November, 2013 - raleighparks.org

With the holidays quickly approaching, I wanted to compile a list of all the kiddo-friendly activities taking place at nearby Raleigh parks. The events below are either organized through the Wake Co Parks & Rec, City of Raleigh Parks & Rec or JC Raulston Arboretum. Some of the events require pre-registration so be sure to follow up for more information and let me know which ones I’m missing! And be sure to visit TriangleExplorer.com to see a complete list of Christmas parades, concerts and more.

Turkey Time at Crowder District Park – Sun, 11/17 from 2-3pm; $5/family; for all ages

A Side of History: Pilgrims at Play at Historic Yates Mill Park – Fri, 11/22 from 11am-noon or 2-3pm; $5/family or $3/individual; for all ages

Holiday Wreath Making at Durant Nature Park – Sun, 12/1 from 2-3pm or 3-4pm; $5/person; ages 5+

Home School Day: The Spirit of Giving at Historic Yates Mill Park – Mon, 12/2 from 10am-noon; Free; ages 7+

Children’s Wreath Workshop at JC Raulston Arboretum – Tues, 12/3 from 9:30am-noon; $35/member or $45/non-member; ages 6-12

Garden Buds Winter Fun at JC Raulston Arboretum – Fri, 12/6 from 10-11:30am; $10/member or $12/non-member; ages 3-5

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Clause at Historic Yates Mill Park – Fri, 12/6 from 11am-noon; $4/child; ages 5-7

Holiday Express at Pullen Park – tickets are only available for Fri 12/6, Fri 12/13 & Sun 12/15; 4-9pm; $8/person; all ages

Sleigh Rides & Cider at Oak View County Park – Sat, 12/7 from 5-7:30pm; all ages

Handmade Holidays at Historic Yates Mill Park – Sat, 12/7 from 1-4pm; $4/person; for all ages (ages 6 and under require accompanying adult)

All American Girls Create & Play – Sat, 12/7 at Kiwanis Park from 10am-noon or Sat, 12/14 at Optimist Park; $15/person; ages 5-11

Little Holiday Creations at Lions Park Comm Ctr – Sat, 12/7 from 11-11:45am; $5/person; ages 4-6

Poinsettia Open House at JC Raulston Arboretum – Sun, 12/8 from 1-5pm; FREE; all ages

Holiday Card Making at JC Raulston Arboretum – Tues, 12/10 from 9:30am-noon; $25/member or $35/non-member; ages 6-12

Holiday Ornaments at Five Points Center – Tues, 12/10 or Tues, 12/17 from 1-3pm; $20/person; all ages

German Christmas Papercutting at Pullen Arts Center – Thurs, 12/12 from 7-9pm; $10/person; ages 16+

Holidays Open House at Mordecai – Fri, 12/13 (noon-4pm); Sat, 12/14 (10am-4pm); Sun, 12/15 (1-4pm); FREE; all ages; call 919-857-4364

Wake Audubon’s Winter Bird Count at Historic Yates Mill Park – Sat, 12/14 from 8-11:30am; no fee shown

Walnut Creek Christmas Bird Count at Walnut Creek Wetland Center – Sat, 12/14 from 7am-noon; FREE; all ages

Holiday Tours at Mordecai – Sat, 12/14 from 5-10pm; $5/person; all ages

Holiday Crafts for Little Hands at Millbrook Exchange Comm Ctr – Sat, 12/14 from 9:30am-10:15am; $10/person; ages 3-5

Holiday Ornaments for Young Crafters at Millbrook Exchange Comm Ctr – Sat, 12/14 from 11am-noon; $10/person; ages 6-10

Holiday Cookies and Milk with Santa – Sat, 12/14 at Anderson Point Park from 10-11am or Sun, 12/15 at Lake Lynn Comm Ctr from 1:30-2:30pm; $8/person; ages 18months – 8yrs old

Holiday Gifts from Nature at Durant Nature Park – Sat, 12/14 from 2-4pm; $4/person; ages 6-12

Holiday Stop, Drop & Shop at Laurel Hills Comm Ctr – Sat, 12/14 or Sat, 12/21 from 9:30am-2pm; $20/person; ages 6-11

Holiday Workshop at Lions Park Comm Ctr – Sat, 12/14 from 10:45-11:45am; $5/person; ages 4-10

Winter Wrap Up at Crowder District Park – Sun, 12/15 from 2-3pm; $5/family; for all ages

Holiday Wrapping Paper at JC Raulston Arboretum – Tues, 12/17 from 9:30am-noon; $25/member or $35/non-member; ages 6-12

Little Sprouts: Sparkling Snow at Historic Yates Mill Park – Wed, 12/18 from 1-2pm; $4/child; ages 3-5

Winter Tree ID at Lake Crabtree Park – Sat, 12/21 from 1-3pm; $5/family or $3/person; ages 7+

Winter Hayrides at Harris County Lake – Sun, 12/22 from 1:30-3:30pm; $5/family or $3/individual; for all ages

Winter Break at Lake Crabtree Park – Sun, 12/22 from 1-3pm; $5/family or $3/person

Christmas Games & Crafts at Harris County Lake – Mon, 12/23 from 12-4pm; $16/child; ages 7-12

The final park we explored as a family of three was Honeycutt Park in North Raleigh. Knowing that baby #2 was cozy and not giving any hints to arrive anytime soon (still late though), we ventured out to Honeycutt Park on the Sunday morning before baby Claire was born. This park is located at 1032 Clear Creek Farm Dr just outside 540 near Falls of Neuse Rd. For a Sunday morning in Raleigh it was par-for-the-course quiet; we had the park to ourselves for at least 30 minutes.

The playground area is completely unshaded, so plan accordingly if you’re trying to avoid the sun. There are playgrounds for both age groups of 2-5 and 5-12. The 2-5 age playground has several slides and few challenging climbing structures for the little ones. It also has a fun “theater” play area under the playground, which can be fun for the young ones. Ashley quickly ran through all the play areas at this playground and headed to the older kid playground. The 5-12 age playground also has several slides, one of which includes a trifecta slide where 3 friends can race each other at the same time. Since I was feeling too large to race, Bill and Ashley enjoyed several runs down the racing slides. This playground also has several climbing structures too, which include a rock wall, swivel monkey bars, and a rope ladder.

After a lot of playground time we explored the rest of the park. Adjacent to the playground is a large shelter complete with charcoal grills and restrooms, lit baseball field, basketball court, and sand volleyball court. Adjacent to the basketball court and parking lot is a large open grassy memorial area surrounded by large rocks and dedicated to Rosalina M Rodriguez. Then, we walked down the nearby greenway to learn that it is under construction. The scope of this greenway project is to design and build a 5.6 mile segment of greenway trail, connecting the existing Mine Creek Greenway Corridor to the South Shore Trail on Falls Lake. For more information about this project visit the City of Raleigh website.

While this was our last park trip as a family of 3, we couldn’t be more excited to share so many future park visits with baby Claire.

Thumbs up: fun playground slides, large shelter, future greenway project

Thumbs down: unsightly utility area, lack of shade around playground