5 Fun Activities for Kids to do at the Park

Every once in a while, on weekends, we take a trip to the nearby play park with the kids. The kids are happy enjoying all the swings and the slides. There is so much space to run about and get silly as there can never be at home. I love to mix up some creative and educational fun to make the most of our time at the park. These fun activities for kids help sharpen their sensory organs and take in more of their beautiful surroundings.

Make Park Visits a Must

Easier said than done – I know! When we only had my eldest daughter, we used to go to the park every morning and let her run about and enjoy. By the time my son was born, we were busy sending off the first one to school. Park visits were very rare. But by the time we had our third child, we had begun to get a very good hang of this game called ‘parenting’. We fixed most weekends, more or less, as park mornings. These are mornings of fun and fitness for the entire family.

Let the kids enjoy the rides to the fullest. And when they are done, try some of these activities for kids to prolong the park fun. You will end up spending a lot of quality time with your kids and educate them about the environment too!

1. Active Games

The concrete jungles that we live in, barely allow us to move our hands and feet, let alone stretch them. When at the park, let the kids run about wild. My kids love to play together and we also, occasionally take their friends along. Some interesting activities that make full use of the park space are:

1. Race
2. Lemon and Spoon Race
3. Bunny Hop Race
4. One Legged Race (I joined in once … and fell down…but we all had a good laugh!)
5. Cartwheels (This is the place to practice them!)

2. Insect/Animal Spotting

Assign the kids a task. They have to spot 5-10 different insects or animals from within the park. You are likely to spot:

1. Cats
2. Spiders
3. Ants
4. Butterflies
5. Dogs
6. Dragonflies
7. Earthworms
8. Worms
9. Centipedes/Millipedes
10. Bugs
11. Mongoose

3. Leaf Spotting Activity

While taking a walk around the park, ask the kids to point out to you 20 (or more) different types of leaves. Your kids are sure to be surprised how easily they can spot so many different types of leaves. They would likely never have noticed so many types exist! It is very easy to take in a view of greenery. But when you look closely, you realize how many different types come together to create this greenscape.

4. Flowers/Colors Spotting Game

Throw a challenge for the kids. Pick a color and ask them to spot something in that color. Do this for as many colors as you can spot around the park. You can also do this game the other way around and have the kids ask you to spot something!

The most colorful things in a park are flowers, so most of the answers will be around spotting flowers. But you can also find colorful butterflies, waste bins, swings, benches etc.

5. Bird Spotting Activity

Get the kids to know some more about the nature that surrounds them. When in the park, and on the way to and from the park, ask them to spot 5 different birds. We are surrounded by so many different birds and yet, we never realize. When I was first introduced to the world of bird spotting, I wasn’t able to spot any. Now, I see point out so many different types of birds right within the city that it surprises my friends.

Some birds you are likely to spot in most cities in India are:

1. Sparrow
2. Myna
3. Bulbul
4. Crow
5. Black Drongo
6. Kingfishers
7. Seven Sisters
8. Sun Birds
9. Egrets
10. Robin (both Indian and Oriental)
11. Pigeons
12. Doves

If you look really hard, you may also be able to spot a rare one! Even if you cannot identify a bird, it is okay. The point is to become more aware of the nature around you. You can later look up the bird on the internet among the common birds in your area. You can also carry a mini bird chart so the kids can compare and recognize them easily.