• Places for young people to visit can be local as well as a day trip away.young people on the evening image by Galyna Andrushko from Fotolia.com
  
  There are few excuses for today's young people to hang around getting bored, since there are plenty of places out there---both on a local level and nationally---that cater to entertaining kids. While some of these are fun places to visit as part of an occasional family or school outing; others are home to clubs and organizations looking to involve kids on a regular basis and for little cost.
  
  

Youth Centers

• Many towns have youth centers, typically run by teams of volunteers and costing very little for young people to join. Each week, youth centers run activities for young people to get involved in, such as games of soccer or video game tournaments, through to movie watching and sometimes even just getting a takeout meal together. The appeal of the youth center is that it's somewhere safe for youngsters to socialize with their friends. Parents are reassured to know that adults are on hand to monitor their kids during youth center activities.
  
  

Zoos

• For young people who like animals, there are few places better to go than zoos, where kids can come face to face with a huge variety of beasts, from reptiles to creepy crawlies, and big game animals to exotic birds. Many zoos run activities for young people, too, such as treasure hunts where individuals are challenged to find facts hidden around the zoo, or talks held by expert zookeepers. There are zoos around the world; in the U.S., examples include Lowry Park, Tampa, which offers opportunities for youngsters to feed stingrays, and the Los Angeles Zoo, which is host to over 250 species of animals.
  
  

Theme Parks

• Theme parks offer thrills and wonders to young people that can't easily be recreated elsewhere. From white-knuckle roller-coasters that career around a track, to terrifying haunted houses, theme parks typically offer a wide variety of attractions, split into themed zones. According to the MSN website, there are some 400 theme parks in the U.S., from Walt Disney World, where youngsters can meet their heroes from classics such as "Aladdin" and "The Lion King," to Universal Studios, Hollywood, with its studio tour and 3-D experiences.
  
  

Martial Arts Classes

• The umbrella term martial arts includes a wealth of ancient traditions, from the very physical judo to the multiple varieties of karate. Not only do martial arts classes---typically held at local sports centers or community buildings---provide a place for young people to make new friends and learn some useful self-defense skills, they also have health benefits. Young people will often find that their self-confidence develops, as suggested by the Blackpool Karate website, while their physical fitness increases.