Ice pops, fireflies, watermelon juice running down your chin. Summer is a magical time. Fortunately, no “abracadabra” is needed to pull magical memories out of thin – or heavy, humid – air, as the case may be, but some planning is in order to make the most of your time. Although the season is ripe with opportunities to spend quality time as a family, there is an undeniable correlation between the rising temperatures and parents’ rising uncertainty as to what exactly to do with their children.
Everyone has her own way of categorizing their summer activities. Some distinguish between free ones and those that cost money, while others differentiate between those that are indoors versus out. I don’t know about other mothers, but I divide my summer activities into those with accessible bathrooms and those without. I avoid the latter at all costs. That said, here are some places to go and things to do this summer that are fun for the whole family.
On the Go
If you are willing to travel, Washington D.C. has numerous museums that are fascinating and free (and have bathrooms). The summer is perfect for the day in D.C. you have been waiting for all year. With 19 Smithsonian museums, including a castle, zoo, and garden, there is something for everyone. Many of the museums have kid-friendly activities, as well as Imax and planetarium shows to make the world around us seem close enough to touch.
Closer to home, Baltimore Harbor promises an exciting outing, whether you are just walking around watching the ships or paying to enter any of the attractions, such as the Aquarium, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium, or Port Discovery. You can even sail the high seas with the Urban Pirates, a ride on a pirate ship with pirate costumes and swashbuckling pirate activities for the kids. Or aim slightly smaller with “Chessie” dragon boats and standard paddle boats.
Sports fans can spend the afternoon in Camden Yards at a game or a tour of the stadium. Babe Ruth’s Birthplace and Museum is not far away on Emory Street. In the vicinity as well are the Walters Art Museum, the Building Museum, the B&O Railroad Museum, and the Fire Museum. There are, indeed, more than enough outings to satisfy the family for the summer.
Or you can head out to Centennial Park or any other local park with baseball fields, like Meadowood Regional Park or Northwest Regional Park. Your child will treasure a simple game of catch or a parent-pitched home-run derby more than you can imagine.
Naturally, no list of things to do in or near Baltimore would be complete without mentioning Fort McHenry. This historic monument once served as the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner” and stands proudly today as a testimony to Baltimore’s triumph over Great Britain during the War of 1812. Park rangers provide formal programming throughout each day, and there are flag changes twice daily. You can even watch the Fort McHenry Guard perform drill, musket, and artillery demonstrations. Self-guided tours are also available and a series of special events takes place throughout the summer. In addition, the grounds are vast and perfect for running and playing Frisbee or badminton. Just don’t forget to pack your sunscreen...and your fife.
Of course, when it is too hot and humid outside, you can always go ice skating or bowling (there are great deals on summer bowling). While Kiddie Crusoe, Storyville, Jump!Zone, or the Ultimate Play Zone will keep your younger children happy, your older kids will appreciate an outing to Skyzone, Rockin’ Jump, Red Zone, Climb Zone, or Earth Treks. The goal is to find the balance between activities that will satiate your children’s need to release energy and feel content and how much you are interested or willing to spend. Generally, indoor activities cost more than outdoor, nature-type ones, I suppose that is the price we pay for air conditioning.
If you are willing the brave the outdoors, Baltimore is blessed with an abundance of nature activities for all ages. Hiking, playgrounds, and nature centers can be found at nearby Lake Roland (formerly Robert E. Lee park), as well as the Patapsco State Tire Park and the Irvine Nature Center, along with many more locations. Opportunities to enjoy nature during the summer are greatly increased when you plan your outings to take advantage of the cooler mornings or evenings. Even so, the best hike or day at the park is not worth the discomfort of subsequent sunburns that result from neglecting to apply (and reapply) sunscreen. In choosing which battles to fight, there is no compromising sunscreen. (You can let them win the argument about the fife.)
Treasure Hunts for a New Era
The summer is the perfect opportunity to enhance your children’s sense of accomplishment in fun, adventurous ways. While I absolutely love hiking, many children do not. They simply don’t feel stimulated by the striking yet monotonous scenery. After all, upon turning a corner after hiking for 20 minutes through a wooded area, you are likely to be – surprise – in an ostensibly identical wooded area! In order to engage the children in hiking, it sometimes needs to feel more purposeful. The perfect solution: treasure!
Imagine you’re hiking along a forest trail and hidden somewhere along that trail is a secret treasure. Not a gold-coins-and-jewels-type treasure, but a secret stash nonetheless. “Geocaching” is now a very popular activity nationwide. Essentially, someone hides a small box containing some chachkas somewhere in the forest and leaves the directions on how to find it. Geocaching is free but does require a smartphone.
Once you register online at www.geocaching.com, you can seek any geocache you want. The rules are simple: You just have to replace however many items you take out of the cache with alternate items. We have found cute erasers, mini-bubbles, plastic smiley faces, pencils, and more. Just be prepared with enough things in your backpack to replace the items that you anticipate taking out, basically corresponding to the number of children you bring with you. There are almost 90 geocaches in Pikesville alone, but you can always have favorites that you end up doing over and over again.
(Note: occasionally the geocache stash is not very exciting because it does all depend on what other people have chosen to put inside. You may want to have something in your backpack that you know your kids would love, which you can surreptitiously add to the cache once it’s opened. It’s important to make sure that the kids feel like they are the “winners” in the activity.)
More than just tidbits of treasures can be found. Secret codes also entice young minds to succeed in their quests. Now you can navigate a nature trail purposefully in search of hidden numbers that are the key to a combination lock. This innovative, outdoor, and free activity is called “letterboxing,” and its goal of opening a locked box motivates both young explorers and old to follow the clues. Once opened, the box contains a small ink pad and stamper that is unique to that location and challenge. Be sure to bring along a small notepad of your own so you can stamp it as a testimony to your accomplishment. In addition, you can bring your own stamp and leave a lasting imprint in that location’s book (also located in the box), with your name and the date of your victory. Letterboxing can be found at Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, in Owings Mills, as well as many other locations, and it is accessible even if the visitor center is closed. It is in your best interest, however, to call ahead to check if the visitor center is open because it also has a scavenger hunt (as well as bathrooms). You can print trail maps and letterboxing information before you arrive.
The Library: More than Just Books
In addition to searching for treasures outside, you can go to the library for a wealth of activities to enjoy with your family. This summer’s theme, “Libraries Rock!” perfectly captures the diverse and engaging events that BCPL has planned. They include live music, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities, nature discovery, and crafts. Partnering with local resources like Port Discovery and the Science Guys, the libraries have fun, educational, and interactive events all summer long! All of these activities are air-conditioned, free, and have bathrooms, so all you have to do is mark them on your calendar and make the time to go. The best part of these programs, of course, is the joy of spending time with your children while they discover new interests, knowledge, and talents. Everyone can search the full list of events at www.BCPL.info to find activities that you will make sure not to miss.
Sometimes, you don’t have to go anywhere to enjoy a summer afternoon. While online or in the library, you can sign up for the library’s summer reading program. Infants through adults can earn prizes for books that they read over the summer. Good books can take you on unlimited adventures to far-off places. The printed word enables you to meet inspiring individuals and gather new knowledge. There is certainly something magical about that.
Hands Are for Handicrafts
Doing things with your family doesn’t necessarily require going anywhere. Crafting with your children is a superb bonding activity. The value of these artistic activities goes far beyond the final product. Crafting models for your family how to move outside one’s comfort zone to try something new, how to cultivate creativity, and how to take pride in the work of one’s own hands.
Crafting does not require investing a lot of money in supplies. Whether making sock puppets (everyone has unmatched socks just waiting to be transformed), painting in watercolors (try writing a secret message in white crayon first), working with beads, Fimo® clay, or construction paper, the possibilities are endless. Even simply writing your family’s last name using small sticks glued onto cardstock paper will enhance your home décor, and it will make your kids feel like a million dollars for collaborating on beautifying their home. You don’t have to be artistic yourself to enjoy hours of crafting fun; a quick Google search for easy craft ideas for kids will give you more than enough projects to last the whole summer.
No, it is not the abracadabra-type magic that will fill your family’s summer with memories. Rather, as your family’s cache of outings, adventures, and experiences grows, the greatest treasure and the biggest magic will clearly be the quality time you spend together.
Debbie Glazer teaches Language Arts at Bnos Yisroel High School and spends all of her free time writing and creating. She has been living in Baltimore for the past four years with her husband and seven children and loves the unity, growth, and altruism that permeate this community.
