Celebrate Kids to Parks Day in Southern Minnesota

This Saturday, May 20, is National Kids in Parks Day and according to the National Park Trust website, "Kids to Parks™ Day is a national day of outdoor play organized by National Park Trust in cooperation with 30 national collaborators." There are millions of acres of national parks, ancient forests, snow-capped mountains and clear blue lakes to explore and National Kids in Parks Day is a good way to expose your children to the great outdoors.

I spent most of my childhood summers exploring the national and state parks of Minnesota as well as the surrounding states. I, in turn, tried to give a lot of those same experiences to my own children, expanding our travels well past the states I had seen as a child. My grown children now also enjoy experience what our park system has to offer and one of my sons actually works outdoors for the Forest Service.

One of the local events is Party in the Park at Manthey Park in Owatonna this Saturday from 11AM to 1PM. At this free event, enjoy activities such as a bounce house, nature hunt bingo or pickleball. Purchase lunch and treats from the Papa Murphy's Pizza and Kona Ice.

I hope to see you out and about enjoying the day with your kids or grandkids during the seventh annual Kids to Parks Day this Saturday, May 20.