You’ve done a pub crawl, but have you ever taken the kids for a playground crawl?
There will be no beer or wine on this crawl.
Gone are the days of stumbling from one Irish pub to the next. We have kids. We have mortgages and schedules and responsibilities. There is just no time to be *that* hung over. But, we can still experience the fun of going place to place in a crawl style with friends.
In fact, there may be some little monkeys making new friends as well. Parenting is sometimes isolating. It doesn’t have to be. Find some like-minded moms and/or dads who enjoy the outdoors.
If a pub crawl is a tour of several pubs or bars, with one or more drinks at each, then a playground crawl must be a tour of several playgrounds, with one or more swings, slides, and monkey bar passes at each! Along with coffee, tea or juice of course.
Choose an open Saturday on the calendar or make it a weekend quest.
Why not put some friends up to the challenge while you’re at it? Kids of all ages will love a playground crawl. It’s all about creating your own special event and the challenge of a crawl.
Now is the time. Besides the fall, June is our favorite weather for playground time.
The air is still crisp in the morning so be sure to get an early start.
If you’re motivated, plan your own workout before the crowds show up.
Try this playground work out or check out this one. Be a role model for the kids and they will likely join you for some exercises, counting reps until they move on to something else.
Plot your route in advance. Travel by bicycle or car, spending 15-30 minutes at each playground, depending on how engaged the kids are and the size of the playground. Head home for rest time or a nap, and then head out to the next playground to finish the crawl.
A playground crawl can be done in any town or city. Here’s an example of a playground crawl for our beloved Newburyport:
- Cashman Park (5 Pop Crowley Way)
- Ayers Playground at Cushing Park (1 Buck Street)
- Fuel up at Plum Island Coffee Roasters (54R Merrimac Street)
- Frog Pond Playground at Bartlett Mall (151 High Street)
- Bresnahan School Playground (333 High Street)
- Moseley Woods (Corner of Merrimac and Spofford Streets)
- Lunch at Port City Sandwich (40R Merrimac Street)
- Inn Street Playground (Inn Street)
- Fuel up at Atomic Cafe (56 State Street)
- The Brown School Playground (40 Milk Street)
- Perkins Park Playground (15 Beacon Avenue)
- Jason Sawyer Memorial Playground (Plum Island Beach, Northern Boulevard)
- Celebrate with whoopie pies at Chococoa Baking Company or ice cream at Orange Leaf (Tannery and State Street)
Stretch the crawl into other towns to meet friends in Amesbury (Amesbury Town Park Playground), Ipswich (Pirate Ship Park), or West Newbury (Action Cove). The possibilities are endless!
Be sure to pack plenty of water in refillable bottles, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, and extra clothes in case someone falls in the river trying to feed a duck. Also consider filling your trunk with hula hoops, bubbles, jump ropes, balls, and chalk.
Kids need time outside now more than ever. Get them pumped up about a playground crawl, and exhaust those little monkeys.
Cheers to the parents after bedtime, because you definitely deserve that occasional glass of wine before you crawl into bed!
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