One of the most popular attractions for families is the zoo.  I'm not sure if it's all the curiosity that we have about animal behavior or the fact that most of our kids act like animals so we think they'll feel at home during their visit ;)

And June is National Zoo Month!  Our last Discover & Explore linky theme was Zoos & Wild Animals and we had some great reviews of family friendly zoos that were shared.

We are officially on summer vacation (yea!) and making some fun plans for what we'd like to do this year.  Once of the top things on our list each summer is to explore someplace new in our city. 

I'm sure you know, just like me, that life gets busy once you have kids.  And all that busy can sometimes get in the way of enjoying some really fun places that are close to home.

 

I'm a huge fan of the National Parks!  They are one of our country's most beautiful assets and I really feel that every family should take the opportunity to visit at least one of the parks with the kids. 

There are more than 400 national parks and sites located across the country so I'm sure there's one close to you.  And April 20^th - 28^th, 2013 is National Parks Week which is a wonderful time to schedule a visit!

This is the final post in our 5-part series of The ABC's of Family Field Trips. 

If you missed the first posts in our series, you can review the tips, resources and ideas that were shared for family outings:

{Part 1}  Getting Ready, Using Books & Exploring

{Part 2}  Fun, Inspiriation & Hands-on Ideas

{Part 3}  Learning, New Places & Outdoor Fun

{Part 4}  Pretend Play, Reading, Science & Tours

Since we're covering topics from A to Z, our final post will highlight tips for U - Z.

Welcome to Part 3 of our Family Field Trip series!

So far, we've shared a number of ideas & tips along with more than 35 fun places to visit for a family outing!

Here are the first two posts in the series:

{Part 1} Getting Ready, Exploring & Fun Field Trips

{Part 2} Having Fun, Inspiration & Hands-on Ideas

And we've still got lots more to cover!  This post will highlight the letters K - 0 as we discuss learning, new places & outdoor fun.

 

Welcome back! 

Today is Day 2 in our week-long series:  The ABC's of Family Field Trips.

During the first day, we shared tips for getting ready, ways to use books, exploring on your visit and 24 ideas of places to take the kids. 

Today we'll focus on topics and outings for F - J.

 

 

I'm so excited to introduce a new series this week --

The ABC's of Family Field Trips!

 

This will be a 5 day series covering all kinds of tips and ideas for those fun family outings you want to plan this year. 

I really want to help you get prepared for some great family trips this year by offering resources to help get you ready, along with new ideas for some cool places to visit!

Have you ever thought about visiting a national park? 

We've visited quite a few local and state parks - all beautiful -- but nothing compares to our visit at Rocky Mountain National Park this summer!

I was so enthralled with the beauty of the park, the abundance of wildlife and the amazing back-to-nature connection that our family experienced, I feel compelled to share our visit in the hopes that you too will consider a trip to one of our national parks!

Is a visit to Walt Disney World in your future?  Lucky you!  Before you head off to enjoy 'the happiest place on Earth', there are a few must-see Disney movies (along with some non-Disney movies) that will help to enhance your visit.

In your car a lot during the summer?  I know I am!  So, our family started playing the License Plate game in our own hometown!  It's fun, there's some learning involved and we have a great time 'competing' to see who can find the most plates!

Do you have a child who just loves trains? 

Or maybe you're one of those parents who doesn't mind getting caught at a railroad stop while the kids try to count how many train cars go through? 

Trains are a form of travel that we should introduce to our kids - real train travel! 

A few years ago, my family took a trip by train for just a few hours.  The kids loved the idea that we could all do things together (like visit the dining car for a snack!), had lots of room to stretch out and saw some unique places on the trip.

Do your kids love those brightly colored bricks?  They will LOVE a visit to Legoland Discovery Center in Kansas City!  And it's not just about building - there are rides, a 4D movie, master builder class and lots of room to create, build and explore!

My family will tell you that I love to plan for visiting new places (they'll actually say I spend more time planning than I do visiting ;).  What can I say, I like to be prepared.  So, I thought I would put together a guide for those of you getting ready to visit SEA LIFE Aquarium in Kansas City.

Take a look at some of these FAQs (frequently asked questions) and tips before your visit!