Family fun that fits a normal budget and a normal week

Family Fun covers the bigger stuff: days out, school-break plans, road trips with kids in the back seat, and the occasional night when the grown-ups get to go out alone. It also covers the small rituals, like pancake Saturdays or a walk after dinner, that kids remember far longer than any ticketed attraction.

We look at outings the way a parent actually lives them. How long is the drive? Where are the bathrooms? Is there shade? What does it cost for a family of four once you add snacks and parking? Will the youngest need a nap halfway through?

Our readers are spread across the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, and some are right here on the Grand Strand around Myrtle Beach and Conway, so you’ll see a mix of ideas that work anywhere and a few rooted in a particular place.

The first piece in this section is about something most night-out plans skip completely: how the parents get home safely.