With gas prices getting higher and higher and parents not being able to afford to travel with their kids during the summer, they are looking for free activities close to home that they can take part in and that the kids will enjoy. Here are some of the ideas I came up with during a recent search of things to do. Children in and around Indianapolis will enjoy these activities, and parents will enjoy the free part.
Load the kids up and head to Indiana’s only urban park, White River State Park, where the kids can see the canal and take a walk along it. While there, be sure to see the USS Indianapolis National Memorial on the north side of the canal. Also, while in the area, take advantage of the time to see the first Indy Slow Foods garden. This is a 6,000-square-foot garden urban vegetable garden. Parents and children can even volunteer to work in this garden if they would like to. The produce that is grown here will be sold to local restaurants downtown.The hope for this project is to teach others how to have an urban garden where they might grow some of their own food.
Located nearby is the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s 100-Acres Exhibit. Here, children will be able to see exhibits that are interactive art sculpture’s and learn from artists from around the world. One of our favorites was the “Funky Bones” exhibit, which is made of several benches that are bone shaped that can be placed together to resemble a human skeleton. A very intriguing piece of art that children will enjoy all day long.
Another place to spend a day is Crown Hill Cemetery. OK, I know it sounds creepy, but Crown Hill is known for its beauty and history. If you want a spectacular view of the sunset, this is the place to be. There are many famous people buried in this cemetery, and if you go to the highest point, which is known as Strawberry Hill, you will see breathtaking views and be able to learn a little about famed Indiana poet, James Whitcomb Riley, who is buried at the crest of this hill. A beautiful place to spend a warm spring or summer day!
There are many great parks within driving distance of Indianapolis, but one nearby is Holliday Park.. Located on the north side of Indianapolis, it offers trails that allow a lot of walking, a playground that children won’t want to leave and a fabulous 13,000-square-foot nature center where children are welcome to explore the nature of the park. The park offers some wonderful historical lessons for kids, and everyone who enters enjoys the breathtaking views it offers. A wonderful place to spend the day and have fun – take along a picnic lunch and just enjoy the day!
Of course, if you are up to the challenge, you could climb to the top of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument downtown on the circle. Standing just 15 feet shorter than the Statue Of Liberty, this Monument has a glassed-in observation platform that children would enjoy that shows a panoramic view of the entire city. There is also a civil war exhibit on display for visitors to take advantage of.
Find someplace that your children will enjoy the day and spend it there. Activities for kids do not have to break the bank if you are aware of the activities in and around your town or those towns that are near. Whatever you choose to do this summer, take the kids and have fun!
