25 Pre-Baby "Kid Date" Ideas for Your Older Children

             Hey folks! Not that I don't normally take my kids to do fun things when I can, but I always have kind of a push to “do all the fun things” when there is a new baby coming soon. One, my kids love getting out of the house anyways. Two, it's nice to spend some extra time together doing something fun before I probably won't be able to spend nearly as much time with them with a new baby. And three, I don't plan on getting out of the house much unless necessary for awhile with a new baby!

             With that being said, I thought I would put together a list of “kid date” ideas if you are looking to do something similar before a new baby arrives. (These are just fun ideas any time of year for any reason, really!) There should be something for just about anyone interest-wise AND range from free to full-on vacations!

 

-Have a park play day (Possibly with a picnic!)

-Attend a library program (Some have recurring events each week and there are usually special events held occasionally as well. When we lived in Arkansas, there was a traveling aquarium that came to the library there!)

-Go for a hike (Bonus points again for a picnic!)

-Visit the local pool or make a special trip to a water park

-Visit a children's or science museum (Maybe even an art museum if your kids are older and are into that sort of thing.)

-Spend an afternoon at a play place, like a trampoline park or jumping place (Think lots of bouncy houses!)

-Play a round of mini golf. Bonus: These places are usually combined with arcades and/or go-kart tracks as well!

-Set up a playdate with friends

-Take a mini vacation (camping, stay all night at a hotel with a pool/indoor water park, etc.)

-Spend a day at a theme park

-Hold a scavenger hunt in your yard or at a local park (You could either have them find objects that are already readily available OR hide little prizes ahead of time.)

-Have a craft day, work on a project (like building a robot, doing a puzzle, building a birdhouse), etc.

-Go to a movie

-Visit the zoo or aquarium

-Have a spa day (manis/pedis, hair, etc.)

-Spend a day or weekend at the beach or lake

-Go fishing

-Have a butterfly or bug hunt

-Go horseback riding

-Volunteer (pick trash up at a park, help with an animal adoption event)

-State park programs (Depending on the popularity, many state parks hold special programs regularly that cover topics like snakes, birds, reptiles and amphibians, etc. Check local parks and rec department too!)

-Visit a farm

-Go apple or berry picking

-Take a kid class at Home Depot or Michael's

-Check out a story and craft time at a book store

 

Do you spend extra quality time with your older children before a new baby arrives? What activities do you guys enjoy doing?