FREE Family Fun Sundays at Three Rivers Park District

Looking for a fun family friendly activity on a Sunday? Check out the Three Rivers Park District for many opportunities throughout the summer.

The Three Rivers Park District offers Free Family Fun Days every Sunday from 1 pm – 3 pm at multiple parks. Stop in at a time that works for you. Check out the variety of activities and find one that your family would enjoy!

Free Family Fun Days at Three Rivers Park District on July 14th, 2024: 

• Scoping Out Insects: Celebrate our Big Year of Bugs by focusing in on what makes these small creatures unique and beautiful! Use a variety of tools to get a close-up view of the details of everything from a dragonfly’s wing to a ladybug’s jaws. View buzzing pollinators comfortably from the trail with special binoculars or catch crawling critters to put under a microscope.
  • Eastman Nature Center, Osseo
• Rocks, Rocks, Rocks: Rocks, rocks everywhere—at the river, on your sidewalk and in your yard! Stop by to explore the shores of the Mississippi River and a rock collection to see if any of the rocks by the river live near you.
  • Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, Brooklyn Park
• Turtle Obstacle Course: Join a naturalist and meet our resident turtle ambassador. Make an obstacle course for the turtle. Use a variety of objects to see if the turtle will go under, over or through the objects. Use a scavenger hunt sheet to search the park on your own for places turtles call home. No reservations needed; drop in anytime.
  • Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington

Free Family Fun Days at Three Rivers Park District on July 21st, 2024: 

• Meet our Turtles: Join us in our front yard as our turtle animal ambassadors get some sunshine! Catch some pond creatures to feed the turtles and learn what makes both painted and Blanding’s turtles special. Drop in anytime.
  • Eastman Nature Center, Osseo
• Raptors Up Close: Raptors have been a part of education at Lowry for many of our 50 years. Meet the current captive raptors, learn about these amazing birds of prey and how they help teach. This program is entirely outdoors. Ongoing. Drop in anytime.
  • Lowry Nature Center, Victoria
• Water Fun: Use a water pump, do water experiments and go on a scavenger hunt.
  • Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, Brooklyn Park
• Insects of the Forest: Search in the woods for the small animals that creep and wriggle. Explore the forest habitat with tools to collect bugs and look at them up close. No reservations needed; drop in anytime.
  • Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington

Free Family Fun Days at Three Rivers Park District on July 28th, 2024: 

• Insect Sweeping: Come spend some time catching insects in a net at Eastman’s prairie. Look at them in a jar, identify them using an app called SEEK by iNaturalist and then release them back into the prairie.
  • Eastman Nature Center, Osseo
• Tree ID Basics: Learn the basics of identifying trees and practice your skills on some of the common trees in the park.
  • Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, Brooklyn Park
• Pond Exploration: Meet a naturalist on the dock and use nets to discover some of the amazing animals that live in the pond. Equipment will be provided. This program is entirely outdoors. 
  • Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington

Free Family Fun Days at Three Rivers Park District on August 4th, 2024: 

• Pond Exploration: Help us celebrate our Big Year of Bugs by exploring the critters that live at the pond. Meet a naturalist at the pond to scoop with a net, identify aquatic invertebrates and get a look up close with a magnifier. This program is all outdoors.
  • Eastman Nature Center, Osseo
• Slacklining: Learn tips and tricks for walking on a slackline. Test your balance and enjoy the park at the same time.
  • Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, Brooklyn Park
• Ospreys: Drop by the nature center and study this incredible fishing raptor. Learn about their hunting style, habitat needs, migration route and physical adaptations. Then take a short self-guided walk to observe an active osprey nesting platform. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to see these amazing birds in the wild. 
  • Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington

Free Family Fun Days at Three Rivers Park District on August 11th, 2024: 

• Scoping Out Insects: Celebrate our Big Year of Bugs by focusing in on what makes these small creatures unique and beautiful! Use a variety of tools to get a close-up view of the details of everything from a dragonfly’s wing to a ladybug’s jaws. View buzzing pollinators comfortably from the trail with special binoculars or catch crawling critters to put under a microscope. Free, ongoing program for all ages. All equipment provided. Reservations recommended.
  • Eastman Nature Center, Osseo
• Story Walking—If You’re Not From the Prairie: Drop in any time to hike the trails and uncover the pages of “If You’re Not From the Prairie” by David Bouchard. Complete the trail and complete the story!
  • Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, Brooklyn Center
• Prairie Insects: Visit the prairie in search of butterflies, dragonflies and other insects. Catch and release insects using nets and jars. Equipment will be provided. No reservations needed; drop in any time.
  • Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington

Free Family Fun Days at Three Rivers Park District on August 18th, 2024: 

• Meet our Turtles: Join us in our front yard as our turtle animal ambassadors get some sunshine! Catch some pond creatures to feed the turtles and learn what makes both painted and Blanding’s turtles special. Drop in anytime.
  • Eastman Nature Center, Osseo
• Meet the Animal Ambassadors: Drop in any time for an up-close view of the Mississippi Gateway animal ambassadors!
  • Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, Brooklyn Park
• Digital Scavenger Hunt: Grab a digital scavenger hunt bingo sheet and head out on the trail with your camera for a self-guided hike. Search for and photograph August discoveries to complete the challenge and share your discoveries and questions with a naturalist. No reservations needed; drop in any time.
  • Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington

Free Family Fun Days at Three Rivers Park District on August 25th, 2024: 

• Dragonflies: Learn about this amazing group of insects. See what they look like in the water during their nymph stage of life. Then take a self-guided hike to the prairie and try catching some of the flying adults with a net. All equipment will be provided. No reservations needed; drop in any time.
  • Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington
• Insect Sweeping: Come spend some time catching insects in a net at Eastman’s prairie. Look at them in a jar, identify them using an app called SEEK by iNaturalist and then release them back into the prairie. Ongoing program for all ages. All equipment provided.
  • Eastman Nature Center, Osseo
• Prairie Insects: Learn about the beautiful insects of the prairie. Use nets to try to catch them. Ongoing.
  • Lowry Nature Center, Victoria
• Bugs, Bugs, Bugs: There are bugs everywhere! Use tools to catch bugs and look at them up close. See if you can identify what bugs you caught.
  • Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, Brooklyn Center