There is nothing quite like spending a day of fun outside with the kids. Sure, there is absolutely nothing wrong with spending the weekend at home, but it’s more fun when it is an adventure. Whether your kids are interested in spending time in the great outdoors or prefer looking and interacting with animals – both alive and extinct – there are countless options to choose from. Here are three of the best.

Outdoor Adventure Park

An outdoor adventure park is an amazing place to spend the day with your kids. These theme parks are created to bring you closer to nature than you have ever been before. From specially built treehouses lining the canopy, to zip lines, rope bridges, and more, there is plenty to do. Just imagine the fun of strapping into a harness attached to a safety rope and climbing a wall taller than you ever thought possible. Or, sliding down a zip line through the forest with the wind in your hair and nothing but the beauty of nature all around you.

However, you don’t have to spend all day in the trees. Most outdoor adventure parks also include activities on the ground, such as horseback riding, ATVs, flower gardens, and even mazes. Spend a weekend getting lost in nature without having to travel halfway around the world.

Dinosaur Themed Park

Let’s face it, not all kids are thrilled with spending a day at a park. After all, they could visit their local park and play in the trees. But when your child is passionate about the Triassic period, then a dinosaur-themed Park is the only place to go. Ever since the movie Jurassic Park came out in 1993, kids have been impassioned by the possibility that dinosaurs could one day roam the earth again. While the technology is not quite there yet, they can still see a life-sized Animatronic T-Rex Dinosaur at a dinosaur-themed park.

The Zoo

If the kids just aren’t into extinct animals, then the next best thing is a day at the zoo. In the words of Judy Garland, “lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!”. A day at the zoo gives you the opportunity to see animals from every corner of the globe. There are shows, gift shops, and an entire smorgasbord of food, snacks, and delicacies to eat. Inspire the imagination and creativity of your child by introducing them to some of the world’s most infamous creatures. Seeing how tall a giraffe is in real life is nothing like cartoons. And feeling the earth vibrate with every step of an elephant is something that can only be experienced first-hand.

Childhood is but a mere fraction of our entire lives. But the most important memories that stay with us for a lifetime are created in those first few decades. Spending time with your kids on an adventure outdoors will create memories that will last forever. Whether you are going to the zoo, visiting a nature park, or stepping back 250 million years in time to visit the dinosaurs, make every precious moment count.