Santa Fe, New Mexico is a great example of tourism and culture that thrive through community engagement. Tourism in the city is a wonderful trifecta of color, sight and sound! From folk art, conservation and botany, to farmer’s markets, trains and road trips, Santa Fe, New Mexico offers its community—and those who happen to become a part of its community through tourism—the satisfying slice of life known to those “in the know” as variety.

And with the world having recently celebrated World Tourism Day on September 27, 2015, the city of Santa Fe is definitely a place that should peak right at the top of your fall travel destinations.

Kids will especially get a thrill from the many adventures geared toward kid-friendly fun, including searching for dinosaur fossils, river rafting, archery, horseback riding, painting, adobe brick making, and much, much more.

The city’s dedication to the preservation of culture and history, as well as what it offers to the public to reflect this preservation, speak to the educational impact which travel and tourism can and should have in our lives.

So what are you waiting for? Make a date to visit Santa Fe, New Mexico this fall! Rest assured that, in doing so, you will be aiding in teaching your children about the place of community and social responsibility in our lives and, most importantly, in our playtime.

The following list contains a few noteworthy activities that will not only make your stay in Santa Fe more memorable, but will help both you and your children see the value and necessity of learning and community engagement in both work and play!

Santa Fe Walkabouts & Pinzgauer Adventures

If you’re looking for a healthy dose of outdoor adventure and a chance to “reconnect with nature,” Santa Fe Walkabouts is sure to do the trick. Ranked #1 by TripAdvisor for worthwhile activities in Santa Fe, this esteemed outfit allows kids and adults to choose from a variety of seasonal activities, including scenic cultural tours, hiking and mountain biking, the entirely unique Pinzgauer 4×4 adventures, as well as cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

What is a Pinzgauer, you ask? It’s a high-mobility all-terrain military utility vehicle. The ever-popular tours are even offered now without a reservation for last-minute planners. Simply hop on at the corner of E. San Francisco St. and the Plaza and you can enjoy a 90-minute scenic tour into the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains!

The scenic tours will provide education and entertainment all wrapped up in one with stunning visits to Native American Pueblo Ruins, such as Puye Cliffs or Bandelier National Monument, as well as tours to amazing vistas and rock formations, like Plaza Blanca or Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks.

One of the great things about the company is that it also provides customized itineraries, and with a bevy of seasonal adventures for the novice and experienced adventurer alike, you won’t miss out on any of the fun!

• For more information, be sure to visit the website: http://www.santafewalkabouts.com/

Museum of International Folk Art

The Museum of International Folk Art is a great place to begin a vacation filled with educational experiences through tourism! With exhibition galleries that invite your child’s participation through interactive activities, hands-on arts and crafts which are led by friendly and knowledgeable staff members, and a host of other exciting events, your family will find a full immersion into community engagement all while having loads of fun at this Santa Fe favorite!

Though the museum offers ample amounts of fun all year long, families with children should be sure to call ahead or visit the museum’s website for a full calendar of events that are targeted to younger audiences. You can peruse the museum’s guide online or pick one up right before the fun. For some exhibits, be sure to pick up an iPad Touch, which will allow the entire family to take part in the interactive learning experience while perusing the kid-friendly galleries.

“Pottery of the U.S South: A Living Tradition,” runs until January 3, 2016, and exhibits traditional stoneware from both North Carolina and northern Georgia. The selection of stoneware showcases earthy local clays and the interesting effects of wood firing. Visitors will get a chance to understand the stoneware’s roots in British and German ceramic traditions, and how it was once crucial to Southern agrarian life. As such, guests are encourages to consider the importance and dynamics of living traditions the world over.

• Museum of International Folk Art Homepage: http://www.internationalfolkart.org/
• For a full listing of current exhibits at the Museum of International Folk Art, be sure to visit: http://www.internationalfolkart.org/exhibitions/current.html

Santa Fe Clay Play

Looking for something entirely unique? How about Santa Fe Clay Play, where you or the entire family can take part in making art from clay. Accredited clay artist Ginny Zipperer knows that most people can remember playing in mud as a child, and so her private classes and team/family-building experiences are meant to invoke the child in us all! By opening her Santa Fe studio to the merits of clay making, Ginny hopes to bring out the inner child for a day of play.

One of the wonderful things about clay is that is requires no previous experience of developed skills to produce unique work for the artist to enjoy. In this way, Ginny is the trained facilitator while you and your family are allowed to artists, creating memorable treasures in the process.

You can create a unique, individual piece or take part in a family team building exercise and create a family piece to commemorate your Santa Fe vacation!

Be sure to call ahead and book your sessions at least 24 hours in advance. Workshops usually run anywhere from an hour-and-a-half to two hours. Call for group rates and custom options as well.

• Santa Fe Clay Play: (505) 204-6236

Santa Fe Children’s Museum

Winner of the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts 2010, this well-received venue is a must-do for families vacationing in Santa Fe. The museum houses interactive, hands-on exhibits, where kids from toddlers to the age of 14 can learn while engaging in a healthy dose of playtime. Kids can choose from adobe brick making, garden-to-table cooking, wall climbing, drama, music, and much, much more.

The outdoor space, called Earthworks, has a greenhouse, a music plaza, a sand pit, an adobe playhouse and a traditional southern adobe cook house (Horno). The indoor space includes the ever-popular water feature area where delighted kids can make giant bubbles, create damns and waterways and control a waterfall!

• Visit the website for more details: http://santafechildrensmuseum.org/

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum offers a variety of events and programs that cater to both children and adults alike. The museum makes it a point to itemize its activities into sections that will help you decide what best to do with your family while visiting the museum. These sections include: Adult, Family, Youth, Special Events, and Art & Leadership. There is also a section for Teachers as well. The free family art programs are particularly noteworthy.

• Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Homepage: http://www.okeeffemuseumevents.org/

El Rancho De Las Golondrinas

If your family has a penchant for live entertainment, prepare to be thoroughly amazed at El Rancho De Las Golondrinas—treat your family to an imaginative delight for the senses at this incredibly picturesque—and one-of-a-kind—living history museum!

Located on 200 acres of rural farmland, this historic ranch, translated as “Ranch of the Swallows,” actually dates from the early 1700s. This blast from the past also includes original colonial buildings that still stand on the site to this day. Children and adults alike can watch in awe and amazement as villagers, dressed in period clothing, reenact early frontier life in New Mexico.

With programs, events and festivals that highlight the life and times of the Southwest during 18^th and 19^th century New Mexico, there’s plenty to be seen and done here. Music, dance and daily life are but a few of the items explored through this living history project that combines aspects from Mexican, Spanish and Territorial life of the period.

The ranch also offers summer camp and special classes, including the Horno baking class, where visitors can bake bread while learning about the traditional outdoor ovens brought to New Mexico by the Spanish.

• El Rancho De Las Golondrinas Homepage: http://golondrinas.org

For a calendar of events at El Rancho De Las Golondrinas, visit: http://golondrinas.org/Calendar_of_Events/index.html

The post Santa Fe, New Mexico: A Cradle of Kid-friendly Fun! appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Though summer travel may be over, you can still look forward to a fall retreat! For an award-winning take on rest and relaxation, visit Tucson, Arizona.

With a projected temperature in October and November in the 80s and 70s, respectively, it’s no wonder why travelers from the world over flock to this desert oasis, basking in the hot deals and sizzling fun!

More than just the heat, Tucson offers a large range of family-friendly activities that will have your kids begging to stay longer.

Before embarking on any of the city’s adventures, however, be sure to pick up the indispensable Tucson Attractions Passport – The Book of Fun, which will provide you and your family with amazing deals and discounts on the city’s wide array of kid-friendly attractions!

You can get the free app for both Android and iOS, and then download the deals you want, pick up the book in person at the Visitor Center or purchase it online.

The following list of family-friendly favorites will keep you occupied with hours and hours of educational fun!

Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium

The Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium is located on the University of Arizona campus, and with its hands-on exhibits and programs, is a treat for visitors of all ages.

“Puzzles, Proofs and Patterns” is a current exhibit focusing on the different shapes of mathematics. It delves into the layered world of numbers, measures and dimensions to look at where mankind has been, where we are and the possibilities that lie in our future.

“Meet the Trilobites – Arizona’s First Inhabitants” is a special exhibit that’s produced in collaboration with the UA Mineral Museum, also on-site. The breathtaking exhibit showcases a variety of trilobite specimens from various collectors, and provides information on trilobites in relation to the geological time scale, as well as what trilobites have taught us about the history of life on earth.

A visitor favorite, the Flandrau FullDome is an immersive ultra-high-resolution projection system that allows viewers to explore planets, moons and asteroids. The UA Mineral Museum also houses one of the top five mineral collections in the country. Be sure to check out the 16” telescope at the Planetarium.

• Be sure to visit the website for more information: http://flandrau.org/

D&D Pinball

Sure to delight kids of all ages, as well as adults who are kids at heart, D&D Pinball aims to bring back a bit of nostalgia by introducing this invigorating arcade game to new generations of fans.

The outfit offers an impressive collection of vintage and newer pinball machines, and if you’re lucky, you might even catch one of them for sale.

• D&D Pinball: https://www.facebook.com/danddpinball/

Funtasticks Family Fun Park

This place definitely has it all, and will delight everyone in the group! The park also happens to feature Tucson’s largest indoor laser tag arena, as well as mini golf, go-karts, bumper boasts, an arcade, and batting cages!

The arcade uses an arcade fun card as well, so e-tickets can be automatically loaded as opposed to carrying around clunky tokens or tickets. The laser tag arena covers three separate levels and comprises 5,200 square feet of indoor fun! The experience is perfect for players of all ages and skill levels.

Funtasticks Family Fun Park also features the one-of-a-kind 5 Ride Kiddie Land, which is a space for younger guests. Kiddie Land offers Rookie Go Karts, the Kiddie Land Dragon Ride, a roller coaster, an air bounce jump castle and the Crazy Taxi ride.

• For more information, visit the website: http://www.funtasticks.com/

Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure – Tucson

Urban Adventure Quest provides interactive smart phone tours in a variety of major cities across the U.S. Think of the show Amazing Race mixed with an interactive city tour! The scavenger hunt allows you to play when you want and at your own pace anytime during daylight hours.

With the Tucson scavenger hunt, participants can take part in an engaging walking tour of Tucson and Tombstone while solving clues, completing challenges and learning about local history while working with family members or other scavenger hunt adventurers to unravel city secrets!

Adventurers can explore Hotel Congress, the Presidio, the Transportation Museum, and other hot spots of Tucson tourism! The Tombstone mini-quest will allow adventurers to explore the Epitaph, the Birdcage Theater, the OK Corral, and other famous sites.

• For more information, visit: http://urbanadventurequest.com/

Sonoran Glass School

For a truly unique experience, why not visit the Sonoran Glass School. The school teaches students, as well as the general public, how to both create and appreciate glass as a visual arts medium. Through its education courses, one-on-one experiences, visiting art seminars, and community events, families can better understand this unique medium and spend quality family time together in making commemorative glass art souvenirs. Even if you don’t want to partake in the action yourself, this non-profit organization features a glass art gallery for one-of-a-kind gifts. Visitors can also stop by and watch live glassblowing in the Hot Shop studio. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead (520-884-7814).

• For details and upcoming events, visit: https://sonoranglass.org/

Children’s Museum Tucson

Kids will get a kick out of a museum designed especially for them! At the Children’s museum Tucson, kids and family members get to explore and connect to each other and the surrounding environment in a myriad of ways, including touring museum exhibits, and partaking in educational and entertaining events.

Don’t miss the Gravity Room, which features impressive objects that defy gravity! Kids can spin the Recycle Bicycle Wheel or play with Marble Madness. Families can create their own gravity maze as well, with the Ball Wall or Caterpillar Thriller!

Build It! Allows kids the chance to partake in experiential building with oversized construction materials, such as Kiva Planks and Imagination Blocks. The exhibit encourages constructive problem solving.

There’s also Wee World, for children under 4, which features a rock-climbing wall and a playhouse; Imaginarium, where child-artists can create their own masterpieces; the Investigation Station, which showcases hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities; Techtopia, a fun and digital trip involving bugs, shadow mosaics and reading; Bodyology, a health and wellness exhibit with a farmer’s market, garden, orchard, and juice bar; and much more!

• For more information, visit the museum’s website: http://www.childrensmuseumtucson.org/
• Museum exhibits: http://www.childrensmuseumtucson.org/events-exhibits

Kartchner Caverns State Park

Experience the amazing limestone cave first discovered in 1974. The park is noted for many world-class minerals and formations, including calcite formations and stalactites. Guests can take advantage of fun and educational guided tours into the underground landscape of the park.

Younger explorers will enjoy the Discovery Center, especially the scavenger hunt it offers. There’s a “caving wall,” which will allow kids to experience crawling through several narrow cave passages. Animal displays will help to introduce kids to the local wildlife. Kids can even have their picture taken with the Giant Sloth! The Discovery Center Scavenger Hunt can be downloaded and printed out beforehand as well!

There’s also a curriculum guide for teachers and interested parents, and the park allows kids age 6-12 to pledge to help preserve nature with its Junior Ranger program.

• For more information on the park and its features, or to download the Junior Ranger program information or scavenger hunt sheet, visit the following website: http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/kids.html

The post Rest and Relaxation in Tucson, Arizona appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Santa Fe, New Mexico is a great example of tourism and culture that thrive through community engagement. Tourism in the city is a wonderful trifecta of color, sight and sound! From folk art, conservation and botany, to farmer’s markets, trains and road trips, Santa Fe, New Mexico offers its community—and those who happen to become a part of its community through tourism—the satisfying slice of life known to those “in the know” as variety.

And with the world having recently celebrated World Tourism Day on September 27, 2014, the city of Santa Fe is definitely a place that should peak right at the top of your fall travel destinations. The city’s dedication to the preservation of culture and history, as well as what it offers to the public to reflect this preservation, speak to the educational impact which travel and tourism can and should have in our lives.

So what are you waiting for? Make a date to visit Santa Fe, New Mexico this fall! Rest assured that, in doing so, you will be aiding in teaching your children about the place of community and social responsibility in our lives and, most importantly, in our playtime.

The following list contains a few noteworthy activities that will not only make your stay in Santa Fe more memorable, but that will help both you and your children see the value and necessity of learning and community engagement in both work and play!

Museum of International Folk Art

The Museum of International Folk Art is a great place to begin a vacation filled with educational experiences through tourism! With exhibition galleries that invite your child’s participation through interactive activities, hands-on arts and crafts which are led by friendly and knowledgeable staff members, and a host of other exciting events, your family will find a full immersion into community engagement all while having loads of fun at this Santa Fe favorite!

Though the museum offers ample amounts of fun all year long, families with children should be sure to call ahead or visit the museum’s website for a full calendar of events that are targeted to younger audiences. You can peruse the museum’s guide online or pick one up right before the fun. For some exhibits, such as Wooden Menagerie exhibit, be sure to pick up an iPad Touch, which will allow the entire family to take part in the interactive learning experience while perusing the kid-friendly galleries.

Wooden Menagerie: Made in New Mexico, runs until February 15, 2015, and exhibits the wonderful history of animal wood carving in New Mexico, as well as its influence on other forms of art on both the national and international level. Not only will children be able to view an amazing display of local craftsmanship, but they’ll be able to take part in mask making as well!

• Museum of International Folk Art Homepage: http://www.internationalfolkart.org/
• For a full listing of current exhibits at the Museum of International Folk Art, be sure to visit: http://www.internationalfolkart.org/exhibitions/current.html

Santa Fe School of Cooking

Are you looking for an altogether unique and rewarding learning experience for your child? Something inspired and educational and … well … fun? Well then be sure to plan a visit to the Santa Fe School of Cooking, which has been hailed as one of the top places to visit while in Santa Fe! With its hands-on fun, the place is a wonderful blend of community engagement and inspired learning – education through tourism at its finest!

The Santa Fe School of Cooking allows for colorful and creative kitchen time for the entire family. Kids can work alongside parents in learning how to prepare and create local foods. Let your kids join in on the fun and make some of their favorite eats, such as tacos or even burritos! Classes are conducted throughout the week, and include varied menus which sample from Spanish, Native American, Mexican, and New Mexican food, to name but a few.

And for those families looking for a comprehensive culinary adventure? The school is also known for its entirely entertaining restaurant walking tours. Take a page from a bevy of other travelers who have raved about this experience on Trip Advisor and book your very own tour. Even Fodor’s has hailed the school’s restaurant tours as an unforgettable experience while in Santa Fe!

The tour begins at The Santa Fe School of Cooking, where you’ll be prepped on the festivities and offered a sampling of what the school itself has to offer. Meet and greet your fellow tour participants before heading out to sample the best of Santa Fe’s culinary scene.

• Santa Fe School of Cooking Homepage: http://santafeschoolofcooking.com/
• Schedule of cooking classes at the Santa Fe School of Cooking: http://santafeschoolofcooking.com/Cooking_Classes/index.html
• To read more about the restaurant walking tours, visit: http://santafeschoolofcooking.com/Restaurant_Tours/

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum offers a variety of events and programs that cater to both children and adults alike. The museum makes it a point to itemize its activities into sections that will help you decide what best to do with your family while visiting the museum. These sections include: Adult, Family, Youth, Special Events, and Art & Leadership. There is also a section for Teachers as well.

The free family art programs are particularly noteworthy. “Music and Math” will take place in October 2014, an exciting program led by faculty from the Santa Fe Institute.

Another interesting program for families this October, one that you should definitely check out if in town, will focus on the art of Miguel Covarrubias. The free program will actually explore the artist’s work not only through talking about the colorful characters in his art, but by creating dances inspired by the artwork! That’s right! With the help of a museum and dance educator, parents and children alike will be able to explore their own artistic vein through dance and appreciation in an engaging community of like-minded individuals.

• Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Homepage: http://www.okeeffemuseumevents.org/

El Rancho De Las Golondrinas

If your family has a penchant for live entertainment, prepare to be thoroughly amazed at El Rancho De Las Golondrinas—treat your family to an imaginative delight for the senses at this incredibly picturesque living history museum!

Located on 200 acres of rural farmland, this historic ranch, translated as “Ranch of the Swallows,” actually dates from the early 1700s. This blast from the past also includes original colonial buildings that still stand on the site to this day. Children and adults alike can watch in awe and amazement as villagers, dressed in period clothing, reenact early frontier life in New Mexico.

With programs, events and festivals that highlight the life and times of the Southwest during 18^th and 19^th century New Mexico, there’s plenty to be seen and done here. Music, dance and daily life are but a few of the items explored through this living history project that combines aspects from Mexican, Spanish and Territorial life of the period.

The ranch also offers summer camp and special classes, including the Horno baking class, where visitors can bake bread while learning about the traditional outdoor ovens brought to New Mexico by the Spanish.

• El Rancho De Las Golondrinas Homepage: http://golondrinas.org
• For a calendar of events at El Rancho De Las Golondrinas, visit: http://golondrinas.org/Calendar_of_Events/index.html

The post Tasteful Tourism in Santa Fe, New Mexico appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.