5 Favorite Park Activities for Kids to Parks Day

Have you heard of Kids to Parks Day? It’s a nationwide day of outdoor play organized by National Park Trust, a non-profit organization working to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. This year’s Kids to Parks Day will be held on Saturday May 16 at local and national parks all over the U.S.

Now in its fifth year, the Kids to Parks Day event encourages families to explore neighborhood parks and discover science, history, nature and adventure near home. Last year, some 447,000 people participated!

Help National Park Trust reach this year’s goal of 500,000 pledges for Kids to Parks Day – and be entered to win a Nikon camera while you’re at it! Take the pledge and be counted. You don’t have to join a special event – just take the pledge and then take your child to a park on May 16.

We love exploring parks, especially state and national parks. If you’re wondering what’s fun to do once you get there, here are some ideas contributed by readers of this blog, along with a couple of my own. Make sure you read through to the end – we’ve got a little giveaway of our own right here!

5 Favorite Park Activities for Families

1. Take a hike.

My favorite park activity is walking/hiking and taking in the views! -Allison

We love to take “themed” hikes… looking for items with certain colors or textures for example. -Angela

2. Stop in at a Visitor’s Center.

National Park Visitor Centers are a great place to get an overview of the park, plan your activities and learn more about the area and its inhabitants. This is the perfect spot to ask questions about how your family can best enjoy your time there.

3. Enjoy a picnic.

When we visit state and national parks, we almost always pack picnics. Whether you’re on the trail, at a campsite or along a river, it’s one of the simplest ways to take in the park’s unique features. Do some cloud watching, listen to the birds chatter, or just feel the grass, dirt or water on your feet.

4. Participate in the Junior Ranger program.

Just as Debi likes the Jr. Ranger Programs with her boys, we do too! Here are tips I compiled on enjoying the Junior Ranger program. -Carla

Our favorite activities are the junior ranger activities for the kids and hiking for all of us. -Catherine

Our favorite park activity is hiking and participating in the National Park Service’s Junior Ranger program.  It’s a wonderful interactive program that helps kids learn more about the unique beauty of each park. -Krista

5. Play and explore.

We have two boys (almost 3 & almost 5) & their favorite park activity is digging.  They love bringing their big shovels & dump trucks & get totally immersed. – Andrea

My favorite thing to do is walk slowly/calmly admiring the scenery and finding out what things are or if I already know, sharing my knowledge with my daughter. My daughter’s favorite thing to do is run, twirl, prance or anything similar and hopefully finding a slide. -Melissa

My personal favorite park activity is lying on my back soaking up some much needed vitamin D and watching the clouds move and change while my Bella entertains herself without my participation or coaxing … for a change. -Sophia

BUDDY BISON PRIZE PACKAGE ($75 value, prizes will be mailed from the National Parks Trust office):

• “Buddy Bison” mascot stuffed animal,
• 2 National Geographic Books (National Geographic Secrets of the National Parks and National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide U.S.A.),
• a CamelBak BPA- and BPS-free reusable bottle,
• a T-shirt,
• and a NPT Park Activity Guide.