Coming Up: Super Fun Things To Do Outdoors

Bryant Lake Beach Party

Party at the beach on Wednesday, Aug. 7, from noon-3 p.m., at Bryant Lake Regional Park, Eden Prairie. Join naturalists from Richardson Nature Center for an afternoon of fun. 

Build and decorate a sand castle and win a cool treat. Jump, crawl, and dig your way through a beach obstacle course. Make a craft, play water games, and get an up-close look at tiny critters that live in ponds. Adults must accompany children.

Cost is $5 per child; children ages 2 and under are admitted free. Drop in anytime. 

Nature Tea Party

Sunday, August 4, from 1-3 p.m., at Lowry Nature Center, in Carver Park Reserve, Victoria. You are cordially invited to Lowry Nature Center for a nature tea party. We’ll hike through the prairie and the woods and learn how to identify plants that make the tastiest tea. After, we’ll head to a shady spot for afternoon tea and cakes. Fancy hats are optional. Cost is $5 and this program is open to all ages.

Free Family Fun Day: Reptile and Amphibian Feeding

Sunday, August 4, from 3-4 p.m., at Richardson Nature Center, in Hyland Lake Park Reserve, Bloomington. Meet some of Richardson’s resident reptiles and amphibians. Get up close and watch some of them eat. This program is free and open to all ages.

Fiber Fun Night

Join park staff and new friends on Thursday, August 8, from 7-9 p.m., at Richardson Nature Center, in Hyland Lake Park Reserve, Bloomington, for our free Fiber Fun Night. We work on all sorts of fiber-related projects including knitting, crochet, spinning, and quilting. Whether you would like to learn or teach, you are welcome here!  This is not a class, but an informal gathering to work on projects, share ideas, and socialize.

SUP 200: Beyond the Basics

Friday, August 9, from 6-8 p.m., at Bryant Lake Regional Park, Eden Prairie. This class will help you become a stronger and more efficient paddler while on a stand-up paddleboard. An ACA-certified instructor will guide you through refinement of your basic paddling skills, introduce more advanced strokes and maneuvers, and also cover rescue techniques. Previous experience on a stand-up paddleboard is required. All equipment is provided. Cost is $40 and reservations are required. Call 763-559-6700 to make a reservation and reference activity number #323911-09. This program is for ages 14+.

Saturday Mornings on the Farm

Saturday, August 10, from 9:30 a.m.-noon, at Gale Woods Farm, Minnetrista. Explore the Gale Woods Farm barn where you can meet animals, assist a Gale Woods farmer with chores, and participate in other seasonal farm activities. Cost is $5 and children under 2 are admitted free.

Grimm Farmhouse Open House

Saturday, August 10, from 1-4 p.m., at the Grimm Farm, in Carver Park Reserve, Victoria. Step back in time and explore Wendelin Grimm’s farm.  See the restored 1870s house and fields where Grimm, a German immigrant, experimented with his alfalfa. Hear how his work transformed the Upper Midwest into America’s dairy belt. Experience hands-on work and play of a late 1800s Minnesota farm.  This program is free and open to all ages.

Minnesota River Canoe Trip

Spend a day experiencing the Minnesota River Valley on Saturday, August 10, from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., at The Landing – Minnesota River Heritage Park, Shakopee. Search for wildlife living along the riverbanks as we paddle down the river and towards The Landing (formerly Murphy’s Landing). Once there, participants will see history come alive with costumed interpreters and authentic buildings that help recreate late 19th-century life in Minnesota. All equipment is provided. All adults must have prior canoe experience. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Cost is $40 and reservations are required. Call 763-559-6700 to make a reservation and reference activity number #328412-00. This program is for ages 8+.

About Three Rivers Park District

Three Rivers Park District is a natural resources-based park system that manages park reserves, regional parks, regional trails and special-use facilities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Park District owns and operates more than 27,000 acres and serves 9 million visitors a year.