Family Fun and Adventure Activities in America

I don't know about you but I like nothing better than getting myself and my family outdoors and no matter what the time of year, there's nothing that beats spending time together having fun and keeping active in America.

As they say 'sharing is caring' so I thought I'd let you in on just a few of my family's favourite things to do when we're out and about so read on below and let's all hope that the weather cheers up soon.

Watersports

There are many beautiful lakes and rivers in North America, with a host of activities perfect for families. Our favourites are rafting or canoeing through the stunning mountain scenery on Lake Louise, sea kayaking past glaciers in the Alaskan wilderness, beating the heat by river tubing down the Virgin River in Zion, and surfing the coastline of Central America. A day on the water is sure to tire out the whole family!

Wildlife spotting

There are lots of fantastic parks and wilderness areas that are perfect for spotting wildlife. You can see wolves, caribou, marmots and grizzly bears in North America, while down south in Central America there are monkeys, toucans and sloths. Our favourite parks are Monteverde in Costa Rica, where the canopy of trees is a haven for hummingbirds and butterflies; and Yellowstone, which covers a huge area full of wildlife, thermal features and dramatic mountains. Wherever you go, the animal kingdom will always be a draw for the kids.

Camping

With endless wilderness and national parks, there are plenty of opportunities to pack up the car and head out into open space. Camping really gets you back to nature and sitting around a campfire, toasting marshmallows under the stars, is a family favourite. Our favourite trip is in Arizona, where you can explore Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon, as well as explore the Navajo Indian’s Monument Valley.

Horse riding

From cowboys to ranchers, America has a long history of life in the saddle. Although the era of the wild west has long gone, there are lots of opportunities to join in modern day cattle runs. Joining seasoned wranglers you can learn all about the environment and challenges of ranch life, as well as take you part in the team round-up. Our favourite spot for grand American adventures is in Arizona, where the family can ride through the amazing desert and mountain scenery before heading back for a hot-tub soak at the ranch.

Wild swimming

Wild Swimming

There is nothing so liberating and refreshing after a day hiking or horse-riding, as a quick dip in a swimming hole. Creeks, rivers, lakes and waterfalls are plentiful across North and Central America, and with the record summer temperatures, it doesn’t take much to convince the whole family to take the plunge! Some of our favourite places are Havaso Falls in Arizona – an amazing cascading blue waterfall, Sliding Rock in North Carolina – a 60-foot long natural rock slide that ends in a 7ft deep swimming hole, and Firehole River in Yellowstone, Wyoming. The churning rapids empty into a deep hole, with lots of kid-friendly shallow sections.

Hiking

Going for a walk may not sound exciting to the children, but get them out there and they will soon find out that there is more to hiking than meets the eye. A trek at sunset in the Great Dunes National Park, Colorado, offers the exciting opportunity to roll and slide back down 700 feet of sand, while the Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, offers a quarter-mile round trip through amazing cave scenery. Walking through the Rainbow Dome and Crystal Lake will fire up the creativity in any youngster.

Theme parks

Nature is wonderful, but we would be lying if we said that families could only have fun outdoors. There are some incredible theme parks across America - Universal Studios, Disney, Sealife… you name it. Most of the parks have been tailored to cater for families, with plenty of fun for the kids, but there is also lots to entertain the parents too (that is of course if you are not queuing for the rides with the kids!!).

Ruth Chapman loves taking the family out on adventures and her favourite thing to do at weekends is camp with the kids. Next year they plan to make camping the focus of the holiday and do a road trip through the Arizona parks.