When last in New York City my son and I took the subway to Brooklyn and walked back again via the Brooklyn Bridge. It was so lovely to see the city from afar without hinderance from buildings. Over the water we saw too much to take it all in. I wanted the walk to last for ever. And I saw other bridges that could have been included. I wondered if it was possible to do a 'Three Bridge Walk'? It turns out someone else invented this already. New York's Skyline Three Bridge Walk covers the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges in one day and takes five hours. As a family we may not be that ambitious but the idea stuck. Now back in our home city my mind often drifts back to our fabulous walk and a new family adventure begins to form in my creative mind.

Being a busy working mom with kids means my quality time for them is always being planned to avoid waste of time or disappointment. My bucket list now has a Three-Bridges Walk listed and it is one anyone can create in their own home town or city. Of course a river, canal or lake would be essential but most places are able to supply this. And remember that bridges can be over railway lines, streams and roads too, to name but a few. These walks are suitable as daytime routes only and routes can be walked in either direction. This is the Kid Friendly Venue recommendation with five stars. It has so many advantages.

It is a path to health. Try to make your planned route to be about three to four kilometers in distance. This means thirty minutes of physical activity that can be of huge benefit to everyone. The completed route will follow the shape of the number '8' as you cross via bridges in a 'S' and then loop back home again . It can give you and your kids a great sense of achievement too as they end with glowing cheeks and warm hands, as well as extra knowledge, awareness and impressions.

All ages and of all abilities can participate. Bicycles and scooters can be fun if there are marked laneways to safely use. As the cycleway weaves its way following the water's edge you may have signposts to follow. Many a training or aspiring marathon runner will use the same paths and caution is needed to avoid accidental near-misses. But otherwise this three-bridge walk will be as kid friendly as you could wish for as the busy traffic of cars and trucks remains in the distance and no bother to you and your family.

For the artist in everyone, street art always makes an impression. Spray paint artists add their creative color to the nearby bridge arches and commercial buildings. Marinas and quays with their bobbing boats moving to the rhythm of the wave enthrall our sense of adventure, and the fishermen and birdwatchers who dot the waterfront will trigger a look by you and your kids down into the depths of the water or into the limitless sky. Canoes are counted and watched as they race each other. Who will be the winner? A mini competition amongst your family can be fun.

Perhaps, like us, you are visiting a new city or town. If time is of the essence, a Three-Bridges route is an excellent way to get a sense of the city. Walking its waterfront boardwalks and paths you can begin somewhere like a park and follow a route along the banks of its river that will bring you past some of the city's most iconic landmarks in a looped route that ends where it begins (at the ice cream vendor at the entrance to the park perhaps?!) You will be walking in the heart of the community and may see historical buildings, sculpture and name plates that intrigues the young mind of a child just as much as for an adult. The bridges often are named after a local celebrity. What's the story behind the name? Find out and make your children guess!

Maybe your three-bridge walk will bring you in view of docks and ships. Big monsters that rule the waves. Where do they go? Bring up a map of the world on your phone and show the kids how we are one world, all connected.

Conservation of our waters, be it river, canal or lake, is so important to us all. Being physically near the water's edge allows us to criticize pollution, neglect and climate-change water levels. But on the positive side we see swans and their cygnets, flower baskets and gorgeous trees.

So for this mom-to-mom blog I wish you all the inspiration to create your own three-bridge walk. Kid Friendly Venues app on this website has a category 'Family Adventures' that list parks in thousands of cities across America. Use the location and distance facilities to find your own starting point for a city or town walk using bridges as your guide. Bring your dog along; bring your camera and let your route lead you to a new kid-friendly-venue favorite.