Things to Do With Kids in Litchfield, CT

Enjoy an Adventure

• It̵7;s a 10-minute drive from Litchfield to Thomaston to board the Naugatuck Railroad, but kids will never forget the thrill of chugging along the Naugatuck River in a real steam engine. Check the schedule -- the train runs regularly in summer, but you have to plan if you want a ride during the rest of the year. Kids can always get excited about visiting a farm -- and one that sells ice cream is even better. Arethusa Farm and Dairy is open to the public Saturday afternoons. Take a hayride through the 50-acre animal safari at Action Wildlife. Kids can keep their eyes peeled for the animal park̵7;s inhabitants, including zebras, water buffalo, ostriches and Shetland ponies.

Explore the Great Outdoors

• It̵7;s worth the effort of timing your visit to the Flanders Nature Center to coincide with one of its annual events, such as the autumn Maple Festival or summer̵7;s Forest Fairies and Woodland Wizards Festival. Kids will enjoy exploring the center̵7;s Botany Trail with their plant identification guides -- the trail winds through land with more than 100 different plants. As you make your way through the grounds of the Weir Farm National Historic Site, kids might see turtles, salamanders, turkeys and white-tailed deer along the trail. Visit the duckery, where baby ducks are hatched when you visit the Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy. Kids can ooh and aah over the adorable baby ducklings before they explore the rest of the protected wildlife area. The conservancy is only open Fridays and Sundays, so plan accordingly.

Get Some Exercise

• Paddle down the Housatonic River with Clarke Outdoors. The 6-mile paddle takes about two hours and is just right for a family outing, but you can opt for a 10-mile trip if you want to make a day of it. If your kids have boating experience, rent a canoe. If they̵7;re boating novices, stick with the more stable raft option. Take a trail ride through the rolling Litchfield countryside with Lee̵7;s Riding Stable. Kids who are too nervous for a full-on horseback ride might want to stick with a pony ride in one of the stable̵7;s outdoor rings.

Visit a Local Attraction

• Quassy Amusement Park is an old-fashioned family amusement park. It̵7;s just small enough so you can let the kids branch out on their own a little -- they can̵7;t go too far. Kids will appreciate the mix of rides and arcade games for entertainment. Less than 20 miles away in the neighboring city of New Milford is the John J. McCarthy Observatory. The observatory opens for a free family event on the second Saturday of each month.