Parks Help Children and Families Grow Together

City Parks and State Parks offer many opportunities to help children and families learn and explore together. These types of activities really reinforce the Support Assets and the Commitment to Learning Assets, as well as many others.

I am particularly fond of Warner Parks in Nashville - they are one of the largest parks in the USA, and they offer dozens of free opportunities for exploring the great outdoors. Check out some of the activities from their August calendar:

Canoe & Kayak Clinic
Designed to introduce you to the sport of paddling, this is a perfect opportunity to explore and learn the basic skills you need to paddle safely and have fun. Whether enjoying a scenic float or aspiring to be a whitewater paddler, this is a great place to start.

Colors of the Wind
Learn a sketch and color technique while using nature as an inspiration. We’ll start with a short hike followed by a rest in the shade where we will sketch. Next, we return to the learning center and add beautiful colors to our artwork.

Outdoor Cooking
Cooking a great meal in the great outdoors is easy and affordable. Come join us and learn the basic skills of outdoor cooking and food safety from local wilderness experts.

Arts & Crafts
Cut, paste, paint, glue, design and create! Get in touch with your creative side at the Nature Center.

Water Play
Meet at the Harpeth River to play in the water, have fun and look for insects, crayfish, snails and more.

Cave Explore
Tennessee has more caves than any other state. Join us in exploring this unique ecosystem.

LaZee Day Hike
Summer is the perfect time for a lazy day hike. We will amble along the trails and find the hidden jewels of summer.

Summer Star Party
Enjoy a starry sky and the last of the Perseid meteors at the Special Events Field!

The Summer Games
Bird feeder bingo, nature scavenger hunt, and owls and crows are just some of the summer games we will play!

Reptiles Reign!
Explore Frist Pond and Vaughn’s Creek, looking for these scaly vertebrates and working on our Junior Naturalist patch!

There are also many opportunities to volunteer in the parks. Check out volunteer opportunities here.