Tips for a good visit to the park

Tips for a good visit to the park:

Whether you walk or drive, make sure to bring water. Kids will get thirsty from running around and so will you. Even if you think it is going to be a quick stop, it is always smart to pack some.

Make sure to lather up with sunscreen! Even if there is no sun, kids (and you) can still get sunburnt.

Wear appropriate clothes. If it is supposed to be hot, don't bring extra stuff that can get lost at the park. same thing in the cold make sure to dress warmly enough but not too hot. And watch what shoes you wear, my boys wore socks and sneakers and took them off when their feet got hot- this could have been a big loss for us if we had left them at the park.

If your kids like basketball, bring one with you. Some parks have basketball hoops and you and your kids might wish you had brought one to play with for a while when the playground equipment gets boring.

Make sure to go to the bathroom before leaving the house. All parks should have a public restroom, but don't always. It might be a good idea to know where the nearest convenience store is in case a bathroom is out of order or one is not available at the park.

Know where the closest emergency room is in case your child gets hurt while at the park. This way you don't have to waste time driving around trying to find one if someone gets hurt while playing.

No matter how tempting it is for kids to bring favorite toys to the park, it is always a good idea to leave the toys at home. It is just another thing that can get lost or left at the park and cause a meltdown later.

An idea for fun at the park is to buy a cheap bag of army men or other small toys like dinosaurs. While the kids are playing bury them in one area of the sandpit/rocks and have the kids dig around to see if they can find them. If they don't find them all, the next kids who like to dig can find them.

Try to choose different parks in your area to go play at so the kids don't get bored with going to one park all the time.