If you drive past your neighborhood park tomorrow, you will likely notice more activity than is typical. In fact, families picnicking while watching an outdoor movie, family-friendly concerts and even Civil War era games will be sponsored by cities from coast to coast.
Saturday, May 19 is National Kids to Parks Day. The National Park Service and the National Park Trust started the event last year. The mission is to encourage families to bring their children to national, state, and local parks.
During 2011’s Kids to Parks Day, almost 200 mayors signed on board and hosted events in their towns. Additionally, more than 15,000 families headed to parks that day. This year, 71,200 have already pledge to visit a park for the event!
The day is a great reminder that parks are a wonderful gift to the public. They provide a place to play and explore nature. Whether this is simply playing on a swingset or it is rafting a river, these are important outdoor experiences for kids.
Whether you take a hike in a national park or just enjoy the festivities in your local city park, use your Saturday to enjoy these outdoor spaces! To see what events are taking place in your area, look here.
