Make your kids smile with these family-friendly adventures!
As parents, we know you love to make your kids smile! In fact, if you’re like us, you’re constantly working to balance yummy with healthy, fun with responsibility, and magic with reality. As dental health professionals, we share this goal!
With that in mind, we’ve created this list of kid-friendly outdoor adventures that are sure to put a smile on your kid’s face while they get fresh air and exercise!
Check out this list of kid-friendly outdoor adventures in Charles County.
1. Visit the shipwrecks.
Why are there so many shipwrecks along the 18-square mile stretch of the Potomac River coast in Charles County, Maryland? We’re not sure. But more than 100 abandoned ships are protected at Mallows Bay, dating back to the Civil War and World War II. They are sure to capture your child’s imagination, give you an opportunity to teach history, and bring out the pirate in your little adventurer!
2. Try a new playground!
Charles County is full of beautiful parks and playgrounds of all kinds! Laurel Springs is arguably the largest and most popular playground we have. Designed for inclusivity, it allows children of various ages and all ability levels to play together. We think the wheelchair swing is something that makes it truly special. More parks should be like Laurel Springs.
Check out the Charles County Recreation and Parks website for more parks and playgrounds!
3. Go on a safe trail ride and ride a horse!
Introduce your children to a love of horses — or just enjoy a one-time adventure. Parents can hold younger kids, while older kids can safely ride a well-trained trail horse. These family trail rides work for the whole family and are a great way to see if you and your child want to be more involved in the equine world. Horseback riding lessons teach children how to care for and connect with animals and can build confidence and self-esteem.
4. Paddle a kayak.
When was the last time you and your family stayed within eight feet of each other and talked for hours? Sound impossible? Kayaking is a wonderful way to bond, get fresh air, build some muscle, and appreciate the great outdoors. Time stands still when you’re enjoying the gently-changing scenery of moving down a river. This therapeutic activity can be safely enjoyed by almost all ages. Just make sure everybody wears a life jacket!
5. Not Your Mother’s Roller Skating Rink
Remember flying in circles at the roller-skating rink while listening to “Another One Bites the Dust?” Ah, a true ’80s child experience.
Now you can relive that experience by going to Skate Park, where skating is remade for modern families. Inline skaters and skateboarders alike can enjoy the family-friendly environment at Skate Park.
We can’t promise the same musical experience you remember as a child. And there will be no disco balls that we know of. Or games of limbo.
6. Take a hike.
OK, if that last section made you want to take a hike or tell us to take a hike, we’ve still got you. Hiking is at its best at Indian Head Rail Trail, Charles County’s “most exciting recreational trail,” according to ExploreCharlesCounty.com.
Originally an abandoned railroad corridor, this 13-mile bike trail connects the town of Indian Head to Route 301 in White Plains. You can see half our beautiful county while hiking this trail, connecting with your inner self, and bonding with your family.
Younger kids might not be able to do the entire thirteen miles, of course, but you’d be surprised how much even a short hike fills your kids with that sense of wonder nature tends to give all of us.
Be prepared to stop while they collect leaves, admire an unusual rock, or turn the whole hike into an imaginary adventure, mimicking one of their favorite TV shows. If your kids are young, don’t be surprised if they want to bring home some treasures from nature to display on their dresser.
7. Discover some wildlife.
If you love wildlife, combine some of these adventures to take in the teeming wildlife from “the brackish marshes” and “freshwater tidal forests” of Mattawoman Creek. Whether you’re hiking the Indian Head Trail or kayaking the Mattawoman Creek itself, there will be scores of species for nature-lovers to observe and learn about.
8. Camp out in your backyard.
If you’ve ever been trapped at a campground in particularly mucky weather or you found you didn’t love being woken up in the middle of the night by the knowledge that you drank too much water the night before, you’ll understand the allure of backyard camping.
On a sunny weekend that is not too hot or too cold, pitch your tent in your own backyard. Stay close to the comforts of your home while enjoying the starry night, a campfire, roasted hot dogs and s’mores. Unplug from the noise and pixels to appreciate quiet moments and nature’s true colors with life’s most precious treasures: your loved ones.
