Fire Up the Playgroup Text Thread: The Playground Crawl is Saturday, May 17

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 the Playground Crawl on Saturday, May 17:

The five Ws

• Who: Designed for children ages 2 through 8 and their caregivers, but of course, all are welcome. Free, and no tickets are needed.
• What: Spend the afternoon with your household exploring five city parks, enjoy free snacks, activities, and meet-and-greets with your little one’s favorite characters at each stop.
• Where: Five parks throughout the city. See details below.
• When: Saturday, May 17, 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 whatever 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.

Quail Ridge Park, 921 W Zeller St
Parking lot on-site 

• Meet Princess Rapunzel and receive a crown to take home.
• Have a snack with Collins Community Credit Union.
• Visit with United Action for Youth.

Deerfield Park, 1415 Browning Drive
Parking available on residential streets

• Meet and take photos with Captain America.
• Have a snack and challenge yourself to an obstacle course with the recreation department.
• Play with the Iowa Children Museum’s larger-than-life Imagination Playground blue blocks and assorted loose parts for a hands-on building experience.

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

• Meet Princess Belle and receive a bookmark craft kit to take home.
• Grab a snack from the North Liberty Food Pantry and test your skills with an Egg Balance Spoon Contest.
• Dance to tunes with Z102.9.

Fox Run Park, 695 Fox Valley Drive
Park on residential streets (Pheasant Lane, Fox Valley Drive or Scales Bend Road NE, and access park via walking trail)

• Meet and take photos with Bluey.
• Play giant yard Tetris and grab a snack with the North Liberty Library.

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

• Enjoy bubble machines, create bubbles and bubble-adaptive art with faculty and students from the Therapeutic Recreation and Child Life academic programs from the UI Department of Health and Human Physiology.
• Make a craft with the Girl Scouts.

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 Quail Ridge Park.
• Residential street parking available at Deerfield, Beaver Kreek, and Fox Run parks.

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

• Any cancellations or delays will be posted in the Facebook 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.
• The use of tobacco, nicotine, vape and other electronic smoking devices are prohibited in North Liberty parks, trails and public recreation areas.

Stay in the loop

Any cancellations or delays will be posted in the Facebook event.
Share your photos with us on Facebook or Instagram.
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) 626-5726.

Who to thank

This event is part of the City Slate. The yearlong schedule of events is made possible by Centro, Inc., Collins Community Credit Union, Corda Credit Union, The Eastern Iowa Airport – CID, Hills Bank, MidWestOne Bank, South Slope Cooperative Communications, University of Iowa Health Care, Urban Acres Real Estate and Veridian Credit Union. Explore the schedule at northlibertyiowa.org/cityslate.