We love getting out in our community and taking part in fun activities. Here in Central, IL, later summer/fall is festival season. There is a festival or event for almost everything that you can think of! This past weekend, we made the trip to Lincoln, IL to watch the Hot Air Balloon launch.

Kallen has always loved hot air balloons, and this was our 3rd year taking him to the festival. In previous years, he was always really nervous about being close to the balloons but this year he loved it! Cora was a little more nervous, and sat on daddy’s lap the entire time. She did enjoy scooting around before the balloons started taking off, though.
Kal is the perfect age of for this, and he was asking all sorts of questions. Every activity can be turned into a learning experience and the balloon festival gave us a chance to talk a little bit about how they work. Obviously, as a 3 year old, Kallen doesn’t understand completely, but we did talk about how the fire creates hot air, and the hot air helps the balloon to lift off. We were also able to identify all the different colors and shapes we saw on the balloons, as well as count the number of balloons there.

There was a carnival, and food vendors at the event, but we wanted to save a little money and eat healthier, so we took some sandwiches and had a picnic while the balloons launched. This was a great family activity, and has become a little tradition for our family.
What are some of your favorite family activities? Leave a comment, and let me know!