It’s official: summer 2020 is the summer of the staycation. With borders closed, restrictions on the size of group gatherings and many families keeping a close eye on their spending, more of us will be opting to find fun that’s a little closer to home.
Crowdsourcing is the practice of getting input by enlisting a large number of people to share their ideas. In the same way that the app Waze creates a better driving experience by asking users for input on what’s happening on the roads, we’re tapping into the collective creativity of Hamilton Halton Brant residents to create the ultimate list of ideas for local and affordable family fun.
As you get out and enjoy your favourite affordable summer activities within Hamilton Halton Brant, snap a picture and share the details on your social media channels of where you went and what you did for less than $25. Be sure to tag your posts the hashtag #hhb25funchallenge. Our team at @heartofontario will be closely monitoring our social feeds and sharing your ideas to help spread even more local love. If you’re a local business owner with a product or service that’s perfect for a family outing, join in the fun and share your suggestions too.
To help get you thinking, here are some easy, affordable options for family outings that are safe, fun and ready for your crew to enjoy right now.
- Hit your favourite trail for a family hike or bike ride.
- Pick a few boxes of fresh berries at a local farm with and freeze them into a batch of homemade popsicles.
- Spend an afternoon searching for ancient fossils embedded in the Niagara Escarpment.
- Make paper airplanes and head to a park for a contest to see which family member’s creation flies the farthest.
- Fly a kite.
- Head to a Disc Golf Course for a family game – there are great courses at Bronte Creek Provincial Park, Christie Lake and Green Lane Sports Complex in Paris.
- Explore the caves at Eramosa Karst.
- Challenge other families to see who can take the most creative group photo. Treat the winning family to an ice cream outing funded by the other families in the competition.
- Round up a collection of families to compete in The Hamilton Halton Brant Stay And Play Family Scavenger Hunt.
- Take a walk in the woods with pencil crayons and sketchbooks and create a series of leaf etchings to send in the mail or tape on grandparents’ windows.
- Pack a picnic and enjoy lunch alfresco on the grounds of one of the many heritage sites located in Hamilton Halton Brant.
- Take your own rollerblades or roller skates for a spin at Hamilton Waterfront’s outdoor rink.
- Invite the families on your street to have a driveway dance-off.
- Go fishing.
- Go geocaching.
- Buy corn on the cob from a local farm or market and have a corn boil.
- Have a movie night in your backyard.
- Make gourmet s’mores using cookies from a local bakery.
- Cook a dinner using only ingredients that have been grown or raised within 50 kilometres of your home.
Don’t forget to share your family fun activity ideas with us by tagging them with #hhb25funchallenge.