The month of July is National Parks and Recreation Month.
Designed in 1985 by the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), park aficionados highlight National Parks, Urban Parks, playgrounds and a myriad of additional opportunities to experience the benefits of open space and the natural environment.
Washington State is regularly celebrated for its National Parks and there are a handful of days throughout the year where admission is free.
Check out this kid-friendly info from Seattle’s Child complete with recommendations for hiking at Mt. Rainier/Tahoma.
If getting to the mountain in summer traffic is too daunting take a look at the Junior Ranger Activity Sheets put together by Washington State Parks and its monthly calendar of events including a wide array of activities in our state parks.
National Parks and Recreation Month provides a chance to elevate the importance of outdoor access beyond hiking, boating, picnics and hunting for butterflies.
NRPA’s work extends to “[impacting] communities through health wellness, equity, and conservation.”
These values and others are codified in NRPA’s ongoing podcast, “Where Communities Grows” which captures individual experiences and case studies contributed from across the country.
Not a bad download for a stroll outside!
NRPA has also created a comprehensive “story map” illustrating a history of “Equity in Parks and Recreation” which provides context around evolving inequity in park systems, specifically “… this story map is meant to inspire the transformation of a just and equity-driven parks and recreation system for all.”