3 Perfect Weekend Spots for Relaxed Family Outings

As a mom who’s always thinking about how to take the kids out “lightly packed” every week, today I have to share my three hidden gem spots with everyone—no rushing through attractions, no chasing travel guides, adults can lounge on the sofa sipping coffee, and kids can burn off energy to their heart’s content. This is the ultimate “relaxed family outing” template!

1. Around Beijing | Gubei Water Town: Night Great Wall Tour + Parent-Child Handicrafts, Stay in a Homestay for Maximum Fun

Last week, I took the kids to Gubei Water Town, and my biggest feeling was “such a mom-friendly plan!” We chose a family-friendly homestay inside the scenic area. Opening the window, you hear the babbling water; the kids ran barefoot chasing pigeons on the stone paths, and I could watch them go wild from the balcony, feeling completely safe~

✅ Must-Do 1: Simatai Great Wall Night Tour (opens after 5:30 PM)
Taking the cable car up just in time to catch the sunset clouds, the Great Wall lit up with tiny lanterns like a string of red agates. The kids saw a “glowing wall” for the first time and were so excited they jumped around. The best part! Fewer people at night, no sunburn, and after descending, you can watch the water dance show. The 7 PM light and shadow play on the water screen made the kids say it felt like watching a “live-action cartoon.”

✅ Must-Do 2: Kite Shop & Fabric Dyeing Workshop for Kids
The next morning, we took the kids to the kite shop to paint kites. The owner taught how to tie the bamboo frame, and kids over 4 can color their own kites, then fly them right away in the square. Next door, the fabric dyeing workshop is even more soothing—pick a piece of blue and white cloth, learn tie-dye from the auntie, and take home your creation as a small tablecloth, full of ceremony!

🍜 Foodie Must-Try: Qiaotou Cake! Freshly steamed rice cake stuffed with red bean paste, biting into it hot releases the fragrance of rice mixed with osmanthus. My kid ate two pieces straight away. At night, we ordered a hot pot set at the homestay, cooking lamb under the starry sky while the kids munched corn and watched cartoons. Finally, this mom got to sip iced milk tea~

⚠️ Tips: Bring non-slip shoes! The stone paths can be slippery when wet; choose a homestay with kids’ toiletries to save packing hassle.

2. Around Shanghai | Chongming Island · Ruihua Orchard: Rent a Whole Farm, Cherry Picking + Feeding Animals for Ultimate Relaxation

I visited Chongming Island last May, and this year Ruihua Orchard has upgraded! The new “cute pet interaction zone” is a paradise for kids. We rented a family bike (30 RMB/hour), pedaled and stopped along the way, kids chased lambs feeding them carrots, while I laid a picnic mat under the shade, munching freshly picked cherry tomatoes, feeling the breeze~

✅ Must-Do 3: Cherry Picking (perfectly ripe mid to late May!)
All-you-can-eat in the orchard, take home cherries at 50 RMB per jin. The trees are low enough for kids to reach themselves. Wear light-colored clothes so you won’t mind if juice drips on you~ After picking cherries, visit the nearby peacock garden. Buy a 10 RMB feed bag, kids chased peacocks for half an hour, and I took a nap on a bench—so relaxing!

✅ Lazy Route Guide: Drive 1.5 hours from the city at 9 AM, pick cherries and feed animals first, have farmhouse dishes for lunch at the orchard restaurant (recommend the grass head greens and Chongming old white wine braised river shrimp), then bike at the nearby Yingzhou Ecological Park in the afternoon, watch the sunset by the river at 4:30 PM. The sunset dyes the river golden, and kids collect shells, not wanting to leave~

👜 Travel Gear: Must bring mosquito repellent! Lots of flowers and plants in the orchard; prepare a change of clothes as kids might play in mud and water; choose a lightweight stroller for easy pushing on gravel paths.

3. Around Guangzhou | Huizhou Shuangyue Bay: Beach Sand Digging + Fishing Village Tide Hunting, Stay in a Sea View Room for a Healing Sunrise

Last month, my bestie’s family and mine teamed up to visit Shuangyue Bay and accidentally found a “relaxed paradise”—the Tanyue Howard Johnson Hotel. Right downstairs is a private beach. Kids wore floaties playing in the shallow water while we sipped coconut jelly on beach chairs, watching them build sandcastles and chase waves, too lazy to even grab our phones~

✅ Must-Do 4: Xiaoxingshan Snorkeling (book a local fisherman’s boat in advance, 200 RMB/person)
Set off at 8 AM, 20 minutes to Xiaoxingshan, the water is so clear you can see schools of small fish! Rent kids a snorkeling mask (30 RMB/set), then the coach teaches them to touch starfish and pick up shells (only dead shells, please). When tired, they nap on the boat under the sun, saying it feels like “the sea in a cartoon”~

✅ Must-Do 5: Fishing Village Morning Market (6:30-8:00 AM)
Get up early the next day to walk the morning market with the kids, bought freshly landed mantis shrimp and clams (remember to bargain!), took them to a nearby food stall for cooking. The boiled shrimp were so fresh the kids ate three each. After eating, stroll through the fishing village alleys. Grandma sells mugwort rice cakes, 3 for 10 RMB, soft and fragrant, perfect for breakfast~

💡 Notes: Use GPS to navigate to “Shuangyue Bay West Bay,” East Bay is crowded and the beach is dirty; bring kids’ sand digging tools (expensive near the hotel); remember to use physical sunscreen for snorkeling to protect marine ecology~

Having personally tried these three places, my biggest takeaway is “slow down the pace”: no need to rush attractions, let kids follow their curiosity—chasing lanterns in the water town, feeding lambs on the farm, collecting shells on the beach. These seemingly “unplanned” moments become the happiest memories for kids. Moms, don’t stress about “perfect photos.” Sometimes putting down the camera and splashing in the water or zoning out with your kids is exactly what weekends should be like~

Have you found any great family outing spots recently? Let me know in the comments, and next time we’ll pick another place to relax together~ 😉