Summer is upon us and school will be letting out within the next couple of weeks! Each day is an adventure during the summer months, memories are being made and we are all enjoying each others company, with sun kissed skin, ice cream and bare feet. We found a fun list of mostly inexpensive adventures for you and your family to go on this summer, the majority of them being kid-friendly. The possibilities are endless, around and Edmonton and beyond! 

1. Have a colored water fight. Everyone gets a white tee-shirt + a water gun filled with colored water (fun tip, use Koolaid) and whoever gets the most color on their opponents, wins!
2. Walk with the dinosaurs at Jurassic Forest
3. Try something that you’ve never eaten before at the Taste of Edmonton
4. Plan a road trip to go kid friendly tubing at Red Deer Discovery Canyon
5. Discover a new playground, on this list of Top Ten Edmonton Playgrounds
6. Check out one of these top Edmonton Spray Parks
7. Backyard fun: Occupy the kids with an easy Tin Foil River
8. Step back in time at Fort Edmonton Park – there’s new rides going in this year!
9. Slide on a 1,000 Foot Slip and Slide with Slide the City
10. Take the LRT on a downtown Adventure with a Rapid Transit Challenge
11. Get Entertained at the Street Performers Festival (July 3-12)
12. Watch an outdoor movie at Movies on the Square
13. Get half off of weekend morning admission to the Royal Alberta Museum
14. Bike through the River Valley and try this path at the Strathcona Science Park
15. Host a splatter party. Grab a few canvases, some great, bright colored paints (from the dollar store) and head outside to splatter against plastic table cloths to create some fun new art for the walls and a great idea for a simple summer birthday party.
16. Get out of town and visit the Vegreville Fair
17. Ride all Day at K Days (Buy passes early to save the most)
18. Get free admission to the Art Gallery of Alberta (The last Thursday of the Month)
19. Road trip to Calaway Park – or check your local Mall for a parking lot fair
20. Check out a free dance class at your local Ivivva store
21. Get lunch from the Italian Center and picnic at Giovanni Caboto Park
22. Visit a U-Pick for Strawberries (That’s the top ten U picks in Edmonton + area)
23. Pay What You Will at the Freewill Shakespeare Festival
24. Watch a Dragon Boat Race
25. Check out the Top 10 places to get Ice cream, popsicles and Gelato in Edmonton
26. Step into the 70s at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival
27. Try the Hot Chocolate on a Stick at Pop Bar
28. Have an animal encounter at John Janzen Nature Center
29. Get $7 unlimited Bouncy Castle Slides at the Sherwood Park Farmer’s Market on Wednesday Nights
30. Spend a rainy day inside at the Launch Pad Trampoline Park (reserve ahead of time)
31. Get the latest from Edmonton’s Food Trucks at What the Truck
32. Spend a Friday Night and watch a movie outside at the Downtown Night Market
33. Take the High Level Bridge Street Car
34. Get Dressed up for Royal Tea at Hotel Macdonald
35. Visit the Ukranian Cultural Heritage Village
36. Day trip to Whitecourt for Rotary Park tubing fun and a fun playground
37. Sleepover with Dinosaurs at Telus World of Science
38. Fly a Kite on a Windy Day at Hawerlawk Park
39. See ‘Living in the Age of Airplanes‘ in Imax
40. Ditch the kids and do Date Night at Telus World of Science during their Dark Matters nights once a month. Drinks, food, adult entertainment and no children as far as the eye can see
41. Take part in Storytime at your local Chapters/Indigo Store (contact your store for hours and event information)
42. Visit the Fred Broadstock Outdoor pool in Edmonton
43. Take a Mini Road Trip to Go Tubing on the Pembina River
44. Go to a Family Yoga Class at the Strathcona County Library
45. Head out to Broadmoor Lake Play Day in July with bubbles, science experiments and more
46. Go to a Drive in Movie
47. Have a picnic at one of the many Edmonton picnic sites, or discover your own
48. Watch a Drifting Competition
49. Stargaze at the Observatory at Telus World of Science
50. Camp at Elk Island National Park
51. Make Epic S’mores
52. Visit the Alberta Aviation Museum
53. Take Surfing Lessons at West Edmonton Mall
54. Get Cultured at the Cariwest 2014 Festival
55. Get Artistic at the Kaleido Family Arts Festival
56. Go Paddleboating at Rundle Park and a third person (under 50 lbs) can ride for free
57. Go on a summer ice skating date at Millennium Place
58. Have a Nature Adventure at John Janzen Nature Center and while you’re there, check out the Discovery Zone
59. Wade in the pools at the Legislature Grounds
60. Shop a Local Farmer’s Market at the Valley Zoo
61. Attend the Grand Opening of Broadmoor Lake Playground in Sherwood Park with the tallest (and coolest) slide in the city
62. Build a project during the Home Depot Kids Workshop
63. Check out the sculptures at the Sand on Whyte Festival
64. Check out Christmas in Zoo-ly at the Valley Zoo
65. Get your Face painted at Callingwood Farmer’s Market
66. Plan a Ride on the Edmonton Queen River Boat
67. Check out Edmonton from Above on a Hot Air Balloon Ride
68. Splurge with friends and rent a water slide bouncy castle for a day of backyard fun
69. Take a Historical Walking Tour
70. Explore 5Km of the Edmonton Corn Maze
71. Take part in Tours for Tots on Wednesday Mornings at The Art Gallery of Alberta
72. Take a guided tour of the Devonian Botanic Garden
73. Celebrate International Mud Day with Parent Link (free mud themed activities). Check Parent Link website for your local programming (all summer long).
74. Get Kissed by a Sea Lion at West Edmonton Mall
75. Spend a morning playing inside at Kids Play at Kingsway Mall
76. Spend a Saturday morning at the City Market on 104 Street and don’t forget to get cupcakes and popsicles
77. Have lunch at Greenlands Garden Center
78. Follow Box Social Event Planning for some of the coolest workshops and free events for kids all year long
79. Take a walk through the Greenspace at Mill Creek Ravine Park
80. Plan a Date Night at the Devonian Botanic Garden
81. Paint a Brightly Colored Birdhouse and Hang it on your Favorite Path
82. Make Chalk Paint for the Sidewalk
83. Take a trip to Sylvan Lake and spend the day at the Beach – keep cool with cones from the Big Moo
84. Visit the Lego store on the First Tuesday of the Month to make a free Lego Kit
85. Visit Ikea and do the Scavenger Hunt
86. Show up early and take part in the fun family events for Movies on the Square
87. Get a burger at The Burg on 104 on Saturday morning, the kids love the hummus and pitas.
88. Tie Dye Shirts with Kool Aid or get the awesome tye dye kit from Michaels
89. Play Monster Mini Golf
90. Plan a kid friendly day trip from Edmonton
91. Attend the Cariwest Parade
92. Climb on a Grizzly Bear
93. Amaze the family with a trip to Varekai Cirque du Soliel
94. Go Bowling for free all Summer Long
95. Sign up for free summer camps at the Apple Store
96. Ride Your Bikes to the closest Farmer’s Market
97. Play Giant Chess at Churchill Square during the daily lunch time activities that include fitness activities, kids games + more
98. Go to the Edmonton Air Show (kids under 6 are free)
99. Try Disc Golf at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre
100. End every day with dirty feet, giant smiles and big memories.



​COPYRIGHT © 2016 · MINIMAL CHIC THEME BY HUNNIEMAID

"When we get closer to nature- be it untouched wilderness or a backyard tree- we do our overstressed brains a favour."
​-Florence Williams, Natural Geographic 

A new study has shown that spending time outside, enjoying nature can not only soothe the mind, but in the process, also change our brains and improve mental health. Studies are showing that those of us who live in cities, away from green, natural spaces have a higher risk for anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses. Studies have also shown that city dwellers with little access to green space have higher levels of psychological problems versus those who have easy access and frequent the natural environments around them; typically showing lower levels of stress hormones. It is unclear exactly how visiting a lush, natural space alters our emotional and psychological health, but colleagues and graduate student Gregory Bratman at Stanford University found that volunteers who walked through a lush, green part of the campus were more attentive and happier afterwards than other volunteers who walked the same amount of time alongside heavy traffic. The study strongly suggests that getting out into the natural environment could be an easy and almost immediate way to improve our mental health and ones mood. However, there are still many questions regarding the study such as just how much time is ideal or sufficient for improved mental health, as well as what aspects of the natural world are most soothing. For now there is absolutely no harm in getting outdoors, enjoying the weather, especially knowing that there are added mental health benefits! To help promote mental health and an active lifestyle, we have found this list of wonderful, kid friendly adventures to help get you and your family outside these summer months! 
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