Things to Do With Kids in New Hampshire

I hope you'll be ready to get some exercise on your trip to New Hampshire. Most fun activities require some exertion.

1. Summertime is when many tourists visit New Hampshire to enjoy the beautiful lakes region and climb the famous mountains. 
2. Fall is also a busy time as people visit from all over the world to see the gorgeous New England foliage change to it's bright colors.
3. Winter brings out the skiers and snowboarders and New Hampshire has many ski mountains and snow tubing areas all over the state.
4. Spring is our mud season, as the winter snow melts and makes the ground soft, but the melting snow makes for picturesque, gushing waterfalls.  It's also black fly season. (Depending on the area, sometime in May and June little flies will bite you.)

Whatever you plan to do, it's best to check with the location ahead of time if the weather is bad, or it's mid-winter.  Some places, like Ruggles Mine, close for winter.

(Photo: Profile Falls, Bristol.)

Many attractions close for the winter in the northeast and others open in their place.  In most cases it's just not safe or fun to navigate the slippery roadways or mountains, but skiing, snowmobiling and other winter sports take the place of the summer fun.  Just call ahead to check if you are unsure.

The beautiful mountains beckon us to hike to the top while enjoying nature and maybe even some great views along the way. 

If you have small kids who can't make a long, tiresome trek, there is Pitcher Mountain in Stoddard, which is in the south-western part of the state.   This mountain is quite easy to climb, compared to many, because you will drive up the hills before getting to the parking area.  And the view at the top is fabulous.  If you are there in July and August you'll find many wild blueberry bushes loaded with fruit.

Mount Monadnock (in Jaffrey) and the smaller Pack Monadnock (in Peterborough) are very popular hiking places.  I consider both mountains to be a strenuous climb. (You can drive up Pack Monadnock).  Mt. Washington is not for kids (or many of us adults for that matter) to hike, unless you are experienced.  But take the Cog Railway (pictured), or drive up the Auto Road to get to the top of this 6,000 foot high mountain, to enjoy the magnificent views.  (Take a jacket or coat - it can be cold up there, even in summer.)

Picture:  Photo taken at the top of Mt. Washington, summer 2012, with the Cog train going back down and the Auto Road beyond.

 ** In winter (weather permitting) you can book a SnowCoach ride up Mount Washington to "above the tree line" in a van with treads instead of tires. 

McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center and Planetarium has lots of hands on fun for kids of all ages and the older kids will enjoy views of the sky and planets during the show inside the Planetarium.  When we visited, my son (age 11 at the time) had fun trying to land the plane in the simulator.  The Discovery Center is located in the capital city of Concord.

SEE Science Center in downtown Manchester contains a huge LEGO display made of three million LEGO bricks depicting the historical Millyard area of the city as it was circa 1900.  It also has many hands-on exhibits on two floors.

Squam Lake Science Center is in Holderness which is in the north-central part of the state.  It is an outdoor type zoo that features native wildlife such as bears, deer, otters, big cats, eagles and more. 

(Black bears, photo credit: Pixabay)

Active kids who love to climb and explore and search for treasures, will like this unusual attraction. (Not open in winter.)

Even many residents of New Hampshire have never heard of Ruggles Mine.  Maybe this is because it is located away from the city areas, in Grafton, but the drive is worth it because you will probably never visit another spot like it.

Ruggles Mine is an old mica mine, but it is wide open with just a few short tunnels to explore.  The best thing about this place is that you can collect all your own rocks and minerals!  Chipping away at the rocks is allowed (in certain places) and the sheer size of walls here is amazing.  The mine is located at the top of Isinglass Mountain so the views are spectacular too.

The mine has quite an interesting history as the land owner went out of his way to keep his profitable mine a secret for years.

There are a couple of places that are fairly near each other where trails will take you over rocks and past waterfalls. Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves (pictured) and Flume Gorge offer these types of treks.  They are located in the towns of North Woodstock and Franconia, in the White Mountain area.

We visited Lost River this summer (2012) and it had been pretty dry.  I imagine that there is usually more water and bigger waterfalls than what we saw.

I would recommend these places for all ages, but there are stairs and lots of walking.  You can't get lost in the caves, they are basically crawl spaces through and under big boulders (not everyone will fit, and there is one that is really small).  Pick and choose the ones you'd like to explore, as they are all along the pathway.

If you want to keep the older kids happy, here are some great places to try.

Alpine Adventures, in Lincoln offers first time and experienced zipline tours, off-road fun in a Swiss army transport vehicle and the "Thrillsville" aerial park.  Age, height and weight restrictions apply.

The ZipRider at Wildcat Mountain is for those who don't mind heights.  You must be a certain height and weight to do this.  Click the link to read more and see a photo!

In Conway not only can you rent kayaks, canoes and go tubing on the Saco river, but if you ever dreamed of swinging on a rope out over the water, you can do that too.  Try out the newest thing - Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP) if you are coordinated enough to stand up and move down a river!  I've never been here, but it looks like great fun with many options for length of rides / trips and if you go tubing they will even rent you tube to hold your cooler so you can bring along drinks and food.

In winter snowmobile rentals can be a nice alternative to skiing. 

Here are a few of our famous lakes, but there are many more.

Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in New Hampshire and it's part of the Lakes Region.  Mitt Romney owns a home on this lake.  Other smaller lakes in the area give this region of the state it's name.

Squam Lake became well known when it was used as the location for shooting the movie "On Golden Pond" with Henry and Jane Fonda.

Lake Sunapee (pictured), located in the western area of the state, is where musician Steven Tyler, of Aerosmith, has a home.  It's also one of the most pristine lakes in the country due partly to it's high altitude.

Besides swimming in cool, clear water, here are some ideas for your summer trip to the lake.  (All lakes are usually solidly frozen in winter.)

• Take a lake cruise.  Sit back and relax as you enjoy a ride around or across the lake while the captain points out interesting scenery and give a history of the area.  The picture was taken this summer when my family went on the Lake Sunapee Cruise.  Two ships are available and one offers a dinner cruise in the evening.  Across the state, the large ship, MS Mt. Washington cruises the big lake - Winnipesaukee.
• Rent your own boat, pontoon, or Sea-Doo for the day, or by the week. (Be aware that in some instances you will have to take an online course to qualify to rent a boat.)  Search for 'boat rentals' in the area you plan to visit to get more information from the marina.
• Go fishing.  In New Hampshire kids under 16 can fish for free.  Get your own license online at any time of day.  If you are taking a winter trip to NH, try some ice fishing!

New Hampshire has many mountains for skiing and snowboarding, but many also offer tubing. I've never been tubing, but my kids have gone and had a lot of fun.  It's basically sledding on a tube.  Most places have age and height requirements, so check before you plan the trip.

Southern part of the state:

McIntyre Ski Area is located in Manchester.  Check out the pictures and read the rules and info on this page to know what to expect.

Granite Gorge in Keene, is a smaller ski area, with tubing, and it's fairly new.  It's located in the south-western part of the state.

Northern part of the state:

There are many ski mountains that offer tubing in the White Mountains.  Check this link to find what you are looking for.

(photo credit: Pixabay)