Unless you’re hiding under a rock, you’ve likely seen the headlines and reports that getting outside and into nature is good for us… and if you’re under a rock, then getting outside is the least of your problems.

This past fall, we did a mini-series sharing ideas, big and small, for getting outside. Our first post shared a few ideas for getting outside at every energy and adventure level. Sarah followed-up with suggestions for week-day doses of outside time. We also wrote another post that suggested taking advantage of the awesome national and state park programs.

Today we’re encouraging you to create your own park adventure…

In Getting Outside : Kids Edition, I suggested setting a park goal. It could be something like visiting all of the parks in town over a given season. Today I wanted to focus on this goal, because it’s so amazingly simple yet gratifying, and it’s the perfect goal for kids and adults alike. But your targets may be different: they may be looking for playgrounds and splash pads, while you’re looking for peaceful oasis or hiking trails.

1. Outline your target geographic area : it may be your city limits, county limits, or some other defined area
2. List the parks within that area : this step can be a bit challenging, but also a lot of fun; it’s where you really start to learn about your area! Your city or county may provide a list of parks on their website. If not, start looking at maps. Google maps is a great resource; parks will show up as green areas within the map… but so will cemeteries. Do a simple Google search such as “Denver parks with playgrounds” or “Pennsylvania state parks”.
3. Determine a deadline : what fun is this project if it’s too open-ended? We decided to visit the 40-some parks with playgrounds within Boulder within 1 year. If you only have a handful of parks, maybe you’ll visit them all within a month? If you’re driving all over the county, maybe you’ll spread your visits out and only hit a couple a month?
4. Have fun, document your adventures, and celebrate when you reach the finish line!

The boys and I loved this project! They would often request visiting a new park, and with their encouragement, we’d check another park off the list. Personally, I loved this project because it was such a great excuse to explore every neighborhood of Boulder.

Admittedly, I don’t remember EVERY park by name, but a quick look at the map jogs my memory… and now we’re working on our top 10 list of Boulder parks. Shoes not required.