Tag: outdoor places for kids

Years ago, when my daughter was about 3 years old and I was looking for outdoor activities for smaller kids, a friend introduced me to the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh.

For my daughter – and for me, too –  it was a magical place.

This was partly because we were living in a rented townhome with not even a minimal yard, and partly because the arboretum really is magical!  🙂

But seriously, it does seem to be getting more difficult to find simple inexpensive fun outdoor activities for toddlers, especially if you don’t have a home with your own yard.

This is a real shame, because toddlers love getting outdoors to run around in the sunshine, play with bugs, and eat dirt.

Fortunately for me, the JC Raulston Arboretum was only a short drive away, and was a great place to get outdoors and explore without any admission or parking fees – or even funnel cakes or anything-on-a-stick that I had to say “no” to.

Fortunately for everyone, although it has grown a lot in the past 20 years, the JC Raulston Arboretum is still a magical and inexpensive place to take young children to play outdoors.

They can feel the sunshine, eat dirt, and maybe learn a few things about trees and plants, too.