You don’t have to leave town. In fact, you may not even need to leave your neighborhood. Here are some great places to visit with kids:

• Visit your library. Go to the room where old newspapers are kept. (In many libraries, they are still kept on microfilm). Choose a date that is important to your family. It could be the day your child was born. It could be the day Lincoln was shot. Read the newspaper stories for that day.

• Look for a dog or cat show. How are animals judged? Would your pet be a prize winner?

• Visit a zoo at feeding time. What do the different animals eat?

• Tour a local radio or TV station. What goes on behind the scenes?

• Do things at unusual times. Get to the grocery store just as the produce is being unloaded. Visit a church on a Tuesday afternoon.

• Walk around the oldest part of your town. What can you learn about the history of your town just by looking at buildings and dates on sidewalks?

• Stay alert for things you usually wouldn’t see or do. Stop and watch workers building a bridge. Follow a hot air balloon as it floats overhead. These unplanned times can be some of your child’s greatest memories.

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