by Angel Stansbury

I am always trying to find new places to take my kids and ideas for things to do with them for some summer fun. Sometimes it’s difficult to think outside our routines, so we thought we’d share a few of our favorites for outdoor activities with you.

The Niekamp Park in St. Martins has a few alluring features if you are looking for a local community park. The merry-go-round was always a favorite on the playground when I was little. There doesn’t seem to be very many parks that still have one though. Niekamp Park does have a merry-go-round, great for inspiring nostalgia for parents and dizzying fun for kids. This park also has a lot of shade that is perfect for an afternoon picnic.

I live very close to the Ellis-Porter Riverside Park in Jefferson City, so I visit often and walk the paved walking trails through the rolling park. When my kids were little they played there often on warm days on the “little kids” playset, then eventually they graduated to the bigger play area. There are plenty of benches to sit around and watch as the children play, and they of course have a pavilion and many picnic tables with shade. I read recently that the Jefferson City Master Gardener’s Club is planning a garden area around the portion of the park above the amphitheater – which would make it perfect for enjoying while walking the trails. I am very excited to see how beautiful it turns out. My kids and I enjoy going to the pool here as well. The pool is kept nice and is big enough that even when busy everyone can enjoy. The little amphitheater got upgraded in a big way recently and is now the Capital Region MU Health Center Amphitheater and is going to be hosting many live concerts this summer with some pretty big names included. It may be a little biased because this one is so close to me, but it is definitely my favorite park.

Hibernia Station Park is a nice little park in Holts Summit that is quiet and relaxing. One of the best features of this park are the sprawling walking trails that extend into the large Greenway City Park, which has three ballfields.

If you’re looking for a place for the kids to burn some energy and cool off in a waterpark, Splash Pad in Fulton is a great choice. Kristina told me about this park and I’m excited to take my kiddos for the afternoon. Kristina used to take a car-full of kids and Gavin to Splashpad for a day of outside entertainment.

Rockbridge State Park is full of natural beauty. This park has a large cave system, along with a “rock bridge” giving the park its name. The Devil’s Icebox is also a feature at this park with its underground spring and creek.

Along the way to this park, you can stop by Strawberry Hill Farm to pick up some beautiful potted plants to take home. There are also two horse riding farms with trails on the same stretch of road. Payten is going to a summer camp at one of them this year – an exciting place for anyone who loves animals and the outdoors.

If you’re looking for something to do in the comfort of your backyard, I have a couple ideas on that too. Kristina once set up her yard into quadrants and teamed up Gavin and his friends for a classic game of capture the flag. She even painted rocks gold and hid them throughout the yard as “Minecraft gold”. Of course the main goal was still to protect their own flag and to capture their opposing teams, but it added an element of something else the kids love in their game-play. For an added surprise, she had the kids’ older cousins hide in bushes lining the yard; they would whisper to the players and grab their arms as they wondered by unsuspecting.

I am also planning a massive NERF war in my back yard this summer. I’ve always loved playing with NERF toys with the kids and I thought why not make a battleground in the backyard? We have lots of NERFs accumulated through the past few years, and almost every one of the kids’ friends has their own collection. I’ve ordered a pack of 1,000 NERF darts on Amazon and plan to set them up in baskets at designated reload stations around the yard. Outdoor cushions and maybe some hay bails will serve as obstacles and cover positions. Its going to be EPIC! I know the kids will love it and we will all be worn out afterwards.

I hope you have some new ideas to start the summer with some family fun in the sun!

Summer Family Fun

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