5 Kid-Friendly Activities for Your Minnesota Resort Vacation

If you’re traveling to Northern Minnesota with little ones in tow, you’ll have no problem finding ways to entertain them. This is the magical land where kids choose to play outside over watching TV. It is a place like no other, a place you can call home away from home, the moment you arrive. Here is a list of 5 kid-friendly activities to make this summer vacation an unforgettable one.

1. 1. Paddle Paddle Little Ducks

From toddler floaties to tandem canoes, Minnesota resorts offer water toys for kids of all ages for free. The serene waters of Northern Minnesota lakes provide a perfect setting for children to safely exhaust their never-ending energy. Watch your kids as they find balance atop stand up paddle boards, backflip around the water trampoline, and conquer the inflatable iceberg. Even if you’re immersed in your book by the beach, they’ll make sure you notice their feat by yelling, “Mommy, look at me!”

1. 1. Earn a Junior Park Naturalist Patch

Let nature be your child’s teacher. Junior Naturalist Programs are activity-based educational programs offered in most national and state parks, including Minnesota. Earn patches and certificates while your child learns neat things about plants and forest critters! Visit the Lake Bemidji State Park office, or any Minnesota park, and pick up three free activity booklets. Your little ones will learn to appreciate nature while actually having fun. Plus, the junior badges are a wonderful souvenir from the trip.

1. 1. Angler in the Making

In the land of 10,000 Lakes, a Minnesota resort stay isn’t complete without a day out on the lake fishing. Fishing is a great opportunity to teach kids about aquatic ecosystems while building unforgettable memories. Plus, it’s an activity that doesn’t require expensive equipment. We’ve seen kids catch fish with a plastic Hello Kitty pole while pros came up empty handed! Bring your own boat, rent boats and motors at the resort, or take advantage of many fishing guide services available in the area.

1. 1. Dye your Fingers Red Picking Berries

During your family nature retreat, why not go an extra mile and pick your own berries? Nothing beats a juicy bite of freshly-picked strawberries. Mistic Berry Farm in nearby Puposky, MN is a family-owned farm that specializes in growing delicious strawberries and raspberries. Upon arrival, a tractor-drawn wagon takes visitors to the field, where your kids can pick ripe berries clustered together, so kids have the satisfaction of picking a lot in a short period of time.The farm also offers warm Belgian waffles served with fresh-picked strawberries and real whipping cream.

1. 1. Endless activities in the backyard

While children will probably be content playing with water toys your entire resort visit, there are many more things to do at our resorts. An interactive kids’ playground, a campfire where kids can toast marshmallows, a lodge full of board games and arcade, a swimming pool with diving board, a sandy beach volleyball court, a 9-hole disc golf course … the list goes on and on! This is the land of 10,000 memories, where you and your family will reminisce for years to come.