A detailed list of fun things to do with the kids in the great state of New Hampshire:
Charmingfare Farm – Candia, New Hampshire
Charmingfare Farm, located at 774 High St in Candia, New Hampshire, is one of the best places in New Hampshire to take the family. They offer a horse rides, petting zoo, sleigh and hay rides, zoo, and much more!
I remember going to Charmingfare Farm growing up. We would go every Halloween for the Haunted Hay Ride, and every Christmas for the Sleigh Ride through their lit up Christmas wonderland. When my kids get a little older, I can’t wait to take them there and have a trip down memory lane.
They have farm animals, such as Alpacas, Cows, Llamas, Sheep, Horses and many, many more. They also have wildlife animals such as Black Bears, Red Fox, Wolves, Cougars, and much more. Charmingfare Farm is a great place for any animal loving family, and it is also extremely educational.
Regular admission to Charmingfare Farm is $11/person, however they have different hay/sleigh rides and other activities to choose from that may cost extra. For more information, visit www.charmingfare.com.
Canobie Lake Park – Salem, New Hampshire
Although only open in the summer, Canobie Lake Park, located at 85 North Policy St in Salem, NH, is a very fun place to bring the kids. They have roller coasters and other extreme rides, rides more suitable for children, a water park, games, and plenty to eat.
Canobie Lake Park is another place I’ve been going to for as long as I can remember. It has grown a lot over the years, adding new rides, and the new water park that opened just a couple years ago.
They have newer rides, such as “Xtreme Frisbee” and “Starblaster.” I’m sure you can tell by the name that they are more on the extreme side. The Xtreme Frisbee spins you round and round while throwing you up in the air all at the same time. You probably shouldn’t ride this ride if you’ve just eaten lunch.
Starblaster lives up to it’s name by well, shooting you to the stars. You come on and strap yourself onto a well, a four sided pole. You hear a countdown and WOOSH! It throws you about 80 fee into the air…twice.
Canobie Lake Park also has a few roller coasters, “The Yankee Cannonball”, and “The Corkscrew.” Yankee Cannonball is an old fashioned wooden roller coaster built years ago. It has a few steep drops, and picks up quite a bit of speed, but I would definitely recommend this for your first roller coaster ride, if you haven’t been on one before.
The Corkscrew is a little more extreme. It’s a very short ride, but it does corkscrew, hence the name, and it goes through a loop, which is pretty fun.
Canobie Lake Park also has a great Kiddie Land for the kids. They have a kiddie dragon coaster, a car ride, a carousel, and all the old Kiddie Land favorites.
On top of games and rides, Canobie Lake Park has live entertainment on a daily basis. Shows such as “Soul Man” dedicated to the Blues Brothers. They also have a country singer show, and a magic show with magic, song and dance, and…puppets? Strange.
For more information on Canobie Lake Park, visit www.canobie.com
Seacoast Science Center – Rye, New Hampshire
The Seacoast Science Center is located at 570 Ocean Blvd in Rye, New Hampshire. Upon walking into the Seacoast Science Center, you are greeted by an enormous skeleton of a humpback whale dangling from the ceiling. A little creepy, but fascinating.
They have a new exhibit called “Seasons of the Sea”, in which you observe and record real data from buoys that the center has placed in the Gulf of Maine.
The Seacoast Science Center has all sorts of exhibits with fish, turtles, crabs, and all sorts of other sea creatures. It’s a fun place for the kids, and once you get done, you can drive down the road to Hampton Beach where they can play in the arcades or play on the beach.
Admission to the Seacoast Science Center is $5 for adults (age 13+), $2 for ages 3-12, and children under the age of 3 are free. For more information, visit www.seacoastsciencecenter.org.
Clark’s Trading Post – Lincoln, New Hampshire
Another place I used to visit as a kid. Clark’s Trading Post is the home of New Hampshire’s only bear show! Yes! A bear show! The bears balance on balls, place basketball, ride swings and do all sorts of other tricks, and their treat? Ice Cream! How nice.
Another popular attraction at Clark’s Trading Post is their Train Ride. Take a ride on the White Mountain Rail Road. This is a 30 minute ride through the woods of the White Mountains. The best part? It’s on a wood burning, steam powered, climax Locomotive. One of only 3 left in the entire world!!
The train ride at Clark’s Trading Post is fun, but be careful! When you’re riding through the woods, you may encounter Wolf Man! He’ll chase you in his little go-kart type thing with his gun, trying to keep you away from his secret mining operation. Warning, he may frighten your children and they may cry. My brother did…my older brother.
Admission to Clark’s Trading Post is $17 for ages 6-64, $7 for ages 3-5, and under 3 is free. 65+ is $15.
There are plenty of other fun things to at Clark’s Trading Post. For more information visit www.clarkstradingpost.com
Christa McAuliffe Planetarium – Concord, New Hampshire
The Christa McAuliffe Planetarium is located at 2 Institute Drive in Concord, New Hampshire.
Christa McAuliffe was one of the astronauts about the Space Shuttle Challenger when it disintegrated in 1986. She was a high school social studies teacher at Concord High school in Concord, New Hampshire. The Christa McAuliffe Planetarium was built in her honor, and also to honor the America’s first Astronaut, Alan Shepard.
Their exhibits include a space shuttle model, an in depth look at planet Earth, an expedition to Mars, and many more.
The Space Shuttle Model at Christa McAuliffe Planetarium is a giant replica, with an outside fuel tank and rocket boosters, and has actual items that New England astronauts brought with them on their journeys through space.
Their “looking at Earth” exhibit will show you have Earth compares to the other planets in the solar system, and you can even try to predict the weather in this incredible exhibit.
The “Expedition To Mars” exhibit at Christa McAuliffe Planetarium lets you plan your own expedition to Mars, and you can see if you’d be able to handle heading over Earth’s neighbor.
For more information on the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium including admission prices, hours and more, visit www.starhop.com.
Hope this article helped you find some new things to do with the kids in the great Granite State. Be safe.
