Family Friendly Ideas

Children today spend an average of six hours each day in front of the computer and TV but less than four minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play. Roanoke Outside wants to make it easy for you to get your kids OUTSIDE!

Kids In the Valley Adventuring (KIVA) is a local group started by Chip and Ashely Donahue. KIVA provides one to two outdoor outings per month that are designed to connect kids and families with nature.

The Children & Nature Network was so impressed with what Chip and Ashley had created that they asked them to create a "start a family nature club" packet. These packets have helped family nature clubs sprout up all across the United States. Learn how you can start your own Family Nature Club.

We are working diligently to put together many ideas and suggestions for kid friendly outdoor outings. However we'd love to hear from you too - send us an email with your kid and family friendly ideas and we'll add them to the list.

Here are some outdoor, kid-friendly, family ideas that we've put together so far:

Visit a park
Learn to geocache
Plan An Overnight Hike - The Appalachian Trail offers a great opportunity for overnight backpacking trips. Shelters, which are typically three-sided structures that allow you to camp without a tent, are spread along the trail at varied intervals which allow you to hike at your own pace. An interactive Appalachian Trail map shows shelters, parking lots, and vistas along the AT (zoom in on Roanoke).
Visit Natural Bridge
Visit Safari Park
Rent a canoe
Go tubing
Climb a wall
Ride a 900' Zip Line
Visit the Science Museum of Western Virginia
Visit the Mill Mountain Zoo
Explore Dixie Caverns
Go for a bike ride on a greenway
Slide down a natural water slide
Spend the day at a state park
Camp Bethel is open year-round with special events on 470 explorable acres.