When my grandson was born this past spring, five weeks premature, he spent a couple of weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit; on his second day of life, I held his hand for 90 minutes. There’s something about holding a hand that connects us. I don’t know how long my grandson will let me hold his for—my 30-year-old son won’t let me do it anymore—but as I think about my kids and my grandson, I long to find ways to connect with them. Here are five ideas for when they’re young.

1 / Go on an aqua adventure. 

Call it a walk, but an adventure is more remarkable; plus, calling it an adventure makes it more fun. Our area has beautiful trails that are close to the water. Find one. Then search for gold. Or butterflies. Or spiders. Or pirates.

2 / Explore the train tracks. 

If your kids are really young, you can start the journey at the corner of Oak Avenue Parkway and East Bidwell Street in Folsom. Walk north on the tracks until they bend to the west and cross East Bidwell. It’s beautiful there. If your kids are older, make the adventure longer. The picturesque scenery goes all the way through town to Folsom Boulevard. You and your kids will both love it.

3 / Get on the floor. 

Most parents are great at this, but there’s nothing better to a kid than when a grown-up gets on the floor. Wrestle. Play board games. Tell stories of adventures at the river or on the train tracks.

4 / Visit a church, mosque, convalescent hospital, or the police station. 

Take your kids somewhere that’s outside your normal path. Educate yourself while expanding your children’s horizons. It will be great for them—and for you. Finish the journey with a stop for frozen yogurt while you talk about what you experienced. I’m a pastor, so my kids grew up with church. They were used to our approach to worship, but one time while on vacation we took our kids to a church of a different flavor (aka, denomination). I gave them some paper and told them to write down questions they had during the experience. Be age-appropriate, but know this: The world is a lot more varied and interesting than your routine path suggests.

5 / Stop at a child’s lemonade stand and buy something with your kids. 

My rule is to always stop for kids’ sidewalk sales stands. Go ahead—overpay for watery lemonade. It’s fun to see kids’ eyes light up as they run up to Mom or Dad watching from the porch. “Mom, he gave me a dollar!” Then go home and help your kids plan a lemonade stand of their own. Watch from the porch, or join them on the sidewalk. 

If your kiddos are a bit older, all five of these activiies are still great. You don’t have to hold their hand, but you can still discover gold.

Brad Franklin is the founding and lead pastor at Lakeside Church in Folsom.