Summer vacations make all parents wonder as to where they should take their young ones for an outing.
So, for all you parents, here’s a list of Top 10 fun as well as educative places to visit with your kids and strengthen the parent-child bond.
Kingdom of Dreams
As the name suggests, the Kingdom of Dreams in Gurugram is one of the most advised places you should take your little chipmunk. It is a marvelous world of ethereal imagination that offers a blend of Indian culture, heritage, art & crafts, food and performative arts, complemented with the astonishing modern-tech wizardry. KOD makes a great weekend getaway for kids as well as adults, where all would return home many cherishable memories like I did.
- Location: Near IFFCO Metro Station, Sector 29, Gurugram
- Timings: 12:30 am – 12:00 pm (weekdays), 12:00 am – 12:00 pm (weekends)
- Entry: Rs.600/-
Indian Mountaineering Foundation
This getaway is for all the fitness buff, wanting to kindle their kids’ robustness. The fitness-primo experience at IMF will stimulate the body and soul, releasing your munchkins of all their fatigue. A variety of action-packed activities like rock climbing, tunnel crossing, commando net, rope ladder and much more, will introduce them to endurance abilities. IMF is a great substitute for all the high-on-energy kids and caters to their potential future for the trekking and mountain climbing. This falls adjacent to the exquisitely beautiful South Campus of the University of Delhi is the most sought-after Satya Niketan.
- Activities– Rock climbing, rope crossing, tunnel crossing and commando nets, Burma Bridge, etc.
- Timing– Tuesday to Sunday: 8- 12pm, 5-9pm.
- Closing days: Monday
- Entry– Rs.150/- for 4 hours.
Shankar’s International Doll’s Museum
We’ve all loved playing with dolls in our childhood and dreamt of doll houses. So, here’s a grand doll house, where all kinds of dolls are displayed. This Doll’s Museum is a mesmerizing and enticing dreamland for all children. The Museum features 6000 dolls from about 85 countries and about 500 dolls dress in Indian attires from all over the country. A visit to their museum is a must for all kids because it is full of fun and proves to be quiet remarkable.
- Timing– 9 am- 5:30 pm
- Entry: Rs.20/-
- Closing days: Monday
- Collection size: 6,500 dolls.
National Bal Bhavan Children’s Museum and Aquarium
The Founder of the National Bal Bhavan was Shri. Jawaharlal Nehru, who believed that the creativity and potential of every child needed to be nurtured because it will decide the future of our country. Along the same lines, the Bal Bhavan functions till date. This makes an educative outing for all kids, who can be enlightened by the museum, library, art gallery, etc. The place also has fun options like the Toy rain, gardens, fish aquarium, mini zoo, traffic and science museums, etc. Your children will surely not get bored, when here.
- Timing– 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.
- Closing days: Sundays and Mondays
- Entry: Rs.20 per person
Okhla Bird Sanctuary
The Sanctuary is home to 324 bird species from Okhla out of which about 50% are migratory birds and 36% are resident birds. 40% of the total birds are local birds, while the others are rare. The bird list includes 2 critically endangered, 9 vulnerable, 7 threatened and 1 conservation-dependent species. However, a majority of the birds are migratory in nature. OBS is one of the major 466 IBAs (Important Bird Areas) in India. This accounts as an educative outing for your children and will help them develop sensitivity towards nature and other living beings. Moreover, these outings also help a great deal in the holiday-homework, where children are required to make scrapbooks of places they visited during their summer vacations.
- Distance-34 Km.
- Time– 1 hr 12 mins via NH 9.
- Entry Fee– Starts at Rs. 30/-
- Best Time– November to March.
- Known for– Oriental Skylark, Indian Pond Heron, White Throated Kingfisher, Black winged Stilt, Puncture Plant, Babul Tree, etc.
Appu Ghar
We’ve all grown up fantasizing over the rides at Appu Ghar. However, the famous amusement park had been shut down a few years ago. But it has now opened up in a more spacious area of Gurgaon. So, in order relive your own childhood memories and create new ones with your children, rush to this adventure-cum-amusement and pool park on the nearest weekend. The park is known for various water and adventure rides, restaurants, etc, making it a perfect weekend getaway.
- Location: Pragati Maidan, Delhi
- Timing– 11 am to 6 pm.
- Entry- Adults- ₹1299, Children- ₹799, Senior Citizens- ₹799
Old Fort
‘Ishq-E-Dilli’ sound and light show at the Old Fort or Purana Qila is a must-see for the kids. It makes a distinguishing and extraordinary experience, your kids will surely not forget easily. This is one of my personal favorites and I recommend it highly.
- Timing– 7:30 am to 10:00 pm.
- Entry:15 for Indians, Rs.200 for Foreigners
- Closing days: Friday
- Best time to visit: May-August.
Surajkund
One of the largest crafts- Mela is a tourist hotspot in Haryana. It has more than a million visitors. Craftsmen from various cities like Jharkhand bring their hand-made artifacts for display and sale. There are also cultural performances of various folk dances and plays. All of these, make Surajkund a must visit. This would be an enriching experience for the whole family, where you can enjoy cultural performances, food, etc. The children will surely remember it all their lives because the trend of such ‘melas’ is becoming a thing of the past. It will add piles of new pictures to your family album.
- Distance– 48 Km.
- Entry: Rs.120/-
- Time– 1 h 28 min via NH44
- Surajkund Mela – 1st to 15th February
Damdama Lake
The Damdama Lake is one of the largest natural lakes in Haryana. The Aravalli Hills make the backdrop of this beautiful lake, which transports you into a new world, away from the hustle of the city. It is just Two hour’s drive from Delhi and makes an appropriate weekend getaway or picnic spot. It makes a great outing place for all nature and adventure lovers because of the multiple options it offers. The Lake is home to adventure activities like Hot Air Ballooning, Para Sailing, cycling, rock climbing, angling, trekking, and camping. If you feel like saying back for a few days, the place also has good resort options like the Botanical Resort.
- Distance– 63 Km.
- Entry: Free, packages starting from Rs.700/-
- Time– 2 hrs 9mins via NH 48
- Best Time– October-March
- Activities– Picnic, row-boating, rock climbing.
- Known for– Rock-climbing, Paragliding.
- Places– Botanical Resort, Saras Resort.
Hauz Khas Village and Complex
This famous ‘village’ of Delhi, is known for its ethereal beauty, amidst the grinding city life. Through an intertwining of medieval history (Indo-Islamic architecture of the Delhi Sultanate) and modernity, it offers a great opportunity for your kids to spend the weekend exploring the fort, lake, deer park and the variety of flora and fauna. Just adjacent to the village is the Hauz Khas lane of cafes like the Social Offline, Elma’s Bakery and Kunzum Travel.
- Timing– 6 am to 6:30 pm
- Entry– Free
- Nearby places– Eco-Night Bazaar, Elma’s Bakery, Social offline.
- Activities– Sightseeing, shopping, photography.
Now, with this detailed list in hand, you surely know where to head with your kids, for your coming weekend. So, pack your stuff and Get Going!!
“Don’t just travel, Travel right”.