How to Have Fun and Relax When Touring College Campuses

Believe it or not, that baby boy or girl you seemingly brought home from the hospital only yesterday is now a senior in high school. Your college-bound teen is excited to tour several campuses around the country, and you have been busy making plane and hotel reservations and contacting the admissions offices to see about visiting each university.

While most colleges have organized tours of the classrooms, dorms and will tell you all about their educational programs, majors and extracurricular activities and clubs, you also want to have some fun while you are visiting each campus. Plus, you and your teen will probably be a bit overwhelmed by all of the school related info and will need a way to unwind. To enjoy some downtime when visiting universities, consider the following ideas:

Give an Escape Game a Try

If the University of Kansas in Kansas City or another area college is on your list of campuses to tour, be sure to set aside some time to check out Tick Tock Escape games on College Blvd. in Overland Park. The facility, which is near the Metcalf region of Overland Park, offers creative escape rooms that require you and your family to use your wits and concentration to get out. For instance, the Pyramid Paradox is an Egyptian Pyramid game that includes plenty of special effects, sound and technology that will make you feel like you are in a movie. After a long day of walking around the campus, working together with your teen to figure out how to beat the clock and escape from the room is a great way to wind down.

Climb a Wall or Shoot Lasers at Each Other

If you are in Eugene, Oregon checking out the University of Oregon, you may get to experience some of the rain the city is famous for. After a day of dodging downpours during the campus tour, you and your teen might be ready to burn off some energy in an indoor location. If you have always wanted to give rock climbing a try, head to Crux Rock — they offer day rates and instruction for people who are rock climbing newbies. Another great indoor activity that would be a fun way to spend your downtime is laser tag; Eugene is home to the Paintball Palace, which has a great laser tag room and affordable admission prices — this is good news, considering how much you’ll be paying for airfare, hotel and a rented car. If you are in the mood, you can also give indoor paintball a try there or, if the weather is cooperating, you could experience the outdoor paintball area.

Immerse Yourself in College Life

Getting to know a college requires more than going to information sessions and formal tours. Whether you are at UCLA, Boston College, BYU or Florida State, spend some of your downtime living as a typical college student. Eat in the student union or dining hall and see if you can sit in on a practice session with the football team or dance club. Check out bulletin boards in the student center — yes, they still exist and are rich sources of local flavor — and choose a few events that interest your teen. This can include student-run theater productions, art shows, music performances and more. In addition to relaxing at these events, you and your college-bound kiddo will be able to determine from their attendance if these are popular activities in the area, and if your teen will quickly feel right at home on campus.