Hot or cold, wet or dry, nature is a wonderful way to spend quality time together. Enjoy the great outdoors with these free ideas.
Have Fun With Nature

On a trail or in your own backyard, it's easy to have fun with nature. Turn an excursion into a scavenger hunt and search for specific plants, animals, and more. Pick a color and see how many things in nature you can find in that color. Or gather up colorful leaves, acorns, pinecones, feathers, stones, and other natural trinkets to make a collage or craft project.

Walking, Hiking and Biking Trails

• White Memorial Conservation Center, 80 Whitehall Road, Litchfield (there's a charge for museum admission, but the grounds are free -- you can get a museum pass from many libraries for free admission to the museum)
  
• Westmoor Park, 119 Flagg Rd, West Hartford
  
• Earthplace Nature Discovery Center, 10 Woodside Lane, Westport (there's a charge for the museum, but the grounds are free)
  
• State Parks with Trails
  
• Weir Farm National Historic Site
  

Public Beaches
(be advised that some locations may charge for parking between Memorial Day and Labor Day)

• Shoreline Beaches
  

More Fun Outdoors Ideas

• Letterboxing
  
• Geocaching
  
• Bird watching
  
• Picnicking
  
• Camping
  

When the weather warms up, check out these ideas!

Play Areas with Splash Pads
(be advised that some locations may charge for parking)

• Rockwell Park, Jacobs St & Dutton Ave, Bristol
  
• RecPlex Spray Park, 215 Old Hebron Rd, Colchester
  
• Roger's Park Playground, Lion's Way, Danbury
  
• Cosey Beach, Cosey Beach Ave, East Haven
  
• Lake Mohegan, 960 Morehouse Hwy, Fairfield
  
• Colt Park, 92 Wethersfield Ave, Hartford
  
• Goodwin Park, 1130 Maple Ave, Hartford
  
• Keney Park, 280 Tower Ave, Hartford
  
• Willow Street Park, 43 Willow Street, New Britain
  
• Lighthouse Point Park, 2 Lighthouse Rd, New Haven
  
• Kavanagh Park, Trask Rd, Old Saybrook
  
• Beachland Park, 847 South Quaker Lane, West Hartford
  
• Fernridge Park, 567 Fern Street, West Hartford
  
• Kennedy Park, 160 Oakwood Ave, West Hartford
  
• Wolcott Park, New Britain Ave, West Hartford
  
• Lauter Park, 625 Jackson St, Willimantic
  

Animal Farms and Petting Zoos

• March Farm, 160 Munger Lane, Bethlehem
  
• Robb's Farm, 91 Wassuc Rd, South Glastonbury
  
• Brooksvale Park, 524 Brooksvale Ave, Hamden
  
• UConn Animal Barns, Horsebarn Hill Rd, Storrs
  
• Westmoor Park, 119 Flagg Rd, West Hartford
  

Click Here for a List of All Connecticut State Parks
With the Passport to the Parks program, all Connecticut-registered vehicles now get free parking at state parks!