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I've read through many posts saying that NH is a fantastic place to raise kids. I'm from out of state and I'm considering a move to NH. I have 3 kids from 2 to 7 y.o. I'm from an area in PA that has a million and one structured sports, play groups, and moms clubs to chose from, as ridiculous as that is, and I realize that NH is far from that, so please introduce me to what my kids will benefit from growing up there.
Not so, if you want that stuff. There are many larger communities with all the stuff you mentioned. The further you go north and away from the bigger towns, the more remote it becomes. The air is clean and the livin' is easy! If you want to be isolated, it can happen. If you want to be near services and the like, it can happen, too. The southern part of NH is much more built up than places past Concord. There is the seashore if you want that as well.
It's all in what you are looking for. Give us something and we'll point you there. You can also use the search engine above and put in specific criteria (towns, schools, etc.) and that will direct you to previous posts.
I will join with my questions. My kids are 3 and 1. And I am looking at towns between and around Concord and Manchester.
Are there parks with safe playgrounds? Where things are not broken or fixed pretty quickly.
Are there places for them to ride bikes?
How much would you expect to pay for full-day daycare?
What about winter fun - skating, slides, etc (it does get cold enough for it, right)?
Well, here in TX I would ask about a covered air conditioned playground. In NH I count on parks.
In San Antonio there is a science museum with gazillion activities for kids as I've heard. Anything like that anywhere in NH?
The towns here have everything you talk about, just on a smaller scale. Theme parks? Sure. Just smaller. And more rural. A bit like farms. Actually exactly like farms. Do you like to pick your own apples?
I kid. There are small theme parks around. Nothing on the scale of six flags. There are water parks. Every playground I've been to down here at the seacoast has been 10x better than the few in my old neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Daycare and many other things will be the same as elsewhere in the country, esp. after you factor lower wages than the large metro areas elsewhere.
I've read through many posts saying that NH is a fantastic place to raise kids. I'm from out of state and I'm considering a move to NH. I have 3 kids from 2 to 7 y.o. I'm from an area in PA that has a million and one structured sports, play groups, and moms clubs to chose from, as ridiculous as that is, and I realize that NH is far from that, so please introduce me to what my kids will benefit from growing up there.
There seems to be one type of recreation that no one has mentioned here. I do believe it started to go out of style sometime around the 80's with the invention of such things as the "X-Box" and "Play station". Children would keep themselves entertained and play all day long without too much parental supervision or structured routines. It lead to exercise, discovery and education without the kids even knowing it. It was once called the "woods" and it was, at one time, right in your own back yard. Usually, you just needed a friend and a good imagination. But, then again, like always, it depends on what you enjoy or are used to.
So far I've seen a few kid friendly activities in the lakes region since I arrived. Santa's village, something like that, open all yr round-small theme park. This weekend was the jamboree at gunstock, with panoramic view rides on the lifts for 5 dollars to see the mountain colors. I read in Nashua they had a saturday at the park where all the parents gathered dressed, moms wore hats in the newspaper pic-and they all had their kids lying on the grass around them and read stories to them. Mounds of parents reading stories to the kids on the grass in the sun. I wanted to go so bad when I saw the newspaper picture. I'm sure I could have gotten by, being so short, snuck in and squeezed between the kiddo's to hear treasure island!!
There are pumpkin festivals this time of year, boat rides on the lakes, lots of awesome summer camps that teach all sorts of awesome things, like how to make whistles out of acorn caps and building things.
Go to the travel NH websites and order their free guide, it comes with billions of pamplets and you'll see the activities for kids in that particular region. Also, check a local paper of a city, and see what plans they have. I think this weekend is the leaf peeping tours with hobo lunch (complete with a stick and red bandana) if you ride the cog railway, something like that.
Yesterday, a few boys went running by our yard into the woods, one of them turned and waved to me, I was delighted to wave back, and off they went yelling. I remember doing that very thing, the forest was fun this time of year, easy crunching of leaves for hide and seek, always find em quick!
There seems to be one type of recreation that no one has mentioned here.....It was once called the "woods" and it was, at one time, right in your own back yard.
Great point!!! It's one of the main reasons I don't allow video games in my home. I would rather the kids go outside or pick up a book. When I was a kid, I was outside in the woods all day. We made forts, trails, lean-to's, played all kinds of made up games, discovered nature in many aspects, and had a ball doing it! I hate the technology age sometimes. But, just look at me now! I'm typing on a forum while my bike gathers dust. Go figure.
Great point!!! It's one of the main reasons I don't allow video games in my home. I would rather the kids go outside or pick up a book. When I was a kid, I was outside in the woods all day. We made forts, trails, lean-to's, played all kinds of made up games, discovered nature in many aspects, and had a ball doing it! I hate the technology age sometimes. But, just look at me now! I'm typing on a forum while my bike gathers dust. Go figure.
I totally agree bryfry! My parents had to yell and yell for me to come inside. We did not want to be inside all day-we craved the outdoors. All the kids in the neighborhood would be outside regardless of the weather. We played kick the can, built forts, rode bikes without helmits. No wonder so many kids are obese today. I played outside and yes I still watched tv on Saturday mornings and also at night. I ate junk food(not a lot- in moderation). But you know what- I was skinny as were all the kids in my neighborhood-not obese like so many kids today because we were always running around. We even had atari when I was a kid and we still played outside etc.
And here is one of my other dilemmas... My husband and I would like to have 2 or 3 acres-at least, but we'd also like to be near other people/kids so they have others to play with. (They're not exactly each others' favorite playmate) Do any of you here have a house like that and you can tell me if that's a problem or not? A friend in VT has 19 acres and she hates that her kids don't really have anyone around.
It may be a problem if your children are younger. It truly depends on the so called neighborhood you select. Owning 19 acres doesn't have anything to do with kids not having any playmates around unless your really located in an area of seclusion. And, once old enough to commute with a bicycle, the distance they'll have to peddle to the nearest friend is not that far away.
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Kids nearby
