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Let Them Get High! High-Altitude Adrenaline Sports Travel for Kids
April 21, 2008
You look at some kids and just know they're going to spend time in the hospital. They're the ones jumping their bikes down long stairwells or skateboarding on banisters. Here are some activities to pump up their adrenaline without risking broken bones. Skydiving Most parents are reluctant to let their offspring jump out of planes, regardless of safety assurances. Indoor skydiving gives children 3 and up a chance to experience the thrill of freefall before going off to college to do the real thing without telling their parents. After suiting up in goggles and a one piece coverall designed to catch the wind, the jumpers are given rudimentary instructions, including how to hold their head, arms and legs to get the most from the experience. Then its thrill time. The flight instructor and flyer go into a vertical wind tunnel simulating the weightlessness they'd experience jumping from a plane. The instructor will help them go higher, lower, even make a few turns. The 1-2 minute session may seem short to parents observing outside the glass, but between the noise and the surprising adrenaline surge, its quite the thrill to the diver. In California
In Florida
Parasailing As the name implies, parasailing feels like simultaneously parachuting, sailing and waterskiing. A boat takes riders a few feet off the shore. Riders are secured into a harness and loop that acts as a seat attached to the parachute. The boat accelerates, and up goes the rider to enjoy an 8 minute ride between 500 and 2,000 feet above the ground. Riders never need get wet and kids as young as 2 can go tandem with a responsible adult. Daytona Parasailing www.daytonaparasailing.com goes higher than anyone else in the US at 2,000 feet. Prices start at $65. Bridge Climbing Unless they are mounting a protest, people rarely get the opportunity to view cities from the top of their bridges. Not so down under. There are several companies in Australia and New Zealand that encourage visitors to join bridge climbing tours. The most famous one, the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb brings guests along catwalks and ladders to 134 meters above the harbour. There's a choice of two 3 1/2 guided walks, a basic climb and one paired with information about the history and engineering of the bridge. The minimum age for most bridge climbs is 7 if accompanied by a responsible adult.
What have you done to push the envelope on family vacations. Share your tales on our Family Travel Message Boards today.
Related Information:
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
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