Park Activity Kits (P.A.K.’s) Idea

I wanted to let you all know about a project we are interested in moving forward on and get your feedback about it! We are calling them P.A.K.’s, Park Activity Kits. They would be lawn or other recreational game sets that would be available for check-out and use at the park. Much like the activity bags the library has for toddlers, these Park Activity Kits would potentially have fewer pieces and be returned within a shorter time span, perhaps a 3-hour period. Examples of items in the Park Activity Kits could be Bocce ball, Kubb, croquet, horseshoes, cross net, pong tennis or badminton. Really, whatever the library or Golden Hours is willing to store and check out!

To see that they are maintained, a community liaison could make sure there is funding each year, possibly through the NeighborUP grant, to replace items as needed and get the new items ordered. Also, if we move forward with this project, I would love to organize a couple of events in the spring, maybe one in March and one in April, introducing the availability of these kits to the public. If there is some hesitation that the P.A.K.’s would be used, these events could also serve as trial days and an opportunity to get feedback from the community. I could have activities out and see what neighbors thought about having regular access to them.

Here are some screenshots of items we are considering for the kits:

I really think these Park Activity Kits could bring whole families to this great green space by the library. There are over 200 kids that live within a block of the park but you would never know it. They live in apartments and smaller homes that don’t have the space to use outdoor equipment, my family included. But if we could check out something and use it at the park, I bet more of us would exercise and enjoy the outdoors together.

With the poverty in this neighborhood and the isolation during this unprecedented time, these activity kits could fill a huge need. Movement and fresh air is great for improving mental health, so they could literally change lives. Let’s get people playing at the park again! Do YOU think any of these are worth having available for checkout at the library or Golden Hours? Let us know!