Over the past year, my five-year-old and I have scouted out many outdoor adventures to burn energy and get out of the house. We’ve discovered playgrounds, skating rinks, cafes, and unique experiences. I’m sure many other families are looking for ways to discover different parts of the Twin Cities! I’ll be updating the blog with short-day adventures we’ve tried!
Lions Park, New Brighton, MN
This windy March afternoon we hiked around Rice Creek Park for a couple of miles with a promise of a playground afterward. Lions Park came up as close by so we checked it out. This park is great for a lot of ages with a smaller playground for toddler ages and a larger area for older kids. My five-year-old’s favorite thing was the zipline swing that looped around like a ride on a carnival. March in Minnesota can be really muddy, but this playground had a rubberized playground surface which made it great for this time of year without coming home covered in mud from head to toe.
After our playground adventures, I noticed a hardware store, Beisswenger’s Hardware. I decided to pop in to get a few supplies for planting seedlings. We were in for a treat! There was a great Brachiosaurs greeting us from the garden area. Inside the store, we found the most intricate display of fairy gardens I’ve ever seen. They had the corresponding inventory well-marked with numbers. We had a great time looking at all the fairies lounging in hammocks, fishing, and hugging animals. We left there with the cutest fairy and fairy pond for our container garden!