Fun Around Town This Labor Day Weekend
By Susanne Myers, Fri Dec 9th

With gas prices skyrocketing this Labor Day weekend, it may be agood idea to skip the road trip and stay in town. That doesn’tmean you can’t have just as much fun though. Here are a fewideas you can try in lieu of that road trip.

Go for a Hike Go for a day hike and pack a light picnic.Take your time; let the kids play along the way and use thisopportunity to teach them about fauna and flora. Withouteveryday interruptions like TV and radio, you’ll get to spendsome quality time with your kids. Plus all of you will get somegreat exercise along the way.

If you and your family feel up to it, you can even plan to spendthe night either in a tent, or see if you can rent a cabin alongthe trail. You can turn this into a fun 2 or 3-daymini-vacation. For more information on trails in your area,including thousands of maps, visit Trails.com. You can sign up for a free 14-day trial.

Camping Trip When was the last time that you took the kids on acamping trip? This may be the perfect weekend for it. You won’tneed much in this warm weather; almost any tent and somecomforters or blankets will do. Check out your local state parksfor some free spots. Plan to get out there early,preferably Friday afternoon, or make a reservation if you can.Trails.com not only provides info on hiking and biking maps, but also oncamping spots. Join todayfor a 14-day trial.

Spend the weekend exploring the area around your campsite, gofor little walks or hikes and roast some hotdogs andmarshmallows over the campfire at night. You’ll be creatingmemories for a lifetime.

Spend the day at a local amusement park Did you take the kids toa local amusement park or water park this season? If not, thismay be your last good opportunity. Be prepared for a crowd andlong waiting lines though. Your best bet is to go as early aspossible and don’t forget to designate a spot to meet at

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Spend the day at the zoo Load the kids in the car and head downto your local zoo. The zoo is not only a very fun place tovisit, but it also gives you an opportunity to teach yourchildren not only about the different animals, but also aboutgeography, colors and shapes etc.

Take your time and plan for several breaks. Since consignmentstand prices within the zoo can be pretty high, you may want topack a cooler and go out to the car for a parking lot picnicbefore heading back to see some more animals.

A little planning can go a long way to make the most of your dayat the zoo. Check the zoo’s website for listings on feedingschedules, feature exhibits, etc are going on where and at whattime, and make a list of the events you want to catch.

Go to a different Park each day There are so many differentparks in my city and every time I pass one, I tell myself that Ishould stop and check it out – one of these days. Why not takeadvantage of this long weekend and visit a different park thatyou’ve never been to each day. You may find some new favoritesthat you will want to come back to this fall. You never knowwhat you’ll find – a great new playground, a fun trail along theriver, some statues and sculptures hidden in the park.

Check out some local museums Look for children’s or naturemuseums. Don’t miss any special exhibits that may be going onthat may interest your kids. You never know, there may be aspecial dinosaur, outer space, or even old toys and dollsexhibit that your child may be interested in.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. I’m sure you’llcome up with plenty of fun stuff on your own as well. Think backabout what you enjoyed doing as a kid. Tell your children aboutit and then relive the experience and share it with your kids.I’m sure you will have a wonderful, fun-filled Labor Dayweekend.

About the author:Susanne Myers is the owner of www.kinderinfo.com. Join hernewsletter for more articles like this, plus crafts, recipes,child product safety recalls and even a "Just for Mom" section.www.kinderinfo.com/newsletter.