BY HANNAH KING
What do you have planned for the lazy days of summer? What better time of year to get out and enjoy the lifestyle here in Nanaimo. We’ve put together a list of summer parks, recreation and culture activities to add to your ‘must-do’ activities. The added bonus is that most of them are free.
Cool off at a water park, open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. They are a perfect spot for a summer afternoon play date. There are three water parks to choose from: Deverill Water Park on Haliburton Street; Harewood Mining Community Water Park on Howard Avenue; and Departure Bay Kiwanis Water Park off of Bay Street.
At a loose end with the little ones? Try our free summer playground program on until the end of August, Monday to Friday. Head to one of the following parks for organized games, arts and crafts and sports: Harewood Mining Community Water Park, Mansfield Park, Deverill Park or Pawson Park. The activities are geared for kids ages five-12. Children six and under must have an adult on premises.
Spend a lazy summer afternoon at the outdoor Kin Pool at Bowen Park. Public swims are every day 1-3 p.m. until Sept. 2. The pool is available for private rentals for a splashing great time. Hit the beach at Westwood Lake Park. Lifeguards are now on patrol until Sept. 5, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The Friday Play Zone is back from 1-3 p.m., packed with free fun for the family.
Pack a picnic and enjoy one of our free summer concerts. Locations vary between Diana Krall Plaza, Maffeo Sutton Park and Bowen Park Amphitheatre. Please see www.nanaimo.ca for details.
You can visit the 4-H Barn at Beban Park. The barn is packed with farmyard favourites and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily until Aug. 27. How about playing the Nature Knowledge Quest with Otis the Owl? Watch for weekly questions posted at recreation centres and on the city facebook page. You’ll find the answers in local parks. Explore a tide pool teeming with life at a beach. Neck Point Park is great choice, but you can find your own favourite.
Hannah King is a marketing and communication specialist with Nanaimo parks, recreation and culture.