[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/01\/family-fitness\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/01\/family-fitness\/","headline":"Activities for Family Fitness in Central Pennsylvania","name":"Activities for Family Fitness in Central Pennsylvania","description":"If you’re looking for things to do with kids \u2014 and want to combine fitness and fun into your upcoming family activities in Central Pennsylvania \u2014 you’re in luck.\u00a0The whole family can participate in each of the family exercise\u00a0activities\u00a0we’ve included below. For your next family activity, get inspired by this list of fun things to […]","datePublished":"2018-01-01","dateModified":"2021-03-09","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/iStock-1183546933.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/iStock-1183546933.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/01\/family-fitness\/","about":["Family Health","Living and Wellness"],"wordCount":1738,"articleBody":"If you’re looking for things to do with kids \u2014 and want to combine fitness and fun into your upcoming family activities in Central Pennsylvania \u2014 you’re in luck.\u00a0The whole family can participate in each of the family exercise\u00a0activities\u00a0we’ve included below.For your next family activity, get inspired by this list of fun things to do near Carlisle, Mechanicsburg and Harrisburg, and the surrounding area.Vertical Trek Zipline at Ski RoundtopIf you\u2019re a native of Central Pennsylvania, you\u2019ve heard of Ski Roundtop.Conveniently located in Lewisberry, Pa.,\u00a0Ski Roundtop is well-known for their ski slopes and their gorgeous lodge \u2014 which is available for events such as wedding receptions and dances. But did you know that Ski Roundtop also offers a zipline experience?Whether you are looking for family workout ideas, or just fun\u00a0attractions in Central Pennsylvania, the ziplines at Ski Roundtop are an excellent choice.\u00a0The Vertical Trek\u00a0is a fully guided and family-friendly hike-and-zipline experience. Join a group as they set out on a guided hike and tour down the slopes.Your journey begins with a chairlift ride to the top of the slopes. From there, you\u2019ll follow your tour guide down the gorgeous slopes, taking in the natural beauty and vista offered by the mountainside scenery. Along the way, you\u2019ll enjoy 10 different ziplines that are up to 400 feet long and 40 feet high.For this activity, you\u2019ll need to make sure that all members of your family or group are over 10 years old and weigh at least 70 pounds, for safety reasons. If your family loves the outdoors and the thrill of adventure, this is one event you won\u2019t want to miss.Because of the nature of this activity, the Vertical Trek Zipline is only available during the spring, summer and fall. However, there’s still plenty to do at Ski Roundtop in the winter. Enjoy some winter fun by planning a second visit to enjoy the ski slopes with the whole family.Carlisle Borough Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail NetworkIf you’re looking for things to do near Carlisle, Pa.,\u00a0we recommend\u00a0visiting the\u00a0Carlisle Borough Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail Network. This an excellent opportunity for sightseeing and it’s\u00a0a fun family fitness activity that everyone can enjoy together.This is a 13.8-mile long trail that you can bike or walk. If you\u2019re accommodating younger children, choose this activity as your ongoing summer adventure. If you hike or bike a mile or so at a time, you can spread the fun out over multiple trips\u00a0instead of tackling the whole trail in one day.\u00a0Every time you go, you can explore and enjoy new sights, all while keeping the experience entertaining and manageable for all age groups. Some of the sections are more rural and wooded, while others take you through town, providing a wide range of views and settings to enjoy.Whether it\u2019s high summer, chilly autumn, drizzly spring or even a brisk winter day, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the trail.\u00a0The advantage of this trail is it\u00a0can be just as long or short as you want it to be.Army Heritage Trail and Education CenterIf you live in or near the Carlisle neighborhood, or if\u00a0you’re coming from farther away and need to plan a day-trip,\u00a0this is another great activity for an educational afternoon out with the family.The\u00a0Army Heritage Trail and Education Center\u00a0is\u00a0a small, indoor museum that lets you browse impressive numbers of historical and military artifacts. Here, you\u2019ll find exhibits on different wars, soldiers\u2019 experiences\u00a0and significant moments in history.\u00a0The exhibits change over time, so even if\u00a0you\u2019ve visited in the past, the materials and information on display are likely to be different.There is also a record archive and library for those who have an interest in military history and are interested in browsing more specific details, records and information. The different exhibits and displays available offer a lens into history for even the youngest visitors, while older children and adults will walk away having learned more context and history about the U.S. Army, its many soldiers and our nation’s history.Once you\u2019ve finished with the indoor portion of the museum, explore the Army Heritage Trail.\u00a0This is the outdoor portion of the museum.\u00a0The\u00a0trail is about a mile long and features 14 different full-size exhibits, all dedicated to various subjects such as the French and Indian War, the\u00a0Civil War and WWII.The trail also provides a great place to get in a little exercise with the family.\u00a0Feel free to run, walk or bike the length of this trail as you explore the different exhibits and\u00a0enjoy the benefits of exercise and fresh air. The Army Heritage Trail is also dog-friendly, so your four-legged family members can join in on the fun.Finish off your trip with a visit to the museum store and a stop by Caf\u00e9 Cumberland. The entire Education Center complex is on Soldiers Drive in Carlisle. For\u00a0full hours of operation, visit their website.Ghoulish GallopNo list of Central Pennsylvania activities would be complete\u00a0without mentioning the annual\u00a0Ghoulish Gallop. Every Halloween season, this family-friendly event takes place in Carlisle, Pa., giving everyone from\u00a0kids to parents and grandparents the opportunity to get out, exercise and have a good time during the fall season.The Ghoulish Gallop is a hybrid event with both walking and running options, meaning\u00a0that no matter what your fitness level or skill set, you can enjoy this event.\u00a0There is both a single mile walking event, as well as a 5K race for those interested in a slightly more strenuous activity and a competitive\u00a0challenge.\u00a0Both events usually take place on the same day, which is usually a Saturday around Halloween,\u00a0although the date varies from year to year.The walking course is short, so it’s an excellent opportunity for the whole family to participate together. From the oldest to the youngest, everyone has a high likelihood of being able to complete this course, especially thanks to the many stops along the way. In keeping with the theme of Halloween, the entire course is decorated with ghouls, zombies and other decorations designed to make the course look appropriately spooky. At designated points along the trail, you\u2019ll stop and consume snacks in a zombie-like manner, trying to splatter your complimentary white T-shirt with as many food stains as possible. At the end of the event, prizes are presented for the best T-shirt splatters.If some family members are interested in competitive athletic events and\u00a0challenging themselves\u00a0\u2014 or more\u00a0grueling\u00a0exercise \u2014 the 5K race is a recent addition to the Ghoulish Gallop. Parents and children 10 and up can enjoy the run. Runners are organized into age bracket categories, and there is also a category for runners with strollers. If you’re not running, parents and\u00a0younger children can cheer on family members who are or skip the 5K altogether and focus on\u00a0the mile-long walk in the afternoon.The race starts early in the morning, and the walking event takes place in the afternoon.\u00a0For both the walking and the running events, pre-registering guarantees you a spot as well as a T-shirt.Indian Echo CavernsYou can\u2019t miss\u00a0Indian Echo Caverns. This spectacular natural cave system is open to the public, under the supervision of tour guides, allowing you to explore these winding caverns that have attracted people for many generations.As you explore the winding tunnels and rooms deep underground, you\u2019ll encounter hidden lakes, stunning stalagmites and stalactites and other rock formations. These spectacular sights were carved out of the ancient limestone in this region by constant passing of time and water, slowly forming the awe-inspiring sights you\u2019ll find there today.Tours through the caverns last about 45 minutes, the perfect length so you can bring small children with you, and they won\u2019t tire before the tour is over.Once you’ve finished touring the caves themselves, there’s more to see and do. Your experience\u00a0wouldn\u2019t be complete without a visit through the\u00a0gift shop and a tour of the other\u00a0various amenities and attractions offered on site.\u00a0There\u2019s a petting zoo, a playground and an old-fashioned replica mill that lets kids pretend to prospect for\u00a0gemstones and fossils.With all these Central Pennsylvania attractions, you and the whole family will get a lot of exercise in during the day, and you\u2019ll have a blast while doing it. The caverns are located just three miles from Hershey, and they\u2019re open seven days a week. Their summer hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. If your visit is after Labor Day, plan around their shorter winter hours, which run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Get Air Trampoline ParkIf you’re looking for fun things to do with kids in Central Pennsylvania, one of the first places to visit near Harrisburg should be\u00a0the trampoline park at Get Air.When your family visits\u00a0Get Air Trampoline Park, you’ll enjoy vast floors of trampolines,\u00a0allowing you to jump uninterrupted for as long as your session lasts while still enjoying the company of your party and the lively atmosphere. Jumping isn’t the only way to have fun and get exercise here, either. Get Air also boasts many other fun activities that incorporate trampolines.\u00a0There\u2019s so much to do here that you might wish you had more time to do it all. Enjoy the foam pits, basketball,\u00a0slack lines, fidget ladders and other exciting obstacles.If your party\u00a0contains\u00a0guests of all ages, you might worry about the little ones being overwhelmed by jumping with the adults and bigger kids.\u00a0Get Air plans for this by having a\u00a0separate space for just the young kids so they can be safe and jump without the risk of knocking into the bigger jumpers.This is a great indoor activity that you can enjoy year-round. It’s always a good time to burn off some extra energy, get some exercise and have fun on a trampoline.Get Air is located on Union Deposit Road in Harrisburg and offers open jump time from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. most weekdays.\u00a0Browse their full hours and schedule\u00a0to book your party or family event."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2018","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"01","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/\/01\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Activities for Family Fitness in Central Pennsylvania","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/01\/family-fitness\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]