Fire Up the Playgroup Text Thread: The Playground Crawl is Saturday, May 20

Whether you already have an established group of friends with kiddos or you’re looking to meet more young families, this event is for you. Here’s all you need to know about our third annual Playground Crawl on Saturday, May 20:

The five Ws

• Who: Designed for children ages 2 through 8 and their caregivers, but of course all are welcome. Free and no tickets needed.
• What: Spend the day with your household exploring the city’s playgrounds and enjoy special treats, activities and giveaways at each stop.
• Where: Five parks throughout the city. See details below.
• When: Saturday, May 20, from 2 to 5 p.m.
• Why: To discover new areas of North Liberty — and burn some energy!

The stops

Listed in no particular order. Hop around to the parks between 2 and 5 p.m. in whichever order you wish. In addition to exploring the play structures at each park, kids will be offered a complimentary snack (all allergy conscious) and drink at each location, and are invited to participate in an activity led by the organizations noted below.

Deerfield Park, 1415 Browning Drive
Parking available on residential streets

• Play with the Iowa Children Museum’s larger than life Imagination Playground blue blocks and assorted loose parts for a hands-on building experience
• Have a snack and play a game with The Family Dental Center
• Snag a commemorative Playground Crawl T-shirt (while supplies last)

Centennial Park, 1565 St Andrews Drive
Parking lot on-site

• Dance to tunes and get a temporary tattoo from Z102.9
• Receive new sidewalk chalk and a snack from MidWestOne Bank
• Climb through a fire truck and visit with members of the North Liberty Fire Department (pending service calls)

Beaver Kreek Park, 218 S Chestnut St
Park on residential streets (Birch Ct, Juniper Ct or Chestnut St, and access park via the walking trail)

• Dig into sensory play bins with binSpire
• Connect to your community, play games and have a snack with the North Liberty Community Pantry

Creekside Commons Park, 1350 Sadler Drive
Park on residential streets (Sadler Dr or Vandello Dr)

• Complete a service project and play yard games with Big Brothers Big Sister of Johnson County
• Grab Let’s Plan a Playdate notepads (for the parents) and snacks (for the kids) from North Liberty’s Neighborhood Ambassadors
• Snag a commemorative Playground Crawl T-shirt (while supplies last)

Community Center Playground, 520 W Cherry St
Parking lot on-site

• Step inside and explore the Antelope Lending Library’s bookmobile
• Make a craft and have a snack with Community Center staff
• Snag a commemorative Playground Crawl T-shirt (while supplies last)

Getting around

Feel free to visit the parks with your own vehicle in whichever order you choose. Here’s a map to help you plan your route.

• Lot parking available at Centennial Park and the Community Center.
• Residential street parking available at Deerfield, Creekside Commons, Beaver Kreek parks.

Event shirts

Any good crawl event has T-shirts, so we’re giving away 200 free Playground Crawl T-shirts (sizes 3T – 6T). Snag one at the Deerfield, Creekside Commons and Community Center park stops beginning at 2 p.m., while sizes and supplies last.

Food and drink

Kids will be offered a complimentary snack (all allergy conscious) and drink at each location. You are welcome to pack your own snacks as well.

What to bring

Sunscreen, water bottles and anything else your party might need playing outside. Complimentary snacks and drinks will be provided at each location as supplies last.

You also might be wondering

• We’re watching the weather forecast. Any cancellations or delays will be posted in the Facebook event by 12 p.m. the day of the event.
• Yes, there will be permanent or portable toilets available at each park.
• Yes, dogs are welcome as long as they are on a leash and you clean up after them. (So your dogs don’t feel left out, Red Fern Dog Park, North Liberty’s off-leash dog park at 980 North Liberty Road, will be open to all licensed dogs on May 19, 20 and 21, even if they don’t have a 2023 dog park pass. Find more information in the Facebook event.)
• The use of tobacco, nicotine, vape and other electronic smoking devices are prohibited in North Liberty parks, trails and public recreation areas.

Who to thank

This event is part of the City Slate. The yearlong schedule of events is made possible by Centro, Inc, The Eastern Iowa Airport – CID, Hills Bank, MidWestOne Bank, Shive-Hattery, South Slope Cooperative, The Family Dental Center, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Urban Acres Real Estate and Veridian Credit Union.

Stay in the loop

Any cancellations or delays will be posted in the Facebook event.
Share your photos with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Stay connected with the City by subscribing to the North Liberty Bulletin or signing up for news alerts.

Accessibility

We’re committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation at our events for individuals with disabilities.

For accommodations, please reach out to [email protected] or call (319) 626-5755.

More City Slate Fun

This event is part of the City Slate, a compilation of North Liberty’s largest and free city-produced events, with more than 40 events planned in 2023. Explore the schedule at northlibertyiowa.org/cityslate.