Tag: games

Best Vacation Destinations: 5 Family-Friendly Lake Towns

Posted on Lacey Spear
family getting in boat on lake
Photo Courtesy of Visit Table Rock Lake

From lakefront water parks to quaint shopping squares, family-friendly lake towns offer the ultimate vacation experience. Plus, these destinations are situated in various regions of the country, meaning you can find your next favorite vacation spot without driving for days. So if you’re ready to begin this year’s family adventure, check out these top lake towns!

Table Rock Lake, Missouri

three young women on a tube in a lake
Photo Courtesy of Branson Table Rock Oasis

Attracting 9 million visitors annually, the lake town Branson infuses excitement into tranquil waterfront living. If you want the perfect balance of recreation and relaxation, this is the lake vacation for you. Table Rock Lake boasts many marinas and campgrounds and features all your favorite lake activities—fishing, swimming, boating, water-skiing, tubing, camping, and more. Plus, nearby Branson offers plenty of kid-friendly activities. Popular attractions include the Silver Dollar City Amusement Park, Big Foot Fun Park, Runaway Mountain Coaster, Fritz’s Adventure, Titanic Museum, and underground caverns.

Lake Lanier, Georgia

water park beside Lake Lanier
Photo Courtesy of Livin’ Upstate SC

Imagine soaking in picturesque mountain views only an hour from one of the South’s largest cities. This is vacationing at Lake Lanier—a family-friendly lake town surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and situated near Atlanta. In addition to fishing, boating, and swimming adventures, Lake Lanier boasts the Terminus Wake Park. This thrilling aqua and wake park features an inflatable water playground and cable water sports—perfect for families with kids of all ages. Additionally, Lake Lanier visitors can go whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, and hiking.

Lake Champlain, Vermont

town and trees beside Lake Champlain
Photo Courtesy of Lake Champlain Chamber

Boasting 80 islands, stunning waterfront parks, and intriguing historical sites, Lake Champlain makes for an unforgettable family vacation. On the Vermont side, the lake’s largest waterfront city, Burlington, attracts more than 13 million visitors annually. In addition to enjoying the lake’s parks and beaches, families can browse the town’s quaint shops at Church Street Market Place and bike the eight-mile waterfront trail. Other popular activities include the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet, Petra Cliffs Climbing Center, and Vermont Teddy Bear Factory.

Lake Lure, North Carolina

water park beside Lake Lure
Photo Courtesy of Rutherford County Tourism

Nothing compares to spending a day at Lake Lure Beach. Showcasing a water park, aquatic games, and a sandy beach, Lake Lure‘s beach will keep the kids entertained for hours. After this, you can round the family up and experience the lake’s pristine waters on the Lake Lure Boat Tours. And the fun doesn’t stop there. Nearby Chimney Rock State Park offers breathtaking mountainous views and contains several hiking trails and the 2nd largest waterfall east of the Mississippi. Plus, after conquering these outdoor excursions, you can grab a bite to eat and explore the shops of Chimney Rock Village.

Lake George, New York

Steamboat in Lake George
Photo Courtesy of Lake George

Cruising with the Lake George Steamboat Company is the best way to begin a family vacation on Lake George. Offering brunch, lunch, and dinner voyages, the Lake George Steamboat cruises provide opportunities to relax while taking in the local scenery. Then, after the cruise, you can spend time on the Lake George beaches. Usher’s Park Beach is a great spot to bring the kids. Additionally, off the lake, you can go whitewater rafting, hot air ballooning, hiking, go-karting, and mini-golfing. And if all this fun isn’t enough, you can visit the Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor Theme and Water Park.

Offering both recreation and relaxation, these lake destinations provide well-rounded family fun. So no matter which region of the country you want to visit, you can find an excellent location for your next family vacation!

FAQs

This is vacationing at Lake Lanier—a family-friendly lake town surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and situated near Atlanta.

Boasting 80 islands, stunning waterfront parks, and intriguing historical sites, Lake Champlain makes for an unforgettable family vacation.

In addition to enjoying the lake’s parks and beaches, families can browse the town’s quaint shops at Church Street Market Place and bike the eight-mile waterfront trail. Other popular activities include the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet, Petra Cliffs Climbing Center, and Vermont Teddy Bear Factory.

Nearby Chimney Rock State Park offers breathtaking mountainous views and contains several hiking trails and the 2nd largest waterfall east of the Mississippi. Plus, after conquering these outdoor excursions, you can grab a bite to eat and explore the shops of Chimney Rock Village.

Additionally, off the lake, you can go whitewater rafting, hot air ballooning, hiking, go-karting, and mini-golfing. And if all this fun isn’t enough, you can visit the Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor Theme and Water Park.

Lake Activities: What Should You Do Today?

Posted on Camille Smith

From reading on the dock to water skiing, an endless amount of activities are at your fingertips when you own a lake home. Especially as summer is approaching, your options grow exponentially. With countless possibilities, choosing a lake activity can be overwhelming. To simplify the process, we’ve created this decision flowchart. Start at the top, answer each question, and discover what exciting feat you’re in for today!

Download Flowchart

Indoor Activities

If your result was in a turquoise box, get ready for a cozy, laid back day indoors. Greet the day with a slow yoga flow on your screened porch. By afternoon, maybe you’ll scour the pantry for ingredients to start a new recipe. Baking projects like homemade bread are more popular than ever, so now is the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen. Even if you’re in short supply of cookbooks at your lake house, popular apps like New York Times Cooking and Yummly have hundreds of recipes.

Similarly, there’s no shortage of DIY projects at your disposal. Examine each room of your lake home and ask yourself what’s missing. Maybe a cute chalkboard, decor made of driftwood, or an outdoor fire pit. You can create any of these pieces on your own, so why not get started today? If you’re not feeling creative and need to use the day to recharge, try one of The Atlantic’s recommended quarantine reads for the summer. Or sink into the sofa watching a lake-themed movie. 

Outdoor Activities

If your result settled on a lime green box, you’re spending the day outdoors! The lake waters are getting warmer these days, so why not take advantage? Whether you’re practicing competitive swimming strokes, water skiing, or canoeing with a fishing rod in hand, enjoying the water in your backyard never gets old. If you’d prefer more green space than blue today, try exploring one of the hiking trails near your property. If you own a mountain bike, grab your helmet and start pedaling. Otherwise, bring a walking stick and go at your own pace. While you’re there, count how many different species of birds you can spot. Check out this bird identification guide to brush up on your ornithology skills. While most of these are solo activities, if you’re feeling social, you can turn the day into a small social gathering — once quarantine ends, of course. Your backyard is the perfect setting for a summer picnic. Bring a set of speakers, a blanket, and enjoy the view with your crew. 

The Day’s What You Make It

We hope this flowchart helps you determine what activity you’d most enjoy at your lake house today. However, this decision-making tool is certainly not prescriptive. Ultimately, your perfect day at the lake is whatever you want it to be. Whether you decide to squeeze in every activity on this list, pick just one, or none at all, what’s most important is that you enjoy your lake retreat on this summer day. From our lake home to yours — have fun!

Fun Outdoor Games for the Family

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

Studies have shown the recent trend of indoor entertainment and various electrical technologies have an increasingly negative impact on children.

The multitude of gaming consoles, the plethora of new children-oriented television channels, and the emphasis on technology for every single activity directly correlates with overall poor health.

So, how can you coax the kids outside or pry your kids away from all of these devices? Take them to the great outdoors! Encourage your kids to stay active and inspire them to get up and moving! To do so, try some of these fun lake or outdoor games and activities for your whole family.

Cornhole

Outdoor Games: Corn hole
Photo courtesy of www.thesprucecrafts.com

Cornhole, also known as bean bag toss, is a yard game that’s simple and fun for everyone. Two boards with holes in them are lined up a set distance away from one another and people take turns trying to ring the hole with the bean bags.

A bag in the hole scores 3 points while a bag sitting on the board is worth 1 point. Players takes turns throwing and the first to reach 21 points is the winner!

For younger children, simply move the boards closer together, lessening the difficulty of the game.

Flashlight Tag

This simple and fun outdoors game is good for children and family members as well. The game rules are pretty simple and can be enjoyed especially if you are near a lake and trees.

To start out, choose who will be “it” by drawing straws, rock, paper, scissors, or any other similar game. The one who is “it” will then run around trying to tag anyone else playing the game, or trap them in the light of the flashlight.

Animal and Bird Watching

Outdoor Games: bird watching
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com

While this may sound a bit cliché, it nevertheless proves to be one of the best outdoor activities for the kids and family. If you are near a lake, you probably won’t need to visit any camping site or forest parks to do animal or bird watching.

This is because you can find many wildlife species around the nearby trees and many fish species in the lake itself. There may also be turtles, beavers, or frogs just outside your back porch!

In addition, you may also be able to hear the chiming of birds during the evening which proves to be relaxing for both kids and elders.

Go on a Scavenger Hunt

Who doesn’t love to go on adventures and quests? What’s good about scavenger hunts is they involve physical activity and this means you and your kids will get a lot of exercise and fun at the same time. You can plan out the route first and perhaps take a tour around your nearby lake.

However, prior to the game, warn the kids to avoid things like prickly plants, poison ivy, and sumac which might be lurking in the trees around your lake.

So, now that you are familiar with the outdoor games mentioned above, getting your kids to leave their electronic devices and play outside for a change won’t be a problem. You could also designate an area in your yard to set up a simple pole for a game of horseshoes.

Use your imagination, and talk to your kids about their favorite activities in order to make getting outdoors more fun for the whole family!