1 - COW SELFIE
2 - PLANES + PICNICS
3 - BIRD WATCHING
4 - #FREDERICKROCKS
5 - SCIENCE!
6 - BECOME EXPLORERS
7 - FANCY DRESS
8 - HILL ROLLING
9 - CLOUD WATCHING
10 - HIKING + WATER
11 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL
12 - SHARE KINDNESS
BONUS FUN:
WIZARD OF OZ
FEED THE BABY COWS
Come take a self guided tour of a working farm! Watch the cows being milked at 1:30pm, then bottle feed the babies at 4:00pm daily! Finish the day with homemade ice cream at the country store and getting dirty on the giant rock pile at the playground! Don't forget your baby cow selfie!
PLANES + PICNICS
Pack a picnic and come spend a beautiful day watching as the small planes take off and land! There are picnic tables and benches as well as a cafe on site. Friday's and the weekends are busiest times! Bring sidewalk chalk for down time or you could complete stops #4 or #12!
BIRD WATCHING
Come for the bird watching and stay to play!
There's something for everyone at the Thurmont Regional Library! They have a bright colorful children's department and a space for teens! The main feature of this library is the large deck with rockers and fans to birdwatch in the marsh! The unique 40 foot tall entrance tower to this library is in the style of the historic Catoctin Furnace nearby, which is stop #10 on the PLAYTrail!
#FREDERICKROCKS
Spread some love!
Take a day to walk through the park of your choice and go rock hunting! Paint smooth river rocks with pictures and messages of positivity! Seal your rocks with Krylon or Mod Podge! Take the rocks to the park of your choice, then hide them to be found and brighten someone's day! If you're lucky enough to find a rock, then keep it, hide it again or share! Take pictures of rocks you paint and find! Maybe you can pair this with PLAYTrail stops #10 or #8!
SCIENCE!
Earth and Space close up!
Spend a couple of hours at the Earth and Science Space Lab! Take a nature walk in the arboretum. Use their website to print out activities or a self guided tour! Check out the Natelli Observatory, exhibits, animals, and there are planetarium shows as well!
BECOME EXPLORERS
Find this historic fruit!
George Washington and Lewis and Clark are historic figures that loved the pawpaw fruit! The pawpaw is a little known, but native fruit to America! Spend a day walking on the C&O Canal and searching for pawpaw, then take it home and bake it into bread! People say it has the flavors of banana and mango! What do you think?
*Per person daily allowance is a 1/2 gallon of fruit
*You can also explore at Violette's Lock Rd Darnestown, MD 20874
FANCY DRESS
Get creative for a dress up day!
Put on your dressiest dress or your favorite Halloween costume and wear your dress up everywhere for a day! Pair it with another stop and go hiking, or just grocery shopping! Don't forget lots of pictures!
HILL ROLLING
Sometimes results in feelings of euphoria and togetherness!
This great park not only has disc golf, two awesome playgrounds, a creek and trails, but it has the biggest hill to roll down! The time spent walking to the top is well worth it, as is the dizziness you will feel at the bottom! Try to video this stop on the PLAYTrail!
CLOUD WATCHING
Is it a dog? Is it a rabbit?
Bring a picnic and wander the beautiful grounds of Rose Hill Manor. Relax and lay on your blanket and find shapes in the clouds! Expand your imagination and education. Makeup stories about the pirates and princesses you are seeing! Don't forget to share!
HIKING + WATER
Let's go swimming!
Head to the bottom of the parking lot to walk the quarter mile trail to the Catoctin Furnace and learn a little history! On your hike back, stop at the creek and play in the water for a bit! It's nice and shaded and will feel great! Check out the aviary on your way back out at the visitor center!
APPALACHIAN TRAIL
Go take a hike!
Head out to Washington Monument State Park and take a short hike (about a mile out and back) on the Appalachian Trail! Learn a little history about the first Washington Monument and enjoy the amazing view from the top of South Mountain! Being a picnic lunch to enjoy by the playground at the bottom of the trail!
*If you want a bigger challenge, then head to Annapolis Rock! It's 4.8 miles out and back. Parking is on US40
SHARE KINDNESS
Pay it forward!
This is a special stop that can be completed anywhere at anytime! In honor of Sophie and Madigan we encourage random acts of kindness! Bake cookies for a neighbor, pick flowers for a friend, buy a muffin for the pay it forward board at Dublin Roasters or anywhere! See what your family comes up with and go out and share kindness!
WIZARD OF OZ (BONUS STOP)
Somewhere over the rainbow
Check out this amazing themed playground in Prince George's County! The playground is a Wizard of Oz theme and fun for everyone! There's so much to do at Watkins Regional Park including the Watkins Nature Center, antique carousel, train, mini gold, Old Maryland Farm and miles of trails!
*Go in the afternoon to avoid traffic, then leave at sundown after rush hour!