. A tour of the park's local stream, Stream Valleys, will allow the whole family to learn how water is filtered and prepared for consumption. Open from 1-5 p.m., the event takes place at Runnymede Park in Herndon, Virginia. A shuttle service is available from the Herndon Police Department, 397 Herndon Parkway.

Runnymede Park
533 Herndon Parkway,
Herndon, Virginia 20170
(703) 787-7300
www.herndon-va.gov

Article Written By Charlie Gaston

Charlie Gaston has written numerous instructional articles on topics ranging from business to communications and estate planning. Gaston holds a bachelor's degree in international business and a master's degree in communications. She is fluent in Spanish and has extensive travel experience.

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