Ongoing linky parties: Motivation Monday and Fabulously Frugal Thursdays.
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It’s May, and I’m already planning our field trips for the summer, many of them free or low-cost.
Our main family activity for the summer is our very large vegetable garden and our flower beds – maintenance and harvesting. Because of this, I schedule our outings mostly for June and July, leaving August open for canning and freezing our harvest. Not to mention peach and apple picking and football camp.
Nature walks are an easy family trip for us. We live 10 minutes away from Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College, not to mention the John Heinz Refuge down by the airport. Both are free. Both are stroller-friendly, though a jogging stroller is a better choice at the Heinz Refuge.
Hildacy Farm on Route 252 in Newtown Square is another free local walk that is family-friendly. However, it’s not stroller-friendly though a jogging stroller could be used there.
Our family has had a membership off and on at Tyler Arboretum for at least seven years. Each time I think we’ll take a break, the kids clamor to go back to see the Butterfly House and the Tree Houses. Tyler reciprocates with Morris Arboretum, a farther away destination for us, but just as wonderful. Tyler and Morris Arboretum are both amenable to jogging strollers. At Tyler, we often leave the fenced area to hike through the woods on well-marked trails; a map is available at the visitor’s center.
If we decide to go further afield, the walking trail at Haverford College is another great free walk. An all-terrain stroller would be able to handle most of the trail.
- Fairmount Park – we love walking along Forbidden Drive
- Ridley Creek State Park
- Kelly Drive with Boathouse Row
- Penn’s Landing
- Rittenhouse Square between 18th and Walnut Streets
- Valley Forge National Park
- Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square
- Chanticleer in Wayne
- Nemours Mansion and Garden, Wilmington, Delaware
- Delaware Center for Horticulture, Wilmington, Delaware
- Mt. Cuba Center, Hockessin, Delaware
- Winterthur, Delaware
- Pennypack Environmental Center, Philadelphia
- Great Valley Nature Center, Charlestown/Devault
- Millgrove Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary
Other Resources
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Barb,
I have the dates for the Swarthmore College Trash to Treasure sale:
Friday June 11, 8:30 – 5:00, open to anyone w/a college ID or pays $5.00 admit fee.
Saturday June 12 and Sunday June 13, 10 – 5 open to the public.
Last year on Sunday everything was $5.00 a bag full.
Coleen
Wow, thank you so much! I may try to get over Friday morning right after I drop off my oldest and see if we can get in. All five of us.
I put the info in next week's post about local flea markets.