Spending Time as a Family at a Local Park

We live in the suburbs of a medium-sized city. We’re fortunate that in our township and county we have a dozen or so parks that we can visit. All of them are free and most are open year-round. Every month we try to visit one of the local parks as a family for some outside fun activities. Here’s a partial list of things you can enjoy at a local park:

Walking
Hiking Nature Trails
Tennis
Basketball
Volleyball
Playgrounds
Softball
Raquetball
Picnic Lunches
Some have Dog Parks
etc.

The parks we visit have picnic tables so we always take along a brown bag lunch for everyone to enjoy. Several of them have picnic tables underneath covered Pavilions. When we visit those parks we often take along games or craft activities for us to enjoy together. Example: Painting, Card Games, Board Games, Block Building, etc.

Here are a few tips for when you’re visiting a local park:

Know the parks hours. Most are open sunrise to sunset.
Bring insect repellent and use it!
Apply sunscreen.
Bring your own bottled water, avoid drinking from public fountains.
Wear appropriate clothing for the season.
Wear comfortable walking shoes.
Bring along a cellphone for emergencies.
Keep a close eye on your kids! Predators sometimes lurk at public parks!!!

It’s important to spend time together as a family and during the nice weather days of the year…take advantage of the weather and get outside! It’s great for family bonding, exercise and fresh air. The benefits are numerous!