Grab your towels, snacks and sunscreen: Summer is almost here and everyone is ready to explore (with the proper social distancing and cloth masks in place, naturally).
Detroit with its parks, lakes, and playgrounds makes it easy to find things to do with your children at little to no cost. There are a bevy of beautiful outdoor spaces where families can have fun, explore Mother Nature and get some energy out.
Memorial Day is a great chance as well to catch up with family, see what the kids are thinking as the school year comes to an end and regroup as a community.
Here are five great places to check out if you’re ready to start moving around again.
Detroit Riverfront: The Riverfront is one of Detroit’s greatest spots, and this asset is beautiful as well as great for families. Once the sprinklers are turned on again, the Splash Pad at Mt. Elliott Park has everything for a fun afternoon. There’s the water feature, a small café and bathrooms. Bring a towel and a snack to sit and relax at the nearby tables. Street parking is a short distance away from the splash pad, but it’s an easy walk.
Belle Isle: There are so many great sites to see on this glorious part of Detroit. Outside, you can check out the koi pond near the Belle Isle Aquarium. Then, go next door and see the location of the soon-to-be-created Piet Oudolf garden. You can go hiking around the many playgrounds and see what’s new outside the Dossin Great Lakes Museum.
Campus Martius: Every summer, Campus Martius transforms into a hub of activity for kids of all ages. There’s a great fountain, a stage with music and other free performances. You also can take off your shoes and joy the sandy beach-like area. You can grab a seat or table nearby to hang out or enjoy some snacks either from home or from a nearby food truck.
Eastern Market: This outdoor market has grown into not only a great place to get food and flowers but it also serves as a business incubator. The whole area around Eastern Market is a vibrant retail wonderland and you can spend all day exploring. There also are restaurants ready to serve along with beautiful murals – check out the ones in the pot holes that have a food theme. The artist put in 10 of them, so you can have a kind of scavenger hunt.
Beacon Park: This used to be an empty lot next to the DTE Energy headquarters. But once this 1.2-acre spot got activated, it really took off as a great place for events, art installations, music and food. It is near the downtown, so you can grab a bite at Lumen or a nearby food truck and enjoy the people watching as everyone goes by.
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