A memorable weekend does not require a theme park. Some of the best family outings are within twenty minutes of home and cost little or nothing. The trick is to treat them like an adventure.

Start with your local library, nature center or county park, which often run free weekend programs for children. A morning of story time, a guided walk or a hands-on science table can easily fill half a day.

Turn an ordinary walk into a mission. Bring a list for a scavenger hunt (a feather, a heart-shaped rock, something red, a leaf bigger than your hand) or a pair of cheap binoculars and a bird guide.

Visit a farm stand or pick-your-own orchard in season. Children who picked the strawberries or apples themselves tend to eat them with more enthusiasm, and there is usually a tractor to admire.

Keep a family list of places you have been and places you want to go, and let each child add one idea a month. Over a year, it becomes a record of small adventures and a reminder that you do not have to go far to have fun together.