PARK ACTIVITIES
Can you ever be too young or too old for a picnic? Grab a basket and blanket for a lazy, languid feast on a grassy park lawn. Or load some hearty fare into a backpack and hike to the perfect spot near a waterfall or to a peak with an endless view. If you're heading to a park with a lake or pond, take along some extra bread to feed the ducks.
HAVE A PICNIC
PLAY BALL
Many community parks have tennis courts and fields for soccer and baseball. They offer leagues for organized sports, but you don't have to be on a team to enjoy playing around with a ball. An open field is a great place to practice kicking around the soccer ball or have a game of catch. Show up with a ball and you just might find enough willing players for a pick-up game.
A scavenger hunt is a great way to explore numerous areas of a park in a relatively short time. Make a list of things you would find at your particular park, and divide your group into teams. Give each team a list and a bag to collect items. Include supplies like a camera if challengers need to prove they climbed to the top if a hill, or paper and a pencil to take a rubbing if they have to find a particular statue. Finally, determine a place to meet after gathering all the items on the list. The first team back with everything on the list wins. Prizes can be a free pass on cleaning rooms or the winner's pick for dessert. Conversely, the losing team might have to do something for the winners, like cook dinner.
Parks cater to families and often host fairs, carnivals and special events to get your attention. The activities depend a lot on the type of park. Look for carnivals with games, races and inflatable play objects at community parks. Turn to state and national parks for events that introduce you and your kids to outdoor and high-adventure sports like orienteering, archery, fishing and canoeing. Holidays are big events for parks, too. They offer activities like Easter egg hunts, winter wonderlands, parades and firework displays.
SCAVENGER HUNT
SPECIAL EVENTS
