Looking forward to a full week with the kids during their spring break? We’ve got lots of options to keep them occupied. Better yet, these activities take place along the trail, so so you fun-loving parents can always find a family-friendly brewery. Here’s how to thrill the gang!
Hikes and Playgrounds
Celebrate the first days of spring by getting out into nature. Stretch your legs with these family-friendly hikes and playgrounds. And don’t forget to visit Shenandoah National Park, which is practically in our backyard!
Lexington and Rockbridge County
Boxerwood Gardens is the perfect place to spend the day with your kids. Explore the trails, gardens, installations, and nature center before retiring to the natural playground for the rest of your visit. If you’re further south, make sure to check out Natural Bridge State Park.
Augusta County
Augusta Springs Wetlands offers a great way to get some exercise and spot some wildlife at the same time. Best of all, much of the ¾-mile main loop trail is boardwalk, so those little shoes won’t get crazy muddy. A popular hike for families with older children is Humpback Rocks.
Staunton
Take the kids for a hike in Montgomery Hall Park. Miles of trails loop through the woods, so you can hike for hours, but it’s easy to cut the day short if the experience is too much for little legs. This park also features two playgrounds.
Waynesboro
The best place to hike and play in downtown Waynesboro is Ridgeview Park, which has a playground, trails, and a footbridge over the river. Speaking of trails along the river, the South River Greenway is a paved trail that stretches for 1.2 miles along the South River and is ideal for strolling or bike riding.
Harrisonburg
Your family will love exploring JMU’s Edith J. Carrier Arboretum. This “urban garden and forested greenspace” will delight all ages with meandering paths and native plants. Your next stop should be A Dream Come True Playground is an accessible/inclusive playground with appropriate equipment for children ages 2-12.
Adrenaline Boosts
Does your family feel closest when your hearts are thumping? For some wild, fun times, visit these area attractions.
Harrisonburg
Great adventure awaits just outside of Harrisonburg. You probably know you can explore deep underground at Luray Caverns. But Rope Adventure Park takes you high into the trees to test your limits in the sky. Want to play in the water? Try Massanutten Water Park where you’ll splash, slide, and float your way to a terrific time. And If your family is more interested in terrestrial sports, take your skateboards and scooters to Westover Skate Park.
Waynesboro
Do you enjoy go-carts, mini golf, and hitting home runs at the batting cages? Fast Trax lets you experience this and more! If disc golf is more your speed, visit Fox Disc Golf Course at Coyner Springs Park.
Staunton
Strap on your helmets and knee pads and take the fam to the Action Skate Park, where skateboards, scooters, in-line skates, and BMX bikes are welcome. Toss your discs at the Staunton Kiwanis Disc Golf course.
Lexington & Rockbridge County
Ever had a zebra stick her head into your car for her dinner? Animal lovers will thrill at the 180-acre drive-thru adventure that is the Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge. If living animals aren’t exciting enough, visit Dinosaur Kingdom II, a site the Travel Channel calls “outlandish” for life-sized dinosaur sculptures and much, much more. Get back to reality at the Virginia Horse Center, where horse lovers might see a show or event.
Augusta County
Get dirty taking a guided adventure tour through Fountain Cave at Grand Caverns with kids ages 12+. This is a real spelunking adventure: you’ll climb and crawl over rugged terrain and wear headlamps and kneepads!
Activities for Rainy Days
Bowl Your Heart Out
When the weather is nasty, people who are looking for indoor excitement go bowling. It’s the most fun you’ll have in rental shoes.
- Staunton Lanes offers lanes with bumpers and special ball aimers for the game’s youngest fans.There’s also a snack bar stocked with all your favorites.
- Valley Lanes in Harrisonburg
Roll Away
Funky’s Skate Center in Harrisonburg will help you bond with your kids while also connecting with your own youth to the tune of 80s music, flashing lights, and snack bar food.
Jump for Joy
Nothing burns off energy like jumping, and this area has several places to get your bounce on. Harrisonburg’s Pump It Up and Staunton’s Eli’s Fun Center each have inflatables. If you’d like to go with a traditional trampoline, try, Valley Jump Trampoline Park in Harrisonburg. Wear your stretchy pants because adults can jump, too!
Catch a Movie
Sometimes it’s nice to slow down and relax. For all the latest movies, check out these area theaters.
- Staunton: Visulite and Legacy Theaters
- Harrisonburg: Court Square Theater and Regal Cinemas 14
- Waynesboro: Zeus Theaters
- Lexington: RC State Theatre and Hull’s Drive-In
Visit a Museum
If you’re stuck inside on a rainy day, spend a few hours touring one of our diverse museums.
- Lexington & Rockbridge County: Get your history fix in downtown Lexington at the Virginia Military Institute Museum, the Stonewall Jackson House, and the Lee Chapel and Museum. If your little ones like to feed ducks and look at farm buildings and water wheels while you learn, try the Cyrus McCormick Farm.
- Staunton: The Frontier Culture Museum is open all year long because life doesn’t stop on the farm. Families will love checking out living farm history and seeing what activities kept our ancestors busy. The museum includes both indoor and outdoor spaces. And if your little ones are fascinated by fire engines, check out the Jumbo Antique Fire Engine at the Staunton Fire Department.
- Harrisonburg: A family can spend hours in the Explore More Discovery Museum, which is two floors of interactive fun. Highlights include a science lab, an art studio, a theater with costumes and makeup, and a real ambulance and airplane to explore. Firefighters in training will love a trip to the Larry W. Shifflett Fire Museum to see historic memorabilia.
- Waynesboro: Celebrates Waynesboro history at two Main Street museums. The Waynesboro Heritage Museum houses permanent galleries of relics from the town’s founding industries and educational institutions while the Plumb House Museum features Civil War and Native American artifacts as well as a summer kitchen, historic garden, and outbuildings to explore.
Solve a Mystery
Does your group include junior detectives? Exercise your minds by working together to decipher clues and escape your locked room in under an hour.
- Staunton: Crack the Code Escape Room. Pick from four themes with varying difficulty including The Dark Mage’s Rise and Steampunk City.
- Harrisonburg: House of Clues – Escape Room. Choose from three themed rooms including Dr. Skarz’ Lab and Through the Looking Glass.
Take a Tour of Space
Lean back at the John C. Wells Planetarium at James Madison University during one of its free Saturday shows. Shows are an hour long and include a family-friendly film and an entertaining startalk.
Don’t Forget the Ice Cream
Some kids will say the ice cream at the end of the adventure was the best part!
- Waynesboro: Try Willy’s Ice Cream or Kline’s (locations also in Harrisonburg and Staunton)
- Staunton: The Split Banana or Wrights Dairy Rite
- Lexington: Sweet Things or the Ice Cream Factory
- Harrisonburg: Megamilkshakes or Smiley’s Ice Cream
