Scoop: Dude Ranches, An All-Inclusive Family Vacation that Does the Planning for You!

Family vacays are always a blast, but we sometimes forget how stressful planning them can be! If you’re looking for a vacation that does the detailed planning for you, check out the Dude Ranchers’ Association, offering all-inclusive vacations at over 95 dude ranches in the Western US and Canada.

Meals, lodging, and most activities are included in one price for each person at the ranch. Picky eaters in your family? No worries, dude ranches have you covered with professionally trained chefs who accommodate special dietary needs. Several ranches also operate farm-to-table food programs and offer the freshest ingredients around. And parents, you’ll love this part: there’s no clean up!

Dude ranches have something for everyone. Activities include fly fishing, kid’s programs, river rafting, rock climbing, golf, mountain biking, zip lining, hiking and more. Known for their scenic, beautiful mountains, you’ll breathe lots of fresh air and catch plenty of sunshine while you’re having fun with your family at the ranch. And mom and dad, if you want to spend some alone time, kid’s counselors make that easy with a full day of activities for kiddos to play games and explore the outdoors with each other.

Lodging accommodations differ at each ranch, but they all have the same comfy and homey feeling. And with an average of 30 guests per week, no need to worry about crowds or lines. Did we mention that cell service and WiFi are limited? That means a screen-free environment that we are in full support of!

The hardest part of planning your dude ranch vacation is simply choosing which ranch to go to. Here are our top picks for family-friendly vacays:

Mountain Sky Guest Ranch- Emigrant, MT: Nobody misses out on the fun at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch with a special kid’s program for ages 6 and under, featuring horseback rides, scavenger hunts, and arts & crafts. Little ones can eat at the buffet-style dinner with the classic kiddie foods (which, let’s admit, we all love!), and then join counselors for campfire cookouts, hay rides, and more games.

Red Rock Ranch – Kelly, WY: A horseback riding centered ranch, Red Rock Ranch invites kids ages 6 and older to learn the joys of horseback riding while parents take up square dancing or fly-fishing. We’re also obsessed with the baked goods here!

Marble Mountain Ranch – Somes Bar, CA: Take your vacay to the West Coast at Marble Mountain Ranch. This kid programming really encourages parents to get involved. The kid’s program includes feeding small animals, harvesting chicken eggs, campfires, and more. Create the family vacation you want at the ranch.

To get started, find a ranch that catches your interest. Want to learn more? Check out the Dude Ranchers’ Association blog and contact their office today!

Scoops are sponsored posts from carefully chosen New York Family Partners. Working with sponsors helps to keep our quality content free for our readers.

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

Super Soccer Stars

Soccer Stars is New York&rsquo;s most popular youth educational soccer program! With 24 years of experience under our cleats, we have positively impacted over one million kids in our local community by putting the FUN in FUNdamentals in our weekly classes and camps. At Soccer Stars, we use the soccer ball as a vehicle to help children not only improve their soccer skills, but develop self-confidence and physical literacy, improve gross motor skills, build teamwork, and hone socialization skills. Our highly trained coaches and early childhood experts lead an age-specific curriculum with a low kid-to-coach ratio so every child gets individual attention and can grow at their own pace. Kids ages 1-12+ can join our seasonal programs, including Parent &amp; Me, FUNdamentals, Development Training, and Travel Soccer. Join us at one of over 80 locations in neighborhoods across across Westchester County, Connecticut and New York, available 7 days-a-week: Connecticut: <ul> <li>Cos Cob</li> <li>Greenwich</li> <li>Port Chester</li> </ul> &nbsp; Westchester: <ul> <li>Briarcliff</li> <li>Eastchester</li> <li>Mt. Kisco</li> <li>New Rochelle</li> <li>Ridgefield</li> <li>Scarsdale</li> <li>White Plains</li> </ul> &nbsp; New York City: <ul> <li>Bronx</li> <li>Inwood</li> <li>Upper West Side</li> <li>Upper East Side</li> </ul> &nbsp; Can&rsquo;t find a class or location that fits your schedule? Soccer Stars also offers private classes for small groups or individual training. Let our coaches come to you with a completely customizable program, anytime, anywhere. Birthday parties are also available!&nbsp;

Chickenshed NYC

Chickenshed is an inclusive theatre company that began in the UK in 1974. Chickenshed NYC is a young organization bringing that same ethos and unique methodology to the USA. Chickenshed&rsquo;s mission is to create entertaining and outstanding theatre that celebrates diversity and inspires positive change. Chickenshed's model of Inclusive Theatre is based in the belief that everyone can flourish when everyone is included. At Chickenshed everyone is welcome, everyone is valued, and together we produce remarkable theatre. We want to break down barriers between people to create a world without labels and where differences no longer divide. At Chickenshed, support is given to those who need it, and given by those who can . We believe that creative activities, self-expression and performance should be available to anyone who has the desire, no matter their background or circumstances. We know that when everyone has the opportunity to shine, amazing things happen. Chickenshed NYC provides programming for little ones, children and youth through semester-long activities and performances.