Well, summer’s almost over, and school looms. And that means plenty to fret about for both kids and parents: back-to-school clothes, back-to-school supplies, and back to teachers’ dirty looks.
Not to mention the added tension of resurging COVID and the big, loud political battles over whether masks are to be worn or not.
But it doesn’t start for a few more days (Aug. 25 in Charlotte-Mecklenburg), so there’s still some time to enjoy some freedom and squeeze out a bit more fun.
So when the kids have had enough of the house and backyard (or when the adults in that house have had, just for the moment, enough of the kids), what is left to do out there?
That depends on to some extent on the ominous Delta variant, and which kinds of activities you may or may not feel is safe for them. For instance, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is offering free admission to kids for these last few days. Which is generous, but do you want them in those crowds? For that matter, do you want them indoors, heat or no heat?
And maybe they’re just not that into race cars.
The good news is, there are alternatives. Just recently we reminded you of the Buckeye Cove Nature Preserve, right next door. And in the past, we’ve listed other convenient places for communing with Mother Nature.
Not a hiking fan? There’s more to do outside. Here are some of the better playgrounds recommended by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority:
- Carmel Road Park
- Chantilly Park
- Cherry Park in Rock Hill
- Col. Francis Beatty Park in Matthews
- Freedom Park
In fact, why don’t you just go peruse the whole list? There’s a bunch more.
And how about this, for when the sun goes down: When’s the last time you went to a drive-in movie? It’s a form of entertainment seemingly invented for the pandemic, which has done a lot to bring them back over the last year or so. And there are several to choose from:
- Badin Road Drive-In in Albemarle
- Hounds Drive-In in Kings Mountain
- The aptly-named Sunset Drive-In Theatre in Shelby
Oh, and one more thing. While COVID-related staffing shortages have led to the pool being closed on weekdays, there’s one more pool-related event to look forward to: It’s an end-of-summer party at 8 p.m. on Saturday night, Aug. 21. Watch Facebook for more details!
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