Fun Times at the Park

We live only minutes from a very spacious and awesome park. It is the largest park in our town with 147 acres and features everything from soccer, baseball and football fields to running trails, playgrounds and other fun amenities. It is our go-to park as a family. 

On April 2nd, a local realtor company held their first annual Easter Egg Hunt at the park and invited the public to it. Usually, the closer it gets to Easter weekend, the more crowded these Easter egg hunts are. So I decided to take the kids to this one and it was perfect. When we arrived, the Easter Bunny himself was already waiting to take pictures with the children and mommy too. 

The crowds were light and since we came early, we enjoyed some snacks and games before hunting for the candy-filled plastic eggs.  

And then it was time for the egg hunt. There were hundred of eggs spread out everywhere on the grass and the crowd was relatively small; however, it took the kids all of a few minutes to pick up all the eggs. They loved though!

The best part of the egg hunt is opening them up and eating some candies:

It was a successful egg hunt and we all had a fun time. We might make it to one more egg hunt on Easter weekend but since we are still busy with the house, we have to just see how to fit it in to our full schedule. 

That same park is also home to the Historic Mansker's Station, which is a reproduction of a 1779 log station and the Bowen Plantation House (longest standing brick structure in Middle Tennessee). During the year, one can tour the property and learn about life on a plantation and in the frontier. However, every April the park hosts Heritage Days at the Mansker's Station and invites the public to attend and experience life in the late 1700's with their senses. So on Saturday morning, the kids and I participated in the event and learned quite a bit about the plantation lifestyle. Life back then definitely wasn't easy. 

Making a candle is a long process

Costumed interpreters showed us how to make candles, weave fabric, cook over the open fire and make baskets. They also had some farm animals there and we learned about money and how they made tools out of wood and iron.

Learning about clothes and weaving fabric

Watching them make food without a regular stove or oven:

Pigtails over the flames and stew in the big pot

Weaving baskets and petting the goats that produce the milk the people use to make soap, cheese, butter, lotion and candy. 

Life on the frontier: 

From sheep to wool to yarn:

Hard at work, the blacksmith:

This event was a fantastic learning opportunity and very hands-on. I'm sure we will be back next year for Heritage Days. 

However, we don't just visit the park for special events but also on a regular Monday afternoon (we all desperately needed an afternoon off from our home improvements). While the kids are now old enough to entertain themselves on the big playground, Derrick and I enjoyed sitting on the swing and chat with each other.  

There will be plenty more park visits in the near future and once we settle in to a good routine, I also want to go running again and this park offers a great alternative to the treadmill in the gym. We are very delighted to be living near this wonderful,public park.