Do your children struggle with school, or just need to get outside? Consider finding family-friendly outdoor places! We have put together a list of family-friendly outdoor places that can help children learn outside of school, despite the struggles they may have faced in the classroom due to ongoing challenges. At Greater Learning, we work with your children to help with academic learning and life skills. We are dedicated to providing resources to support your young ones to advance their learning.
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How Do Your Children Learn Best?
At home, children can learn through reading books, or through free play with their toys. When traveling with your child, make learning fun and interesting by engaging them in fun activities. You can turn every day things like road signs into a game! We’ve all played games at one point or another as children or on a long road trip, but did you know that it can actually further your child’s progress? A simple and easy sign game is the Alphabet Sign Game. The goal is simple – find each letter of the alphabet, in order, wherever it is seen. You can include road signs, vehicle license plates, billboards, magazines, or anything else you may encounter throughout your day. You can switch it up and take turns with your child or start from the letter “Z” and work your way backwards. Customize the game to your preference, and you’ll find you and your child will be both entertained and advancing them simultaneously.
The opportunity to learn is everywhere, and children learn best when they are actively engaging with their environment. Engage actively with your child and answer all of their “why?” questions to help promote their curiosity. If your child has the opportunity to try a variety of activities, it gives them lots of ways to learn, and chances to practice what they are learning. Here are a few places in San Antonio where your child can learn outside the home while staying safe!
Places to Travel to Encourage Outdoor Activities
Wildlife Ranch
Looking for more ways to learn about animals? Try visiting the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch! From the comfort of your own vehicle, see exotic animals up close like ostriches, zebras, and buffalo on a safari! A safari trek covers over 6 miles and takes about 1-2 hours to explore and enjoy. During the safari trek, you and your child can learn about conserving these species and the land that they live on. Try to build your child’s vocabulary by using descriptive words when identifying the animals. Pointing out the “sharp” horns on an antelope, or the “vibrant” colors of an African Crowned Crane gives vivid visual examples to your child and builds their vocabulary at the same time.
San Antonio Zoo
Inspire your child to love and engage with animals at the San Antonio Zoo! Walk around and learn about the different animals in their habitats in the zoo! The San Antonio Zoological Society is dedicated to animal care, conservation, and education. Make it a fun interactive experience by asking your child to read the information plaques about the animals! Ask your child to identify the animals they may know, and help them sound out the names of new animals they may not know.
The San Antonio Zoo also often has events and seasonal events that are fun for the whole family. You can find the zoo events on their page here.
Brackenridge Park
A great free option to take your kids for a fun day outdoors is Brackenridge Park, a huge park here in San Antonio, Texas that is free to go to! This is a large sprawling park which connects to many fun things outdoors for you and your child to visit. There is also a fun miniature railroad which runs throughout the park, and can transfer you to multiple places around Brackenridge. The San Antonio Zoo, the Witte Museum, and Japanese Tea Garden are all in Brackenridge Park and connected via the Zoo Train.
If you do take a trip on the miniature train, why not play “I Spy” with your child? “I Spy” uses words that describe an object’s position. This can help expand their vocabulary with directional words. For example, describe an object by saying something like, “I spy something on the ground, in front of the tree, next to the dogs.”
Science Mill Johnson City
For those that are in the Johnson City area or want to take a short road trip, we recommend visiting the Science Mill. They have lots of outdoor exhibits and have interactive learning activities focused on science, technology, engineering, and math. They are all about discovery, and hands-on learning in their museum. There are some exhibits indoors and outdoors, but with over 50+ exhibits, there’s plenty for your child to interact with.
The outdoor Science & Art Park is perfect for playing with blocks, bubbles, and even digging for dinosaur bones! Encourage your child’s sensory development by playing outside with nature, with these new textures, sounds and smells.
Learn more about Science Mill in Johnson City on their website!
We hope that this list gives you a good idea of outdoor family-friendly places in the area to take your children. Wherever you are with your children, it is an opportunity for learning something new! If your child has specific learning needs, visit us today! Our staff at Greater Learning are dedicated to helping people reach their full potential. Our services are based on the premise that individuals have unique learning abilities, styles and needs.
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