BudgetTravel

6. Outward Bound

This not-for-profit organization has been successfully sending people into the wilderness for more than 50 years. Parents and teens set off on weeklong family adventures designed to help them face new challenges and grow from the experience. Go sailing in Maine, dogsledding in the Northwoods of Minnesota, white-water canoeing in Texas, or mountaineering in the Cascades in Washington State. Eight-day trips average just over $1,000 per person. Call 866/467-7651 or visit outwardbound.org. 

7. Cows, pigs, and more 

The young 'uns in your gang will love a farm, where they'll quickly discover that milk and eggs don't come from the supermarket. They can gather eggs, feed the pigs, and maybe milk a goat or a cow. Check your state tourism office: Some local farmers in Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin, among other places, welcome a family or two at a time. Others, like the 140-guest Inn at East Hill Farm in Troy, New Hampshire (800/242-6495, east-hill-farm.com), are resorts as much as farms, with indoor and outdoor pools, and kids' programs complete with crafts and magic shows. Inclusive rates start at $90 a night for adults, $75 for kids. Emandal Farm in Willits, California (707/459-5439, emandal.com), offers summer family weeks and seasonal family weekends where kids can help care for the baby animals in the spring and make cider in the fall. Weeklong prices start at $805 for adults, $196 for kids. Find more than a dozen guest farms at familytravelnetwork.com.

8. Ride 'em cowboy!

Horse-loving kids and their parents will think they're in heaven at a dude ranch that caters to children, with special riding programs that enable them to learn about horses and the surrounding countryside. Parents get to relax while kids join in organized children's programs, even preparing for a junior rodeo. Hike or fish as well as ride. GORPtravel (gorptravel.com) lists dozens of affordable kid-friendly ranches around the country. The Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera, Texas (830/796-3312, mayanranch.com), promises meals, horseback rides, and kids' activities for under $900 a week per adult and under $400 per child under 13. Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in New York's Hudson Valley (800/647-2624, rhranch.com) costs just a little more. Visit in winter for fun in the snow. 

9. Safe white-water rafting

On river-based trips, you'll also have the chance to hike, fish, or play volleyball on the shore. Experienced river guides lead expeditions through wilderness areas that can be as big as Rhode Island. Even better, they plan the meals and help entertain the kids. Go for a few days or a week. Dvorak's Expeditions in Nathrop, Colorado (800/824-3795, dvorakexpeditions.com), offers some western river trips where kids go free (adult prices start at $950 for five-to-seven-day trips) and other four-day family trips priced by the number of people. Northern Outdoors, with two resort centers in Maine (800/765-7238, www.northernoutdoors.com), gives families a chance to kayak, rock climb, and raft. Family overnights, which include two days of rafting on the Kennebec River, camping, and all meals, average about $200 per person. 

10. Family RV-ing

Parents who don't enjoy camping can still get up close and personal with nature by choosing to travel in an RV, staying in national and state parks across the country. The kids will love the chance to make new friends at campgrounds. Figure on paying $1,000 or more to rent a motor home for the week, plus about $22 a night for campground fees. Find coast-to-coast rental outlets at gorving.com. The largest national rental chain is Cruise America (800/327-7799, cruiseamerica.com).