Parks program returns to promote outdoor adventure to St. Joseph kids
By Riley Funk
St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities is bringing back an annual summer program to encourage kids to visit local parks, but this year it will come with a bit of a twist.
The Parks Passport program, which has been in place since 2021, has begun once again.
Jessica Oshel, special events and communications coordinator for St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities, said the program will see a change by removing QR codes that have been in place in years past.
“We started those first two years off with the QR codes on the playgrounds that people would check in that way, but with some trial and error, we discovered that a lot of people would tear off the QR codes, which caused a lot of problems for people to check in,” Oshel said.
This year, kids won’t have to deal with that issue. Instead, participants will have access to a booklet that will have riddles to solve and questions to answer In parks all across the city.
Participants have 24 places across town to visit in order to fill out the passport. One letter from each riddle and question will help solve a 24-letter puzzle.
Those who visit 20 out of 24 parks will receive a free prize. By visiting and completing the whole passport, participants will be eligible to win a summer prize pack.
The goal is to give kids from around the ages of 4-12 a chance to do a fun activity while giving them an opportunity to learn more about different parks.
“It’s just a good way to keep kids engaged even when they’re out of school and not in summer school,” Oshel said.
So far, there have been 150 kids that have registered for this year’s, Oshel said. Participating in the program gives families something fun to do as a group.
“There are so many benefits to getting outside, whether that’s just walking in the trails or if it’s actually playing in the park and playground. It boosts your happiness, your overall mood and it’s a great way to get active,” Oshel said.
The passport is available to print on the city website. The program began over Memorial Day weekend and will run until Aug. 19.
If kids run into struggles with solving the riddles, the parks department is happy to help out. For any questions or concerns, the department can be contacted through its Facebook page or Oshel can be directly reached at joshel@stjosephmo.gov.
