10th Anniversary Of National Park Trust's Kids To Parks Day Goes Digital On Saturday, May 16, 2020 As 'Parks To Kids Day'

Virtual Celebration Provides Fun Resources and Activities that Help Families Celebrate the Day While Practicing Social Distancing

News provided by

National Park Trust

May 05, 2020, 07:00 ET

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With many parks and landmarks across the country closed due to COVID-19 social distancing measures, National Park Trust has officially declared the 10^th anniversary of Kids to Parks Day as 'Parks To Kids Day' to be held on Saturday, May 16th, 2020. The celebration brings a much-needed infusion of the outdoors to kids and families as they isolate close to home.

Understanding that nothing can replace an actual park experience, National Park Trust has developed a variety of family activities and distance learning opportunities available at www.kidstoparks.org. These activities can be completed at home, in a backyard or neighborhood, and help families celebrate the day safely. In addition to the online resources, National Park Trust has updated its free mobile ParkPassport App with new virtual park experiences and fun digital badges available through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

"Last year, Kids to Parks Day featured over 1500 park events in all 50 states with well over a million participants," said Grace Lee, National Park Trust Executive Director. "While there is no replacement for enjoying a day with friends and family at a park, we wanted to help families create park experiences at home by providing fun, engaging and educational activities that families can do together to celebrate the day. The HOW may be different this year, but the WHY is more important than ever before. We hope families will join us for this national day of outdoor play and park appreciation."

National Park Trust encourages families to share their 'Parks to Kids Day' experiences on social media using #ParksToKids.

Mayors from more than 265 cities and towns – including Montgomery (AL), Wichita (KS), Newark (NJ), Olympia (WA), College Park (MD), Edgewater (CO), Alexandria (VA), Henderson (NV), Newark (NJ), Santa Fe (NM), and Cedar Rapids (IA) have signed proclamations of support and plan a digital approach to celebrate 'Parks to Kids Day.'

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST
National Park Trust is a non-profit dedicated to preserving parks today and creating park stewards for tomorrow. The Park Trust is the only land trust with a comprehensive mission of preserving national parks through land protection and creating a pipeline of future park stewards by connecting kids to parks. Since 1983, National Park Trust has benefitted 48 national park sites across 28 states, one U.S. Territory, and Washington, D.C. Annually, the Park Trust provides an estimated 20,000 under-served kids with park trips through their nationally recognized Buddy Bison Programs and Kids to Parks Day National School Contest, both of which support Title I schools. Find out more at www.parktrust.org.

Media Contact: Olwen Pongrace, 202.253.3190 or [email protected]

SOURCE National Park Trust