At the northern tip of Hartford County, you'll find a pastoral oasis: the towns of Granby, East Granby, West Granby and North Granby. Their rolling hills and dense woods make for some of the best hiking in the county, and an abundance of farms offer exciting and delicious experiences for children of all ages. Whenever my family craves a break from city noise and concrete buildings, we head to one of the Granby towns where tranquility and open vistas await, Spring, Summer, or Fall! Without further ado and in no particular order, here are our top 10 favorite stops in the area:

When my kids wanted a fun place to visit, they rarely (okay, never) asked: “Can we go to Torrington?” But that has changed since our first visit to KidsPlay, a children’s museum located downtown in Litchfield County’s largest city. After just one visit, KidsPlay became a favorite destination, and these days, the museum is better than ever after a recently completed expansion that doubled the square footage and play space. From the moment you enter through its doors (monitored by security cameras), the amount of creativity and fun details will leave you impressed and little adventurers giddy. The museum is designed for ages 2-8, and without a doubt, the persons behind its establishment know what makes children happy and how they learn best through play.

Sprawled on 120 acres in Bloomfield, Auerfarm is a pastoral oasis in the Hartford area. From the moment you turn on the dirt road, you feel the freedom and peace of farm life. Children will be more than happy to explore for a couple of hours, romping in meadows, spotting dragonflies, and greeting farm animals.