Family fun doesn't always have to include a hefty price tag
Finding Fun Even When Time and Money Are Short
I justbrchecked the dictionary for “fun!” Merriam-Websterbrdefines fun this way: What providesbramusement or enjoyment. I also searchedbrfor fun synonyms. Among the ones Ibrfound —delight, distraction, pleasure and recreation.
And guessbrwhat? —Webster’s never once mentioned a huge price tag in the definition of fun.
Alrightybrthen!
Now thatbrwe’ve gotten that out of the way... I’ve put together a list of thingsbrSouthlake families can enjoy-- even when the budget and time are limited.
1.) brTake abrfamily bike ride. Here’s why I lovebrthis-- because I’m just as good at riding a bike as my husband, John, and mybr13-year-old daughter, Madison! We’ve found several great trailsbrin our neck of the woods…but I especially love the Big Bear Creek Greenbelt inbrKeller. It’s 5 and a half-miles of verybrscenic and wonderful fun. Get more infobrat Keep it in Keller.
2.) brHave abr“get-together” with another family. brChances are you’ve been making promises to do this anyway! I know I’m always chatting it up with fellowbrparents after we work out car pool plans and other school-related arrangements. Recently a family we made friends with hostedbrus at their home. After a deliciousbrdinner, the adults bonded over a great glass of wine and some wonderfulbrconversation… while our girls watched music videos and danced! It’s our turn to host next!
3.) brBe a touristbrin your own town! I love to grab thosebr‘free’ local magazines at the grocery store entrance. Then when I get a little down time I’ll browsebrthrough and look for interesting local attractions, events or landmarks we havebryet to check out. Here are a couple I thinkbrdefinitely belong on the “must see” list.
· American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum isbrdedicated solely to commercial aviation. You’ve got to check out this place, it’s a “sight-and-sound,brhands-on, window-seat look at the world of flight.”
· The Grapevine Vintage Railroad is tried andbrtrue! You can’t go wrong with thebrhalf-day trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards. brJohn, Madison, her friend, Jarrie, our 8-year old nephew, Donovan, and Ibrhopped aboard and really loved the peaceful ride and unique view. We especially enjoyed the (shhh! ~brsurprise/staged) train robbery-- all in the name of fun!
4.) brGo skating! Several nearby cities have skatingbrrinks. Whether you’re a novice (like me)bror a super skater—check out some cool places to get your roll on! The Skatetown Roller Skating Rink inbrGrapevine is a great place for fun, or chill out with ice-skatingbrat the Polar Ice House located inside the Grapevine Mills Shopping Mall.
5.) brDay trip!brRoad trip! -- My favorite “close-to-home” destination is the Fossil Rim WildbrLife Center in Glen Rose, Texas. And letbrme say this...it is definitely worth the hour-long drive... And once there… youbrwill maximize the experience if you splurge and take the guided privatebrtour. John, Madison and I enjoyed thisbron Madison’s 11th birthday. brWe sat in the back of an open-air Jeep while our guide drove through thebrremarkable landscape, giving us all kinds of behind the scenes info andbrtidbits. Yep! We had a “wild” time!
I absolutely love familybrfriendly, easy, inexpensive ways to create memories.
Don’t get me wrong…I adore thebrplanning and rigors of putting together detailed and far-away destination vacations;brbut there is something extremely fulfilling and gratifying about qualitybrmoments when things are simple and stress-free.
Whatever your fancy-- I hope you get to createbrgreat memories with your loved ones real soon!
Dionne Anglin is a TV news reporter with FOX 4 News. She, her husband, daughter and their rambunctious dog, a one-year old Vizsla, live in North Keller. Dionne is always looking for new ways to explore her North Tarrant County community… and that often includes the lure of new restaurants, shops and jogging at different parks—but also the quest for locating cozy spots to enjoy coffee and plain old people watching. Check out her blog to keep up with her adventures in maintaining a career and “mom-dom” with a unique sense of style at reportermom.com