2020 Summer Programming
Welcome to NOSP’s Virtual Summer Programming!
Things may look a little different this year, but the sun is shining, the grass is growing, the bugs are crawling and we’re ready for a beautiful summer in Newport!
2020 Summer Programming includes activities you can do with your family in your own neighborhood or backyard. Our goal is to keep everyone safe and socially distant, while enjoying the great outdoors.
Here are the highlights (scroll down for the full details!):
- Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt – Explore your neighborhood and put on your detective hat!
- Nature at Home Art Program – Nature is so inspiring, create art based on what’s around you!
- Socially Distanced Obstacle Course – Tie up your shoes and get ready to move at our sanitized, socially distanced course.
All participants will be eligible for a drawing for kids prizes at the end of August! Prizes include items such as footballs, soccer balls, and art kits.
This program is “Powered by Prince” through a grant from the Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund at Newport Hospital and by the generosity of the van Beuren Charitable Foundation.
Let’s explore the great outdoors! Download and print this PDF to see how many clues you can find in your neighborhood. When complete, email us at info@newportopenspace.org or call/text 401.835.1974 to receive your virtual completion certificate. If you can, tag us on social media with pictures of you in the great outdoors!
Click to download PDF version of Scavenger Hunt. If you don’t have a printer, email us at info@newportopenspace.org. Click para descargar PDF en Español.
Make sure to contact us when you complete the scavenger hunt because all participants will be eligible for a drawing for kids prizes at the end of August!
Calling Newport’s creative kids!
Nature can be so inspiring – listening to birds sing, smelling a flower or rain in the air, and feeling the sunshine on your face. We want to know what inspires you in the great outdoors!
Anyone can participate in our summer art program:
- #getoutside to get inspired!
- Create any kind of art – draw a picture, write a poem, write a song, use sidewalk chalk, anything!
- Share with us to be entered into a prize drawing at the end of August! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us (@newportopenspace) OR email us at info@newportopenspace.org or call/text 401.835.1974 with a picture of your art.
- Share your art with your neighborhood! Hang drawings in your front window or glass door.
When you submit your art to us on social media or via email, you’ll receive a virtual participation certificate and be entered in a drawing to win a prize!
What are you going to create? We can’t wait to see!
*The Obstacle Course is fully booked! You can learn how to quickly and easily set up an obstacle course in your backyard or at the park with these resources: 25 Easiest Low Prep Obstacle Courses for Kids | How to Make a DIY Obstacle Course Outside | Backyard Obstacle Course*
Join us at Miantonomi Park on select dates in August for an obstacle course! Our staff has designed a fun course with play equipment for children of all ages.
The course will be available by appointment only – click to make an appointment or call/text 401.835.1974. All participants will be eligible for a drawing for kids prizes at the end of August!
*Safety precautions at the obstacle course will include: social distancing, sanitizing equipment between each participant, mask-wearing, and any other measures that are necessary to maintain safety of all participants and staff.
*We are not staffed or equipped to babysit or look after every child interested in the obstacle course. Someone old enough to supervise the kids should accompany them to their scheduled obstacle course time.
Other At-Home Activities
- Go on a “Tree Walk” in Newport’s Morton Park! Adult and kids versions available on Newport Tree Conservancy’s website.
- See if you can find any of Rhode Island’s State symbols in your neighborhood!
- State Tree – Red Maple
- State Insect – American Burying Beetle
- State Flower – Violet
- State Rock – Cumberlandite
- Learn and recite the RI State Song – “Rhode Island, It’s For Me”
- Learn about the Ruby Throated Hummingbird, its migration through Newport, and how you can install a hummingbird feeder in your backyard.
- The Audubon Society of Rhode Island has a wealth of resources to bring nature into your home each week – including these LIVE bird cams.
- Enjoy one of these 50 Nature-Based Activities for Rhode Islanders from Rhode Island State Parks (haga clic aquí para Español).
- Bring nature inside! Listening to nature sounds can have a similar effect to being outdoors. Check out this forest birdsong video, take a deep breath, and relax.
- Test your eyes with birdwatching!
- Check out this list of common backyard birds
- Visit Cornell University’s All About Birds Website
- Download the Merlin app for bird identification
- Learn all about bugs with this Bug Book!
- Find and identify as many RI butterflies as you can with this handy butterfly list.
- Plan a picnic! You don’t need a picnic basket or cook any special food. Just pack up your lunch and sit outside in the nearest park with your family!
- Join Newport Public Library’s Summer Reading Program