120 Things to Do With Kids in Connecticut Before They Grow Up

Raising children in Connecticut comes with its advantages and we've listed 120 of them. 120 Things To Do with your kids in CT before they Grow Up  has been broken down by season.  Even if you just do one thing a month you have ten years of material to work with! We hope this list inspires you to experience all that CT has to offer you and your family. Enjoy and have fun creating wonderful memories for you and your children.

FALL

1. Visit Mystic Aquarium; it's fun anytime of the year. The sea lion show is particularly entertaining. While in the area make sure to hit up the fun shops in Olde Mistick Village.
2. Experience a replicated Algonkian Village at the Institute of American Indian Studies.
3. Meet friendly costumed animal characters along the Enchanted Forest candlelit trail during this non-scary event at the Audubon Society in Sharon.
4. Relax, and take a step back in time in a restored vintage 1920s train coach while taking a scenic 20-mile round trip ride on the Naugatuck Railroad from Thomaston Railroad Museum of New England.
5. Go see a show at the art deco Warner Theater in Torrington built in 1931.
6. Explore New England’s woodland environment at Roaring Brook Nature Center.
7. Create a wooden sculpture in Village Center for the Arts in New Milford’s Drop In Artist Studio. Clay building and paint-your-own pottery is also available.
8. Enjoy a concert at the Ridgefield Playhouse– check their website for a list of performers.
9. Climb to the top of Castle Craig.
10. Go for a mellow scenic 10 mile family bike ride starting at the Kent Boarding School, winding along an Indian Reservation and the Appalachian Trial before reaching Bulls Bridge, one of the few working covered bridges in CT. Check out the beautiful and powerful waterfall while there.
11. Find your pumpkin at Angevine Pumpkin Patch in Warren.
12. Pick your own apples at Beardsley’s Cider Mill and Orchard in Shelton, CT. and one of these other great orchards.
13. See one of the amazing productions at the Bridgeport Theatre.
14. Be a spectator at the annual Thanksgiving Parade in Stamford – complete with floats and enormous balloons.
15. Go apple picking at Karabin Farms.
16. Visit the Danbury Railway Museum which offers history lessons, train rides (seasonal) and hands on learning.  Fun for train fanatics and their parents! 
17. Eat apple fritters at the Southington Apple Harvest.
18. Check out the vintage cars at a gathering of the Caffeine and Carburetors club in New Canaan – 6 Sunday morning throughout the year – check their website for dates and times.
19. Enjoy a hayride at Warrup's Farm in Redding.
20. Head to Bridgeport to check out the PT Barnum Museum. Learn about the famed circus, its creator, and many of its famous performers.
21. Gaze in awe at the Hot Air Balloon Festival.
22. Dress up and enjoy a show at the Bushnell Memorial Theater.
23. Smell the roses at Elizabeth Park’s rose garden.
24. Run through the gigantic life-size whale at The Children’s Museum.
25.  Let your imagination run wild at the Imagine Nation Museum.
26. Spend the day playing in the Treehouse Arcade while the parents win cash at Foxwoods Casino.
27. Learn about the prehistoric times at Dinosaur State Park.
28. Go to the Beardsley Zoo, CT's only zoo!
29. Check out a fun exhibit at the CT Science Center.

WINTER

30. Learn how maple syrup was discovered and see how it is made at one of CT's many sugarhouses.
31. Through late December, visit the oldest steam powered cider mill in the US, B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill in Mystic.
32. Sled down the huge hills at Page Park.
33. Create a gingerbread house from scratch at the Silo Cooking School at Hunt Hill Farm.
34. Take the kids skating outdoors!  When it gets colder, check in with some town recreation departments to learn when and where local ponds are open for skating: until then, head on over to Wesport’s outdoor P.A.L. rink.
35. Ski the slopes at Mt. Southington.
36. Become mesmerized by the beauty of Fantasia’s Christmas Light show.
37. Travel on a journey to Santa's Train Workshop where Santa will board and greet everyone during your hour and quarter ride on an antique coach. There is a festival of light displays inside and outside the train. Railroad Museum of New England.
38. Go see The Christmas Carol or another great show at the Hartford Stage.
39. Visit Sweet Rexie’s Candy Shoppe in Fairfield for an afternoon of whimsy and sugar.  
40. Take the train into NYC – the ride can be a treat for little ones!  A tip – hop on at an “end” station like New Canaan where you’ll have no problem getting a seat.
41. Lace up your skates and enjoy a day at Newington Veteran’s Memorial Rink.
42. Splash about at CoCo Key Water Resort.
43. Get hot cocoa and a salted chocolate caramel at Kent Coffee and Chocolate in Kent.
44. Watch ski jumpers fly into the sky at the annual Salisbury Ski jumping event.
45. Check out the live reindeer (yes, you read correctly!) in December at Greenwich's McArdle's Florist and Garden Center.
46. Visit a Neopolitan Creche that was made in 1720 at the The Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem.
47. Take a look at restored carrousel horses in Bristol at the The New England Carousel Museum.
48. Gorge yourselves on candy at the quaint Sweets Shop in New Preston.
49. Check out the latest movies at the  Art Deco Bank Street movie theater in New Milford and then take a walk across the street to a great toy store - PLAY.
50. Go ice skating during open skate at The Gunnery, Kent School or South Kent School.
51. Go skiing or snowboarding at one of CT's mountains.
52. Go snow tubing at Woodbury Ski Area.
53. Go horse and sleigh riding in Stockbridge in January.
54. Take your 4-7 year old to a yoga class at the Woodbury Yoga Centre.
55. Dig for gold at the Dinosaur Place in Oakdale and learn lots about our extinct friends.

SPRING

56. Visit 21 different birds of prey at Audubon Sharons’ Raptor Center including a bald eagle and great horned owl.
57. Visit the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT.
58. Pet the animals at the Flamig Farm.
59. Cheer on the Rockcats at the New Britain Baseball Stadium.
60. Visit a model solar system that scans six miles built to scale at the John J. McCarthy Observatory in New Milford.
61. Go for a tour of the factory and then make your own soda at Avery’s.
62. Head to a Bridgeport Bluefish game – cheer on Connecticut’s favorite minor league baseball team. 
63. Go geocaching at the Little Pond Loop Trail at White Memorial Nature Center.
64. Head out in Long Island Sound on one of the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium Marine Life Study Cruises.
65. On a Saturday afternoon go for a farm tour at the lovely Arethusa Dairy farm in Litchfield.
66. Sit in the cockpit of an airplane at the New England Air Museum.
67. Go on a tour of renowned architect Philip Johnson’s famed Glass House in New Canaan. 
68. Take the little ones to story hour at the Litchfield Hills Farm Fresh Market and then shop at this comprehensive outdoor market for local fresh produce along with local jams, granola, salsa, bread etc.
69. Visit the daffodil display on Wigwam Road in Litchfield in April.
70. Visit the Aldrich Contemporary Museum of Art in Ridgefield.
71. Walk a 7-circuit labyrinth at the Wisdom House in Litchfield.
72. Go see a Connecticut Sun's game - it's especially fun for little girls to see the women of the professional basketball league! 
73. See a live snake habitat and fluorescent rock cave in the children’s room at White Memorial Nature Museum and then take a hike along a boardwalk trail though a wetland environment.
74. For children under 10, go to Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk.
75. Ride the roller coasters at Lake Compounce in Bristol. Young and old alike will find rides they enjoy.  In the warm weather, water rides are always a hit!  
76. Cheer on the Connecticut College Lacrosse Team.
77. Bring your 1-8 year old to Kid City Children's Museum in Middletown.
78. Attend the Annual Dogwood Festival in Fairfield.
79. Spend the day at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center.

SUMMER

80. Visit more than 50 Alpacas and their new babies in July at Southwind Farms in Watertown during the Daylily Alpaca Fest.
81. Spend the day rafting down the scenic Housatonic River with Clarke Outdoor River Guides .
82. Go on a drive-through safari where you may drive your vehicle through a 50 acre fenced in exotic wildlife park at Action Wildlife. Keep an eye out for zebras and buffalos.
83. Learn about the history of this great state at The Old State House.
84. Go on horseback trail ride or pony ride at Lee’s Riding Stables in Litchfield.
85. Race go-karts and play phazerball at the family entertainment center R&B Sportsworld in Winsted.
86. Go tubing down the Farmington River.
87. Picnic on a hillside while watching race cars speed by at Lime Rock Park; touted as “The Road Racing Center of the East”.
88. Slurp on a Stew Leonard’s Milk Shake – you just can’t go wrong with the chocolate…
89. Rent a kayak or canoe and paddle around the scenic 680 acre Lake Waramaug.
90. Sit on the lawn at the Kent School and listen to Jazz during the Litchfield Jazz festival.
91. Hike up to the top of Kent Falls and swim at the top.
92.Visit a replica of a pioneer cabin as described by Eric Sloane in 1805 at the Sloane-Stanley Museum & Kent Iron Furnace.
93.Take a ride on a vintage 1927 wooden roller coaster at Lake Compounce, the nation’s oldest, continuously operating amusement park.
94.Take your kids to splash in the East Aspetuck River at Pratt Nature Center in New Milford.
95.Hike up to the Lookout Tower and enjoy the view at Mount Tom State Park and then jump in for a swim at the sandy beach on Lake Tom.
96.Go spelunking at Tory’s Cave in New Milford.
97.Check out the thousands of sunflowers at Waldingfield Farm in Washington.
98.Volunteer for a day at Judea Garden, a garden grown for the community, in Washington.
99. Pick your own strawberries and blueberries at Ellsworth Hill Orchard and Berry Farm in Sharon.
100. Enjoy a Thursday night summer concert in Stamford’s Columbus Park.
101. Ride the carousal at Bushnell Park.
102. Go for a pony ride at Easton's Pee Wee Horse Farm.
103. Enjoy a lobster roll at Knapps landing in Stratford – bring extra napkins!
104. Canoe for an afternoon at Candlewood Lake.
105. Excite all your senses at Wickham Parks Sensory Garden.
106. Take in a polo match at the Greenwich Polo club…really! 
107. One of my favorites: visit the little beachside community of Groton Long Point and wander over to their "casino" (a penny candy store).  
108. Hop on the ferry in Bridgeport and head over to Long Island...a beautiful way to see the sound!
109. Go fishing at Crescent Lake.
110. Head north to Mystic to stroll along Main Street and to watch the drawbridge - charming for adults, and very entertaining for the younger crowd.  Especially if you stop at the homemade ice cream shop right next to the drawbridge...visit Mystic Seaport too!
111. Watch a show at the Southington Drive-in theater.
112. Hike around Talcott Mountain State Park.
113. Spend the day at one of CT's affordable beaches on the Sound.
114. Spend the weekend going to Family Camp at Club Getaway.
115. Visit Ocean Beach Park in New London on Friday nights for swimming, rides and fireworks.
116. Spend the day ziplining, wake boarding and cliff jumping at Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park in Manchester, CT.
117. Pack a picnic basket and blanket and head for the beautiful hills of Storrs/Mansfield at the University of CT. Park your family under a tree at Horsebarn Hill, then enjoy an ice cream cone at the renowned UConn Dairy Bar, run by the School of Agriculture.
118. Wednesdays are Free Children's Concert Series nights at the Levitt Pavilion.
119. Take a tour of the Nautilus Submarine in Groton.
120. Spend the day at Quassy Amusement Park. Good old fashioned rides, a small waterpark and a lake with a beach.