Park Passports: Summer Staycation Idea for Families

This summer has us staying close to home, with a fairly unchanged routine. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy plenty of fun in the sun and summer adventure. We’re on a mission to be tourists in our own town…

Today we’ve teamed up with Banana Boat® and Walmart to make sure this summer adventure is extra fun. Because I know we will be busy I am keeping this “staycation” idea easy to execute – find and visit 5 new parks; on its own this might seem “ho hum” but with a little drama and a few props you can really play up the adventure!

Park Passports: Summer Staycation Idea for Families

A good adventure starts with a little planning so I am putting together an adventure kit to ensure we are ready to go when opportunities arise:

• Homemade binoculars – toilet paper tubes + yarn
• Park passports –  Enter your info below to get your park passport printable.

 (or make your own with several sheets paper folded and stapled)

Colored pencils, markers and stamps – we will be leaving our kit in the car so no crayons

Books – summer or adventure themed

Sunscreen and hats- I buy several bottles of sunscreen so I can keep some not only in our adventure kit but also by the back door and in the medicine cabinet; I like Banana Boat® KidsTM because it’s tear free and Ultra Defense LotionTM for myself because it doesn’t feel heavy or greasy.

Map of your city – you can mark where the parks are located either ahead of time or as you visit each one

Planning an adventure is half the fun so we will be asking around for recommendations and doing some research to look for parks we haven’t been to before. Even if you have lived in the same city for a long time there are likely pocket parks or neighborhood parks that will be new to you; don’t discount parks without play structures as there is plenty of fun to be had exploring and climbing without a traditional playground. We have our supplies, we have our plan, we’re ready for adventure!

Tips for making this staycation idea really successful.

• Use the binoculars to scout out interesting and unique features of the park.
• On days that you end up at the park on the spur of the moment, start your adventure with a book in a shady spot so that you can apply Banana Boat® sunscreen and then read a few stories. Although it can be hard to wait, sunscreen is meant to be applied 30 minutes BEFORE playing in the sun. (This also works great for reapplying sunscreen every 2 hours and gives kids a reason to take a break from the hard work of play).
• After playing on the playground (if there is one) but before leaving the park add a stamp to your passport, draw your favorite feature or a map, give a rating and short review of the park.

My hope is that by the end of the summer we will have not only had five awesome adventures but we will have also created a fun little book that we can use to reminisce about our summer staycation!

Have you toured the parks in your area?

Lorien Van Ness is the mother of four children ranging in age from toddler to tween, as well as, a freelance writer and regular contributor at Creative with Kids and Hands On As We Grow. Having worked with children from birth through adolescence in a professional capacity for more than 10 years, she enjoys helping families create meaningful experiences that foster strong relationships. She grabs any free moment she can to write about life, parenting, and everything in between.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Banana Boat® . The opinions and text are all mine.