Eaton Field is the Perfect Pitch for the Park It! Patrol
Whether you call it football or soccer, DP America Traveling Soccer Team members and neighborhood children in the Eaton Park area were playing to win at the Park It! Patrol event, on Wednesday, July 10. Joshua Cantres, Athletic Supervisor for the Des Plaines Park District, organized an impromptu match, followed by a game of basketball knockout. “Having fun is the name of the game,” said Cantres. “We are just at the half way point in the summer, so there is still plenty of time to see a great Live at the Lake performance, catch a free Friday night movie, or play in the park at one of our Park It! Patrol events,” said Cindy Yelich, Special Events Coordinator.
Over fifty parents and children gathered for a night out in the park and enjoyed beach ball volleyball, badminton, croquet, lawn darts, and Frisbee disc golf in the Park’s open space at 2975 Craig Drive. The Park District also set up an obstacle course using hula hoops and foam hurdles, organized a game of bags, set up a giant sized Jenga, and helped kids make a wooden ball and paddle craft. Kids moved freely from one play area to another, making friends, and enjoying the fresh air and cool evening temperatures.
The goal of the Park It! Patrol is to encourage children and adults to rediscover their neighborhood park. The parks in the District are outfitted with a variety of playground equipment for climbing, swinging, and sliding. They are designed to provide strength training and muscle development, coordination and balance, through creative play. The Park It! Patrol staff is on hand to teach children new organized games and encourage then to make park time a part of their family’s summer routine.
The Park It! Patrol will be in: Cherokee Park, 1260 White Street at Van Buren Avenue on July 17; Menominee Park, 440 Laurel Avenue at Brown Street on July 24; and Mohawk Park, 515 Lyman Avenue on July 31. Games, crafts, and activities happen from 6:30-8:00pm, and all are free!
For a map of the locations of the parks, and to see all of the park's features, visit www.DPParks.org. For more information about free summer time activities at the Des Plaines Park District, visit www.DPParks.org, or call 847-391-5700.