Enjoy some fresh air during a family day at the park. The following activities are perfect for the park and are enjoyable for the entire family. Hazelview’s Ottawa community is close to gorgeous parks and scenery, making it the perfect family-friendly location.
Classic Playground Fun
Before we get into more creative playtime activities, let’s not forget the traditional playground in most parks. The playground provides a great arena for kids to have fun, burn off some steam and get some exercise. They are also a useful (and free) tool for building strength, agility and even social skills. Kids love the rope nets and mini obstacle courses featured in many modern-day parks, as well as the giant slides, monkey bars, swings and more. Make sure to pack some sunscreen, snacks and juice boxes before heading to the playground.
Play Ball
Many community parks feature tennis courts, soccer fields and even baseball diamonds. An open field provides the perfect place to practice kicking around the soccer ball or to have a fun game of catch. Whether you and your family prefer to have a casual game of Frisbee toss or engage in an all out competitive soccer battle, the park provides the perfect vehicle to enjoy family activity together. Major’s Hill Park is less than a 20-minute walk from Hazelview’s 146 Stewart Street community and is one of the Capital’s main parks. It features over five hectares of parkland including some of the best lookouts in the city, large stately trees, rolling lawns and gorgeous pathways.
Scavenger Hunt
Give your little ones a list of cool things to find at the park and turn your afternoon into a fun scavenger hunt. You can customize the list for your favourite park or create a general list of things that can be found in most parks. For example, try a ‘colour’ scavenger hunt where they have to find an object for each colour of the rainbow and record it. Be sure to provide small bags to collect the items and a pencil to check things off the list as they are discovered.
Fly a Kite
For breezier park days why not try your hand at kite flying? This is a family-friendly activity that everyone can get involved with. Children who are too small to fly the kite itself can still participate by having fun chasing its movements and helping older siblings hold the string. Learning to fly a kite is a challenging yet rewarding bonding experience for people of all ages. Best of all, kites are inexpensive and can be used in almost any open space on a windy day. Fly your kite at Heron Park, located less than a 15-minute transit ride from our 2840 Baycrest Drive community.
Put the videogames and TV remote down and enjoy some real-life fun in the fresh air. Even if your budget’s tight, a day of activities at one of Ottawa’s beautiful parks is a cost-effective way to have some active family fun on a beautiful sunny day.