Geneva Park District to celebrate National Get Outdoors Day June 11

On Saturday, June 11, the Geneva Park District will host a variety of events for all ages and interests throughout its parks and facilities in honor of National Get Outdoors Day, GO Day. This event encourages healthy active outdoor fun. Activities are housed at various times and locations throughout the park district.

Activities at Peck Farm Park will include chalk art from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the courtyard and a scavenger hunt from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hawks Hollow Nature Playground. Bring a lunch and then join them for fun in the "Picnic in the Park" from noon to 1 p.m. at grassy area at Peck Farm Park.

Enjoy a couple of songs from the cast of "Mulan Jr." as they rehearse at River Park from 11:30 a.m. to noon.

Cook in a solar oven, make a UV detecting bracelet and learn about shadow in "Everything Starts with the Sun" from 2 to 3 p.m.

Recycle your gently read fiction or nonfiction books about nature or animals and swap them for "new" ones at the "Children's Nature Book Swap" from noon to 3 p.m.

Additional GO Day activities throughout the district include:

• "Get Active With Your Family!" from 9 to 11 a.m. at Western Avenue School. Engage with your family in organized activities including an obstacle course, field games, sidewalk art, bubbles, crafts, scavenger hunt bingo, kickball, dodgeball, family games, 60-second challenges, and more. Be sure to wear your gym shoes!

• Dancin' Outside for ages 5 and older from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center;

• Zumba in the Park for ages 16 and older at 9:30 a.m. at Wheeler Park;

• Boot Camp, for ages 16 and older, at 10:15 a.m. at Wheeler Park;

• Ultimate Frisbee/Spikeball for ages 10 to 14, from 10 a.m. to noon at Sunset Fields;

• Martial Arts (Shotokan) for ages 5 and older, from 11 a.m. to noon at the Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center;

• Gardening Gophers, for ages 2 to 4, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Sunset Community Center, preregistration code is 131013;

• Lacrosse for ages 5 to 15 from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center;

• Wheeler Exploration Geocaching for ages 6 to 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Wheeler Park, preregistration code is 131019;

• KickBall for ages 6 to 10 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center;

• Tennis for ages 4 to 7 from 2 to 3 p.m. or for ages 8 to 10 from 3 to 4 p.m. at Dryden Park;

• Dodgeball for ages 6 to 10 from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center.

"We encourage our community, right here in Geneva, to get outside, connect with their friends, family and neighbors to enjoy all of the free activities throughout parks and facilities in honor of GO Day," said Sheavoun Lambillotte, executive director of the Geneva Park District.

GO Day is an outgrowth of the Get Outdoors USA! campaign, which encourages Americans, especially our youth, to seek out healthy, active outdoor lives and embrace our parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters.

The pilot effort of National Get Outdoors Day was launched on June 14, 2008 and has grown every year. Building on the success of More Kids in the Woods and other important efforts to connect Americans and especially children with nature and active lifestyles, the USDA Forest Service and the American Recreation Coalition led an inclusive, nationwide effort focusing on a single day when people would be inspired and motivated to get outdoors. Last year, more than 171 official GO Day sites across the nation welcomed over 48,000 new faces to enjoy the great outdoors. For information, call (630) 232-4542 or visit genevaparks.org.