July is National Park and Recreation Month!!!

July is national Park and Recreation Month and your local parks are encouraging everyone to come out this month and experience all the wonderful aspects of parks and recreation.  Nationwide, recreation departments have organized events and activities to help families spend quality time together, enjoy nature and get active. This provides a great opportunity to not only make the most of the beautiful weather, but also to take a stand against the obesity epidemic and technology trends that consistently keep more kids indoors and living less active lifestyles.

As part of Park and Recreation Month, the National Recreation and Park Association is encouraging everyone to show the love for local parks and recreation and wants everyone to answer the question, "I Love my Parks and Recreation Because..." They have a fill in the blank social media poster that can be filled in and shared, and a fun month-long weekly photo contest that encourages everyone to show and share the LOVE for local parks!The NRPA website includes information on all of the above initiatives, free downloadable resources as well as a calendar of events scheduled nationwide.

With kids out of school, the vacation celebration includes bouncing off the walls and fighting over the TV, tablet and computer screen.  Think about your summer days as a kid - spending time outside hunting for salamanders, playing kickball with neighborhood friends, exploring the trails and woods, fun summer camp days at your local rec center, and swimming until your fingers shriveled. Many of us have so many happy memories from summertime and want our children to have those same experiences too.


While we can always tell them of the fun we had as kids, it is so much better to show them. And you know what, you don't have to go far to have these enriching experiences that make lasting memories - you just have to head to your local parks and recreation. There are great places right in your community to go have some family fun all summer long!