52 Things Your Family Can Do Without Leaving This 5.2-Acre Dallas Park

Leave it to Dallas—home of big sports, big buildings and big hair—to go big when dreaming up one of its coolest attractions. The city’s 5.2 acre Klyde Warren Park sits on top of a freeway that runs through the center of town. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., this urban green space is home to loads of fun and free activities—from story time at the Children’s Park to exercise classes on the lawn—that can keep your family entertained (and out of traffic) all day long.

Here are 52 ways you and your kids can take advantage of the park’s entire 5.2 acres.

• 1. Bring a nature book about Texas’ native plants and trees. Then see how many you can identify in the park’s Botanical Garden.
• 2. Get to know the buildings that define Dallas’ skyline through a Skyline 360 Tour, hosted by the Dallas Center for Architecture in the Reading Room.
• 3. Download a bird-identifying app on your phone, and get to know your feathered friends.
• 4. Pose for a family photo with the Dallas cityscape as your backdrop.
• 5. Set your stopwatch, and challenge your kids to see who can spot the most insects. The more the merrier—lots of bugs equal a healthy ecosystem!
• 6. Organize your own scavenger hunt.
• 7. Collect leaves; then try to identify the plants with a park nature guide.
• 8. Create a nature hunt bingo game.
• 9. Conduct a science experiment with educators from the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.
• 10. Build a fort with the larger-than-life Imagination Playground blocks.
• 11. Write a poem about nature.
• 12. Find interesting textures, like leaves or tree bark, throughout the park and make rubbings of your favorites on paper with chalk or crayons.
• 13. Play tic-tac-toe with sticks and stones.
• 14. Unpack your sketch pad, markers and colored pencils. Let nature be your inspiration.

Get moving

Breathe in fresh air while doing yoga in the open grassy areas.

• 15. Ride a bike. (Rentals are available for a minimal fee.)
• 16. Hop on the scenic Chase Promenade to go for a walk that spans the entire park.
• 17. Sign up your kids (boys and girls, ages 5-12) for a Knight Training class with members of Medieval Times.
• 18. Hone your golf game at the East Lawn’s putting green.
• 19. Learn to play petanque, the French version of bocce ball.
• 20. Join a game of croquet or badminton. (You can check out equipment on the East Lawn.)
• 21. Throw a Frisbee disc or a football across the Ginsburg Family Great Lawn—the park’s largest open space.
• 22. Play freeze tag.
• 23. Fly a kite.
• 24. Have a water balloon fight.
• 25. Strengthen your core with a Pilates in the Park class at the Muse Family Performance Pavilion.
• 26. Make a new friend at a dance class.
• 27. Take a stroll along Jane’s Lane, a 25-foot-wide walkway shaded by red oaks.
• 28. Take a kid-friendly yoga class on the East Lawn.
• 29. Promote your overall health and well-being with a free tai chi class.
• 30. Feel the Latin beat while you practice your dance moves at an evening Zumba class.
• 31. Splash barefoot through the interactive water fountains.

Kick back and relax

Klyde Warren Park is often home to nighttime concert events.

• 32. Listen to some jams at the concert area.
• 33. Let your kids unleash their drama at the Children’s Park’s Saturday morning theater class.
• 34. Pack your camera and let your kids take photos.
• 35. Take your little ones to KidsWorks story time.
• 36. Enjoy happy hour with your favorite wine (order a flight for $14), from 5 to 7 p.m. at Savor Gastropub.
• 37. Stretch out on the family lawn area and read a good book. (If you forget yours, you can check out a book or magazine from the lending library.)
• 38. Challenge your kids to a game of Ping-Pong—paddles and balls are provided free of charge—on the East Lawn.
• 39. Blow bubbles.
• 40. Celebrate the weekend with a bluegrass brunch on the Patio overlooking Klyde Warren Park.
• 41. Outmaneuver your kids in a game of chess at the Reading & Games Courtyard.
• 42. Pick out a board game from the game cart in The Dallas Morning News Reading & Games Room.
• 43. Spread out a blanket, close your eyes, and soak up the sun.
• 44. Sit back and enjoy free live lunchtime music, provided every Wednesday courtesy of the American Federation of Musicians.
• 45. Meditate in the Butterfly Garden.
• 46. Grab lunch from one of several food trucks—there’s a different selection each day—and have a picnic in the outdoor reading room.
• 47. Find a nice, shady spot to catch up on the latest viral videos (connect to free Wi-Fi throughout the park).
• 48. Catch a movie in the park (seasonal).
• 49. Let your dog run free (and cool off in the jumping fountain) at My Best Friend’s Park.
• 50. Play I-Spy.
• 51. Gaze at the stars after dusk.
• 52. Sit back, relax and enjoy this time with the people you love.

For up-to-the-minute details on locations and times, check out Klyde Warren Park’s mobile app.

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